PHARR — Brownsville Porter versus PSJA Southwest pitted the No. 1 seed Cowboys from District 32-5A against the fourth-seeded Javelinas out of District 31-5A in the opening round of the playoffs.
Southwest gave Porter everything it could handle for 80 minutes, but the district champion Cowboys are marching on to the area round after a 1-0 win Friday at PSJA Southwest High School. Porter will face Victoria West in Round 2. Game details are to be determined.
“Southwest was only three points away from first place and very close to being one of the top seeds in the area in a very competitive district. We were expecting a very physical game, a very intense game,” Porter head coach Jose Espitia said. “We took advantage of the opportunity. We were very lucky. They had their chances, we had our chances and we’re lucky that one of them went in. … I’m proud of our boys. They were able to turn the situation around, especially after having them on top of us for the first 15-20 minutes. They came back and kind of controlled the tempo of the game. Unfortunately for Southwest, someone had to advance and we’re thankful that it’s us. We feel bad for them because they have a heck of a team and they deserve more.”
Southwest was in control for the opening 20 minutes with constant pressure and possession.
The Cowboys finally found a crack in the Javelinas’ defense in the 36th minute, however, as Alessandro Lara scored on a laser from 25 yards to give Porter a 1-0 halftime lead.
Southwest upped the intensity in the second half in an attempt to even the score at 1. Yahir Peña and Pedro Galvan both created scoring opportunities for the Javelinas that either bounced off the crossbar or sailed just wide of the Porter goal.
The Cowboys now shift their focus to next week’s area round against Victoria West.
Victoria West advanced to the area round by defeating La Joya Palmview 2-2 (4-3) in penalty kicks Thursday. Victoria West finished as the No. 2 seed in District 29-5A.
“We definitely have to improve in many aspects. From the 20th to the 40th minute, we had a lot of opportunities and we got to put it away because if not we’re going to suffer until the last minute,” Espitia said. “We’re expecting a very intense game. It’s the second round, it keeps getting harder and harder, so for now, start preparing our boys for next week.”