ROY HESS | Staff Writer
Make it two in a row for the Porter Cowboys over the Port Isabel Tarpons in season-opening football games.
This time, it took overtime for the Cowboys to defeat the Tarpons 20-14 on Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“This is amazing,” said Porter quarterback Kevin Garcia, who scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run off the right side of the line. “All our hard work in the summer, all our dedication, it pays off.
“One win doesn’t define a season,” Garcia added. “Multiple wins do, so we’re going to go back to the drawing board and get ready for Pace (in our next game Sept. 7 at Sams). Pace is calling us out, so we want to be ready. We have to answer back.”
Porter downed Port Isabel 14-3 during last year’s season opener at Tarpon Stadium.
In this one, the Cowboys led 7-0, fell behind 14-7 and then knotted the score at 14 with 1:55 left in the third period.
Each team had a chance to win in the fourth quarter but neither did, so the game went to OT.
“This feels pretty good,” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said. “The players have been working hard in the offseason, and this victory is well-earned.
“Like I said before, Port Isabel is a powerhouse,” Uresti added. “Year in and year out, they’re a playoff team, so we came out knowing we would be facing good competition to start the season. It prepares us well for our first District (16-5A Division I) game coming up with Pace.”
The Tarpons went first in OT, starting from the 25-yard line, and only gained 7 yards on three plays before missing a 38-yard field goal attempt.
Porter then took over at the 25-yard line and scored in two plays. First, receiver Gabriel Gonzalez caught the Port Isabel defense off guard by gaining 22 yards on an end-around, reverse play on which he received the handoff on the right side, reversed his field and took the ball down to the 3-yard line.
On the ensuing play, Garcia went off right guard and bulled his way into the end zone to set off a spirited victory celebration by Porter Nation. Garcia’s score made the final 20-14 in OT.
“The first thing I was thinking was I had to fight for my family, fight for all our fans and fight for everybody that believes in me (by scoring that game-winning TD),” Garcia said. “I can’t let them down this year. I’ve let them down enough the last two years, so this felt very good.
“Look out for us,” Garcia added. “We’re coming.”
The first three TDs of the game were scored within a span of 1:33 near the end of the first half.
Porter running back Brian Franco went up the middle into the end zone from 5 yards out to make it 7-0 with Rodolfo Armendariz’s kick. The score came with 1:33 left in the second quarter.
Mac Strunk returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to tie the game at 7 after Angel Fernandez’s kick with 1:17 to go before halftime.
After a fumble recovery by the Tarpons’ Roger Schaertl at the Porter 28, Port Isabel scored in two plays as Strunk caught a 4-yard TD pass from quarterback Joey Kreighbaum with eight seconds remaining before intermission. Fernandez again added the conversion to make it 14-7 for the Tarpons at the break.
The Cowboys created a deadlock at 14 with 1:55 showing in the third quarter when Garcia ran into the end zone from 5 yards out and Armendariz again added the extra point.