Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz continues to defy expectations, proving that he still belongs in the league after leading ECHO to a dominant sweep of the first round of the MPL Philippines Season 12 on a Saturday afternoon.
The 24-year-old former league MVP was inserted into the reigning world champion’s starting five to begin the season, a surprising move that undoubtedly turned heads, especially considering that Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera had been having a breakout year for ECHO and had been their starting roamer since.
Jaypee made sure to seize the opportunity, providing the team with another veteran presence alongside Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno and Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales.
When asked how he has managed to keep pace with the league’s young talent, the two-time MPL PH champion revealed that his experience, among other factors, is his most important asset in his career resurgence.
“Siguro po yung gaano ka-gusto nila matuto sa laro, matututo ka po. Wala po sa edad ‘yan. Depende rin po talaga sa IQ mo sa laro, kung paano ka mag-a-adapt sa team mo at sa mga bagong kasama mo. Nakapag-adjust [lang] din po ako,” said Jaypee following ECHO’s sweep of AP Bren.
The former Sunsparks star stepped up in the clutch in Game 2, delaying AP Bren’s five-man death push to allow ECHO to regroup and secure the win that strengthened its hold on the top spot with a 7-0 record.
“Si Sanji kasi pinapauwi ko. Parang chill lang din kami sa pagdedefend kasi palabas na yung mga minions namin kaya parang ‘di naman kami napressure na matapos,” shared Jaypee, who led the team’s development squad in the inaugural MDL title earlier this year.
“Nakafocus po ako sa timer nung mga minions namin kaya dinelay ko lang sila tapos nag-Flicker in na ako. Kahit mamatay na po ako basta madesefend lang namin. Parang napalalim sila kaya nahabol pa namin yung mga heroes,” he added.
Jaypee stated that he has no plans of slowing down as he remains determined to lead ECHO to the MPL PH Season 12 championship and, of course, the M5 World Championship which will be held here in the Philippines.
“Handa naman po ako maglaro sa playoffs. Nung naging reserve player nila ako, handa naman ako lagi pumalit sa team kapag may nangyari sa kanila.”
