THEIR jerseys may have changed, but Gani Stevens, Rey Remogat, and Rainer Maga have not forgotten where they took the first steps in their UAAP journeys.
Now wearing the maroon and green of the University of the Philippines, the three former University of the East standouts had plenty to celebrate after the Fighting Maroons dealt their former team a 101-70 beating.
READ: UP goes out guns blazing against UE, gets fifth straight win
As State U walked away with the lopsided victory, the three former Red Warriors are hoping their old alma mater will get to celebrate any kind of win sooner than later.
The red-and-white has now gone 29 straight games without a win, with Maga, Stevens, and Remogat having experienced different chapters of the once-proud program’s struggles before moving on to Diliman.
And while they have found a winning culture with UP, their ties to UE remain.
‘A win just meant the world to me’
For 6-foot-7 Stevens, who played for UE in Season 85, the difference between winning and losing became more than just a matter of the final score.
As he put it, “When I was at UE, a win just meant the world to me.”
“I wanted to play as hard as I could, give everything to the community that was supporting us at UE,” he added, as they finished with 5-9 record in his lone season in Recto.
The Fil-Am big knows how difficult it can be to keep showing up when the results refuse to come up, but at the same time, believes the Red Warriors have shown enough to suggest their breakthrough is coming.
“Those guys, they don’t quit. You can see that in the La Salle game, the last time we played them,” he said, as UE actually pushed UP then defending champion La Salle to the limit in the first round.
“I think they’re going to get one. I’m just trying to see who it’s going to be against.”
‘Wag lang sa amin’
Remogat, meanwhile, knows what it is like to represent UE when losses weren't all it knew.
Making the Season 86 Mythical Team for a Red Warriors side that finished 4-10, the veteran playmaker remains grateful for the break he got in Recto.
Now on the other side of the court, Remogat hopes UE's current players make good of their very own break.
“Masaya ako sa naging result na ngayon na nanalo kami. Sa kanila naman, wish ko rin siyempre manalo rin sila, wag lang sa amin,” he told SPIN.ph.
“Sana sa mga susunod na games nila, makuha nila yung mga tinatrabaho nila. Kasi kita rin namin kung gaano sila nagtratrabaho. Makukuha rin nila yan. Magtiwala sila kay Lord and sa sarili nila.”
'Walang imposible'
For Maga, the struggles hit closer to home.
The 6-foot guard was still with UE in Season 87, where its downward spiral actually originates.
Having had a frontrow seat himself to that difficult year, he knows full well how frustrating it can be to compete without making any kind of impact on the standings.
Still, Maga sees these present-day Red Warriors getting back the pride new coach Paulo Hubalde keeps harping.
“Nakikita naman natin yung mga previous games nila na lumalaban naman sila. Kumbaga, nothing to lose and hungry sila na makuha ulit yung panalo,” he also told SPIN.ph.
His message to his former teammates, including Drew Jimenez and DJ Robles, was simple.
“Trabaho lang nang trabaho kasi walang imposible,” he said.
For all these ‘Maroon Warriors,’ leaving UE did not mean forgetting all those that made them the players and people they are today.
UP may be their present, but a part of them will always call the 80-year-old educational institution in Manila home.
So when the Red Warriors finally capture that all-elusive win, better believe Gani, Rey, and Rain will be celebrating with them, wherever they may be.
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