PHARR —Sophomore forward Rey Cantu has two players he tries to model his game after — Juventus FC’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
This year, Cantu even donned the No. 9 on the pitch for the Hidalgo Pirates, the same number worn by Haaland.
“They’re natural forwards,” Cantu said. “I would love to play like them. From their size, the way they run, how they make plays, I like it. Their movements, they are just scorers. So, I want to model my game after them.”
Aside from wearing the same number as one of his idols, Cantu’s play on the field mirrored that of Ronaldo and Haaland, emerging as one of the top strikers in the Valley, scoring 22 goals while leading his team to an undefeated District 31-4A crown.
Because of his offensive dominance, Cantu has earned The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Year award.
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “Last year, I couldn’t earn it because, well, there were a ton of good players. I just want to give a ton of thanks to my teammates for all the hard work we did during this season. It feels good. Every time you get an award, you like it and want to work harder to get more.”
Cantu emerged as a rising star for the Pirates as a freshman, earning the title of District 31-4A Newcomer of the Year. Despite a breakout first year, Cantu was left with an ugly feeling after having the campaign ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It stung bad,” Cantu said. “We graduated about 14 seniors. I just know that if we had gotten a chance to play, we would have made it far.”
He carried that feeling with him all off-season, using it as fuel during his training. All Cantu’s hard work paid off, helping guide the Pirates to an appearance in the Region IV-4A semifinals, just one game short of the state tournament.
He had his signature playoff moment during the Region IV-4A quarterfinals. Just days after his grandfather’s death, Cantu stepped onto the field at H-E-B Park and delivered a two-goal performance to give his team a 4-2 victory over Brownsville IDEA Riverview, dedicating both of his goals to his late grandfather.
Cantu said his postseason success is no surprise to him, having developed a toughness through his years of competing on the pitch.
“I’ve had that playoff mentality because I’ve played on club teams and state teams,” he said. “I’ve had that mentality. So, I know how to prepare myself to play any level of game.”
The Pirates outscored opponents 16-6 through their first four playoff games with Cantu leading the charge before losing during the fifth round of the postseason to the Boerne Greyhounds, the eventual 2021 Class 4A state champion.
Despite not winning a state title, Cantu said his sophomore campaign served as a learning experience while adding more fuel to the fire as he prepares for his third season with the Pirates.
“You can never give up,” he said. “Sometimes we were losing but we overcame it. That and we must really prepare because you do not know what the teams up there bring. They are usually bigger and faster upstate. But we need to be prepared if we want to win up there.”
Cantu began kicking the soccer around age 4, with his parents enrolling him in the sport not long after. Since then, Cantu has been doing more than kicking a ball around in his backyard, earning accolade after accolade during his first two years with the Pirates while evolving into their top offensive threat.
Still, Cantu said while he enjoys winning individual awards, he has his eyes set on something bigger: bringing the Pirates their second state title in program history.
“If I do not win any awards next year, I don’t care,” he said. “The only thing I want is to bring a state title to my school with my team. That would be better than any award I have won.