Socorro gears up for another state playoff run

Socorro heads into the Class 3A football season on perhaps the Warriors’ toughest campaign in years, which also includes more teams in District 3-3A.

District 3A has added Dexter, Ruidoso, and New Mexico Military Institute to the mix of Socorro, Hot Springs, Cobre, and Hatch Valley.

“This is going to be a tough season. Some great teams have been added to the district this year,” Ocampo said. “I can’t remember when we faced a schedule like this one.”

To start off, the Warriors get three straight road games to open their season, a stretch that includes No. 2 Robinson, Thoreau, and Cuba, who were a combined 25-10 last season, 10-3, 7-4, and 8-2.

The Warriors will host Estancia before enjoying three straight district games at home. The bad news is Socorro finishes out its season with three consecutive road games.

“Our biggest problem is having a lack of depth due to lower numbers this season. We’re going to have multiple players going both ways, and it will be a challenge to keep our guys fresh,” Ocampo said.

Socorro may need more numbers, but there’s still plenty of talent, starting with all-state quarterback Isaiah Ocampo, who starts on both sides of the ball. Ocampo passed for 2,069 yards, and 944 of those went to receiver Jay Lee, who pulled down a team-high 13 touchdowns.

Running back/linebacker Cenyon Scarbrough averaged 5.6 yards per carry while putting up 32 solo tackles, and he may get some relief on the offensive with several players pushing for a role.

David Gutierrez Jr.’s junior season ended early, but he still led the team with an average of 7.3 tackles per game. He is a player who draws double-team coverage. Gutierrez can also pave the way for Socorro’s running game.

Coach Ocampo has dug into the Warriors’ soccer program again and found a placekicker in Kyle Berger.

“We have to stay healthy this season. We don’t have the depth or numbers we have had in the past, but we do have some guys out here who are going to bring it,” Ocampo said.

The 2024 Socorro Warriors football roster includes Quay Brawley, Nazario Silva, Ezra Ocampo, Nazarino Silva, Josiah Barba, Dakota Johnson, Jacob Angel, Kyle Berger, Cenyon Scarborough, Jay Lee, AD Munguia, Isaiah Ocampo, Westin Ontiveros, Brendan Reichenbauch, Aiden Wheeler, Darryus Ortega, Jaxon Griffith, Jeremiah Garza, Gabriel Giron, David Pino, Julian Aldrich, Joe Rivera, Adan Sanchez, Inyn Romero, Ian Gonzales, Bubba Contreras, Gabriel ‘Blueberry” Henderson, William Rosas, William Rosas, David Gutierrez Jr., Vyncyny Gonzales, Jacob Gonzalez, Aiden York and Carlos Jaquez.