By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
The Porter Cowboys are determined to make the most out of every snap this season, and they’re confident they have the pieces to make the shortened season as long as possible.
They have 11 starters returning and an experienced core ready to build on the 2019 season in which they narrowly missed the playoffs. Porter coach Carlos Uresti said all 64 players have been showing up and working hard during their first week back on the field, and they’re ready to take full advantage of the opportunity to play despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Don’t waste a day. The time is now. Because of the shortened season, because of the amount of experience we have coming back, that’s kind of our mantra for the year, ‘The time is now,’” Uresti said. “It applies to everything, from not taking a practice for granted to taking every opponent serious. You can’t take a week off. Our season has already been shortened so they understand the importance of not only games, but every practice. I’m grateful for our district allowing us the opportunity to try and have a full season.”
District 16-5A Division I elected to play in zones this fall because of the delayed starts for schools in the Rio Grande Valley. Because of the decision, the Cowboys and the three other Brownsville ISD Class 5A teams will play just four district games.
Porter senior quarterback Kevin Garcia said the reduced number of games makes each week the most important of the season and that he feels his team is ready for that challenge. Even though it won’t be a typical season, the four-year starter is grateful to get one last ride.
“Some of us have aspirations to play college ball, especially me. I want to make it out of Brownsville to make my family proud, so having this opportunity gave me hope for a better future, and it gave some of my teammates hope,” Garcia said. “We’ve got four games for district. We’re trying to get the top seed and get to the playoffs. That’s our hope, and that’s our dream. We have to go in thinking every game is a playoff game. That’s our mentality. If we lose one, we’re basically out of the playoffs, and this year is my senior year, so I want to go out with a bang. It amplifies everything a lot.”
Garcia and Uresti are excited about the experience on the offensive side of the ball, and the quarterback said he expects the “explosive offense” to be a strength of the team. Running back/athlete Gabriel Gonzalez, wide receiver Brandon Reta, tailback Joey Saldana and center Victor Ramos are some offensive players to watch.
Gonzalez is moving back to offense after being a key defensive piece last year, and Ramos anchors an offensive line behind which Garcia is excited to play. Garcia said the Cowboys have a better understanding of a new offense implemented last year, so he’s expecting to impress.
“Our offensive line is getting way better. They’re quicker and that’s the strength of our team right there,” Garcia said. “This year, knowing we’ve been under the offensive scheme, we’re going to learn a few more fancy things and we’re going to come out banging. We’re used to the offense and the scheme, and I think we’ll have a lot more explosive plays under our belts. Each day we come out aggressive and willing to learn.”
Senior linebacker Jose Charles will be a leader on the defense. The three-year varsity letterman will be helped by linebacker Erik Melendez, safety Adriel Trevino, Sabas Pena and defensive end Arath De La Torre, who Uresti said is easily the best defensive lineman the Cowboys have.
Charles said the team is focusing on communication and working as a unit, which is something he said “fell off” at times last year. He said returning to the field to practice as a team has “rekindled the fire at Porter” and that the senior class is ready to go out on top.
“It was a sigh of relief that God gave us the chance to come back on the field,” Charles said. “I feel like we have a good chance (to make playoffs). We’ll take it one game at a time, one team at a time, and whatever happens, happens. But we all believe we can do this as a team. We’ve got a lot of brother love. We have the backs of one another. There’s no stopping me, there’s no stopping the other seniors out here. We’re going to take every game like it’s our last.”