Dynasty in works for H Centre?

After Harbour Centre swept Hapee Toothpaste in their PBL Silver Cup showdown to clinch its second straight crown at The Arena in San Juan Saturday, Mikee Romero was asked if the franchise is on the road to building a dynasty in the league.

The youthful team owner could only hope for the best.

"I hope you’re right," said Romero, basking in glory following his wards’ remarkable romp.

Why not?

The franchise does not only have the owner who has the vision and resources to maintain a championship caliber team but also boasts of a hardworking coaching staff, headed by the duo of Jorge Gallent and Junel Baculi.

"He doesn’t know it, but Jorge is good at finding the right people to play at the right time," said Romero of his childhood friend. "Coach Junel, for his part, provides the championship experience because he’s been there and knows how to get the job done."

Gallent also entertained the thought of Harbour Centre dominating the league and quickly made comparisons to his former teams Stag Pale Pilsen and Tanduay Gold, which scored a pair of three-peat feats in 1995 and 1996.

"Those were the days, I hope I could do that again as a coach of this team," said Gallent, a tough defender gifted with a soft touch from the perimeter in his prime.

Harbour also has a curious mix of veteran and promising players, including former collegiate hotshot JC Intal.

And that makes the Port Masters a lot tougher as Intal, easily one of the most popular amateur cagers today, has yet to jell and adjust to the system after joining the team in the middle of the classification round.

"He’s still adjusting, he hasn’t really practiced with the team because he joined us only early in the conference," said team manager Erick Arejola of his high-leaping forward.

"We expect him to come out strong next conference. That’s for sure," he added.

Aside from Intal, the franchise have rookie sensations in Jonathan Fernandez and Edwin Asoro, who stepped up big in the semifinals and the finals to help the team win two tough, grueling games on their way to the championship.

Their performance did not only elicit praises from Romero and their coaches but also drew comparisons with now PBA stars Danny Ildefonso and Lordy Tugade, who played for the Bulldogs late in the 90s.