Three football standouts emerged as the season’s biggest heroes in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), earning top honors at the Collegiate Press Corps Awards presented by Strong Group Athletics on 29 June at Discovery Suites Manila in Pasig City.

Ramil Bation III and Regine Rebosura were named UAAP Football Players of the Year after steering the University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University (FEU), respectively, to their Season 88 championship triumphs.

Meanwhile, San Beda goalkeeper Marc Pellejo earned NCAA Football Player of the Year honors after anchoring the Red Booters’ campaign to a fourth consecutive and 27th overall NCAA title.

Backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, the football awardees will join other collegiate standouts set to be recognized at the prestigious event.

After missing the finals last year, Bation willed the Fighting Maroons back to the championship in Season 88.

With the threat of a penalty shootout looming in the Final Four against De La Salle University, the winger from Dipolog City fired a free kick in the 127th minute for the only goal of the game, sealing his team’s spot in the finals.

In the finals, it was also Bation who sealed the victory for the Fighting Maroons by scoring the second goal just minutes after teammate Charles Lobitaña equalized against FEU, giving him his eighth goal of the season.

For Rebosura, meanwhile, it was all about stepping up for the Lady Tamaraws.

Rebosura made sure the crown stayed in Morayta, firing six goals throughout the season, including the insurance goal in added time of FEU’s 2-0 win over La Salle in the finals.

Rebosura also suited up for the national women’s futsal team in the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last December, where the team finished fourth.

In the NCAA, Pellejo became San Beda’s wall, keeping a clean sheet until the Red Booters conceded their first goal against De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the last match of the group stage, a 1-0 loss.