By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Recognition from peers is perhaps the best type of honor to receive.
Porter soccer coaches Jose Espitia and Eduardo “Eddie” Buentello are recipients of such recognition.
The Texas Association of Soccer Coaches (TASCO) has named Espitia as the Region IV Class 5A boys coach of the year. Also, Buentello was selected as this season’s top 5A boys assistant coach from Region IV.
The awards come barely one month after Porter captured the 5A championship at the UIL state tournament. The Cowboys completed a 28-0-1 season by prevailing 10-9 in penalty kicks to defeat Frisco Wakeland 3-2 in the 5A state final April 16 at Georgetown ISD’s Birkelbach Field.
The Porter coach said the honor from TASCO caught him by surprise a little bit.
“I really wasn’t aware of this award, but it’s always a blessing to get recognized,” said Espitia, a 1997 Lopez graduate and former Lobos assistant who now boasts a 205-46-27 record as Porter’s coach after having just completed his ninth season directing the Cowboys. “It is a reflection of the great accomplishment of our student-athletes and my coaching staff.
“All of us believed in the goal for this season (of winning state), and together, along with our administration, teachers and staff, we worked to make that goal a reality,” Espitia added. “I’m blessed to be able to coach and make a difference in the lives of great students at Porter.”
Espitia said he is equally pleased to see Buentello receive an award from TASCO. Buentello, who is in charge of the goalkeepers, just completed his sixth season with the Cowboys.
“Coach Buentello is a great part of this program and it feels great to see him being recognized,” Espitia said. “He deserves every recognition that he gets because he has dedicated 100 percent to Porter soccer.
“He is very knowledgeable about soccer, very passionate, hard-working and has been very loyal to our program,” Espitia added. “I’m happy for him.”
Along with Buentello, a 1983 Hanna graduate, Porter’s other assistant coaches are Adrian Navarro and Antonio Serrano.
Regarding the TASCO honor, Buentello said, “It’s just thanks to the team and God that has made this possible. I want to thank Coach Espitia for giving me the support and believing in me. It’s just a reflection of the season the team had.
“As coaches, we wanted to give our players the support,” he added. “You can not describe how hard these players worked all season long, and it paid off for them. Winning state was not only for Porter. It was for all of Brownsville and all of the soccer people involved, including the (school) administration and everybody. We’re just so happy and blessed.”
The 2016 season was quite a memorable journey for the Cowboys, who brought home their school’s second state championship in soccer to go along with the one Porter won as a 5A team in 2006.
Porter now has become the only school in the Rio Grande Valley to capture more than one state title in UIL team competition in any sport.
Immediately after the Cowboys prevailed against Frisco Wakeland last month with their dramatic victory in penalty kicks, Marco Don Juan, a junior midfielder for the Cowboys, said he would never forget the influence his coaches played in the team’s drive to the championship.
“What I’m going to remember most is that our coaches were always behind us and they were stubborn in a good way by always pushing us for a good reason,” Don Juan said. “I’m just proud to be part of this team, this family, and I love my teammates.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess