Community Champion: Socorro Boys Soccer Team

EL PASO – The Socorro boys soccer team has defied expectations all season long.

After starting the season losing three of its first five games, Socorro has rebounded and made it to the 6A Sweet 16. They are now only two wins away from a trip to the Final Four.

The Bulldogs will play juggernaut Coppell on Friday in Midland. The task won’t be easy. But the team says they’re preparing themselves for the challenge they’ll face.

“I believe more than anything that it’s a mental issue with the players at this age,” says Alejandro Delgado, the team’s head coach. “They need to understand in any typical game you go from happiness to joy to sadness, and they need to control their emotions.”

Socorro was in control of its nerves earlier this postseason in one of the more impressive wins of the season – a penalty shootout victory over Midland in Midland.

“You know what, it’s just a game,” said Junior defender Carlos Alvarez. “It’s nothing more than that.”

Few teams are more battle-tested than Socorro, which had to navigate a tough schedule in El Paso during the regular season. However, the stiff competition may have been exactly what they needed to make this playoff push.

“I believe that…this area is one of the strongest in the state of Texas. It’s proven year after year with teams like Bel Air,” said coach Delgado. “Other teams here such as Eastwood and El Dorado have prepared us for what comes ahead, such as the Sweet 16 game.”

If Socorro and El Dorado both win their regional semifinal games, they will meet in the Elite Eight in Midland on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four on the line.