Action in the NOFA Under-15 and Under-17 Provincial Football Championships shifts into high gear starting today when semifinal berths are staked at the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College pitch in Talisay and the Bacolod City National High School field.

The provincial Under-13 9-a-side tournament and the Under-17 Ladies Championship will also kick off this weekend at the University of St. La Salle pitch.

The spotlight, however, falls on the Under-15 showdown between powerhouse squads San Carlos City, the defending champion, and Celta de Victorias. The two teams go into the 1:30 p.m. Group A match tomorrow at the CHMSC pitch with unbeaten records, although San Carlos is ahead on goal difference, meaning a draw would see the reigning champion through to the semis.

St. Benilde School could wrap up the Group D plum with a victory against BCNHS at 8 a.m. today. West Negros College will meet Negros Occidental High School on Sunday but the outcome will have no bearing if SBS takes out City High.

An intriguing duel is also up in Group C with unbeaten squads La Carlota City and Minuluan-Talisay contesting a semifinal berth at 1:30 p.m. today. Group B remains wide open with University of St. La Salle, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, Valladolid and Handumanan still having a golden chance of making the semis.

UNO-R and Valladolid lead the group with 4 points each, while Handumanan and USLS have three. UNO-R will play La Salle at 3:30 p.m. today, before Valladolid battles Handumanan at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

UNDER-17 MATCHES

Over at the BCNHS pitch, San Carlos hopes to keep its title-retention bid going against an in-form Handumanan squad at 3:30 p.m. today. The winner will advance to the semis as the top Group A.

In Group B, Bago can progress to the semifinals with a triumph against St. Michael Academy Pontevedra at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Escalante still has a chance to make the semis if it beats fourth-running La Salle at 1:30 p.m. and SMA draws Bago. Kabankalan virtually wrapped up the top spot in Group C after winning against Victorias last week but it needs to avoid a loss against winless La Consolacion School-Gardenville at 10 a.m. today to progress.

Top Group D team Pontevedra is expected to breeze past Ma-ao United at 10 a.m. tomorrow and clinch the last semis spot.

UNDER-13, UNDER-17 LADIES RIVALRIES

Meanwhile, the Under-13 tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. with UNO-R and Andres Bonifacio facing each other in the opening match, before Real Murcia and CLMES clash at 9 a.m. La Salle battles Handumanan at 3 p.m., while Talisay tests Ma-ao at 4 p.m.

The ladies Under-17 schedule features UNOR-A versus USLS-A at 8 a.m.; SJI against Tay Tung at 9 a.m; Pontevedra versus UNOR at 10 a.m.; San Carlos taking on Handumanan at 1p.m., and La Salle tackling Ma-ao at 2 p.m. *CPT

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