Keeping the Accountancy (ACC) Griffins pinned deep for much of the match, the School of Nursing (SON) Panthers sealed the Palarong Atenista 2026 football finals with a 1-0 victory.

SON Panthers opened the scoring early, four minutes in, breaking through ACC Griffins’ compact position as they committed several players behind the ball.

Pressing high and working through the flanks, SON Panthers continued to create chances with long passes and crosses, forcing ACC Griffins to defend near their own goal for extended stretches.

Despite the SON Panthers’ sustained pressure, the ACC Griffins managed to push outward on several occasions, using the flanks and quick transitions to create space whenever the SON Panthers committed numbers forward.

Both teams entered halftime tied, continuing to stretch the ACC Griffins’ defense in the second half, frequently drawing several defenders toward one attacker before switching play toward open areas on the wings.

However, the Griffins adjusted by placing more players at the back and looking for opportunities to break forward, nearly equalizing after creating space away from their own penalty area.

At around 28 minutes, SON Panthers doubled their advantage to 1-0, giving them breathing room heading into the closing stages.

ACC Griffins mounted another late push and came close to pulling one goal back, but SON held firm until the final whistle to complete the shutout.

Reflecting on the championship run following their victory, SON Panthers No. 10 Charles Amper shared that winning the title came with both excitement and relief.

“Syempre, happy, but relieved pud, because first year pa lang, champion na. We’re really grateful for this opportunity, especially as first years,” he said.

He added that balancing football with academics relied heavily on time management, while playing the sport also provided them with an outlet from their schoolwork.

“Mostly time management. It’s really important. Football is also our relief. It helps us relax, so it really motivates us to study more, too,” he shared.

The Palarong Atenista 2026 football tournament was held at the Oval Track of Ateneo de Davao University’s Matina campus on October 4.

Editor’s Note: The caption and headline have been revised to reflect the accurate score. We apologize for the oversight.