Christian Manaytay is relishing the revitalized support for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament, especially now that he is in his final playing year as a Growling Tiger.
The 25-year-old forward from Cebu stood out in UST’s thrilling 67-64 win over National University on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. He contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists in just over 25 minutes of action.
Amid the loud cheers from the yellow gallery, Manaytay is finally experiencing what “Go USTe” is all about.
“Feels really good knowing madami ng nanonood sa amin,” Manaytay shared.
“It gives us a boost to really play kasi nandiyan sila to support us. It’s really a nice feeling lang that we have supporters na nanonood namin. It makes us more confident in playing.”
The atmosphere is a stark contrast to Manaytay’s first three seasons with UST, where the team struggled, winning just six games and never coming close to the Final Four.
But this season feels different.
The Growling Tigers have already won three out of their first four games in Season 87 – half the total victories Manaytay experienced before this year.
As the saying goes, better late than never.
Manaytay is thankful to witness this success in his senior year.
“It’s really overwhelming,” said the Sacred Heart School-Cebu alumnus. “Parang masaya lang kasi coming from previous years na palagi kami talo at parang nawawala yung winning culture namin nun. Thank God pumunta dito sila Coach Pido (Jarencio), nagdagdag ng mga new recruits namin like Forthsky (Padrigao) and Kyle Paranada.
“Naging boost yun sa team namin at dun pa lang, alam ko na we’re gonna go somewhere this season. Yung nararamdaman ko dati, parang nawawalan ako ng gana maglaro nun eh kasi we’re always losing. But now, I think, may chance kami ngayon.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Manaytay’s journey at UST has seen him go through several coaching changes.
He initially served residency under Coach Aldin Ayo after transferring from De La Salle University, then played under Jinino Manansala and Bal David in Seasons 84 and 85, respectively.
However, it’s only under Coach Jarencio that Manaytay is truly making a name for himself.
“Lahat siguro ng nadaanan kong coaches, they helped me but Coach Pido helped me a lot in terms of my confidence when he came to UST. He told me na, ‘You can do anything if you believe in it.’ It also helps that my teammates believe in me also. I also believe in them. It’s a collective effort,” he said.
Now, with a 3-1 record, the Growling Tigers find themselves in a respectable position early in the season. As they aim for their first Final Four appearance since Season 82, every game is crucial.
Next on UST’s schedule is a highly anticipated clash against La Salle next Sunday.
It promises to be a true test for the España-based squad, one that will gauge how far they’ve come and how much further they need to go to return to the top.
“We’re gonna prepare for sure. Mahaba yung week na yun. We’re gonna come up with schemes: kung paano namin pipigilan yung mga play ng La Salle and how to play them. Yun lang,” Manaytay added.
