PHARR — When Pablo Torre stepped onto the field for the Valley View Tigers this season, he commanded the attention of everyone in attendance. From the fans in the stands, to opposing coaches, to the defense, all eyes were on the junior striker.
Torre shone with the spotlight on him, scoring 37 goals for the Tigers through 14 district games, including eight matches of three goals or more.
In the postseason, defenses threw everything they had at Torre, sometimes sending two to three defenders in hopes of slowing down the talented forward. Still, Torre found the net again and again, scoring 12 goals in six postseason matches.
He put the exclamation point on his claim as arguably the top player in the Valley during the Region IV-5A semifinals, delivering a five-goal performance against the San Antonio Southwest Dragons to send his team to the Region IV-5A finals with a 5-2 victory while snapping the Dragons’ 45-game win streak.
For his superior performances during the regular season and playoffs, Torre earned The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year award.
“This year, when he came back, I saw him more focused,” Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said. “I saw him bigger and leaner. He hit the summer and not only got better on the field, but I think his mental game just got better. He’s confident and he said to himself, ‘It doesn’t matter who covers me. I’m going to take them.’ He had that type of mentality.”
If one asks Torre what the key to his success was, he’ll humbly say it was a team effort, with him simply doing what he had to for his team to win.
“In years past, we had great teams,” Torre said. “I wasn’t a forward then. Previous teams, it was about touching the ball around. Everyone had talent. This team, we were young, but we had a ton of heart. That’s what helped us. We were very united. That’s what got us far.
“I feel excited for everything I have achieved this year. I want to thank my teammates for helping me win this award.”
For Salazar, Torre has always had the talent. Still, he said it is Torre’s growth mentally that has helped him evolve into a star and the undisputed leader of the team.
“He was just talking to the younger kids and telling them,” Salazar said. “Instead of getting after them, he would try to cheer them up. I think it was mostly mental for him. He was already a strong kid with powerful legs. Now, he’s just going to get better.”
Still, Torre will be the first to say he was only reciprocating the same kind of support that was shown to him during his freshman campaign.
“I did what all the seniors did with me when I was a freshman,” he said. “They all supported me. That’s the same thing I did with Peter (Yanez) and the others. I tried to give them confidence. I told them all they had to do was their jobs and everything else would come.”
Torre began playing soccer at age 5, learning by watching his father play. Since then, he said he’s been in love with the game, his father serving as a big reason for him working as hard as he does.
Now, Torre is dominating opponents on the field with his agile footwork and powerful frame, saying the game serves as an escape for him.
“My dad would always take me to watch him play,” Torre said. “I saw how he played and how much he enjoyed this game. I do it for him to be honest. He’s the one who introduced me to the game. I’ve loved it since then. Since then, I’ve been playing soccer. When I’m having problems or anything, I just train or do something with soccer.”
Torre, a three-year letter winner for the Tigers, has helped the team to two Class 5A state tournament appearances, once as a freshman and more recently this past season.
Both times the Tigers suffered heartbreaking defeats, losing 2-1 to El Paso Bel Air 4-3 in penalty kicks during the 2019 season and more recently suffering a 5-4 loss to Humble Kingwood Park earlier this year
Torre said he still remembers the feelings of those losses, using them as a learning experience as he prepares for his final season with the Tigers next year.
“The first time it was a beautiful experience,” he said. “When I got there, I didn’t even know what state was or anything. But honestly, to get there and lose in the semifinals again, it hurts. The only thing we can do though, is train even harder and come back stronger next season.”
Torre has collected a scoring title and many awards during his first three years with the Tigers. He hopes to break his own scoring record during his senior year. Still, there is one goal Torre is chasing more than others — bringing the Tigers their first state championship.
“My senior year I just want to leave it all on the field,” he said. “What I didn’t do in my first three years, I want to do. I want to win state. I want to break my own goal record. But most of all, I want to get to state with my teammates … and win it.”