Socorro Warriors are showing an air of confidence

At 4-6 on the season, the Socorro Warriors basketball team is not in despair or panic. After taking undefeated Mesilla Valley Christian School (8-0) into overtime, coach Tim Townsend feels his team is coming together.

The Warriors did some growing on Saturday against MVCS. After figuring out their offensive game, they went on a 21-11 fourth-quarter spurt to knot the score at 53-53 before stumbling in overtime in a 57-55.

It was a setback that counted on the Warriors' record, but when it came to a team maturing, it was a huge step forward that Townsend was excited to talk about.

"We're coming together as we're dealing with what I want. At first, it is going to be a little rough. Everybody wants to score. Everybody wants to do this and that, but we all can't do it. You have to find a role and do that well," Townsend said.

Players will rotate as their roles change, and the most notable is Isiah "Peanut" Silva's move to point guard, which has rotated Quay Brawley into the scoring guard spot.

"Isiah, he's going to be a playing point guard. He's been playing well for me. All the other guys are doing what they do well. Ivan (Giron) is a scrappy guy on defense. He's 100 percent all the time. Quay is more of an offensive-minded player, but he also plays good defense," Townsend said.

Brawley's transition comes as his coach also encourages him to use his jumping ability to gather more rebounds.

The Warriors' biggest asset this season has been its defense, which creates turnovers and throws opponents off their offensive edge. Socorro's transition from defense to offense still needs work because turnovers and rushed shots speak to a need for more ball control.

"We can't just go down there, make one pass and shoot the ball. That's when we take our breakers on offense, pass the ball around, pass down, recoup, and then update the attack," Townsend said. "We can't go down there and make one pass and shoot from three. They like the long ball, so they want to shoot the three, and all of a sudden, we're in transition again."

Part of the problem might be the intensity of the Warriors' defensive play. Townsend is encouraging 100-mph play, and then there's the need to level off so his players aren't rushing shots on offense. Socorro's first quarters this season have produced lots of turnovers and just as many missed shots.

"I think they're just rushing their shot. One day, it starts going in right away. I mean, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but when you see it, you're not scoring, slow it down. Work the ball down, and get an easy layup. Once you see the first the ball go through the hoop, that's going bring your morale up, and you say ok, we can put the ball through the hoop," Townsend said.

As a first-year coach, Townsend knows he's also out there learning, but in just 10 games, he has erased any self-doubt. He now knows he belongs at the varsity level. There's an air of confidence about Townsend, and it's oozing into his team.

The Warriors are becoming more vocal and telling their coach what they are seeing on the court and how to attack and defend against it.

"I'll make an adjustment in order to give them the ability to adjust. I ask them what do you guys see? They're the ones playing the game, and I'm not. I can see it from my point of view, but when they're in the game, that's their point of view. They got to tell me, hey coach, this is happening, or that is happening so that I make adjustments," Townsend said.