By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
On Thursday, May 22, Port Isabel Early College HS held a signing day for Dominic “Panama” Acosta, who signed his Letter of Intent to play soccer for Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, TX.
One of the things head Soccer coach Chris Ortiz liked about Acosta was that he always gave 100% and “had a lot of love for the sport”.
“Soccer specifically, it’s unique because there are no timeouts. I’ve seen things that physically I’ve never been able to do as an athlete, and I played college football.” Said Ortiz.
Coach Ortiz went on to say the amount of talent Acosta possesses is rare, and he can only recall a possible two players on his teams in the six years he’s been at PIECHS that played at that level.
“Even growing up at Hanna, seeing those games, whether it was against Porter, Pace, or Lopez High. I hardly ever saw anyone of Dominic’s caliber play the way he plays. Where it’s lights out.” Said Ortiz. “You could be
down, and he’s gonna keep fighting. He’s gonna keep playing for his team. He’s gonna lay it on the line.”
Football head coach Tony Villarreal recalled observing Acosta two years ago kicking the ball, running, and making moves on the field. “I almost wanted to put him at tailback, but coach Ortiz said I don’t want him to get hurt because he’s too good at soccer.”
Coach Mario Gaucin, who has coached Panama for the past two years, saw him turn into a “great player”, seeing him grow not only physically but also maturing into a dedicated athlete. “He improved a lot. He took a lot of initiatives. He increased his workouts. He was more motivated. He wanted to do more for the team. He showed a lot of character.” Said Gaucin.
Acosta thanked TSC for the opportunity to continue playing a sport that he loved. TSC men’s soccer head coach, Mario Zamora, noticed Acosta when he attended a TSC soccer camp. “I’m happy to be here, signing our first signee from Port Isabel.” Said Zamora. “It’s always an honor to be signing athletes to TSC, and Dominic will be a great addition to our roster.”
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