Mexico: ONEFA – Tigres finish unbeaten, Guadalajara clinches dramatic playoff berth as postseason field is set

The final week of the ONEFA 14 Grandes regular season delivered a dramatic finish, with the Borregos Guadalajara securing a playoff berth in the closing seconds, the Auténticos Tigres UANL completing an unbeaten campaign and the Borregos Puebla dominating their local rivals.

With the regular season complete, eight teams remain in contention for the championship.

Borregos Guadalajara 29–26 Borregos CCM: Last-second heroics secure playoff berth

The Borregos Guadalajara clinched their third consecutive playoff appearance with a thrilling 29–26 victory over the Borregos CCM at La Fortaleza.

Trailing 26–21, quarterback Carlos Sánchez connected with Pablo Velázquez on a six-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with just 28 seconds remaining. The ensuing two-point conversion sealed the victory.

Guadalajara had led 21–19 at halftime, but the Borregos CCM rallied behind Jorge Emilio González, who contributed two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown pass to Liam López.

A fourth-quarter touchdown run gave CCM the lead, but the visitors could not stop Guadalajara’s final drive. One last opportunity disappeared when a receiver dropped a catchable pass.

Guadalajara finished 5–4 and advanced to the postseason, while CCM was eliminated at 4–5.

Auténticos Tigres UANL 17–10 Linces UVM: Perfect season secured

The defending champion Auténticos Tigres UANL completed a flawless 9–0 regular season with a hard-fought 17–10 victory over the Linces UVM at Estadio José Ortega Martínez.

Following the physical demands of the Clásico Regio, the Tigres faced another demanding contest.

José Álvarez contributed a field goal, Ángel Alvarado scored on the ground and Joel Ramírez connected with Christian Espinosa for a touchdown.

The Linces stayed within striking distance behind a field goal and a touchdown from Panamanian Luis Alemán, playing his final season of eligibility in Mexico.

The victory secured the top seed for UANL, guaranteeing home-field advantage at Estadio Gaspar Mass throughout the playoffs, including a potential championship game.

Borregos Monterrey 21–7 Águilas Blancas IPN: Monterrey claims second seed

The Borregos Monterrey returned to winning ways with a 21–7 victory over the Águilas Blancas IPN at Estadio Wilfrido Massieu.

Carlos Altamirano’s team finished 8–1 despite playing three games in nine days.

Fernando Sarabia opened the scoring with a touchdown pass to Miguel Lozano. After Leo Palacios answered for the Águilas Blancas, Sarabia found Alejandro Elizondo to restore Monterrey’s advantage before halftime.

Andrés García connected with Fernando Tonda for another touchdown in the second half, while the Borregos defense shut out the hosts after the opening quarter.

Monterrey secured second place and will host the Borregos CEM in the quarterfinals. The Águilas Blancas finished 2–7 and missed the playoffs.

Borregos Puebla 49–3 Aztecas UDLAP: Puebla dominates state rivalry

The Borregos Puebla delivered the weekend’s most emphatic performance, crushing the Aztecas UDLAP 49–3 at Templo del Dolor.

The visitors jumped ahead 14–0 and extended their advantage to 28–3 by halftime. A nearly 50-yard pass from Edson Rincón highlighted the first-half offensive production.

Puebla added three more touchdowns after the break, while its defense prevented the Aztecas from reaching the end zone.

The Borregos finished 6–3, earning fourth place and a home quarterfinal against the Leones Anáhuac México.

For the Aztecas, the 2–7 campaign ended with a particularly painful defeat against their Puebla rivals.

Leones Anáhuac México 37–26 Zorros CETYS: Late surge puts game away

The Leones Anáhuac México survived a determined challenge from the relegated Zorros CETYS, pulling away for a 37–26 victory after the visitors closed within one point.

Yonathan Lizárraga kicked field goals from 30 and 46 yards, while Miguel Ernesto Rodríguez threw two touchdown passes to Gael Arévalo and added a rushing score to bring CETYS within 27–26.

The Leones responded with several decisive plays, including an 87-yard kickoff return by Manuel Rodríguez, a touchdown pass from Iram Ayala to Eduardo Mata and a 56-yard scoring run by José Gómez.

Liam Schumulkovsky added a late rushing touchdown before a field goal completed the scoring.

Anáhuac México finished 6–3, while CETYS ended its winless 0–9 season and will compete in the Conferencia Nacional in 2027.

Burros Blancos IPN 25–2 Leones Anáhuac Cancún: IPN sets up rivalry showdown

The Burros Blancos IPN closed their regular season with a convincing 25–2 victory over the Leones Anáhuac Cancún at Estadio Wilfrido Massieu.

The victory lifted the Burros Blancos to 5–4 and sixth place, ahead of the Borregos CEM and Borregos Guadalajara on tiebreakers.

Their reward is a quarterfinal meeting with the Pumas CU, renewing the traditional IPN–UNAM rivalry at Ciudad Universitaria.

The Leones Anáhuac Cancún finished their inaugural 14 Grandes campaign at 1–8 but retained their place in the conference for next season.

Eight teams remain in championship race

With the Pumas CU and Borregos CEM enjoying final-week byes, the quarterfinal field is complete.

The matchups are:

• Auténticos Tigres UANL (1) vs. Borregos Guadalajara (8)
• Borregos Monterrey (2) vs. Borregos CEM (7)
• Pumas CU (3) vs. Burros Blancos IPN (6)
• Borregos Puebla (4) vs. Leones Anáhuac México (5)

The higher seed hosts each matchup.

The unbeaten Tigres enter as favorites, while the Borregos Monterrey hope to reclaim the championship. The Pumas CU will look to build on their eight-win campaign, and Puebla will seek to capitalize on home-field advantage.

Three victories now separate each contender from the national title.

Conferencia Nacional: Unbeaten contenders advance

The Conferencia Nacional quarterfinals also produced decisive results, with two unbeaten teams advancing to the semifinals.

The Leones Anáhuac Querétaro defeated the Búhos Guinda IPN 30–7, capitalizing on three turnovers. Axel Fernández scored two rushing touchdowns as the Leones preserved their perfect record.

Meanwhile, the Águilas UACH defeated the Lobos UAdeC 41–17 in Chihuahua, recording their ninth consecutive victory.

The result ended the Lobos’ postseason return after a three-season absence and kept the Águilas firmly in the championship hunt.