When Centro Escolar University won its unprecedented third UCAL crown last March 18, Jeffrey Perlas immediately went to the bleachers of Paco Arena.
The young head coach looked for his wife and son and immediately gave them a tight hug.
“My wife knows my struggle. Seven years ago, my family was brokenhearted. My son didn’t speak to me for a week,” recalled Perlas, as it was seven years ago when Lyceum of the Philippines University could not get the job done during the NCAA Season 94 Finals.
“At least now, I have made it up to them.”
Though the Scorpions have long been a powerhouse squad in the UCAL, this batch is a shell of those teams.
After sweeping the fifth season of the league, CEU experienced an exodus.
Lenard Santiago went to National University, Ron Rei Tolentino committed to San Beda University, while Jomel Ancheta transferred to College of Saint Benilde.
Meanwhile, big men Henry Agunnane and Ayodeji Balogun transferred to De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively.
“At first, you want everyone to stay, but you don’t have control over everything,” said Perlas, reflecting on the team he inherited.
“But instead of feeling sorry, I focused on those who stayed. It’s my responsibility now to offer them something and earn the trust of their families.”
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Lead guard Franz Diaz was also supposed to go to the University of Santo Tomas, but fate intervened.
No longer having the leading players of seasons past, Perlas made sure to gain Diaz’s trust.
“Cap (Franz Diaz) is very crucial. I remember we had this conversation before I assumed the coaching position. He was about to go to UST then. When that didn’t happen, he fell into depression,” shared Perlas, becoming emotional as he recalled his conversation with his captain.
“As our preparations got closer, we talked again. He promised me. He said, ‘Coach, this is ours. I’ll give everything to you. I love you, coach.’ Without him trusting me, we would have struggled. Hearing that from Franz made everything worthwhile. Then everyone followed.”
However, disaster struck CEU a week before the tournament.
Key players like Gab Gamboa and Jerome Santos, among others, were involved in incidents that forced them to skip the entire tournament.
That’s when Perlas decided to gather his team.
(C) Jeff Perlas
“Right before the season, everyone was down because we lost our core team, so I called for a meeting,” he said.
“I asked them to write a word on the board that would guide them throughout the season. Everyone from Team A to Team B wrote because everyone was part of our preparation,” he continued.
“Together is better.”
What Perlas wrote was something he learned from Eric Altamirano at NU and Topex Robinson at Lyceum.
“My one word for them is ‘love.’
“If my players don’t see my genuine love and care for them, they won’t respond to me. It may sound corny, but over the years, that’s what I’ve learned from my head coaches,” he disclosed.
Phase 1 of the tournament was a challenge for the Scorpions.
They lost to the Philippine Christian University-Dasmarinas Dolphins and the Diliman College Blue Dragons.
What was supposed to showcase their hard work turned out to be their preseason — their getting-to-know stage.
“The season wasn’t easy for CEU, especially for me. There were times when you questioned your capabilities as a coach. But by showing genuine love and support for my players, I gained their respect. They believed in my philosophy.”
Phase 2 turned out to be a different story, and it carried on to the playoffs and eventually, the finals.
There were many heroes for the Scorpions.
Diaz was a given. But it was the standout performances of Daniel Marcelo and Abdul-Wahab Olusesi and the leadership of Dave Bernabe that powered their turnaround.
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“Before Game 1, I told them that we had already extended our time together.
“I told them that if I were an author, what had happened to us already made a beautiful story. Now we are in a position to write our ending despite all of our ups and downs,” he said.
“We responded, and we won the championship. That’s the ending they promised me,” he expressed.
The season of CEU did not end during the UCAL.
Unlike UAAP and NCAA schools that treat the PBA D-League as their preseason, the D-League is CEU’s postseason.
And on April 16, they scored a big win, stunning San Beda, 72-63, which paved the way for an outright semifinal berth.
(C) PBA D-League
“It’s no secret that San Beda is a powerhouse team. I just told the boys that they belong here. I erased all our schemes and just put up the words David versus Goliath. I asked them one by one what that meant for them. Underdog, small person, that’s what they said,” said Perlas.
“I know all of them have that David inside them. They were really focused the entire game. Sometimes, even I am surprised by what they show.”
From their buildup to the UCAL to the PBA D-League, CEU has been proving that they are more than just a team of nobodies.
Slowly, they have proven that they are somebody.
And this includes Perlas, who has now proven that he truly belongs.
“We are a bunch of nobodies, but we have to prove that we are somebody. And we are continuing to prove that.”
