SBM Eagles conquer the Land of Dawn

By Alyssa Chantal P. Moreno

On March 2, the SBM Eagles bagged the gold in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) sports competition against the Eng’g Warriors, organized by the Xavier Competitive Esports & Entertainment Development (XCEED). The grand finals took place at AVR’s 2 and 3, respectively, live-streamed at AVR 7.

Players Paul “Pole” Gaabon, Franchette “FranTzy” Yvonne, Lawrence “Lalaw” Ladera, Kent “2HOT2HANDLE” Yana, Emmanuel “Emman” Padilla, Jaspher “Jaxx” Daroy, and Team Representative Reymark “Mako” Dumagtoy, fought their way through the battlefield, strategizing their roles and moves.

During the first series, the Eagles remained to be a force to be reckoned with, sweeping the Warriors in Games 1 and 2 (2-0). Eagle Emman’s ‘Pharsa’ with an 8-4-14 kills-deaths-assists (KDA) and Pole’s ‘Brody’ with a 6-2-6 KDA were the MVPs for the first two rounds. These wins gave the Eagles a confidence boost in the second series.

Though the Warriors lost twice in the first series, the tribe did not back down without a fight. For Game 4, Warriors Brent “Shelby” Pagara’s ‘Hayabusa’, Jhone “Thunder” Dalogdog’s ‘Brody’, and Garyl “Garsha” Lamparas’ ‘Yu Zhong’ had a change of pace, with Bonifacio “Boni” Monton substituted for this round. Garsha went for EXP lane while Thunder was on the Gold lane and Shelby was the core. With Evan “Vareskie” Aceret’s ‘Diggie’ and Jewel “Veronica” Cabahug’s ‘Cecilion’ assistance, they fazed the Eagles with their unexpected game plan. Shelby was the MVP for this round with a 9-1-8 KDA.

In Game 5, the Eagles tied the series. Proceeding to the final match of the second series,

In the men’s singles category, Med Wolf Christian Cuerquis unmasked his offensive smashes at court, taking advantage of several drop balls that Eng’g Warrior Paul Dela Cruz failed to cover, gaining an 8-3 victory from Cuerquis.

The Wolves advanced to the semifinals but defaulted from the championship match against the Law Lady Justices. Lady Justice Auden Paduganan conquers the crown for the men’s singles category.

Proceeding on to the championship match for mixed doubles, Lady Justices Pocholo Reserva and Neshel Cipriano stepped on the courts to play against SBM Eagles Kristian Balla and Farrah Emata. The Eagles duo were slowed down by Reserva’s swift attacks, making it difficult for them to keep pace in the 4-point deficit. In the final set, the Eagles conceded defeat, securing the win for the Lady Justices, 7-3.

The Lady Justice finished by securing two gold medals while the Wizards bagged one gold and one bronze medal.C the Eagles had a stronger lineup with FranTzy’s ‘Ling’, Lalaw’s ‘Gloo’, 2HOT2HANDLE’s ‘Cecilion’, Pole’s ‘Beatrix’, and Emman’s ‘Diggie.’ Despite the Warriors’ determination to hold on, the Eagles’ second attempt of taking down the Lord destroyed their enemy’s lane, placing the Eagles at an advantage. As intense as it was, the Eagles soared over the Warriors and were crowned champions in MLBB, with Pole’s 5-3-4 KDA, as the player of the game.C