Española Football Takes on Socorro in Preseason Scrimmage
Española Valley High School football traveled as a team for an unofficial scrimmage against one of the top mid-size schools in the state.
Sundevil coach Tylon Wilder said they did not keep score of the game, instead teams ran plays back and forth on offense and defense and practiced situations.
Socorro finished the 2021 season at 10-2. They entered the 3A state tournament as the No. 2 seed, ultimately losing in the semifinals. In the regular season, they beat Española 56-8.
Española Valley is coming off a 1-9 season in 4A with their lone win coming via forfeit, and they allowed 50 or more points eight times.
On the way home, the Española bus broke down about 20 miles out of town. But administration responded quickly to get the Sundevils home, after an extra hour and a half of team bonding time, and they got home around midnight.
“It’s not just about playing the scrimmage,” Wilder said. “It’s about being able to travel.”
In total, 48 players made the 167-mile trip south, signaling an improvement on the team’s participation from last year.
Wilder said he was encourgaed by what he saw from the team over the day.
“We saw some good things, and we saw some things we need to work on,” he said.
Among the potential improvements, Wilder said they need to continue to work on pass catching, as he installs an air-it-out offense to a program that traditionally has been heavily focused on the run.
Encouraging Wilder, he saw players get in and out of formation well, and demonstrate an understanding of the playbook and of coverages.
Another positive for the team is Victor Parra at kicker, who will be able to take extra points and potential field goal attempts, something Española has not had in recent years.
The scrimmage also let the players on both sides see opponents different from who they have faced in practice day in and day out, and measure their progress.
“We matched up really well with them,” Wilder said. “They played really hard and they played with a lot of pride.”