IN ONE OF his videos, Setsuna "Akosi Dogie" Ignacio admitted one of his biggest regrets in his career, letting Edward "Edward" Jay Dapadap, slip away from his hands.
And this was once again reiterated in a post-match press conference.
"Ayokong maranasan yung nawala sa kamay ko dapat iba-buyout ko si Edward. Ayokong magsisi," he said.
No one knows what will happen if he had Edward in his hands, maybe Nexplay could've been a championship contender alongside a very talented core of players.
But nevertheless, that moment pushed Dogie to be very assertive when it came to the offseason, hence his decision to acquire Jann "Kirk" Solcruz Gutierrez.
Initially, it may seem like Kirk wasn't the right player for Minana EVOS especially after struggling at the early stages of Game 1 vs. TNC. Like most rookies entering the MPL, Kirk made some baffling mistakes which could've caused his team the game.
"...Kaya nahirapan yung team namin sa 1st game is kasalanan ni Kirk," Dogie looked back.
"Nanggigil dahil siya sa ultimate ni Novaria, nakuha yung apat, so flicker in, sabay ulti."
However he did manage to redeem himself, which eventually led to Minana's turnaround.
A crucial setup to silence Robee Bryan "Yasuwo" Pormocille's Karrie became the catalyst for Minana to bounce back and secure their Game 1 win. Eventually the momentum translated well as the Hukbo secured a series sweep.
Discovering Kirk
The game against TNC showed Kirk's potential, and it seems he has synergized well with the team, something that Dogie mentioned in the press conference.
"Yung gutom ng ibang player, yung natira sa Minana, nandun e, mas lalo na si Domeng. Yung perfect playstyle niya (Kirk), nag-fit talaga kay (Spider)Milez, kay Kzen, at kay LanceCy."
And that potential was something that Dogie has seen even before he joined the MPL, so when Jhon Marl "JM" Sebastian left the team, Dogie knew who to call. It turns out, Kirk has left an impression given his scrimmages with one of Dogie's star players.
"Nawala si JM, naghanap kami ng fit sa team namin. Ang daming nag-tryout, kasama na rin si Kirk."
"Pero si Kirk nakilala ko siya, hindi dahil sa RSG, dahil kasama ni Yawi sa rank games palagi, kapag nanonood ako. Si Yawi kapag RG, ayaw niya na mahina yung kakampi niya. Kilala ko si Yawi, gusto niya palagi, malakas tayo sa RG, para pag nag-stream tayo, hindi tayo matatalo," revealed Dogie.
When JM left, Kuzen was tasked to contact his former teammate Kirk. Dogie then explained that he didn't give Kirk any option.
"Si Kuzen minessage ko kaagad. Sabi ko, 'Since ka-team mo dati si Kirk, contact-in mo kung kaya. Ifo-force ko siyang mag-tryout siya sa amin. Bawal yung 'no' na answer sa kanya. I only accept yes," said the MLBB streaming icon.
The moment the trials began, Kirk was already under the microscope and the first day was enough to leave an impression.
"First day siya unang nag-tryout, kinuha namin siya kaagad. Ganun ako kawindang sa kanya."
Kirk's winning mentality
In his vlog regarding Edward, Dogie was left will full praises over the Blacklist player, saying: "Sabi ko, 'Sh*t itong batang ito, willing to learn, alam niya kung saan siya lacking."
The same mindset can be seen from Kirk, who Dogie praised in front of the press.
"Yung nakita ko kay Kirk is yung willing niya matuto. Kapag pinagsasabihan ko siya, kapag pinagsasabihan siya ng mga coaches, nakikinig siya."
And to further test his mentality, Dogie would oftentimes initiate a healthy competition between his players.
Dogie wouldn't hesitate to go straight to his players' nerves, saying: "JM lumalamang sa iyo si Kirk."
JM didn't hesitate to respond: "Hindi Boss D, mas malakas ako. Pagbubutihan ko lang. Pangit lang yung day ko."
As time went by, JM did manage to get the best over Kirk to which Dogie started pressuring Kirk.
"Paano yan tinatalo ka ni JM. Papayag ka ba diyan? Paano kita ila-lineup?" he told Kirk.
Kirk replied: "Sige Boss D, pagbubutihan ko. Pa-praktisan ko lang itong hero na ito. Hindi ako titigil hangga't makuha ko."
Seeing the two go head-to-head in which both aspired to show their best, Dogie was left impressed with how they handled the situation.
But unfortunately the results speak for themselves.
"Ayan yung gusto kong sagot, but the thing is that's only an answer. Madaling magsalita, mahirap gawin. But the thing is that they do the initiative. Ayun yung hinahanap namin," reflected Dogie.
A shotcalling presence
But besides his devotion to prove his worth, Dogie has also been in high spirits regarding Kirk's contribution to the team.
His well-roundedness is what made him standout. Not only is he a good player inside the Land of Dawn, as he has displayed a high degree of leadership in the team.
"Talagang noong nakita ko playstyle niya, tuwang-tuwa ako. Ibang klase yung aggressiveness and shotcall niya nandun. Yung hinahanap niya kay JM nandun din."
"Tapos dominant siya kapag naglalaro ng game, pati na rin sa shotcall."
With his presence, a new beginning awaits the Hukbo.
The team acknowledges that things will be a long and grindy road for the young, up-and-coming squad, but the team is adamant that this season will finally be their breakthrough.
"Sa akin kasi ayokong maging perfectionist, pero at this stage na tayo sa Season 13, I don't want na maganap ulit yung nangyari last season. We accept mistakes but on a minimal level lang," explained Dogie.
He added: "Kasi right now, hindi kaming pwedeng mag-accept ng mga mali kasi kailangan talaga namin mag-playoffs. We want the playoffs. Do we want the championship? Yes! We want the championship on the belt, but ang focus namin is one step of the time, makapasok ng playoffs, tapos paghandaan ng mga coach."
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