The 2021 campaign marks 10 consecutive seasons of the Rio Grande Valley sending teams to the UIL boys soccer state tournament, with the Valley View Tigers and the Brownsville Porter Cowboys facing off at 7 tonight with a spot in the Class 5A state semifinals on the line.
“It’s something good for the Valley,” Cowboys head coach Jose Espitia said. “It speaks volumes about Valley soccer.”
On paper, the Tigers and the Cowboys are evenly matched, both fielding offenses capable of running teams out of the stadium. The Tigers are the No. 7-ranked team in the latest Texas High School Coaches Association poll, while the Cowboys are ranked No. 10.
Through 20 games, the Tigers netted 86 goals, including outscoring opponents 14-6 in the postseason.
Junior forward Pablo Torre is the cog that moves the Tigers’ offensive machine, scoring 37 goals during district play. During the postseason, Torre’s dominance has continued, adding nine goals to his total for the year, including a five-goal performance against the San Antonio Southwest Dragons to send his team to the Region IV-5A finals.
Despite being the Valley’s leading scorer, Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said it’s Torre’s leadership that has made the biggest impact on his team.
“It’s not about the scoring,” Salazar said. “It’s what he (Torre) does at practice. The way he talks to the team, he tries to take control. It’s like having another coach on the field. He might not talk too much in the games, but his playing does his talking for him. He just tells the other kids to keep up with him. From the running and the moving and everything, he’s been very good for us this year.”
When asked about the task of trying to stop Torre and the Tigers’ high-octane offense, Espitia said that while he knows the problems Torre presents, they are not a one-dimensional team.
“We’ve played him (Torre) the past two years in our district,” Espitia said. “He’s older now. He’s more experienced. He was very good as a freshman, but now he has a lot more experience. He’s out there scoring goals. We know that he’s very capable, but then again, we know that they’re not a one-player team. They have very good midfielders and defenders, and Pablo is just the cherry on top of the cake.”
The Cowboys field a high-powered offense of their own, scoring 89 goals through 25 games. Led by the trio of Brandon Montes, Jose Mateos and Julian Gallegos, who combined for 69 goals this year, the Cowboys have outscored opponents 15-2 in the postseason.
On top of having a trio of capable scorers, the Cowboys are full of experience, with nine four-year lettermen on the squad.
“Since the beginning, we’ve felt like the kids have the potential to make a run,” Espitia said. “Sometimes, it’s easier said than done though. But they’ve done it this year. We’re not satisfied though. We know we’re not the favorites, because they’re highly ranked. But we’re still going to go out there and represent Brownsville, and hopefully win that ticket to represent the Valley at the state level.”
Both teams come into the matchup eyeing their fifth appearance in the state tournament, with the Tigers seeking their third straight appearance. While not having played one another this season, the Tigers and the Cowboys are no strangers to their opponent, competing against each other in District 32-5A the past two years, with the teams splitting the season series during the 2020 season.
“The kids are not nervous,” Salazar said. “We used to be in that district with the Cowboys last year and the past two years. So, our kids have played Brownsville Vets and Brownsville Porter and Pace. Those Brownsville schools, all of them are good. We know how they play, and they know how we play so it should make for a good game on Friday.”
The stage is set for these two teams, as the Tigers and Cowboys square off at 7 tonight at Tiger Stadium in Mercedes.