For four years, Port Isabel’s Omar Silva terrorized opposing defenses with his strength, speed and his tenacity to never stop moving forward.
Under head coach Monty Stumbaugh’s run-first system, Silva thrived as he rushed for more than 3,100 yards while rushing for 32 touchdowns in the past two seasons alone.
This season, the senior running back ran for a staggering 2,049 yards in nine games, including a whopping 441 yards against La Feria. The performance earned him a Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week award for Class 4A.
In total, Silva rushed for 200 yards in three games, while rushing for more than 300 yards in two games.
Silva was also voted All-District Co-MVP in 16-4A and is now the ValleyMorning Star’s All-Star Offensive Player of the Year.
Q: It’s been four years since you began your athletic career at Port Isabel. What has been your most memorable moment?
A: The most memorable moment in my high school career is when I played varsity my sophomore year because I got to show the coaches what I had to give.
Q: How do you feel about being named the Valley Morning Star’s Offensive Player of the Year?
A: I feel honored to get this award. It was a heck of a season, but none of this would’ve been possible without my teammates. We kept pushing each other and stayed motivated throughout the season.
Q: How do you feel about being invited to the Built Ford Tough Player of the Year Award banquet in Dallas next weekend?
A: I feel proud of myself because it’s a great accomplishment that I won player of the week and to be invited to the banquet is an awesome feeling.
Q: This is your final year of high school. When everything is said and done, what are you going to miss the most?
A: The practices with my teammates and coaches and just having a good time. We would be putting in work, but we also had an awesome time doing so; laughing and enjoying the moment.
Q: What was the best advice you were ever given?
A: To never give up and that if you put your mind into it, you can achieve anything, and anything is possible.
Q: Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?
A: Don’t let others discourage you, just be you and do what you love.
Q: Do you have any advice for the younger generation of players at PI?
A: That anything is possible if you put your mind into it and don’t let others bring you down because people are always going to talk good or bad. Just do you.
Q: You rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season and a little more than 1,000 yards as a junior. What was the motivation behind your success?
A: Just to be the best player I can be. I hate to lose, so that’s another reason why I had a good run. I’m a competitor.
Q: Who do you think is going to win the Super Bowl?
A: I want the Patriots to win because Tom Brady is a heck of a quarterback and he was an underdog drafted in the sixth round (of the NFL draft).
Q: How was it like playing under coach Monty Stumbaugh, who was recently let go by Port Isabel?
A: He’s a great coach; I wouldn’t want any other coach. He showed us great discipline and how to leaders on and off the field.
VMS All-Star Team
MVP
Jesse Castro, Harlingen High
Offensive Player of the Year
Omar Silva, Port Isabel
Defensive Player of the Year
Emilio Garza, San Benito
Newcomer of the Year
Tyrone Harper, San Benito
Coach of the Year
Manny Gomez, Harlingen High
1st Team Offense
Quarterback: Erick Retta, San Benito
Running back: Roy Pedraza, Weslaco East
Wide receivers: Isaiah Trevino, San Benito; Brandon Perez, La Feria; Adrian Torres, Hayes Duffy, Harlingen High
Offensive line: Julio Pecina, San Benito; Oscar Del Abra, Port Isabel; Christian Herrera, Harlingen High; Abel Villarreal, Harlingen South; Zachary Cordova, La Feria
Kicker: Giovanni Guillen
1st Team Defense
Defensive ends: Christopher Bode, Port Isabel; Brandon Bennett, Harlingen South
Defensive tackles: Marco Garcia, Rio Hondo; John Alvarez, San Benito
Linebackers: Richard Moreno, San Benito; Zach Fayyad, Harlingen South; Darian Cortez, Raymondville
Secondary: Joshua Martinez, Harlingen High; Robert Ceballos, La Feria; Jarod Stroud, Lyford
Punter: Josiah Ortega, Rio Hondo
2nd Team Offense
Quarterback: Frank Moreno, Lyford
Running back: Gilbert Montemayor, Harlingen South
Wide receivers: Riley Sauceda; Julian Trevino, La Feria; Kaynon Fuentes, Harlingen High
Offensive line: Ty Rhyner, Rio Hondo; Joseph Hernandez, Lyford; Joseph Torres, Port Isabel; Christian Herrera, Harlingen High; Brandon Perez, Weslaco
Kicker: Jose Alas-Meza, Rio Hondo
2nd Team Defense
Defensive ends: Ryan Reza, San Benito; Michael Adameit, Lyford
Defensive tackles: Jorge Jaime, Harlingen High; Juan Delgado, Rio Hondo
Linebackers: Sam Gonzalez, Harlingen High; Javier Gonzalez, Lyford; Victory Luna, La Feria
Secondary: Ricky Gonzalez, Port Isabel; Jacob Posas, Raymondville; Pete Contreras, La Feria
Punter: Deion Castillo, Raymondville
