By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
As team captains, Humberto Treviño, Hector Gomez and Jaime Martinez want to be the ones leading Brownsville Veterans Memorial back to the soccer playoffs.
So far, the District 32-6A fourth-place Chargers (4-4, 13 points) are looking fairly good for the postseason. They have some key tests coming up this week against the first-place Rivera Raiders and third-place Hanna Golden Eagles.
“It’s a great honor and a great responsibility (to be a captain),” said Gomez, a senior defender and four-year member of the varsity. “This team is one of the best I’ve ever played on. I’ve been a part of all the varsity teams since my freshman year, and I feel this one is something special.
“I like to pull up the guys and try to get them to show what they can do,” Gomez added. “We have a young team with a lot of potential for the coming years as well as this season.
“It’s the unity that we have. We have a ritual of getting together before and after the games where we talk about the game. Every one of the players has something to say or something to comment about, and I believe that’s a great way for us to keep pushing and striving. (By doing that) we motivate each other. We have that hunger to do great things.”
Treviño, a junior, and Martinez, a senior, are center midfielders with multiple seasons of experience in the starting lineup.
“It’s definitely a privilege (to be a captain),” said Treviño, a two-year starter. “We’re the ones who are supposed to set the example for the rest of the team to make sure we’re always working hard, paying attention and concentrating on the game, plus the upcoming games that we have. I think that’s the most important part (of being a captain).
“I see that this team won’t stop working hard and won’t stop trying in every single game,” Treviño added. “We play the full 80 minutes trying hard to win. We’re not going to ever give up, and I think that’s what is going to help us pull up ahead (in the standings) and make the playoffs.”
It was quite an accomplishment for the Chargers to qualify for the UIL’s upper-division playoffs (then Class 5A) for the first time last season as some of the city’s schools that usually advance to the postseason missed out on going. But being eliminated by PSJA North 2-1 in the opening round last year, while seeing fellow district schools Lopez, Rivera and Los Fresnosadvance additional rounds, made the Chargers feel they should have stayed around longer, too.
Their early playoff exit of one season ago continues to motivate the Chargers, who are coming off Friday’s 2-0 victory at home against Harlingen South, the team that at this point appears to be Brownsville Veterans’ biggest competition for a postseason spot in 32-6A.
Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez appreciates the contribution of his captains as the squad attempts to position itself for the playoffs.
“First of all, these guys are great kids,” Vasquez said. “They don’t expect anything at all (in return) for being captains. They’re just out there wantingwhat’s best for the team. And actually, it’s just not them. Our team philosophy this season is that it’s not necessarily what’s best for the individual player, but what’s best for the team. I really think our players have bought into that, and it comes from having great captains who are great leaders.
“Our captains understand it’s not about the individual, it’s about getting the win,” Vasquez added. “That’s the most important thing, and it’s something that pretty much comes from our captains. These guys don’t even wear a captain’s badge, and they don’t care about that. They show up, they play and they set the example.”
Regarding what is ahead for the rest of the season, Gomez offered a prediction, “Expect great things from us.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected] . On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.