TarponFanInNorthTexas
09-23-2003, 11:50 AM
I know this isn't an article on a 3A player, but it's a good read anyway.
I'll put the main point of the article in ALL CAPS.
‘The Kid’ comes up big when it counts
The Brownsville Herald
Porter quarterback Billy Garza earned Rodriguez Ford-Mercury Player of the Week for his performance against Donna
By ELADIO JAIMEZ
eladioj@valleystar.com
956-430-6285
BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Porter (4A) quarterback Billy "The Kid" Garza did a lot in the Cowboys win over the Donna Redskins on Saturday.
It was what he did inside the last two minutes of the game, though, that everyone will be talking about for years.
On the Cowboys’ first six possessions, Garza led the Cowboys to paydirt, walking away with four touchdowns and two field goals.
He completed 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) passes for 218 yards and one touchdown.
He also ran the ball 17 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
And near the end of the first quarter, on Graze’s fourth run of the night, "The Kid" broke away for an 80-yard trot to the end zone.
His performance on the field earned him this week’s Valley Morning Star Rodriguez Ford-Mercury Player of the Week as selected by the sports staff at the VMS.
His most impressive feat of that night, though, might have been the six-play, 67-yard drive he engineered with 1:50 left in the game.
The drive put the Cowboys within field goal range with 33 seconds remaining.
That possession was only Porter’s third of the second half.
On the first, the Cowboys went three and out. Garza ran for six yards and completed one pass for nine yards the second time around, but Porter was still forced to punt after five plays only.
But, Porter and Garza never panicked.
Those two possessions quickly became a distant memory as Garza found himself in position to engineer what has to be the most memorable drive in Porter’s history.
"I wasn’t thinking too much about the first two possessions," Garza said. "I just wanted to move the ball and control the clock. All I wanted to do was get us within field goal range."
Porter head coach Jim Helms said Garza’s competitive spirit had a lot to do with him executing the drive perfectly.
"He wasn’t going to be denied if given the opportunity to win the game," Helms said. "Anybody who watched the game came away saying ‘that guy is a competitor.’ That makes him such a good player."
Helms said a player like Garza can make a coach look like a genius.
"We want to take full advantage of what he can do," Helms said. "You want a guy like Billy to get the ball on every play. You want him to be your go-to guy."
However, if you asked Garza, everyone on the team is just as competitive.
The Porter Cowboys made new fans and quieted critics across the Valley. But more importantly, the Cowboys earned respect on Saturday.
Garza knew the Cowboys never got the respect other schools garnered, and for good reason. PRIOR TO THIS SEASON, THE COWBOYS HAD ONLY WON 39 GAMES IN 28 YEARS.
GARZA HAS LED THE COWBOYS TO THEIR FIRST EVER 3-0 START. ONE MORE WIN WOULD EQUAL THE SCHOOL RECORD FOR THE MOST WINS IN A SEASON.
Garza thinks the victory over Donna was the biggest in the school’s history.
"We just had to go out and play smart football," Garza said. "Ever since I saw them (Donna ) play on TV against Lubbock Monterey I was anxious to see how good they were. It (Saturday’s game) was a big deal. The ball just rolled our way."
I'll put the main point of the article in ALL CAPS.
‘The Kid’ comes up big when it counts
The Brownsville Herald
Porter quarterback Billy Garza earned Rodriguez Ford-Mercury Player of the Week for his performance against Donna
By ELADIO JAIMEZ
eladioj@valleystar.com
956-430-6285
BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Porter (4A) quarterback Billy "The Kid" Garza did a lot in the Cowboys win over the Donna Redskins on Saturday.
It was what he did inside the last two minutes of the game, though, that everyone will be talking about for years.
On the Cowboys’ first six possessions, Garza led the Cowboys to paydirt, walking away with four touchdowns and two field goals.
He completed 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) passes for 218 yards and one touchdown.
He also ran the ball 17 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
And near the end of the first quarter, on Graze’s fourth run of the night, "The Kid" broke away for an 80-yard trot to the end zone.
His performance on the field earned him this week’s Valley Morning Star Rodriguez Ford-Mercury Player of the Week as selected by the sports staff at the VMS.
His most impressive feat of that night, though, might have been the six-play, 67-yard drive he engineered with 1:50 left in the game.
The drive put the Cowboys within field goal range with 33 seconds remaining.
That possession was only Porter’s third of the second half.
On the first, the Cowboys went three and out. Garza ran for six yards and completed one pass for nine yards the second time around, but Porter was still forced to punt after five plays only.
But, Porter and Garza never panicked.
Those two possessions quickly became a distant memory as Garza found himself in position to engineer what has to be the most memorable drive in Porter’s history.
"I wasn’t thinking too much about the first two possessions," Garza said. "I just wanted to move the ball and control the clock. All I wanted to do was get us within field goal range."
Porter head coach Jim Helms said Garza’s competitive spirit had a lot to do with him executing the drive perfectly.
"He wasn’t going to be denied if given the opportunity to win the game," Helms said. "Anybody who watched the game came away saying ‘that guy is a competitor.’ That makes him such a good player."
Helms said a player like Garza can make a coach look like a genius.
"We want to take full advantage of what he can do," Helms said. "You want a guy like Billy to get the ball on every play. You want him to be your go-to guy."
However, if you asked Garza, everyone on the team is just as competitive.
The Porter Cowboys made new fans and quieted critics across the Valley. But more importantly, the Cowboys earned respect on Saturday.
Garza knew the Cowboys never got the respect other schools garnered, and for good reason. PRIOR TO THIS SEASON, THE COWBOYS HAD ONLY WON 39 GAMES IN 28 YEARS.
GARZA HAS LED THE COWBOYS TO THEIR FIRST EVER 3-0 START. ONE MORE WIN WOULD EQUAL THE SCHOOL RECORD FOR THE MOST WINS IN A SEASON.
Garza thinks the victory over Donna was the biggest in the school’s history.
"We just had to go out and play smart football," Garza said. "Ever since I saw them (Donna ) play on TV against Lubbock Monterey I was anxious to see how good they were. It (Saturday’s game) was a big deal. The ball just rolled our way."