Defending champions San Beda College Red Booters forfeited two games after midfielder Dane Peñaflor was found to have been ineligible, sending the defending champion skidding from the top spot to fourth in Monday’s Final Four of the 93rd NCAA Seniors Football competition at the Rizal Memorial Complex field.
Arellano University’s Peter Cayco, who chairs football’s organizing committee, said San Beda had sent them a letter admitting Peñaflor was ineligible, resulting in the voluntary forfeiture of two of their three games that the player in question had played.
Peñaflor has suited up for the Red Booters in wins against the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals and Mapua University Cardinals, and a loss to the Arellano Chiefs.
Because of this, San Beda have lost the top seeding — and the twice-to-beat incentive that goes with it — to the College of Saint Benilde Blazers, falling to number four and forging a dangerous early showdown with the latter at 8:00pm on Monday.
Second-seed Arellano University clash with number three Lyceum of the Philippines University in the other Final Four pairing at 6:00pm.
“During the eligibility meeting, San Beda and Lyceum requested that they submit their eligibility requirements in January but we told them they run the risk of forfeiting their games if there are players who will be found to be ineligible later on,” said Cayco.
“And then San Beda wrote us that they have discovered one of their players failed to make the eligibility requirements so they are voluntarily forfeiting the games where the player played,” he added.
San Beda had actually fallen into a three-way tie with EAC and Mapua at number four but mercifully emerged with the highest goal differential of 1 as against the latter two’s -9 and -13, respectively, to clinch number four.
