COACH Kevin De Castro and all of NU-Nazareth School are dedicating their campaign in UAAP Season 88 to Fulton Su, one of the proud program's longtime team managers.
Unfortunately, Su died of cancer back in August 2025, and De Castro and the Bullpups lost not only as a supporter, but also as a father figure.
“Naging father figure siya sa team and especially for me. Player pa lang ako sa NU, he helped, then yun nga, nung naging coach naman ako, he was also there,” the blue-and-gold shot-caller told SPIN.ph.
According to De Castro, it had been one of the late team manager's dreams for them to win it all anew for the first time since before the pandemic.
“Naalala ko pa nung Season 86 na nagpaalam siya before our finals game na sana daw mag-champion kami kasi aalis siya to U.S. Yun pala, kaya siya umalis that year kasi dun siya mag-treat ng sakit niya,” he said, adding that Su continued to cheer them on even from afar and even when his health started to decline.
And now, NUNS continues to carry Su's memory as close to their chests, as they hope to honor him by playing to the best of their abilities this season.
“Yun talaga ang mino-motivate ko sa kanila. Matagal na pangarap ni sir Fulton sa amin na mag-champion kami sa high school. So, ayun, gusto namin i-bring back para sa kanya," De Castro said.
Top team, still
Safe to say, the Bullpups have been putting on more motivated performances, as they got payback on fellow title contender FEU-Diliman on Wednesday.
Now at 8-2, they and the Baby Tamaraws are tied for first, even as Ateneo, De La Salle Zobel, University of Santo Tomas, Adamson, and Universtiy of the East remain in the running.
READ: Bullpups halt Baby Tamaraws' charge for joint first
That's exactly why in the eyes of De Castro and his wards, complacency is actually their greatest opponent.
With the standings rearranging week in and week out, NUNS knows it can't lift its foot off the pedal if it is to fulfill its beloved manager’s final wish.
“Yung mga next few games namin, iniisip na namin as playoff games na. Kung ano yung positive sa amin, i-maintain namin. Kung ano yung mga negative, tatrabahuin pa lalo," said De Castro.
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