LCPS puts fall talent on display

The cameras were rolling, and uniforms were on Saturday, Aug. 15, as Las Cruces Public Schools brought athletes, coaches and marching band members from across the district to the Field of Dreams Football Stadium for its second annual fall sports media day. 

For Michelle Ronga, executive director of athletics for LCPS, the day was about putting the people behind those programs in front of the community. 

“I think the biggest thing is to celebrate and showcase the student athletes,” Ronga said. “These are students who are tremendous representation of what a successful, engaged high school student looks like.” 

Football, volleyball, boys and girls soccer, cross country and marching band were represented as students moved through headshots, social media stations and interviews with local media. Coaches joined their athletes at the press table this year, an expansion from the district’s first round of media days. 

LCPS returned to the event after seeing increased local and statewide coverage of its programs during the first year. Across all three sports seasons, Ronga said the district highlighted more than 200 students in athletics and fine arts, creating opportunities for them to speak about more than what happens during competition. 

That opportunity arrived Saturday with programs at different points entering the fall. Some returned established coaches and experienced players, while others used the morning to introduce new leadership and the culture they hope will follow. 

At Mayfield, head football coach Joseph Frias arrived several months into an offseason centered around rebuilding relationships within the Trojans’ program. Frias said players who previously stayed within separate groups have begun spending more time learning about one another — something he believes must happen before Mayfield can restore the family atmosphere long associated with the program. 

“We’ve got to build those relationships with each other before we can sit there and cross that bridge with everyone else,” Frias said. “We’re going to fight for each other and just kind of build off of that.” 

Centennial enters the year with a different challenge. Head coach Aaron Ocampo and the Hawks are looking to climb back among the strongest football programs in Class 6A, but Ocampo isn’t interested in allowing November expectations to distract from August. 

“We’ve got to be here now with everything we do,” Ocampo said. “I think it’s about us playing disciplined, us playing with great effort, us having a good attitude and next-play attitude, and it’s about us playing for each other.” 

Las Cruces High is leaning on growth from within as another season begins under head coach Mark Lopez. After watching his returning players develop through the offseason, Lopez said their progress has extended beyond individual performance into understanding how to lead teammates with different personalities. 

“I think this group in particular has grown tremendously in being able to relate to all of our guys,” Lopez said. 

Organ Mountain, meanwhile, begins a new chapter under head coach Greg Mallory. The Knights are working to establish themselves as a consistent contender in Class 6A, and Mallory said that progress begins with getting his players to believe in what they can accomplish. 

“Just believe,” Mallory said. “Believe you achieve and you receive, and that’s what we’re looking forward to this year.” 

Football occupied plenty of the conversation, but the range of uniforms around the stadium reflected the larger purpose behind the event. Soccer players joined their coaches for interviews and photos, while marching band members took their own turn behind the microphones. 

For Organ Mountain’s band, Friday nights carry responsibilities beyond halftime performances. Members spoke about creating energy from the stands while preparing for a season that will also take them to Utah for the St. George Regional competition. 

“If the band isn’t there, who’s going to be there to hype up the team?” an Organ Mountain band member said. “I feel we’re kind of some of the heart of the game, too.” 

That variety is intentional. Ronga said LCPS includes marching bands because the success and atmosphere surrounding a season depend on more than what happens between the lines. 

Media day also gives students experience they may not normally receive during the year. Along with headshots and coverage from LCPS TV, athletes have an opportunity to speak about the work behind their seasons while becoming more comfortable answering questions in a media setting. 

For some, that work extends well beyond practices and games. Ronga noted that students balance athletics and activities with academics, jobs and responsibilities at home, making the event another avenue to recognize what goes into representing their schools. 

“It’s not easy, what they do,” Ronga said. “What they do is a tremendous amount of work.” 

As those programs leave media day and turn toward competition, LCPS hopes the attention follows them into stadiums, gyms and other venues throughout the fall. Ronga said rebuilding that connection with the community remains part of the district’s larger goal. 

“Healthy students, healthy programs, the output of that is a healthy community,” Ronga said. “And our goal is to contribute to that healthy community.”