Fifteen teams participate in two day basketball camp

A horde of high school boys basketball teams descended on Magdalena last week, delivering a huge opportunity for coaches to see just what they may have for the upcoming season.

“It was a good camp,” said Steers coach Jory Mirabal. “We played 60 games in two days.”

It also was a great chance for players to make a statement.

“It gives you a chance to play a lot of games in the summer,” Mirabal said. “That’s a big deal from an experience standpoint.”

Especially for a team like Magdalena, which will be one of his youngest teams since Mirabal took over the program.

“This is one of the least experienced teams from a varsity standpoint that I’ve had in years,” he said. “We had some bright spots, but the consistency and seeing the things that we need to do be better have to increase a lot to be where we’re used to being. It’s a process so that’s okay. It’s good for the kids to see the level of play that we’ll see during the season.”

With 15 teams from 13 schools ranging from Class 1A all way to 3A, the Steers also got to face perhaps a higher caliber of play than they’ll see during the season.

“We had some of the best teams in the state,” Mirabal said. “We had last year’s state champions in 1A and 2A (Logan and Texico) and three out of the four teams that made 1A semifinals so it was a good representation.”

For Socorro coach Tim Townsend, it was the first team camp the Warriors attended this summer and he appreciated the level of play.

“There was some good competition,” he said. “Cobre. Cliff is very well coached. But it was just good to get out here and getting the younger players playing and getting them confidence in themselves and believing in me.”

It was a strong ice breaker for the team as it comes together, Townsend said.

“It was a good experience,” he said. “My older guys performed as they should. But I saw a lot of good things from the younger guys, too.”

Socorro went 4-4 in its eight games, and that was just fine with Townsend.

“I thought we could have performed better and won more, but that’s a part of playing and getting better,” Townsend said. “Just to see guys stepping up and playing hard, mainly playing hard, and guys believing in themselves and believing in the team concept and the next man up. They have to play just as hard as the man I put him in for.”

The goal of the camps, from Mirabal’s perspective, is not to compile a gaudy W-L record, but rather to get the players ready for the season.

“I want to see as many different kids in as many different situations that I can put them in,” he said. “You’re not trying to win the games in the summer time. You’re trying to prepare yourself to win important games during the season.”

The Steers have already had 17 games this summer and it’s been a grueling stint for the players.

“We haven’t had any easy games on the schedule,” Mirabal said. “We’ve played Fort Sumner, Logan, Melrose, Tularosa, Texico, Santa Rosa. So we’re playing bigger and better schools than we are right now. In the long run, it will pay off on what we need to work on individually and as a team and that’s the whole goal for us as a team anyway.”

Townsend said he liked what he saw from his group.

“I’m very impressed with my younger guys coming up,” he said. “They acted like they wanted a varsity position. And there were some guys that will have a varsity position.”

Of the younger players, sophomores Miguel Armendariz, Gabe Silva and Brendan Reichenbach all showed promise.

“That impressed me with those guys playing like that,” Townsend said.

And juniors Izaiah Silva, Nazario Silva, as well as senior Jaquavis Brawley, all continued to show the poise and leadership expected of them, Townsend said.

Now the Warriors are looking into getting into a few more team camps this summer, but Townsend wants to make sure he can get as many players involved as possible.

“I have to get a full commitment,” he said. “It’s summer time so it’s not mandatory. But that’s when you make the team is summer time, not during tryouts or anything like that.”