The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James

Several prep sports teams have hoisted a blue trophy to cap their season but there are still plenty more to earn. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron review the success of local teams in cross country and soccer, then preview the week ahead for the state volleyball and football tournaments.

James will be camped out at the Rio Rancho Events Center for volleyball this week and discusses what he expects from local teams, including three-time Class 3A defending champion St. Michael’s, Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe Prep and Santa Fe High.

The guys then talk about the local teams left in state football. Undefeated St. Mike’s road to another title goes through rival Robertson, while Pojoaque, Los Alamos and Taos also look to extend their seasons.

In the second segment, Will and James talk about the University of New Mexico football team’s possible path to the Mountain West Conference championships game and the challenge head coach Jason Eck has laid down for fans this weekend against Colorado State.

They also discuss college hoops, including the UNM men breezing by lesser opponents and the Highlands men’s team busting at the seams with 45 players listed on the roster.

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With his development of the Northern New Mexico Youth Sports League, Zeke Villegas was already a well-known name in the regional football community by 2022-2023 when he was applying to various schools in search of his first high school head coaching job. He got his shot at Pojoaque Valley, where he was hired to turn around a program that had gone winless the previous season.

Fast forward three years and Villegas has the Elks in the playoffs for the second straight season with their highest-ever seed. Pojoaque landed the No. 4 seed in Class 3A to earn a first-round bye and will face the winner between No. 5 New Mexico Military Institute and No. 12 Wingate in the quarterfinals.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Villegas joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss the Elks’ run this year and how he’s worked to build a winning mentality within the program. A 2001 Capital grad and former coach at a variety of levels at the school, Villegas shares what he learned from coaching legend Bill Moon that he uses with his players today. He also talks about his aggressive coaching style and his openness to listen to his players’ input during critical moments in games.

In the second segment, Will and James talk a bit more about the state football tournament as well as state soccer. They then discuss the University of New Mexico’s football and men’s basketball teams, with Will bringing up the wild-sounding possibility of the football team competing for a Mountain West Conference title if it can win out.

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We’re well into fall and the University of New Mexico football team is vying for a bowl bid, the Lobos men’s basketball team has tipped off its exhibition season and prep sports postseason kicks off this week with state soccer.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss the UNM football team’s convincing win over former coach Bronco Mendenhall and Utah State and the Lobos men’s basketball team’s loss to Washington State in its exhibition opener. With the football team’s strong start to the season under Jason Eck, Will discusses the rarity of UNM first-year coaches finding success.

The guys also talk about New Mexico Highlands’ ambitious plans for a massive upgrade of its athletic facilities, which would cost an estimated $85.5 million. Will shares what he learned from a long conversation with Highlands President Neil Woolf and other school officials about the plans, and offers his take on how much money he thinks the school is likely to actually receive.

In the second segment, the guys turn to prep sports. James shares his thoughts on the state soccer tournament and offers his favorites to win titles. They then discuss the last week of the prep football season, which includes a matchup between St. Michael’s and Robertson that they say doesn’t seem to have as much hype as in past years. They also talk about Capital and its chances of making the playoffs.

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One of the big stories from last week was the suspension of the Academy for Technology and the Classics girls soccer coach Vilma Ontiveros for violating the school’s social media policy. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss the fallout at the school following the suspension.

Will and James also take a look at local prep football teams as the end of the regular season approaches, including St. Michael’s dominance and if there is hope for Robertson to make some noise in the playoffs after dealing with recent suspensions in its program.

In the second segment, the guys are joined by St. Michael’s multi-sport athlete Brandon Meyer, who has had to endure heartbreak during his senior year with the loss of his father as well as the disappointment of a severe knee injury in the football team’s first game of the season. Meyer discusses the support he has received from the St. Mike’s community, the pride that he has for the football team as it has continued to roll despite many injuries to key players, and his aim to return from injury for the track and field season in hopes of helping the Horsemen claim another state title.

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Adam Diehl is a play-by-play broadcaster for everything from college cross country to prep football and volleyball, to New Mexico United soccer and more. Working for ESPN Radio 101.7, Sports Primo and the Mountain West Network, the New Mexico native is well-versed in the sports scene throughout the state.

As high school fall sports head into the home stretch of the regular season, Diehl joins “The Sports Den” to share his outlook on football playoff seeding and contenders in soccer and volleyball. He also shares a rant on the state volleyball format.

Diehl, who played soccer at Eastern New Mexico University, talks about how he got into broadcasting, including being mentored by Doc Elder. He also discusses how he handles making mistakes, how he deals with criticism, and his first experience calling a game one of his children played in.

