By Jesus Sanchez | The Brownsville Herald
The Porter Cowboys and Port Isabel Tarpons each are looking to put last season’s lackluster campaigns behind them and secure an early victory in 2018.
Porter went winless, and Port Isabel only won twice in 2017. Both teams would like to start off the year by showcasing the improvements they’ve worked on during the preseason.
The teams will have an opportunity to do just that when they face off at 7:30 tonight at Tarpons Stadium in Port Isabel to open their seasons.
Each team has seen some changes from last year’s campaign, with another year of experience for Porter’s young squad and new leadership in coach Jason Strunk for Port Isabel.
“We’ve had a good training camp with two good scrimmages,” Strunk said. “The kids are learning everything. We’re a little behind, but the kids are learning everything. The practice level and intensity is where I need it to be. We practice fast, something we weren’t used to. We’re excited.”
Cowboys coach Carlos Uresti now has one year under his belt at the helm with the young team, which includes six starters returning on offense and seven on defense.
“I think we have a very energetic and ready-to-go team right now,” Uresti said. “These last two scrimmages that we’ve had only got them really focused on what we have ahead, which is a long season, but at the same time excited for the first game. I think our guys are just tired of just going through the routine and the scrimmage part itself. I think they’re just ready to face somebody for four quarters and get out there.”
Uresti knows Strunk’s background and experience are things the Cowboys will have to contend with.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Coach Strunk,” he said. “I’m sure he has the kids ready to go. I look forward to a very tough game. I know he’s got a good background behind him. … I’m actually looking forward to go up against him and kind of see where we’re at compared to Port Isabel, who routinely is a powerhouse, year in, year out, a playoff team, and that’s kind of what we want to be. Us as coaches and our kids, our kids are just ready to get rocking and rolling.”
On the other hand, Strunk sees tonight’s game as an opportunity for the Tarpons to display their leadership.
The coach said his main focus is continuing to work with the Tarpons in his first official game since moving to Port Isabel in order to leave tonight with a victory.
“We have some good leadership going on right now,” Strunk said. “The kids have brought that in. The kids are practicing the right way. The practice is kind of like a college-level program. They’ve really bought into it. They’re doing good things. The leadership has been great. We’re a team that’s going to be able to run the ball. That’s a strength.”
The Cowboys will lean on sophomore quarterback Kevin Garcia to lead the team. Garcia was thrown into the mix last season as a freshman and has one year of experience working with his teammates.
“Bringing back our quarterback this year, it’s going to be a big plus for us,” Uresti said. “He’s a leader on the offense and another coach on the football field. I’m going to lean heavily on my quarterback and, defensively, our kids our just excited. They have a new scheme going on and so far, so good.”
For the Tarpons, senior quarterback Cesar Aguilera will have wide receivers Sebastian and Daniel Martinez to turn to when executing Port Isabel’s air attack.
Both coaches are ready for their first game going head-to-head.
“We’re ready to go play,” Strunk said. “We’re excited about it. I think we’re where we need to be right now, and I think it’s going to be a fun Friday night for us.”
The Porter coach knows his team has to remain focused in order to come out on top against the Tarpons.
“The team that comes out on top is going to be the one that is ready to play come Week 1,” he said. “I think a lot of the times on Week 1, when there are evenly matched teams, the most important key is what team is more focused to play and ready to play. I think the key to victory for either team is going to be the focus of the kids and if they’re going to play.”