Adamson University is preparing to enter a post-Cedrick Manzano era next season, and for head coach Nash Racela, the reality is both emotional and daunting.
Replacing a cornerstone player like Manzano — a 6-foot-5 workhorse with a feathery touch and a leader who leads not with words but with actions — is no small task.
For the Soaring Falcons, saying goodbye to their captain is more than just losing a top center.
Manzano has become a living example of how discipline, loyalty, and hard work can shape a player into a model student-athlete in the UAAP.
“Mahirap palitan si Cedrick pero pipilitin namin. Sabi nga kanina, Adamson is very thankful to him for the five years na nasa Adamson siya,” Racela said after the Soaring Falcons’ 61-72 second-round defeat to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“Perfect example siya sa ibang bata na pumili ng isang eskwela na hindi masyadong pinupuntahan ng ibang players. He chose Adamson, he grew with Adamson that’s why ganyan siya ngayon.”
When Manzano first arrived in San Marcelino, Racela’s curiosity gave birth to the nickname “Baby Boy Manzano.”
But through relentless work and a willingness to improve, Manzano, a former volleyball player, transformed from a raw project into a pillar the Soaring Falcons will forever look up to.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“We want to produce the next Cedrick Manzano. That’s something I told the players doon sa dugout,” Racela shared.
“When Cedrick first went to us, diba Baby Boy Manzano pa nga ang tawag sa kanya eh? Sabi ko, it’s good that the younger players, Kobe Demisana, Allen Perez, Jireh Tumaneng, na-experience nila si Cedrick for one year. So nakita nila kung paano nagtrabaho, mag-focus, mga sacrifice na ginagawa niya every day kaya nakarating siya sa ganito.”
Over the past five years, Manzano grew tremendously under Racela — a one-time UAAP champion and seven-time PBA champion — and alongside the various Soaring Falcons who came and went in a program often labeled an underdog but capable of defeating any team on any given day.
“Para sa akin, malaking tulong yun kasi growth yun para sa akin papunta sa pro. Kasi hindi na ako mahihirapan sa pr,o kasi naranasan mo dito sa college ‘yung mga ganong sitwasyon,” the Cajidiocan, Romblon native reflected after posting seven points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in his final UAAP game.
As Manzano turns the page to the next chapter of his basketball journey, one thing remains constant: the quiet humility and work ethic that Racela instilled in every Soaring Falcon under his guidance.
