Filbert Tacardon announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, firing a brilliant hat-trick to lift Claret School of Quezon City to its first win in the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Football Tournament — a hard-earned 3–2 decision over Adamson University at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
Tacardon struck early and often, finding the back of the net in the 6th, 38th, and 60th minutes to give the Red Roosters just enough breathing room to withstand a tense late surge from the Baby Falcons.
The victory marked a significant breakthrough for Claret, which had to wait until its final outing in Season 87 to notch a win, but has now broken through much earlier this time around.
“I feel very proud and honored for winning against Adamson, gaining that first win for the UAAP,” Tacardon said.
“We’re still going to celebrate, but tomorrow we focus on our next game, especially since we’re up against a strong team. We’re going to learn from our mistakes and use them to be better.”
Adamson refused to go quietly, with goals from Raf Irlanda and Tristan Alkuino turning the closing minutes into a nervy finish.
Still, Tacardon stressed that his scoring outburst was only made possible by Claret’s collective effort, particularly on the defensive end.
“I have no words. I’m very proud of this team for pushing for the whole 90 minutes,” he noted.
“They were there to help and guide me to get this hat-trick—it was a collective effort.”
Tacardon’s composure on the pitch is deeply rooted in a strong family tradition in UAAP football.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
He follows in the footsteps of his older brothers Fidel, Florenz, and Francis, who won championships and individual honors with the University of the Philippines at the collegiate level.
Alongside brother Filmar, Filbert now carries the family name for Claret, with their parents and paternal grandfather remaining constant supporters across divisions.
“My brothers were there to see our match. They were always supportive, even since last season, because they have a lot of experience in the UAAP,” Filbert shared.
“Yung parents ko po, they had an event, but they left me words to keep pushing until the last minute.”
Despite the breakthrough win, Tacardon was quick to point out areas that still need work, as the Red Roosters showed signs of fatigue and vulnerability on set pieces — issues they must address moving forward.
With challenging matches against FEU-Diliman, PAREF Southridge, and University of Santo Tomas looming, Claret will need to build on both the confidence and lessons gained from this result.
“Coming from this game, hopefully sa next we need to work on our endurance and our organization inside the field, especially on dead balls,” he added.
“Hopefully, we get more wins in the next games pa.”
