AFTER securing a runner-up finish in the M3 World Championship, expectations were high that Onic PH would finally end their championship drought in Season 9.
It was also during that season that the V33Wise tandem took their leave, leading to a power shift in the scene.
Onic could have capitalized on the situation, but they fell short as they secured a fourth place finish.
During the season, then-coach Paul Denver “Yeb” Miranda admitted that the other teams improved. “Unang-una lahat ng teams lumakas talaga, tapos different meta of course," he said.
However, new mentor Mark “Bluffzy” Reyes revealed another key reason for Onic’s Season 9 demise.
The other reason why Onic struggled in Season 9
During a post-match press conference in the first week of the MPL-PH's Season 10, he revealed that the players were having issues behind the scenes, which he witnessed first hand as assistant to Coach Yeb.
“Tingin ko naging factor yung nagkaroon kami ng ego sa isa’t isa, which is hindi na namin masabihan and then parang every time na may problema, hindi namin napag-uusapan ng maayos," he said. "Parang yes na lang para matapos yung usapan.”
With the internal strife that they faced, the team witnessed a comedown from their M3 campaign.
“Yung performance namin noong Season 9, kitang-kita na bumaba talaga siya compared to M3. Isa rin sa mga bagay na naging dahilan siguro, kahit sabihin natin na hindi kami nag-champion noong M3, mataas na rin yung naging achievement ng team,” he remarked.
It was indeed a tragedy for Coach Bluffzy, who was hoping to make his mark as an assistant coach. During their Season 8 and M3 run, Onic needed another tactician besides Yeb, and the arrival of Bluffzy could have been the boost they needed.
But the internal struggles, which may have included some alleged issues about the management, were an important eye-opener for Bluffzy who made the leap to the head coaching role for the team.
“Based sa experience na iyon, sobrang dami ko talagang natutunan kay Coach Yeb, sa mga coaches ng Onic na dinagdag ko lang sa experience ko and then ina-apply ko dito sa mga bata."
He added: “Sila, wala silang walang egos sa katawan, na tipong may sabihin ka, gagawin yan coach. Kung baga yung adaptability nila, tanggap lang sila ng tanggap. Willing matuto, sobrang ok.”
Yet despite what he witnessed in Season 9, he remained grateful to his former teammates for his overall experience.
“Sobrang proud ako sa kanila kase sa kabila ng nangyari na problema, tingin ko nasa mabuting kalagayan silang lahat and yung mga tao na yan sina Baloy, Mico, Coach Yeb [Denver Miranda], ang babait nila. Hindi ka nila ita-trato na assistant coach ka lang naman e," said Reyes. “Kung baga equal po sila, talagang family yung turingan namin sa lahat.”