NOTHING could hold them back, not a sore muscle or a broken bone.
When Pido Jarencio was still a rookie coach seven years ago, his ailing Growling Tigers fought through food poisoning, dengue and a depleted lineup to win the title. This year, it’s all too familiar—an injury-laden squad trying to stay alive in the Final Four race.
Jojo Duncil, the 2006 Finals MVP, recalled how tough it was for them back then.
“It was really hard for us because we lacked players, so the others had to step up and double their efforts,” he said.
The struggles were also fresh in the mind of Dylan Ababou.
“There were times when there were only nine players in a game,” the former small forward said. “We had difficulty adjusting without our key players.”
The current Tigers have had their share of bumps and bruises—some short-term that forced them to sit out a game or two, while others potentially career-ending.
Guard Edcor Marata and rookie center Jan Macasaet will both miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgeries for their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries. Another rookie, Brian So, will not anymore play for the season due to an LCL (lateral collateral ligament) injury.
Mainstays Aljon Mariano (ankle sprain), Kevin Ferrer (cheek fracture and left ankle sprain) and Jeric Teng (slight shoulder labral tear and hamstring injury) have seen the worst in their careers that even Jarencio couldn’t comprehend.
“What’s happening to our team is really disappointing, so many injuries. I don’t know what kind of bad luck hit us,” he said. “In the many years I’ve been coaching, I’ve never seen this happen. There were players who got sick but none injured.”
But, as what the 2006 team did, the Tigers this season just keep on going.
“We were never discouraged. When there was even the slightest glimmer of hope, we would hold on to that,” Duncil said.
“We gave our best and all our strength every game with the ‘no more tomorrow’ mentality,” said Ababou, who later highlighted his career by bagging the Season MVP award in 2009.
If the 2006 squad pulled it off—sickness and all—can this season’s Tigers achieve the same feat?
For both Ababou and Duncil, it’s a resounding ‘yes.’
“I think this year’s team could make it to the championship because they’re really good,” Duncil said. “They just have to trust one another and coach Pido, be united and do the best they can. Everything [else] is God’s will.”
“They could make it to the Final Four and even the championship. They just need to give extra effort in every possession, every game,” Ababou said.
As for Jarencio, it’s always important to take it “one game at a time.”
“If we make it to the Final Four, we’re okay,” he said. “Regardless of whoever takes the top spot, as long as we enter the Final Four, we’re good.”
