After leaving RGVFC mid-season, Wilmer Cabrera Jr. excelled in his first collegiate season, winning Big East Freshman of the Year at Butler.

Butler University and former RGVFC forward Wilmer Cabrera Jr. has won the 2019 Big East Freshman of the Year and was named to the Big East 2nd-team. After departing the USL Championship club with four goals this summer to attend Butler, Wilmer Jr., also known as Andy, burst onto the scene in his first NCAA regular season with eight goals and three assists in 18 matches. According to Butler’s release, the first-year striker leads the Big East with six game-winning goals.

His Freshman of the Year crown comes almost exactly thirty years after another star with a Colombian background won the same award: RGVFC head coach and 1990 Freshman of the Year, Gerson Echeverry. Talking about his former player, Echeverry, a Seton Hall University Hall of Famer, said, “I’m very happy for him and it’s great to see his transition was smooth as he was able to score important goals for Butler.”

DAWGS are back on top! Wilmer Cabrera, Jr. gives @ButlerMSoccer a second half lead on #BEfutbol Decision Day. pic.twitter.com/DqbWYau1h8 — BIG EAST Champs (@BIGEASTchamps) November 6, 2019

After he played for the Houston Dynamo Academy, Cabrera Jr. arrived at RGVFC with his brother, David, when their father, Wilmer Sr., was the head coach for the Dynamo. Both brothers are incredibly talented, kind, and respectful young men. There’s no doubt that the future is bright for Andy, for the rest of his college career and beyond. His winning goal against Creighton sent the Bulldogs to the Big East semifinal on Wednesday night when they meet Georgetown. You can watch the match live here.