The San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) male football team earned its spot in the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) National Football Championship after beating Saint John’s College Junior College (SJCJC) 4-2 on Saturday, March 14th. The key match was held at Ambergris Stadium, which will also host the national tournament set for March 27th and 28th in San Pedro Town.
SPJC faced a tough SJCJC team that controlled the game from the beginning. Despite the pressure, SPJC opened the scoring with a goal from Anton Laureano. SJCJC increased their effort but couldn’t stop Laureano from scoring again, giving the island team a two-goal lead. However, the lead didn’t last long, as SJCJC scored their first goal via a penalty kick.
A few minutes later, SJCJC equalized the match with another penalty kick. With the game tied, the island boys pushed harder to defend their home turf. Three minutes before halftime, Laureano raced past SJCJC’s defense and took a powerful long shot that found the back of the net. SPJC headed to the locker room with a narrow 3-2 lead at the break.
In the second half, SJCJC returned determined to mount a comeback. They created several chances to close the gap but were unable to convert any. SPJC quickly responded to the visiting team’s attacks and extended their lead after a coordinated play that let Alejandro Carrillo beat SJCJC’s goalkeeper and score the fourth goal.
The rest of the match included several chances for both teams, but neither was able to score. At the final whistle, SPJC celebrated its victory and secured a spot in the upcoming national championship. SPJC coach Francisco Castellanos said the win was especially meaningful since the island is hosting the ATLIB national tournament this year.
The two-day tournament later this month will showcase college-level teams from educational institutions nationwide, all vying for the national championship title.
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