Warriors looking for more numbers before football season

Depending on future numbers, the 2025 Socorro High School football season will be either about rebuilding or reloading as the Warriors head into New Mexico’s most competitive Class 3A district.

Half of Socorro’s games are league contests after the New Mexico Activities Association’s realignment last year, which added New Mexico Military Institute and Ruidoso to the mix of Socorro, Hatch Valley, Cobre, and Hot Springs.

Headed into summer football, Socorro head coach Damien Ocampo is scratching his head after the past two graduations significantly reduced the number of upperclassmen.

“We’ve graduated a lot of great kids the last two years,” Ocampo said. “This year, right now the way it looks, we don’t have as many guys out there right now. Hopefully, we’ll get a good number coming up from middle school. Maybe there are more kids at the high school that want to come out. If we want to make a deep run like we’ve been doing, we’re going to need more numbers. We’re definitely going to be working on that all summer and into the fall.”

The spring football numbers hovered in the middle 20s, and some of the workouts were a little different when it came to running the offensive schemes. Fans can expect to see some different looks, and Ocampo wants more results from other players and not less reliance on the skills of first-team all-state quarterback Isaiah Ocampo.

Considering the incoming senior and potential US Naval Academy recruit generated 3,221 yards of offense and 33 touchdowns last season, that’s a bit of a head-scratcher. But Ocampo’s a realist, and he knows he needs to make the Warriors challenging to prepare for on offense.

“It’s going to be the Xs and Os. We have some really good kids out front who are returning, but we don’t have a lot of them. We’re going to make some changes with our system a little bit, so you’re going to see a little bit more out of multiple options,” Ocampo said.

Another thing making summer football difficult is the multiple obligations of some of Ocampo’s athletes due to summer track and field, sports camps, and the need for athletes to work summer jobs.

“Two of the top three teams in the state are going to come out of our district. It’s a super tough district this year. We’re surely going to be battle-tested. If we don’t have the numbers and the consistent rotations on the field our kids are going to be getting tired throughout the game. It’s essential to have to have a consistent rotation of guys to keep them fresh,” Ocampo said.

Players will experience tougher practice conditions to help them get into the hyper-strength shape they need to be in to compete. Part of the process is participating in a 7-on-7 competition, and Socorro is hosting a tournament on June 20.

It’s all part of a more extensive process as the Warriors prepare for the 2024 season.

“We’re going to have a lot of plays that are going to split the field. We want to give a lot for the defense to look at so we can divide defenses in half by some of our motions and our movements,” Ocampo said. “It might take us half the darn season to get it to click, but I feel it’s what fits our kids. It’s what fits our speed, so we’re going to lean on it.”

All of it will be done around a hectic schedule.

“We have a couple of kids that are being recruited, even in other sports. They have to go to camps, and that’s awesome. During the summer, we’re going to roll off whatever we got,” Ocampo said.

Even Ocampo is going to camp as he accompanies his son, Isaiah, who has a prospect camp at the Naval Academy shortly after Socorro’s 7-on-7 tournament.

Life may be coming at a mile-a-minute pace at the moment, but Ocampo has yet to lose sight of the fact this is his oldest son’s final high school season, and this year is more than just about posting wins.

“Isaiah knows he’s one of the pieces of the puzzle, and he knows we’re always making decisions on what’s best for the whole team and what makes us successful. He’s already working on all the new things we’re putting in.â¯Heâ¯doesn’t want to let anybody down.

He wants to go out there and play loose and have fun with his boys in this last year,” Ocampo said. “I want him to have a great experience and have him put a stamp on this year with his buddies. Have them all leave the field together, knowing how much they love and sacrifice for each other. Wins and losses are wins and losses. I hope these young men have a great experience and they learn how to grow together to be stronger men for the future.”