SOCORRO — The Las Vegas Robertson Cardinals have half of the championship equation down pat.

They have nine months to come up with the rest.

The Cardinals defense did its part, but when the offense was called upon to lend a helping hand, it sputtered and stalled. The Socorro Warriors made one touchdown drive stand up to secure passage into the Class AAA state football semifinals with a 7-3 win at Eddie Castañeda Field on Saturday.

The third-seeded Warriors (8-3) advance to a home matchup against No. 2 Raton, which was a 35-28 winner over St. Michael's, for the right to go to the title game. And their head coach, Damien Ocampo, relished pulling off what he called "an upset" despite what the seeds said.

"It feels pretty darn good," Ocampo said. "People have been putting the program down, talking about how we were the weakest team of the four (top seeds). It feels good, not just for the community, but for these kids."

Ocampo has fodder to counter those critics, and he can turn to a defense that matched hits — and wits — with a Cardinals' outfit that allowed seven points over the final four contests. Socorro surrendered only 48 total yards of offense in the second half, and it did so in the shadow of its own goalpost for the entire third quarter.

The Cardinals started drives at the Socorro 42-yard line, the 38 and 41, but they accumulated one first down and turned the ball over on downs twice.

"Our game plan was, if you're not guarding a man outside, then get in the box," Ocampo said.

That philosophy stayed steady and true, especially when Robertson needed to get out of its own end zone with the seconds rapidly clicking off the 2009 season. The final two Cardinals drives netted a total of 18 yards, and when the season came down to a fourth-and-2 play at the Socorro 41, Robertson (8-4) cracked under the pressure.

Cardinals quarterback Daniel Martinez unexpectedly received the snap, then hurried to make something out of nothing. Socorro pounced on the junior for a 6-yard loss and the Warriors danced off the field for the final time.

"We had a motion guy and I kinda moved my hands a little," Martinez said. "I guess the center snapped (the ball). I had the ball in my hands, and I was like, 'Oh no!' So I tried to run and there were eight guys around me. I tried to pitch the ball to someone but nobody was there."

In a defensive battle, mental gaffes can be the difference, and the Cardinals had too many to court.

They had eight first-half penalties that resulted in 65 yards, and they always came after the Cardinals got moving.

"We'd get those penalties and we'd lose our momentum," said Robertson head coach Richard Martinez. "We'd make a good play and then we'd get a penalty and get pushed back 10 yards."

Two penalties of the 15-yard variety shifted momentum toward the Warriors. As Robertson lined up for a punt at the Cardinals 48, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on the Cardinals sideline.

It appeared to be a minor nuisance when the Warriors moved nowhere after three plays. But Ray Vaiza faked a punt and threw to Adrian Miranda. Cardinals blocker Ray Maestas never saw the pass coming as he blocked Miranda all the way down the sideline.

The ensuing pass interference call breathed life into Socorro, which moved the final 34 yards in seven plays. Quarterback Zachary Esquivel dove in from the
1 for the lone touchdown and a 7-0 advantage at 3:22 of the first quarter.

"They were stopping us, our offense wasn't rolling," Esquivel said. "We were making some mistakes. When we got that pass interference, that really boosted us."

Robertson got on the board as the first half closed when Keen Martinez booted a 30-yard field goal, but that was the extent of the output.

The Cardinals have newfound optimism after a chaotic and lost 2008 season, which came after three straight title appearances. Robertson was state champion in 2005 and 2006.

Coach Martinez, who took over as head coach just a week before last season's opener after a hazing incident rocked the program, feels he has restored luster to the Cardinals' name.

He is not sure whether he will try for a third season, but the goals he set out to accomplish have been met.

"My goal was to get the numbers out and turn this program around, and I think it's headed in the right direction now," coach Martinez said.

Martinez also directs the wrestling program, which has won the last four A-AAA state titles, and he is feeling the wear and tear of trying to maintain two successful programs.

"I got to talk to my wife about that," he said. "It's hard, it's tiring. It's year-round and it takes me away from my wrestling program when I want to be there."

The Cardinals know where they wants to be — in the state title game. They have a defense that can get them there.

Contact James Barron at 986-3045 or jbarron@sfnewmexican.com. Read his blog at thereadbarron.com.