Austin Aztex Feature -- www.austinaztex.com
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas -- Antonio and Guille Cortes moved from Dolores Hidalgo, Guanjuanto, Mexico, a city with a population a little over 50,000, when their son, Jesus ‘Chuy’ Cortes, was five years old. Like so many immigrants who have moved to America, life for them has been difficult. However, Cortes’ soccer talent and hard work has opened up doors his parents could only have dreamed of when they originally moved from Mexico.
“My parents brought me over here to give me an opportunity to live a different life than what we were living in Mexico,” said Cortes on moving to America. “Right now, the opportunities that my parents were looking for have been given to me.”
Ever since he was young, it was a round ball and a soccer pitch that helped Cortes succeed in life. At the age of seven, Cortes started playing soccer in San Antonio for the Broncos, the local neighborhood team. But Cortes’ stay with the Broncos didn’t last long because he soon began his journey towards stardom in San Antonio, eventually playing for Classics Elite– the best club soccer team in San Antonio.
While starring at Classics Elite, the Chelsea soccer fan met whom his mom calls, ‘un angel del cielo’ (the Angel from the Sky.) Dr. Robert Offutt, or the angel, set up a fund raiser and asked Central Catholic High School to give Cortes – who the doctor describes as humble– a scholarship to help pay $8,000 yearly tuition to go to the College Preparatory school. The school was a luxury that his parents who immigrated to America couldn’t afford, and the scholarship would pay for the majority of Cortes’ high school tuition. Because of the long commute from his own home, he would also spend most weeknights at the Offutt’s house, where he was considered one of the family along with Luke and Mike Offutt.
“There were a lot of bad actors at that particular high school [the one Cortes was zoned to]," said Offutt. “I don’t think he would have, but I just didn’t want to take any chance on him falling into a crowd that would have detracted him from where he was headed. I thought he was going to be a successful kid.”
With numerous teammates from Classics Elite going to the Catholic high school, the Aztex player and his teammates were looking to turn around a soccer program that had had only one win the previous season. It was during Cortes’ four years Central Catholic flourished, and he said ‘he tore it up his freshman year’ when they went to the TAPPS 6A State Finals – where they would barely be defeated 1-0 with two minutes left in the match.
Two years later Central Catholic’s luck changed, and the team finished the season unbeaten going 22-0 after winning the state title against Austin St Michaels 5-1, a game during which Cortes scored two goals. The San Antonio Express-News named Cortes the city’s best soccer player for private and public high schools that year, an honor he would earn again his senior year.
During his final year for Central Catholic, the school broke the Texas state record winning 32 straight games, and Cortes scored a goal in the final, earning his second state title after beating St. Thomas High School 4-0.
Cortes would score almost 90 goals during his four-year career at Central Catholic, and the talented high schooler even has a YouTube montage showing off his skills from his sophomore year.
Cortes didn’t just receive attention in San Antonio, but he was also asked to play for the Olympic Development Program for South Texas for the majority of his time in high school. The program is meant to develop top soccer talent in Texas. From there, he went to the Dallas Cup with the Texans Soccer Club from Houston to play as most of the soccer nation watched.
At the Dallas Cup 2007, Cortes impressed college coaches and earned scholarship offers from prestigious collegiate soccer programs like Notre Dame and Dayton. His club coach also received calls from UNC Wilmington; but ultimately, Cortes chose to stay close to home, receiving a full ride scholarship from Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
“For me, I wasn’t seeing myself anywhere else other than San Antonio because my family is there,” said Cortes on choosing to play for Incarnate. “I guess it is the culture, being Mexican… just to be close to your family and have them come watch your games. I would’ve liked going to the Division I schools; but in the end, I think everything happens for a reason.”
Cortes finished his college career this past season starting all four years, scoring seven goals, and adding 12 assists for the Cardinals. Playing college close to Austin is also why Cortes would join the Aztex.
“Maybe things always didn’t go right for him at our college, especially his last two years. But he still really worked hard and he has the dream that he wants to achieve,” said Callum Riley, his teammate with the Cardinals for four years. “It’s satisfying to see him do so well now. From someone who knows how hard he has worked, it’s good to see that happen for him.”
Although, it took some pushing for Cortes to join the Austin-based club. His roommate for four years at Incarnate Word and current Aztex player, it was Riley who convinced Cortes to try out for the Aztex.
After impressing the coaching staff at the collegiate tryout, he was offered a chance to be coached by Paul Dalglish, but Cortes was also considering playing for the Laredo Heat. However, he played a preseason friendly with the Aztex versus St. Edwards, and finally decided that playing in Austin for coach Dalglish was the place for him.
The Mexican born player was impressive during the friendly against St. Edwards, and numerous fans wanted to find out who he was. Once the first game against the Texas Dutch Lions came around, where he scored Austin’s third goal, everyone knew his name. Now, he is easily the fan favorite, and ‘CHUY’ can be heard across the stadium any time Cortes touches the ball.
“I don’t know if it is his stature or the way he plays, but he seems to excite people,” Riley said. “Even in college, the people in the crowd loved him. He’s an exciting player to watch, he’s just the people’s champ.”
His mix of skill and industrial attitude is why everyone loves Cortes. His roommate Riley calls him a pit bull on the pitch. There isn’t a ball he cannot win, and there isn’t a defender he cannot beat.
“I am not going to let a 6-foot guy push me around… because we are all human and I feel like I am as strong as one of those tall guys,” said Cortes who stands at 5-foot-6. “I feel like I am as fast as the fastest guy on the field. Even though I am a short guy, no one is going to be able to push me around.”
Cortes is now nearing his dream of playing professional soccer. To reach the top level, Cortes is going to do what he always has: outwork his opposition every time he steps on the pitch. Who knows, maybe one day we will see Cortes on the back of an MLS or Mexican Primera jersey.
“I have to do it. Soccer has gotten me this far, I know that it can take me further,” said Cortes on becoming a professional soccer player. “Especially coming from where I come from, which is down here [moving his hand towards the ground]. So, I feel like I can go even higher, I can work even harder. Everything is possible.”
For Cortes, despite all the challenges life has thrown his way, nothing is impossible when the soccer ball is at his feet.