Embedded Files
Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Napu Riders once again showed why they’re the team to beat, cruising to a 25-11 win over the Chacha Ocean View Middle School Lancherus to secure their second straight boys middle school basketball title in the 2025-2026 PSS-NMIBF IT&E League on Saturday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.
The Lancherus came in with plenty of fight after stunning No. 2 seed Hopwood Middle School in the semifinals, but fatigue caught up after three straight games just before the finals. FMS, on the other hand, entered the championship well-rested and locked in.
Right from the tip-off, the Napu Riders took control. Elli Jonas broke the ice with a fast-break layup and from there, sparked the offense with quick steals and fast-break finishes. Teammates Aloycius Fitial and Mohamod Minto then added buckets to extend the lead. COVMS battled and had chances at the basket but couldn’t convert as FMS’ defense clamped down early.
By the time the first half was winding down, the Lancherus still hadn’t scored with a 0-9 marker—until Jose Santos finally broke through with four straight points, followed by a free throw from Jayce Alepuyo to trim the gap. Even so, FMS stayed in front, 11-5, at halftime.
In the second half, FMS’ Ben Hossain and Dayron San Nicolas found their rhythm, padding the lead while the Lancheru’s offense went hot, then cold again. Lelan Mettao tried to breathe life back into the Lancherus with two late baskets, but Jonas finished the game the way he started it—strong at the rim—to seal the 25-11 victory and another championship for FMS.
The Napu Riders team with Jonas, San Nicolas, Hossain, Fitial, and Minto, were Nnart Siech, Helmar Bero, Napu Pangelinan, Kaleb Hossain, Justan Defang, Dean Aldan, Liam Duenas, Lovan Ngeskebei, and Johanan Imperial.
For Jonas, an 8th grader, this championship meant a lot. “It feels good—it’s my first medal,” he said. “I always wanted this—this is my dream.”
Jonas played in the junior varsity team last year, so stepping up to varsity and winning it all made the victory even sweeter. In their championship game against COVMS, he said, “our strategy was to get open, look for cuts, and just play the game.”
He then said HMS was their toughest matchup of the season. “Congrats to all the other schools though… I want to thank my coach Dexter [Tenorio], teachers, my family, the audience, and everyone that came to the championship,” he said.
Afterwards, assistant coach Ezekiel Macario praised the team’s grind. “These guys sacrificed a lot of time,” he said. “They practice every day… They put in the work and they saw the results when they put in the hard work.”
Macario credited head coach Dexter Tenorio for their second championship in a row and said that even with some players moving up to high school, FMS will keep pushing hard for another run next season.
By Leigh Gases
Report abuse