Amid an inconsistent first round, PAREF Southridge winger Francis Poticano admitted that the team went through an adjustment period during its rocky start in the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Football Tournament.
The departure of key seniors — Nathan De Ocampo and Paolo Tansingco, both of whom recently represented Ateneo de Manila University at the collegiate level this season, and defender Gabriel Paris — left a noticeable void in the team.
While Poticano admits he misses his former teammates, he has embraced the challenge of winning with the current Southridge squad.
“I do miss them a lot… But every year, we always have to move on and build the team,” he said. “It’s cool being the older one this time. Meeting these new players and giving these freshmen a chance is fun. It’s about seeing what this new group can do together.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Reflecting on the team’s early performances in Season 88 at the end of the first elimination round, Poticano believes the Admirals have yet to hit their full stride.
Southridge managed wins over defending champion University of Santo Tomas and Claret School of Quezon City, only to drop points in losses to Ateneo and Far Eastern University-Diliman. They also drew against Adamson University and De La Salle Zobel.
At the end of round one, the Admirals sit in fourth place with eight points, putting them in a strong position to fight for a Final Four spot in the second round.
“I felt like we did good. But of course, knowing our team’s capabilities, I feel like we could have done much better,” Poticano shared. “I’m proud of the team, but I’m excited to see what we can build.”
On a personal note, Poticano’s growth has been shaped by his experience in international football at the youth level. In August last year, he was part of the Under-16 side that won the Lion City Cup in Singapore, and a few months ago, he competed in the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers in Jordan.
These experiences have allowed him to return to Southridge and the UAAP with a deeper understanding of the game and, perhaps more importantly, the value of humility.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“In the national team, I learned to stay humble. Every player is good enough, everyone is at the same level as you,” Poticano explained.
“You have to play the way the coach wants. It was really good exposure because it’s the highest level you can play. Winning was fun, but even when we didn’t get the result we wanted in the second campaign, it gave us a reason to push forward.”
With at least six matches remaining, the pressure is on for the Admirals to match or surpass last year’s fourth-place finish. The road back to the postseason is steeper this time, given Adamson University’s addition to the field and the introduction of a twice-to-beat advantage for the top two seeds.
Despite the tougher competition, Southridge remains undeterred.
“We’ll take it step by step. If we think about the future too much, we’re going to overwhelm ourselves,” Poticano noted. “We just take it win by win, and use each game as momentum to keep moving forward and do better.”
