By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Brian “SpiderMilez” Santos made a notable return to the MPL Philippines Season 14 with his debut game against Blacklist International.
Despite being sidelined for the entire first half of the regular season, he wasted no time in making a strong statement, securing an emphatic win and proving he still had what it takes.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, SpiderMilez shared the pressure he felt during his first game donning the yellow/orange-black jersey.
He was determined to make a good first impression upon his return.
“Masaya sa feeling maglaro kase ilang weeks akong hindi lumabas sa stage. Tsaka noong nanalo, masaya,” he said with a smile.
“‘Tas yung sa pressure na nararamdaman ko dahil lang ‘yon sa winstreak. Syempre yung lima yung nag-build ng winstreak na ‘yon. Ayokong sirain, ayokong masayang, kaya doon ko naramdaman yung pressure. Pero noong nasa stage na, kinalimutan ko na ‘yon. Hindi ko na inisip yung winstreak, na kami yung top ngayon. In-enjoy ko lang yung ginagawa ko. Nilaro ko lang yung laro ko.”
Following the match, Fnatic ONIC PH head coach Anthony “Ynot” Senedrin expressed confidence in SpiderMilez’s performance, despite the team’s impressive nine-game win streak achieved without the 25-year-old team captain.
Ynot emphasized the team’s trust in SpiderMilez, who filled in for Borris “Brusko” Parro during the series.
“Kase kahit hindi naman ako naglalaro, nanonood naman ako ng mga scrims nila. So naa-adapt ko pa ren yung ginagawa ni Brusko, yung ginagawa ng team. Kaya hindi pa rin ako napagi-iwanan, nakakasunod pa rin ako sa kanila,” he said.
“Yon talaga yung sobrang grateful ako sa team ko kase nga kahit ngayon lang ulit ako nakapag-laro may tiwala sila sa akin,.”
The trust between SpiderMilez and his team was not developed solely during the series against the Tier One-backed squad.
The Fnatic ONIC team captain remained actively engaged, providing insights and guidance during scrimmages and practice sessions. His contributions were crucial in play-making decisions and identifying areas for improvement.
As the second half of the regular season unfolds, SpiderMilez remains focused and determined, knowing that securing a playoffs berth early does not mean they can afford to be complacent.
With other teams aiming to challenge their dominance and hand them their first loss of the tournament, he is committed to maintaining high performance.
“Paulit-ulit lang sinasabi samin ng coach namin, si Coach Ynot, maging consistent lang talaga,” SpiderMilez concluded.
“‘Wag tumigil matuto kase ang daming teams dyan na nakamata sa amin, pinaghahandaan kami kaya dapat kung ready sila, dapat mas ready kami.”
