By Marcus Isaac D.G. Bandong

Despite competing for the first time, the Far Eastern Braves, a student-founded flag football organization, stamped their mark with a first runners-up finish in the Sonics Cup 2026 held last January 24, at the Everest Sky Pitch in Silang, Cavite.

Founded in September 2025, the green-and-gold athletes are dead set on making a name for themselves through their undeniable passion and enthusiasm for flag football.

Accumulating a total of seven touchdowns and two interceptions in the tourney, the Morayta-based squad played exceptionally throughout the competition.

This impressive play secured the Braves a ticket to the Finals, where the team fell short of a championship title in their tough loss against the University of the Philippines Guerrillas, 6-28.

In an online interview with FEU Advocate, first-year sports science student and team captain Jgryd Tan shared the team’s struggles as they prepared for their first competition.

“A lot of playing catch on campus when we're not on the field, since it's been an obstacle for us to train at campus. Because we don't have a field, we trained with different flag football teams outside the University… It also has been tough for some of our players to train weekly since some of us lack budget. But even with those obstacles, our team managed to come through,” he shared.

Regardless of the team’s hardships, international studies sophomore and co-captain Sean Iverson Uy-Buraga made sure that everyone’s potential is maximized through their training.

“We made sure that our players were ready to go against the caliber of teams playing in the tournament, it wasn’t just the physical preparation. For Jgryd and I, it was also measuring the capabilities every single time we train in comparison to the vision we have for a competitive FEU [Far Eastern University] team. Budget and support [were] a huge obstacle for our players as well, but through the help of various sponsors and, of course, our team ‘braving the storm,’ we were able to make the tournament and ultimately make a statement in our debut,” the co-captain said.

For the love of the game

Even after encountering adversities, the squad quickly established an impressive training routine inside and outside the campus.

To envision a better future for the Braves, president Uy-Buraga emphasized the team’s eagerness and drive when it came to their love for the game.

“It was a culmination of our shared passion of what an FEU flag football team could be. As the president of the whole team, it was always the vision to help other athletes showcase their skills in a sport that I know will love them back if they put their heart and mind to it. They poured their hearts out in the game and because of that we were able to surprise even ourselves that we’d be able to keep up with other veteran teams,” the co-captain stated.

Despite flag football being considered a niche sport in the Philippines, the Morayta-based squad seeks to make a statement with their burning passion and unbelievable grit.

After their first-ever podium finish, both second-year sports science students Kevin Dominic Beriña and Marc Eiron Elicanal received individual recognitions for the Best Rusher and Shell Shocker awards, respectively.

Following an impressive stint at their first competition, the Braves are set to continue their stunning campaign and compete in the Guerilla Cup this coming April 2026.

(Photo courtesy of Sonics Cup Media)