By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Porter was one of the top rushing teams in its district this season, but Edinburg Vela was better on this night.
The Sabercats took a page out of the Cowboys’ playbook and amassed 392 yards on the ground — including 223 during the first half — to take an early advantage and defeat Porter 48-21 in their Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff game Friday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“We talked to our kids about having focus, and starting fast and playing with passion,” Edinburg Vela coach Michael Salinas said. “I’m just proud of them for executing those things (Friday). We talked to our guys about being physical on offense, and we were going to take what they gave us. Early we felt our run game was there, so we took advantage of it.”
Porter senior running back Jorge Gutierrez did his part for the Cowboys’ offense. He finished with 306 yards on 39 carries and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough against Edinburg Vela in his final high school game.
Edinburg Vela got on the board quickly in the first quarter. Michael Arguelles found the end zone after a 39-yard run, and the Sabercats led 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.
The Porter offense didn’t move the ball in the manner to which it had been accustomed and was forced to punt on its first two drives.
The Sabercats took advantage of the Cowboys’ slow start as Robert Guerra scored on a 27-yard run later in the first for a 14-0 lead.
During the second quarter, two Porter drives ended in missed field goals as the Cowboys failed to get on the board in the first half.
Edinburg Vela added another touchdown midway through the quarter as Fabian Pedraza hit Eddie Luna on a 13-yard screen pass to give the Sabercats a 21-0 advantage that they took into halftime.
Porter came to life on offense during the third quarter as Jorge Gutierrez scored on a 4-yard run and Ernie Martinez found the end zone after a 1-yard run.
“It was tough, when you give a team like that (a lead) with all those weapons,” Porter coach Tom Campos said. “You spot them 21 points and you haven’t scored a point, it’s pretty tough. I’m really proud of the kids, I challenged them at halftime … I think it woke them up a little bit, and they came out with a chip on their shoulder. We knew it was going to be tough to get back in it, but they definitely didn’t quit.”
Vela answered as Guerra scored on a 5-yard run and Pedraza scored on a 31-yard run to take a 35-14 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Edinburg Vela extended its lead to 48-14 during the fourth after Guerra scored on another 5-yard run and Pedraza scored on 27-yard run.
Late in the quarter, Gutierrez added a touchdown on a 19-yard run for Porter to cut the deficit to 48-21.
Edinburg Vela stayed unbeaten and advanced to the area round of the playoffs by controlling the ball early in the game.
“Anytime you play a team like Brownsville Porter it’s about ball control,” Salinas said. “I don’t think any team had more than eight possessions on them during the year. We knew the key for us was starting fast on special teams and offense, and getting a favorable field position and getting some points on the board early.”
Campos reflected on a great season for the Cowboys, a few years removed from a pair of winless seasons.
“We set a goal and we achieved it, that’s one thing we can check off the board,” Campos said about reaching the postseason. “We knew it was going to be a two- or three-year process. I’m proud of the kids. Hopefully the young guys can see the progress we’ve made, and hopefully the numbers grow and the success continues.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.