By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
After an accolade-filled year, Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Mark Boswell can add one additional highlight to his 2019 reel — signing a Division I scholarship to play soccer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Coming off of a junior campaign in which the forward scored 18 goals, led the team with 30 assists, earned District 32-5A Offensive Player of the Year and Herald All-Metro MVP honors and guided his team to a regional final, the senior put pen to paper and signed his letter of intent to fulfill his dream of becoming a Vaquero.
Boswell said he began to love the game at three years old, and soccer was the sport he chose to stick with after trying several others as a young boy.
Despite battling through wrist and hamstring injuries that kept him out of the regional final against Valley View, Boswell earned a starting spot on the varsity squad and has emerged as a star in a city full of elite soccer talent.
“Mark was able to be a varsity contributor since his freshman year,” Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez said. “He’s just one of those kids that is a difference-maker on the field, being able to utilize his ability to get past people and always be a threat (on offense.
“I know Mark’s goal or dream had been to play at the Division I level, so it’s very gratifying to see his dream come true.”
Boswell credited Vasquez and the Chargers’ staff, as well has his Brownsville Galaxy club coaches for helping him develop as a player.
After a solid all-star game performance, Boswell said the Vaquero coaching staff contacted him and he remained on their radar after impressing them during several skill camps.
At UTRGV, Boswell will join three other Rio Grande Valley natives, including Luis Rubio, a sophomore defender from Edinburg, Damian Magallan, a Valley View alumnus, and Jose Cantu, a PSJA Southwest graduate on what is an otherwise very international and diverse roster.
“ know it’s not easy,” Boswell said of playing at the next level. “It’s DI. It’s what I always wanted to try and get to. … There’s room for improvement every day. It’s for sure something new, and I find it very exciting.”
The Vaqueros compete in the NCAA’s Western Athletic Conference. They finished the 2019 season 8-6-2 and 4-5-2 in conference play.
While Boswell’s three years with the Chargers are among the most decorated in the program’s rich history, he still feels that Brownsville Veterans has unfinished business in 2020 and is eager to make one last deep playoff run.
“Soccer’s not an (individual) sport,” Boswell said. “We all like to win, and that’s the main thing. Our dream is to win state, and we’re just trying to work hard to get there. … It’s exciting. I just want to get started and play already.”