ALDRECH Ramos missed out on concluding the most pivotal game in Terrafirma franchise history due to a left ankle sprain.
Nonetheless, he takes pride in his role in franchise history as the sole player to have been a part of two Dyip teams that clinched the team's only PBA playoffs appearances eight seasons apart, including the recent Philippine Cup.
The seasoned big man expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to witness and contribute to two distinct batches of Terrafirma teams.
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“Happy ako siyempre kasi twice na ito na nandito ako, na-timing na nakapasok kami ng playoffs. Sobrang blessed ko kasi later on in my career ito, di ba. Nakahabol at nakapasok pa ng playoffs,” said the 36-year-old Ramos.
The 11-year veteran, originally drafted by Barako Bull in 2012, expressed satisfaction that the Dyip made the most of their second playoff appearance by pushing top-seeded San Miguel to the limit.
That's in stark contrast to their previous quarterfinals appearance in the 2016 Governors’ Cup, where they were swiftly eliminated by the Meralco Bolts.
That for Ramos highlighted the team's progress.
“Ito nakapanalo kami ng isang game. First in the history ng Terrafirma. Umabot pa kami sa ganitong sitwasyon na do-or-die pa namin yung San Miguel. So sobrang happy ako,” he said.
Reflecting on the team's composition, Ramos noted the superior skills of this year’s Terrafirma roster compared to the 2016 squad.
“Yung team namin ngayon mas skilled, fundamentally,” he remarked about the present core made up of rookie Stephen Holt, sharpshooter Juami Tiongson, Javi Gomez de Liano, and big men Isaac Go, Andreas Cahilig, rookie Kemark Carino, and Louie Sangalang.
In contrast, the 2016 lineup boasted a young import James White and was guided by coach Chris Gavina.
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“Yung group na yun iba. Yung team namin before meron kaming import, plus more on defenders, mga scrappy guys,” Ramos observed, mentioning Mark Yee, Bradwyn Guinto, Philip Paniamogan, and Jason Ballesteros, among others. “Yun ang pinag-kaiba nung dalawang grupo na ito.”
Unfortunately, Ramos was sidelined for a significant portion of the crucial matchup against the Beermen after sustaining his ankle injury late in the second quarter of a 110-91 loss.
“May natapakan akong paa. Hindi na ako nakabalik,” he explained as he limped out of the Terrafirma dugout.
He finished with two points, a rebound, and an assist in 10 minutes of play. Ramos went out with 4:25 to go before halftime and the Dyip leading, 39-36.
With regards to the future, Ramos hopes Terrafirma carries forward the confidence gained from this playoff run into the upcoming Season 49, ideally with the same group of playrs.
Undoubtedly, the Dyip deserve to be kept together.
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