MERCEDES — After colliding with Sharyland High Rattlers’ goalkeeper Alejandro Del Marte in the penalty area, Brownsville Porter Cowboys forward Julian Gallegos lined up for a penalty kick.
Without hesitation, Gallegos fired a shot down the middle and through the net, securing his hat trick and helping his team claim a 7-1 victory over the Rattlers on Friday night.
“He (Gallegos) always wants the ball,” Cowboys head coach Jose Espitia said. “He’s one of those players that has a lot of character. When the game gets tough, he always wants the ball at his feet. So, he looks for the ball and he believes in himself. He carries the team on his back. When he’s on fire, like tonight, we let him get the ball.”
Going into the second half with a 4-0 lead — thanks to goals by Isaiah Garza, Brandon Montes and a pair of goals by Gallegos — the Cowboys didn’t let up, looking to put the nail in the coffin.
Despite finding themselves in a five-goal hole following Gallegos’ third goal of the night, the Rattlers continued fighting, finding the back of the net off a shot by Jose Sanchez to cut into the Cowboys’ lead.
The Cowboys responded promptly, adding a pair of goals in the final five minutes, sending them to the Region IV-5A semifinals with a win.
“The kids came out motivated for the match before the game,” Espitia said. “They were excited about it. Fortunately for us, the goals came early and that always helps control the tempo of the game. That forced Sharyland to have to push a little, leaving us with spaces to take advantage of them. That’s how the goals kept coming. We knew they were tough and they weren’t going to give up. We saw that in their game against Lopez. So, we told the kids they couldn’t relax or let up. They kept at it the whole 90 minutes and the goals kept coming in.”
With that, the Rattlers’ season ends, finishing with a 9-6-4 overall record. Despite the loss, Rattlers head coach Reveriano Hernandez remains optimistic about his team.
“Nothing went wrong,” Hernandez said. “They were just a better team. They were more mature and faster than us. Overall, they were just a better team. We have a couple of guys graduating, but most of our kids are coming back next year. So, these guys are going to be back.”
Meanwhile, the Cowboys advance to round 4 of the Region IV-5A postseason, taking on the Dripping Springs Tigers at a time, date and location yet to be determined.