During halftime of the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament semifinal between Far Eastern University and the University of Santo Tomas, Kyler Escobar wondered if his time as a Thomasian student-athlete was coming to an end.
With the Golden Booters trailing by a goal from Selwyn Mamon’s first-half strike, the UST captain knew that only 45 minutes remained of his collegiate career if the scoreline held.
But Escobar refused to let the whistle blow on his journey in España just yet.
After teammate Archie Belluga scored the equalizer in the 54th minute, Escobar completed the Golden Booters’ comeback, netting the winning goal in the 78th minute. His strike erased the Tamaraws’ twice-to-beat advantage and set the stage for a do-or-die match this Friday for a spot in the finals.
Having represented UST since Grade 9, the weight of Escobar’s nine-year journey in the black and gold became a primary motivator during the halftime break.
“During halftime, I was thinking that if we lost, this would be my last game. As a team captain, I knew I had to give everything because it would break my heart to end it like that,” he said.
“I’ve been with UST for almost nine years already. I’m emotional because after I scored, I realized I have at least one more game to play. I want to give UST a championship in my final year.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Scoring the winning goal is always special for any football player, and Escobar was quick to credit his teammates, especially midfielder Japjap Baito, for the decisive strike.
“I’m really thankful because without my teammates, I couldn’t have scored that. Without that Japjap assist, I couldn’t have done it,” he said.
Escobar is part of a graduating core that includes Archie Belluga and Chris Valderama.
While the trio is focused on overcoming the Tamaraws once more, the impending departure of the seniors adds urgency to their campaign.
The mission has become even more personal with the support of former teammates like TJ Garciano.
Seeing their former brothers-in-arms in the stands during the win over FEU fueled a desire to win—not just for UST, but to honor those who have played alongside them over the years.
“Our seniors are hoping we get into the final. We’re going to focus on our last game against FEU and stick to the plans our coaches taught us,” Escobar said.
“We’ll let the championship take care of itself for now; the focus is solely on the next match.”
Despite the emotional victory, the captain emphasized a “chill and relax” approach before returning to the training pitch. The Golden Booters must now beat the Tamaraws a second time to reach their first final since Season 80.
“Right now, we enjoy the win, but we’re still not done. We have another semifinal to focus on,” Escobar noted.
“We’re going to do the things we normally do in training and listen to the plans our coaches have for us.”
