St. Pius Prepares for Another Attempt at Winning the Blue Cup
The St. Pius Sartans are set to kick off the 2025 New Mexico high school football season on Aug. 23, with a mix of excitement and determination following a competitive but challenging 2024 campaign.
Last season, the Sartans experienced a 34-point loss in the Class 4A state championship football game against Bloomfield, a tough defeat that has served as a valuable learning experience. According to coach Curtis Flakes II, the loss was instructive, helping the team identify areas for improvement, particularly in terms of maturity and discipline.
Flakes II observed a level of maturity in the team this year, but emphasised the importance of tapping into the team's potential to achieve success. The coach acknowledges the potential the team has, with key pieces all being sophomores during the 2024 season.
One of the key returnees for the Sartans is junior Hershul Olloway Jr., the state's most recent 100-meter champion. Olloway attributes the loss to a lack of strong culture within the team, and the offseason has been a period of significant growth for the team as they work towards rectifying this.
The Sartans return eight starters on both sides of the ball for the 2025 season, including Isaiah Carpenter, Olloway, and Cox-Liggins. Carpenter threw for 34 scores, Olloway rushed for 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns, and Cox-Liggins caught over 1,100 yards worth of balls with a dozen TDs in the 2024 season.
The team has set multiple goals in the offseason, including hitting the weight room hard and playing cleaner football. Flakes II is optimistic about the team's progress and believes the team could be special due to its talent.
The Sartans have a potent collection of skill position athletes, most of whom returned from last year. Damien Ocampo has joined the team as the offensive coordinator, adding to the team's coaching staff.
The team identifies the need for improved discipline after the 2024 state final, and Flakes also notes that, in year two of the new coaching regime and system, St. Pius was still working at finding its footing. Olloway acknowledges the need for hard work to return to the state final, and Carpenter expresses excitement about the team's performance in the 2024 state championship, despite the loss.
The Sartans face a challenging schedule in 2025, with games against strong regional opponents such as Silver, Albuquerque Academy, Chaparral, and Manzano. The team's home base at St. Pius X School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, actively engages the community and fans, supported by social media content showcasing the football season's progress and school spirit.
With a mix of returning talent, a challenging schedule, and a focus on maturity and discipline, the St. Pius Sartans are poised to make a strong showing in the 2025 New Mexico high school football season.
- With a mix of returning talent and a comprehensive offseason focus on maturity and discipline, the St. Pius Sartans aim to make a significant improvement in the 2025 NFL-style American football season, having learned valuable lessons from last season's state championship loss.
- The Sartans' roster includes key players such as junior Hershul Olloway Jr., Isaiah Carpenter, and Cox-Liggins, who demonstrated impressive statistics in the 2024 season, showcasing their potential in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCA) football landscape.
- As part of their mission to reach the state final and succeed in the challenging 2025 season, the St. Pius Sartans will face strong regional opponents such as Silver, Albuquerque Academy, Chaparral, and Manzano, seeking guidance under new offensive coordinator Damien Ocampo to help them achieve sports analysis experts' projections of a promising season.
