By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald
Brandon Montes is proud to wear the Porter Cowboys soccer jersey.
And he’s humbled to be named The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Boys Soccer Newcomer of the Year.
The All-Metro award is not too much of a surprise, though, because the standout freshman midfielder was chosen as this season’s top newcomer in District 32-5A as well.
“ I feel this season was pretty great for me since I got to know my teammates, learn to get along with them and experience what it’s like to be on the varsity,” Montes said. “In getting used to it, my coaches and my teammates helped me a lot. I got to feel comfortable (with them) and they gave me lessons about how to give everything out on the field.
“ I expected it to be really hard (on the varsity), and sure enough, it was,” he added. “As someone new to high school (soccer), it was something to get used to. It feels really great to make it to the varsity, and you can see your hard work paying off. It feels spectacular to be selected for the varsity (out of about 100 candidates in the fall at Porter).
“ What stood out to me about this season was everyone was humble and we got along very well. We were like a whole big family together.”
The Cowboys finished third in 32-5A this season and advanced two rounds in the Class 5A playoffs with basically a team of underclassmen.
Porter coach Jose Espitia said Montes displayed strong soccer skills and became one of the squad’s most reliable players.
“ It’s a highlight for the whole team to have Brandon recognized,” the Cowboys coach said. “He’s a leader on and off the field. And to top it off, he loves Porter.”
Espitia said Montes is someone who has a high level of maturity as a freshman.
“ Brandon is very coachable and is very humble and respectful with the coaches and his teammates,” the Porter coach said. “He has been to Europe and so many other places with his club and select teams and the U.S. ODP (Olympic Development Program), yet his feet are firmly on the ground.
“ Our plan was to transition him to varsity soccer little by little, but he ended up exceeding our expectations,” Espitia added. “He quickly became a solid starter on the team. Brandon is technically gifted with both feet and he transitions easily from defense to offense and vice versa.”
In August, Montes is scheduled to join an under-16 team of players from the U.S. and Mexico that is going to play in China. He said he’ll continue training a lot through the summer to be ready for the trip.
For the moment, though, he can enjoy his awards as a newcomer of the year.
“ It’s really an honor (to receive this recognition) because it means I did really well against sophomores, juniors and seniors (in varsity competition),” Montes said. “It wasn’t only me because my teammates helped me give the best out on the field. I’m motivated (for the future). These awards mean that I can become a leader and help the underclassmen next season become the best players they can be.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess