Socorro football teams wins first game on field in six years

Almost six years to the date, the Socorro football program feels like a winner on the field again. 

Last year, the Bulldogs technically saw their 51-game losing streak come to an end with two forfeit wins in the COVID-19 season.  

But not since a Sept. 11, 2015 win against Cathedral had Socorro won a game on the field. But Thursday night at El Paso High, the Bulldogs beat the Tigers, 46-23. 

The Bulldogs were in control for much of the night in scoring their most points of the season. 

"The word of the week was finish," third-year Bulldogs coach Anthony Hinsley said. "Our kids did a great job of preparing this week, and the effort showed against El Paso High. Our kids dug in and played well. I'm really happy for them and excited for them because they deserve it."

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Socorro has had some near misses along the way during the last six years, including a one-point loss to Ysleta last week. In 2018, the Bulldogs lost their first four games by 28-21, 21-14, 14-12, and 19-14. 

On Thursday night, the key performers were on offense, led by Jonathan Medrano, Isai Aguilar, Beto Moreno, and Isaiah Edgerton. 

"This is a great win for us," Edgerton said. "We haven't given up on each other, and we came out ready to play,"

Said Aguilar: "We had a good week of practice, and we knew if we came out with focus and determination, we'd be fine. This win was a team effort all the way, the coaches, the players. We've put in a lot of time in this program; we've kept working and kept believing.

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Hinsley is the third coach in the program since the streak began, and he's always portrayed a belief in his players and staff. 

On Thursday, that belief paid off. 

"Our defense did great, our offensive line was amazing and our skill players made plays," he said. "We continue to work hard and believe in ourselves."

Added Moreno: "We want to build for the future and give younger players motivation to keep believing and keep working hard. This win gives us momentum and we're going to keep doing our best to win more games."

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Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.