Jamil Ortuoste eyes strong final year with San Sebastian Stags

Now he leader of a very young San Sebastian squad, Jamil Ortuoste wants to end his final year with a bang.

“Ngayon, yung drive namin manalo mas mataas from last year,” he said as the Golden Stags’ eighth place finish last year ended their five-year run in the Final Four. “Lahat kami gustong bumalik yung tiwala sa amin na kaya pa rin namin mag-compete.”

(This year, our drive to win is higher from last year. We all want to bring back the trust we lost and show that we can still compete.)

READ: NCAA Season 91 preview: Young Stags ready to prove they can compete

The 23-year-old guard is given the arduous task of taking the Golden Stags under his wing as they usher in the first year of head coach Rodney Santos.

Though San Sebastian is parading a team featuring a lot of new faces, Ortuoste is confident with the lineup they have for Season 91.

“Sa pinapakita namin, malaki yung kumpyansa ko sa team. Lahat sila nag-step up kahit na may nawala sa amin. Alam kong kaya namin ‘to,” the 5-foot-8 playmaker said.

(With what we’re showing, I have a lot of trust in this team. They all stepped up even though we lost some players. I know we can do this.)

Ortuoste also is looking to be a force to be reckoned with after his numbers went down last year in contrast to his superb rookie season. He believes he can be a consistent contributor for San Sebastian and wants to set an example to his younger teammates.

“Sa binibigay sa aking tiwala ng team, confident ako na mababalik ko yung laro ko. Yun ang challenge sa akin, kung pano ko mao-overcome yun,” he said.

(With the trust given to me by the team, I’m confident that I can get my game back. That’s the biggest challenge for me, to overcome that.)

Despite the underdog tag, Ortuoste says the Golden Stags will be relentless on the court at all times.

“We’re ready to grind it out on the court,” he said. “We’re ready for Season 91.” CFC

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