BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
CORPUS CHRISTI — When PSJA Southwest Javelinas boys soccer leading scorer Luis Escudero went down after taking a cleat to the knee, Michael Martin knew he would have to step up.
He did so almost instantly, scoring his first goal before Escudero even left the field. Martin went on to tally three more in PSJA Southwest’s 4-1 win against Leander Vandegrift in a region IV-5A semifinal on Friday at Cabaniss Soccer Field.
“At the beginning of the day, I was very nervous,” Martin said. “But there was a forward injured, so coach told me I got this. It was my game. Coach told me it would be my game, so I just did what I could.”
After Escudero went on a dazzling run and worked his way past three Vandegrift defenders, his attempt at a chip was deflected by keeper Alex LaPlace.
As LaPlace’s cleat caught Escudero on the knee and he crumbled to the ground in pain, Martin snuck in behind the keeper and touched the ball home from just inches away to give Southwest a 1-0 lead with 29:55 to play.
Vandegrift’s Santi Munoz tied the game with 23:35 to play, so PSJA Southwest coach Jesus Palomin knew he would need more from Martin.
“He had told us last night in the team meeting, he said, ‘Coach, I’m going to make you proud tomorrow,’” Palomin said. “During halftime, that’s what I told him. Remember what you told me last night? Make it happen. Lo and behold, he had, as of right now, the game of his life.”
Escudero tried to give it a go at the start of the second half, but with substantial bruising and the prospect of another game tomorrow, Palomin chose to limit him to about 10 minutes of action.
Martin made up for his absence. With 26:23 to play, Miguel Vasquez controlled the ball deep in Vandegrift’s half and found Martin with a pass at the left corner of the box. Martin drilled a shot off of a Vandegrift defender and in to give Southwest a 2-1 lead.
The goal forced Vandegrift into an offensive posture, which gave Southwest even more opportunities to counterattack. With 11:00 remaining, Martin took control of the ball about 40 yards from goal and sprinted almost uncontested to the top of the box before neatly tucking a shot over the reach of LaPlace.
Martin said his final goal was his favorite of the afternoon. Coming in one-on-one down the right wing, Martin dribbled around his marker and tucked the ball past the goalie on the near side to push PSJA Southwest’s lead to 4-1 and all but ice the win with 5:09 to play.
The victory sets up a matchup at noon today against Georgetown East View for the Region IV-5A title and a trip to state.
“I knew it was going to be hard, but we got this,” Martin said. “Tomorrow is going to be a hard game, but we want to go to state. That’s the dream.”