A PROUD Lasallian for nearly a decade, Raven Gonzales has emerged as one of the Green Archers’ core players not only in their UAAP Season 86 championship run but more so now in their Season 87 title defense.
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He’s been a steady presence off the bench for the defending champions with his averages of 6.17 points, 3.33 rebounds, 1.33 steal, one assist and 0.33 block a game.
By early next year, it won’t just be him that’ll represent the green-and-white from the Gonzales family.
Green-blooded ties
Her sister Riane, a De La Salle-Zobel standout like him, is on track to take the volleyball taraflex for the Lady Spikers in their redemption campaign.
The sibling duo both opted to drop ‘Cortez’ and carry their mother Rona’s maiden name Gonzales to celebrate all she’s done for them to reach this point in their UAAP careers.
A proud ‘kuya’ to say the least, Gonzales hopes they’ll carve their own names in their respective fields with the ultimate goal of leaving a legacy of loyalty — both for their mother and their second home in Taft Ave.
“I always try to just go hard. Siguro kung may male-leave ako sa La Salle, ‘yung loyalty ko lang. I’ve been a Lasallian since Grade 7, 2015 ata, and I always try to be loyal to La Salle and I'll always be a Lasallian at heart,” Gonzales told SPIN.ph.
“Super important (ng opportunity na ‘to for Riane) and super happy ako for her. I hope she makes her own name din in her own league. I’m proud of her too.”
Animo La Salle, always
And in terms of his own fight in the hardcourt, whenever there’s a chance to show out and be of help to La Salle’s title-retention bid, best believe Gonzales will be ready to heed the call as a team player on and off the court.
“I always try to be ready and always give my best talaga every game. Siyempre we’re happy but we’re not contented, especially ‘yung next game namin UP so we’re gonna prepare for them,” said Gonzales.
“Everybody has a job naman to lift everyone up. Lahat naman kami, we try to keep each other up and motivate them.”
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