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The University of New Mexico football team’s momentum was stopped cold with a disappointing loss against San Jose State last week, but the prep sports storylines keep heating up.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron talk about the Pojoaque football team’s first-ever win over a shorthanded Robertson squad. They discuss what the victory means for the Elks’ playoff outlook and look ahead for a Robertson team that has been dealing with suspensions.

The guys also talk about St. Michael’s continued dominance following last week’s throttling of Hope Christian. The victory extended the Horsemen’s win streak to 27 games. James talks about the significance of the streak and the excellence of coach Joey Fernandez.

Will and James also talk about their new weekly prep athlete spotlight, which kicked off this week with a feature on St. Mike’s standout quarterback Kamal Stith.

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It’s a new day in Loboland.

Social media stars and Albuquerque celebrities were part of a rare sellout crowd at University Stadium on Saturday to provide an electric atmosphere for the Lobos’ Rio Grande Rivalry win over New Mexico State. Santa Fe New Mexican sports reporters Will Webber and James Barron have seen a lot of UNM games over the years, but it was hard to compare the environment of Saturday to anything they’ve experienced before.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Will and James discuss what they called a “special experience” for Lobo fans. They also discuss how first-year UNM coach Jason Eck has used his personality to draw in the fans and the community like no football coach has since Rocky Long.

At 3-1, Will says the Lobos join Utah State and Hawaii as the Mountain West teams that are exceeding expectations so far this year. Needing three more wins to become bowl eligible, Will says they should shoot for trying to qualify for a postseason appearance beyond the comfortable New Mexico Bowl.

In the second segment, Will and James talk about the return of professional hockey to the state with the unveiling of the New Mexico Goatheads, and hate on the team’s logo.

The guys then get into a prep sports update, talking about local football, volleyball and soccer teams.

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What a time to be alive. The University of New Mexico football team dominated a Big Ten team on Friday, defeating UCLA 35-10 at the Rose Bowl for one of the biggest wins in program history. Also on Friday, Santa Fe High’s football team took down Albuquerque High 18-6 for the Demons’ first district win since 2023.

On the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss the recent momentum of these two programs that have struggled to find success over the decades.

The Lobos take a 2-1 record into their Sept. 27 home game against rival New Mexico State. Will says 30,000-35,000 fans are expected for the matchup. The guys talk about first-year UNM coach Jason Eck's early season success, which has already brought rumors of him being a candidate for other jobs around the country.

Santa Fe High, meanwhile, faces Sandia at home on Friday as it looks to build on its district success and make a push for a spot in the playoffs. The guys also talk about St. Michael’s, which takes on Eunice Saturday in a battle of unbeatens. The Cardinals could offer an interesting challenge, as their high-flying offense has averaged nearly 60 points per game during their 4-0 start.

Will and James touch on Capital’s first win of the year and discuss the impact of Garnett Stokes at UNM on the day she announced her planned retirement as school president.

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Santa Fe’s big three football teams have all had a go at each other through the first three weeks of the season and St. Michael’s again has proven to be at the top of the class. On the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss St. Michael’s dominance of Santa Fe High and Capital, then delve into some of the other prep football highlights from the past week that caught their eye. In the second segment, Will and James talk college ball, including the University of New Mexico’s victory in its home opener against Idaho State, the first win of the Jason Eck era. The game drew 17,600 fans, which was the highest attendance for a home opener in seven years. Will talks about the improved gameday experience and the guys look ahead to the Lobos’ chances against scuffling UCLA on Friday. Will and James then chat about the early season exploits of Highlands running back Jeffery Jones, a true freshman who has amassed more than 600 yards rushing in his first two games, including an NCAA Division II freshman rushing record of 385 yards against Western New Mexico on Saturday. They compare the 5-foot-7, 170-pound Florida native to former NFL star Danny Woodhead, another player overlooked by big-time college programs who was small in stature but put up massive numbers in Division II.

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The prep football season is heating up and Week 3 brings some big games for area teams. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss their excitement for games between unbeaten teams, including Santa Fe High against St. Michael’s and Pojoaque versus Los Alamos. The guys talk about Kamal Stith growing into his role at quarterback for the Horsemen, then share their favorite memories of St. Mike’s-Santa Fe High games of the past. In the second segment, James discusses his experience covering the All American Futurity at The Downs Racetrack & Casino in Albuquerque, then the conversation turns to the Lobos. The University of New Mexico football team gave a better fight than many expected in its game at Michigan in front of a national television audience on Saturday and now looks ahead to its home opener under Idaho State, coach Jason Eck’s first game in front of the home fans. Will and James talk about their first impressions of Lobo quarterback Jack Layne, who took a pounding in the game but showed toughness in the team’s 34-17 loss. Will also talks about game day improvements that fans can expect this season in and around University Stadium.

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