16 Mar JFK Islanders repeat as champions of Challenge Cup preseason tourney
[March 16, 2025 – Harmon, Guam] Defending Interscholastic Girls High School Football League champions John F. Kennedy High School Islanders added another trophy to their arsenal winning the 11th Annual Challenge Cup Girls High School Preseason Tournament with a slim 1-0 win over St. John’s Knights Sunday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.
Aubrey Ibanez scored the eventual championship-match winner in the 26th minute to lift the Islanders to their second-straight championship win in the preseason tournament supported by Japan Football Association.
“Our team worked really hard to get this win in the championship match and I am so happy for all of us,” Ibanez said after the match. “This tournament opened our eyes to see what we can do together during the season as a team, but also the kind of work we still need to put in to continue to do well against the other teams in the league. It also validated what we’ve already put in so far – it’s a pretty good start for us heading into the season.”
Over 200 players from all 11 interscholastic league teams registered to compete in Sunday’s tournament. The Islanders topped the Haya group with a 2-0 record and tournament-high nine goals scored in the group stage, setting up a semifinal match against the Academy of Our Lady of Guam Cougars, the top team from the Luchan group. Academy also boasted a 2-0 record scoring four goals and allowing one.
The Islanders defeated the Cougars 2-0 in the semifinal for its spot in the championship match.
On the other end of the bracket, Southern High School earned its semifinals ticket after topping the Lagu group also with a 2-0 record. The team scored five goals and allowed zero in the group stage. The Dolphins set up a semifinal match with St. John’s School, winners of the Kattan group with a perfect 2-0 record. The Knights also scored five goals and allowed zero in the group stage.
The Knights defeated the Dolphins 5-2 in the semifinal to play against the defending champions Islanders in the final.
In the awards presentation following the match, GFA Executive Committee member and Women’s Football Committee Chairperson Kelley Barnhart presented trophies and medals to the finalists. Players from both teams also received commemorative AFC Women’s Football Day t-shirts.
The 12 teams that competed in the Challenge Cup are the Academy of Our Lady of Guam Cougars, George Washington High School Geckos, Guam High School Panthers, John F. Kennedy High School Islanders, Notre Dame High School Royals, Okkodo High School Bulldogs, Simon Sanchez High School Sharks, Southern High School Dolphins, St. John’s School Knights, St. Paul Christian School Warriors, the Tiyan High School Titans, and the Guam U14 National Academy Girls team.
The Challenge Cup is one of four major events in the month of March held in celebration of AFC Women’s Football Day. The first, the 16th Annual Sugar and Spice Girls Middle School Festival, was held Mar. 9, with St. John’s School emerging as three-time champions of the festival.
Following Sunday’s Challenge Cup, the Bank of Guam Strykers FC will take on Guam Shipyard in the championship match of the Bud Light G League Women, set for 3:30 p.m. Mar. 23.
The fourth and final celebratory event this month will be the 2nd Annual Tokyo Friendlies on Mar. 29, which will feature a visiting U16 Girls team from Tokyo Football Association in a tournament against the seven teams in the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League U17 Girls Division: ASC Trust Islanders FC, Bank of Guam Strykers FC, Dededo SC, Guam Shipyard Wolverines, NAPA Rovers FC, Southern Cobras SC, and Tumon Typhoons FC.
There is no entrance fee to watch the matches.
For more information about the month’s events, send an E-mail to gfafed@theguamfa.com
The John F. Kennedy High School Islanders pose with the champions trophy and gold medals of the 11th Annual Challenge Cup Girls High School Preseason Tournament supported by Japan Football Association Sunday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The trophy and medals were presented by GFA Executive Committee member and chairperson of the GFA Women’s Football Committee Kelley Barnhart. The Islanders won 1-0 against St. John’s School in the tournament’s final match. Photo by Samantha Bautista / GFA
The St. John’s School Knights pose with the second-place trophy and silver medals of the 11th Annual Challenge Cup Girls High School Preseason Tournament supported by Japan Football Association Sunday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The trophy and medals were presented by GFA Executive Committee member and chairperson of the GFA Women’s Football Committee Kelley Barnhart. The Knights fell 1-0 against the John F. Kennedy High School Islanders in the tournament’s final match. Photo by Samantha Bautista / GFA
Players and coaches from participating teams pose for a large group photo during the 11th Annual Challenge Cup Girls High School Preseason Tournament supported by Japan Football Association Sunday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Photo by Samantha Bautista / GFA