BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) – Gilbert Trillo’s four-touchdown performance in the first half against McAllen propelled Brownsville Veterans to the Area Round of the UIL Texas Football State Championships.

Trillo finished the Bi-District Round with 158 all-purpose yards on top of his 4 TDs. The 55-21 win put the Chargers in the second round of the playoffs, a spot they prepared for.

“All in all, it was a very physical ball game,” JC Ramirez, Brownsville Veterans Head Football Coach, said. “McHi is a great program, and we didn’t expect anything different from them, but we’re just happy with the effort that our kids gave.”

Trillo has made his presence felt on both sides of the ball all year. However, while his individual performance stood out from the first round of the playoffs, he credits his success to his teammates.

“The four touchdowns are because of my team,” Trillo said. “That’s all I got to say because they played special and gave me the special opportunity to do something.”

Trillo moved to the Rio Grande Valley his freshman year from North Carolina. It was an adjusting period early on, but Trillo eventually found his groove.

He credited the friends he made along the way as a major reason why he stayed and became a force to be reckoned with on the field.

With time spent studying film, showing up to the weight program and being consistent at practice, Ramirez said Trillo is the type of kid any high school would want to build its program around.

“He’s ran in a touchdown, he’s caught a touchdown, he’s thrown a touchdown. I mean, this guy can do it all,” Ramirez said. “It’s not a surprise to us because we know that he’s paid his dues, and he is a great athlete, but more than anything, he’s a phenomenal leader.”

The Chargers now turn their attention to Corpus Christi Veterans in Area-Round play. Brownsville Veterans knows any team is dangerous at this stage in the season.

However, they feel confident with their playmakers heading into any matchup.

“We’re expecting big plays from them,” Trillo said. “We watch a lot of film. We’re obviously practicing for them. We know they have explosive talent. We know we do, so we’re just trying to prepare every way we can.”

The Chargers will travel to Corpus Christi and play at Buccaneer Stadium on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:00 p.m.