Five years ago, the trio of Patrick “E2max” Caidic, Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog, and Frederic “Bennyqt” Gonzales powered Execration to its best franchise finish at the time, pulling off a thrilling 3-2 reverse sweep of ONIC Philippines in the playoffs to secure the third-place trophy.
Now, they are reunited at TNC Pro Team, eager to relive their Execration glory days in MPL Philippines Season 16.
E2max, now in his second stint as TNC’s head coach, cannot help but feel the excitement of this reunion—especially knowing that all three have achieved significant milestones in the league over the years.
The 29-year-old mentor and Ch4knu have one MSC title under their belts, while Bennyqt boasts one MPL PH title, one M-Series title, and an M-Series Finals MVP award.
“Nakakatuwa at excited ako kasi gusto ko rin talagang makasama sila (Ch4knu and Bennyqt) ulit dahil alam ko marami din kaming mga natutunan dun sa mga previous teams namin and alam ko mas better version na kami ngayon. Syempre sino bang may ayaw makasama yung better version ng mga kakampi mo dati,” shared E2max in an exclusive interview.
The player-turned-coach is looking forward to a strong Season 16 campaign, steering a squad that narrowly missed the top four last season after falling 3-2 to Team Falcons PH in the play-ins.
“Mas solid ngayon yung mental ng mga players ko ngayon. May redemption kasi eh, lahat may gusto patunayan. And based naman sa skills nila, nandun na sila sa tuktok,” E2max said, noting the difference between his current roster and the Season 14 TNC lineup that endured a winless regular season.
Bennyqt is entering the new season with greater confidence, fueled by his familiarity with his new teammates and the lessons learned from last season’s heartbreaking exit.
“Mas confident ako ngayon kesa last season kasi yung confidence ko last season binase ko lang sa sarili ko, kung pano ako magpeperform. This time, as a team na. Kumbaga alam ko na yung kapasidad ng bawat player. Alam ko na sabay-sabay kami nag-iimprove and naggogrow kaya mas confident ako,” he said.
Joining the reunited trio is fellow former Execration mainstay Robert “Hito” Candoy, along with holdovers Frediemar “3MarTzy” Serafico, Justine “Zaida” Palma, and Lance “LanceCy” Cunanan.
MPL Philippines Season 16 kicks off on August 22, with TNC facing Smart Omega in the opening match.
