With a championship-clinching game looming against the Blue Eagles, the Green Archers will look to bring home their first championship since 2013. For seniors Jeron Teng, Thomas Torres, Jason Perkins, and Julian Sargent, it will be their last chance to represent and bring pride to the Green-and-White.
Beginning of the end
With the conclusion of game 1 of the best-of-three series against archrivals, the ADMU Blue Eagles, the senior Green Archers will have at most two games left.
The four veterans agreed that ending their UAAP career with a championship would be the best way to go. “I have nothing to hold back anymore and I just really want to leave with a championship, and we’ll really do everything,” team captain Jeron Teng affirms the team’s drive to stay on top until the very end.
For Perkins, who hails from Minnesota, it’s a bittersweet feeling. “It’s sad knowing that it’s about to be done. It’s also nice having the moments l had with this [organization],” he said. “It will be nice ending it with a championship. I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to end it with a championship. I’m really trying to enjoy myself,” he concludes.
High expectations and heavier pressure
It is no secret that with La Salle’s outstanding performance in this season’s tournament, they are a crowd favorite, not just in the Lasallian community, but also for the UAAP fans outside DLSU. With a new team system penned “mayhem”, opponents and fans alike were surprised at the havoc the Green Archers brought onto the court. But with the underlying pressure of constantly staying on top of the game, the possibility of choking under stress is real and may affect the performance of the team.
When asked about how they stay composed, Teng points out that placing trust on the team is a key element, while Torres gives credit to the fans, saying, “The people who are watching, they’re helping us in a way, cheering for us. But then we have to be focused talaga.”
In the eyes of Sargent, who hails from Arizona, there is only one way this season should end. “We just want to get it done, I mean the championship. This mayhem style of play just makes you want to get it.”
Looking back
With all the ups and downs of a UAAP season, it is only fitting that the players still have clear memories of both. While Teng, Perkins, and Torres remember fondly the championship they won together three season ago, Teng has extra special memories of that finals series because it was against his brother, Jeric.
Sargent, on the other hand, made his debut a year later in 2014. To this day, the moment which personally stands out to him would have to be the Green-and-White dropping out of its title defense versus FEU. “Probably my first year, the year [Mac] Belo made the last second shot on us. I really feel like that that should’ve been a championship run after FEU,” he said. “We would’ve really had a good shot against NU. That probably would forever haunt me.”
Life after the UAAP
Rather than focusing on making the leap to the Philippine Basketball Association, all assert that they are all still focused on winning the championship. Sargent believes a championship would be the perfect send-off. He says, “I think we all pretty much plan on making the jump after this year so I think it would be really great if we win a championship before we go. That’s why all of us really want to get it done this year.” With this said, though, all place a large emphasis on finishing their respective degrees before looking farther into the future.
Messages to the Lasallian Commuity
All four graduating players showed their appreciation to the Lasallian community, but also took the time to call for support. “First of all, I want to thank them [the people of the Lasallian community] for their support and I just hope to see them and [hope that they will] be with us in our last two to three games. We really promise to give our best and do whatever it takes to make the community proud,” says Teng. Torres gladly shows the same appreciation as Teng, mentioning, “It’s a dream come true for me to play [for DLSU] and I hope until the final buzzer, they’re gonna be there to support us.”
Likewise, Sargent shows his appreciation for the Animo Spirit of the community. “Stick together. Play as one. With the community we have here and how much support they give us, it just helps us that much more, as athletes [competing] and as students [doing academics].”
“Just thank you for everything. I really appreciate all the love that everyone’s given me since I’ve been here,” says Perkins. The forward carried on, saying, “Even when I walk into class, others at the mall, they’d say, ‘Jason, congratulations,’ or ‘Good game.’ I can’t appreciate it enough.”
While ending this season with a championship would be perfect for all Lasallians, it will bring bittersweet feelings knowing these four will not be on the court next year. It is safe to say they left everything they had on the court and no one from the Green-and-White will soon forget their efforts.
