Acido, Gojo Cruz earn praises from Scottie Thompson

Published March 22, 2024 11:58am

Updated March 22, 2024 11:58am

NCAA Season 99 juniors basketball high school standouts Amiel Acido and Mark Gojo Cruz earned praises from fellow Perpetualite Scottie Thompson after the Junior Altas won Game 2 of their best-of-three finals against Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Wednesday.

Thompson, who is the team manager of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA’s seniors basketball program, said he is looking forward to the future that awaits the two of them.

“Ang ganda ng pinakita, each and everyone, all-out sila,” Thompson said. 

“Pero kung tatanungin n’yo ako kung kanino ako pinaka-impressed, para sa akin syempre ‘yung MVP, si Acido, at saka si Gojo Cruz. Sila ‘yung nilu-look forward ko and ‘yung future nila. Sila ‘yung dalawang nasa mata ko na talagang na-impressed ako.”

(Everyone performed well and went all-out, but if you would ask me who I was very impressed with, for me it would be the MVP Acido and Gojo Cruz. I look forward to them and their future. They caught my attention and I’m very impressed.)

Acido and Gojo Cruz, along with Lebron Jhames Daep, were named in this season’s Mythical Team, with Acido getting the top individual award. Gojo Cruz, meanwhile, was named Rookie of the Year.

With the Altas continuously retooling its program, is there a chance that Acido and Gojo Cruz move up the ranks?

“That’s the plan. Sobrang kailangan namin sila coming into next season kasi I think pwede naman na sila maglaro,” Thompson said, adding that he would rather have the two focus first in the ongoing finals series.

(That’s the plan. We need them coming into next season because I think they could play.)

The Junior Altas and the Letran Squires will go for the crown for one last time on Saturday.

—with reports from Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News