(Brownsville, Texas)-With less than one minute to play, 16-5A Division I Brownsville Veterans (12-2) senior WR/RB Gilbert Trillo punched it in to give his Chargers a wild come-from-behind 35-28 win over 14-5A Division I Corpus Christi Miller (13-1) in the University Interscholastic League State 5A Division I Quarterfinals on Friday night played before some 10,000 fans at Sams Memorial Stadium. The Chargers will now travel to play 12-5A Smithson Valley (13-1) at Buccaneers Stadium in Corpus Christi on Friday at 7:00 p.m. “Our colors are Red, White, and Blue, and we never give up,” said Chargers head football coach, JC Ramirez. “When we were down 14-0 at the half, I told our team we were not done playing football.”
Junior quarterback “Storm” Montoya was not done. He responded with four touchdown runs in the second half, including the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter to make it 28-28.
The Buccaneers opened the second half with a 84-yard kickoff touchdown run by Corey Holmes to make it 21-0. But, that score didn’t bother Montoya.
The Veterans QB1, led his team on a 13-play drive with Montoya scoring his first touchdown of the night to make it 21-7. The big spark on that drive was on fourth down and 13. Montoya threw a bullit pass to WR Gerry Gomez for 17 yards and a much needed first down to the Miller 15-yard line. Trillo would get the call to rush to the Bucs four-yard line.
The Bucs responded with another touchdown to make it 28-7. Bucs Junior quarterback Trevor Long (3,538 passing yards 56 touchdowns) spotted his receiver sliding into the endzone for the score, instead the ball bounced off his chest, popping into the hands of Holmes for the score with :18 seconds left to play in the third quarter.
The never-say-die Chargers defense went to work, forcing the Buccaneers junior RB Broderick Taylor (2,223 rushing yards) to a fumble and Veterans all-purpose player, Trillo came up with an interception. Both turnovers led to two scores by Montoya. Still, the Chargers defense wasn’t done. The Chargers kept pressuring QB Long throughout the fourth quarter, including his last heroic pass with seconds left to play, was caught in the endzone, out of bounds, sending the Chargers defense charging back to the sidelines to celebrate. “This win was for my team, my coaches, and Brownsville,” said an emotional Montoya. “Our defense was incredible. We are going to the state semifinals.”
Five rounds! Brownsville Veterans TE Nick Tovar “shows” five as the Chargers defeated CC Miller to advanced to the State 5A Division I Semifinals. (HSSMImages/DeLeon)