First-year De La Salle University Green Archers head coach Louie Gonzalez had no words after his team suffered a heartbreaker at the hands of the FEU Tamaraws, Wednesday evening. A whole season in which they worked so hard ended just one possession short of a Final Four berth.
“Wala siyang sinabi. Alam naman natin yung nararamdaman niya,” disclosed Santi Santillan, a graduating forward.
“He worked so hard for us. I’m sad na ‘di ko nabigyan ng championship yung mga rookies ko. Actually, [si] Dodong. Yun din ang ‘di ko napatikim sa kanya,” added Kib Montalbo, another graduating Green Archer.
But when Gonzalez was able to gather himself and face the music, he realized that this journey was all worth it.
” Actually the journey is really not easy.”
Right in the very first game of the season, La Salle’s prized recruit Taane Samuel went down with a knee injury that sidelined him for two months. Still, the Green Archers fought on.
“Pero these boys, I always preach – again I’m gonna say it, na it’s not really having yung best players mo,” added Gonzalez, who has been with La Salle for the last three years. “Though magagaling naman yung players ko, pero my challenge to them is always the consistency for us to perform, to compete. Okay naman, okay naman, okay naman yung pag-adapt nila dun sa program na nilatag ko.
“Ako naman happy naman ako sa ginawa nila.”
There were plenty of players who stepped up even when the Green Archers had as few as 11 healthy bodies. Justine Baltazar and Aljun Melecio became the leaders of the team, while Santillan made himself a bonafide star. Then there’s the likes of Mark Dyke, Brandon Bates, Encho Serrano, and Joaqui Manuel, who were able to come out of their shells as the season progressed.
For Gonzalez, this was a testament to the leadership of Montalbo, as the King Archer helped him get to the players.
“Kib, talagang yung leadership niya this year, nag-shine na. I’m gonna give it to him, whatever yung narating namin, malaki yung naging part ni Kib dito. Kung paano niya ginawa to put everybody in the same page, tapos kung paano niya binuo itong team na ‘to,” he gushed.
“Again, this is La Salle eh. Tinulungan niya ako how to manage yung egos ng players, to accept the role eh.“
But in a journey that took them from Manila to Taiwan to South Korea and back to Manila, it’s the results that matter. An 8-6 record would have been enough to make it to the Final Four during past seasons. This time, though, it was not.
But if the grizzled tactician were asked, he and the Green Archers have nothing to be ashamed. They gave their very best night in and night out for La Salle.
“Wala akong masabi eh, wala akong masabi. I’m still proud of my boys na talagang up to the last second, nandun pa rin kami sa game. Lumalaban pa rin yung mga bata,” he expressed. “Sayang lang na nasayang yung opportunity. The opportunities were there pero para sa akin rin as a coach, first time ko dito sa UAAP, it’s a big learning.
“Talagang napakalaking learning, napakagandang experience talaga.”
