Petro Gazz is playing for more than just themselves, they're playing for an "angel" in Janisa Johnson.
In sports, athletes have to make each game worth something.
So much so when a fallen comrade brought undeniable greatness and unforgettable memories to teammates, coaches, and to a whole franchise in general.
The Boston Celtics paid homage to Bill Russell when the legendary big man passed away in 2022 by putting no. 6 patches in their uniforms for the rest of their 2022-23 season. The Los Angeles Lakers did the same in the aftermath of the tragic accident involving Kobe and Gigi Bryant in 2020.
In the case of the Petro Gazz Angels, the two-time defending champions of the PVL Reinforced Conference, they have now share a common cause as they celebrate the life of a winning teammate.
More than just playing for themselves, the Angels are dedicating their three-peat bid to one person who was gone too soon, the late Janisa Johnson.
“I came to dedicate this conference to her. So every point, every decision we make on the team, we can think about Janisa,” Angels import Wilma Salas said in the aftermath of their opening-game sweep of the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles on Thursday, July 18.
The Angels paid tribute to Johnson with a no. 10-winged logo on their uniforms, a symbol of a unified cause to a player that is dearly beloved in the Petro Gazz organization.
It was the decision of the team management.
Salas, who scored 15 points in 12 attacks in her comeback game, did not hide her feelings when asked about her former teammate.
“Well for sure, I’m sad because Janisa [Johnson] is not here in this life (anymore).
“(I miss) her amazing smile every time. I missed it so much about JJ because she pushed (hard) with a smile. every game," she said.
“I miss her so much.”
[ALSO READ: Petro Gazz import Wilma Salas dedicates 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference to late Janisa Johnson]
Back in 2019, the then 28-year-old Salas–alongside Johnson–and Chie Saet, Djanel Cheng, and Jonah Sabete were part of the Petro Gazz team that captured the franchise's first PVL title, beating Creamline in three games in the PVL Reinforced Conference Finals.
Five years later, Salas is back in the country. Saet, Cheng, and Sabete are still with the squad looking for another title.
Johnson is not, as the former Finals MVP passed away in June of this year after her battle with colon cancer. She was 32 years old.
Sabete shared the same sentiment while still admitting that the loss of Johnson still lingers to the whole team.
“I was really happy na kahit papaano, I have a chance na maging teammate siya. Actually, once na binabanggit yung JJ, sa’min [Petro Gazz] talaga like wala na ba talaga siya? Naiiyak talaga kami.”
PVL All-Filipino Conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle, who wears the same jersey number as Johnson, knows the impact of the departed import despite not meeting her.
“She's an amazing player, and even more, she's just a wonderful person,” she said.
[ALSO READ: PVL: Wearing no. 10 jersey, Brooke Van Sickle hopes to replicate championship success of late Janisa Johnson with Petro Gazz]
While acknowledging that some teams were able to beef up their rosters in the offseason, Sabete was quick to note that the Angels are taking it one game at a time for their current campaign as defending champions, all while carrying the legacy of Johnson on their backs and in front of their uniforms.
"Pag game, for sure na lalaban kami ng 100% and yung hugot namin para kay JJ.”
More than the game itself, when life and sports cross paths, it is the former that supersedes the latter.
While often perceived as a form of entertainment or simply physical exercise, sports become a sanctuary for others. It's a life-changing decision waiting to happen to some, and transforms into a second family to few.
Petro Gazz players may have lost an angel in Johnson, but the heavens remain open as the rest of them continue the fight in their “safe haven”-- inside the taraflex.