Meeting the School of Nursing (SON) Panthers for the second time in the tournament, the School of Education (SOE) Sharks settled their elimination-round matchup with a 338-321 victory in the men’s scrabble championship at Palarong Atenista 2026.

The title bout brought SOE Sharks’ John David Mosende and SON Panthers’ contender together again after their elimination-round encounter, where Mosende previously fell short.

With the earlier defeat still fresh, Mosende admitted feeling nervous heading into the rematch but managed to turn the result around and claim the championship.

“Actually, kadto na match is rematch to siya. Nag-ano kami sa elims, SON vs SOE. Tapos na-defeat ko… So rematch jud siya. Maong nakulbaan ko gamay, pero thank God nakabawi ako, triumphant gud, champion,” Mosende shared.

Preparing for the tournament despite a busy academic schedule, he focused his practice on strengthening his knowledge of two-letter words, which he said helped him capitalize on Scrabble’s challenge mechanic.

“Considering na meron yung concept of ‘challenge’ sa Scrabble, gi-memorize ko lahat ng two-letter words so that if may makita ako na invalid na two-letter words, i-challenge ko, tas plus points agad sa akin,” he explained.

Rather than following a regular training schedule, he practiced whenever his free time allowed, turning to Rackword, an online Scrabble platform, to play against other users and sharpen his gameplay.

Despite the uncertainty, he continued to rely on his instincts when deciding whether to challenge a word, crediting the strategy as one factor that helped him secure the championship.

The victory marked Mosende’s second Palarong Atenista appearance after finishing fourth in his previous stint, taking home the tournament as the men’s Scrabble champion.

SEA Tigers snap B&M Vipers streak in women’s championship

Bringing their wits to tiles, the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) Tigers secured not just the final board, but the championship crown in the 2026 Palarong Atenista women’s Scrabble tournament.

Leading the competition, SEA Tigers’ Casipong had the mindset of enjoying the game to the fullest and not letting pressure get in her way.

“Actually, wala gani ko any preparation, like wala ko ga basa og mga words or anything, like kung unsa lang mo gawas na letters kay mao lang gamiton,” she stated.

She also expressed the value of putting passion into the sport first and making fun a focal point of participating in these events.

“Put your heart in it, tapos kung love nimo ang scrabble, go for it. Like, don’t pressure yourself, just enjoy the game, have fun,” Casipong noted.

In the women’s category, the School of Nursing (SON) Panthers came for silver, while the B&M Vipers followed up with bronze, and the men’s category result is yet to be released. 

The Scrabble tournament was held in F213 of the Finster Building on September 20.