By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
As Porter struggled last season, one player was mostly absent.
Cowboys running back George Gutierrez showed flashes in a scrimmage, and then injuries limited him the rest of the year.
“Last year, he ran for over 200 yards in a scrimmage against Raymondville,” Porter coach Tom Campos said. “But he suffered a sprained ankle and was never 100 percent the rest of the season. It was good to see it, we hadn’t seen it since last year.”
Gutierrez showed the same flash in Week 1 as he gained 158 yards on 14 carries against Progreso. But turnovers took away golden opportunities for the Cowboys’ offense, and Porter fell 7-0.
The opportunities will keep coming for the junior in the Cowboy’s run-first offense. Campos said Gutierrez will get the majority of the carries, but three other backs will help shoulder the load.
“Offensively, George is a guy that should be the team’s top breadwinner every week,” Campos said. “He is a little higher caliber, but the other three should allow us to have a rotation in the backfield.”
Gutierrez doesn’t feel the pressure is all on him. It falls on every teammate, too.
“I prepare for what I need to do in the game, and so does the team,” he said. “It’s a team thing. It’s not just me running the ball, it’s the offensive line. The defense does their job, (too).”
Campos feels like Gutierrez was a big piece missing from last year’s offense.
“Our goal every week is 200 plus, over 200 yards rushing,” he said. “It didn’t surprise me he was able to do that, especially with the addition of our new fullback. George was consistent at 8 to 9 yards a carry. We knew what he could do.”
Campos wasn’t shy about what his offense was going to do on a weekly basis and how important Gutierrez was to it.
“We’re going to run the ball,” Campos said. “He’s the guy who is going to fill up the stat sheet the most. He could have more carries (than Week 1), it depends on the situation. We’re not going to throw it lights out, not going to throw for 300 yards a game. It’s not our style of offense.”
Campos praised Gutierrez for his work ethic on the field and in the classroom.
“He’s a quiet guy, you won’t hear him say a lot. He just does his job,” Campos said. “He’s a good kid in the classroom, makes nearly straight As.”
But on the field, Gutierrez is a different person.
“He’s a totally different guy. He plays with a lot of emotion. When he’s out there, he has something to prove,” Campos said. “He feels the odds are against him and when he runs, he runs with passion.”
As for the Battle of Southmost, Gutierrez is happy to be healthy and says the team is quite prepared for Lopez and is hopeful of breaking the Cowboys losing trend.
“We’re anxious for the win, we want to break that streak,” he said. “As a team we want to make that change.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.