By: Miguel Caramoan
In just over a year, Andrew Estrella stood on two different championship stages, hoisted two different trophies, and did it first in the country’s premier varsity league and then in the grand old league.
After leading the University of the East Junior Warriors to the UAAP juniors high school boys title in Season 87, Estrella crossed league lines and repeated the feat with Colegio de San Juan de Letran, completing a rare back-to-back championship run in the UAAP and NCAA juniors divisions.
While the divisions differed, the achievement echoes the historic path of Aldin Ayo, who pulled off the same feat in the collegiate division — winning the NCAA Season 91 title with Letran before capturing the UAAP Season 79 crown with La Salle.
Estrella relied on the same core principles that fueled UE’s breakthrough, adapting them to fit Letran’s deeply rooted basketball culture.
“Of course, yung experience ng last year sa other league, yun naman yung naging same formula that I will use here in Letran. When we say Letran, basketball tradition nila is sobrang rich. So I just have to follow that and yun yung magiging foundation ko towards our success,” Estrella shared.
The task, however, was far from simple. Estrella took over the Squires program only in July, replacing Willie Miller and inheriting a team with limited preparation time for a grueling NCAA Season 101 campaign.
Still, what seemed like a major disadvantage gradually became a strength as the season progressed.
“Coming to a team na two months preparation, yung time akala ko was going to be a problem. Pero latter part of the season, nakita ko na isa na kami. That’s why we got the championship,” he said.
Unlike UE’s stacked juniors lineup — led by Gilas Pilipinas Youth member Jolo Pascual, Gab Delos Reyes, and eventual UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Boys’ MVP Goodluck Okebata — Estrella had to navigate a more delicate balancing act in Letran. He paired a youthful core with experienced pieces in former UPIS standouts Nathan Egea and Daryl Valdeavilla, alongside graduating prospect Justin Cargo.
The Squires’ growing pains were evident early. They finished the eliminations at just 7-6, barely above .500, yet still managed to secure the second seed in Group B — enough to keep their championship hopes alive.
The road to the Finals only grew steeper. Letran needed to maximize its twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, surviving a do-or-die clash against the Perpetual Junior Altas. In the semifinals, the Squires were pushed to the limit once more, requiring all three games to dispatch the gritty EAC Brigadiers.
Throughout the grind, Estrella relied heavily on clearly defined roles to guide the team through tough stretches.
“Recruiting them, I just said na you have a purpose bakit kita kinukuha dito. When Boss Frank and Boss Jacob (Lao) recruit, hindi pwede yung isa lang ginagawa, so dapat yung mga roles na kailangan ko sa team ma-fill,” he explained.
“So sabi ko, just trust the system and we’ll get there unti-unti. Maraming mga shortened na ginawa kami, pero it worked.”
With the Squires capturing their 15th juniors championship in the Grand Old League, Estrella made it clear that while the trophy marks a remarkable season, the work is far from over.
“We’ll cherish the moment first. And then, of course, kailangan ko rin sila isipin yung sa future naman nila. Yung mga returnees — mix of veterans and rookies. So, we’ll see,” he said.
