The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James

We’re in it now. With Week 1 of the prep football season in the books, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron have some thoughts to share about what stood out from area teams’ season openers. 

James covered Santa Fe High’s win over Capital and offers his insight on what he saw. He thinks the Demons’ Week 2 game at Belen will be a good test to see if they’re legit. 

After picking against St. Michael’s in their season opener against Taos, Will admits the Horsemen look pretty good again this year but that won’t stop him from picking against them again. 

The University of New Mexico football team begins its season Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor where the Lobos will have their hands full with No. 14 Michigan. Will shares what UNM head coach Jason Eck had to say during his media availability on Tuesday and offers thoughts on how the Lobos might handle Wolverine freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who was the No. 1-ranked high school recruit in the nation in 2025. 

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The prep football season kicks off this week and Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron are celebrating by providing some bulletin board material for area teams and making their picks for Week 1.

The guys start the latest episode of “The Sports Den” by sharing their parting takes from visiting area team practices for their Tour of the North series. They then get into picking winners in the Week 1 matchups, which include Santa Fe High squaring off against Capital and St. Michael’s taking on Taos. Spoiler alert — one of the guys picks against the defending Class 3A champion Horsemen right off the bat.

After football talk, James gives an overview of the landscape in prep soccer and volleyball while Will nods his head and smiles.

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The prep football season is less than 10 days away and Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron are on the move, checking out the practices of local teams for their Tour of the North series that runs through Aug. 22. The guys spend the latest episode of “The Sports Den” discussing what they’ve seen from the practices they’ve attended so far. 

The Tour series kicked off with a story Tuesday on the Robertson Cardinals, who have a new head coach and are replacing some key players from last year’s team that made the state semifinals. Will and James also chat about West Las Vegas, St. Mike’s, Española and Pojoaque, who they say could be a wildcard this year. 

Will also talks about his stop at New Mexico Highlands, where he spoke with second-year head football coach Kurt Taufa’asau. He didn’t have much time to put together a roster last season and feels this year’s squad has the tools to build on a 2-9 record in 2024. 

There’s also talk of Will’s family losing a dog (RIP Jasmine), Zozobra bobblehead night at an upcoming New Mexico United game, and the University of New Mexico football team being named the dirtiest team in the nation.

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They’re young and they don’t have the largest roster, but Capital head football coach John Michael Salazar has liked what he’s seen from his Jaguars in the early days of practice for the 2025 football season. Coming off a 2-7 year, the Jaguars bring back some strong athletes at their skill positions and an improved culture in the locker room, which gives Salazar hope for the team to take another step this year. 

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den,” Salazar joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss his expectations for the Jaguars. He talks about their struggles to finish tight games last season and what they need to do to get over the hump next year. He also talks about the importance of a strong line and the need to balance the team’s propensity for passing with a serviceable ground game. 

Salazar expects his varsity roster to be in the low to mid 30s, a small number for competing in Class 5A. He says he may have lost some kids due to how he’s run the program, but he feels he’s got a solid group of high-character, hard-working players. 

In the second half of the show, Will and James talk about a new video put out by the University of New Mexico this week to promote their plan to allow children 12 and under to get in free to Lobo home football games. Featuring head coach Jason Eck and athletic director Fernando Lovo, the humorous video gained traction on social media. The guys say efforts like that are needed to help drum up interest in a program that is often an afterthought in the state. 

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Bored with the limited summer sports offerings, Santa Fe New Mexican sports reporters Will Webber and James Barron decide to dive into prep football talk for the latest episode of “The Sports Den.”

The football season starts in just under a month, with Santa Fe Indian School facing Cuba on Thursday, Aug. 21, to kick off the slate of games for local teams.

Will and James discuss the prospects for several schools in the area. With St. Michael’s bringing back plenty of talent from last year’s title team, they see the Horsemen as favorites again in 3A. The guys say it could be a rough road for Santa Fe High as they try to compete in a difficult district under a new head coach. For Capital, they think the Jaguars have talent but will need to show improvement on the offensive line to ramp up their scoring from last year. Española had a resurgent season last year, making it to the state semifinals.

It could be more of a rebuilding year this season as they look to replace their coach and several key players. Will and James also tease their upcoming “ask an official” content.

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August 1 will mark five years since the death of JB White, but the legacy of former Santa Fe High basketball standout lives on. The JB White Foundation was founded in 2021 to raise gun violence awareness among the region’s youth, to provide academic scholarships to high school seniors and to support children in sports through assisting with registration fees and shoe apparel. 

The foundation is also in its third year of hosting the JB White Memorial Basketball Tournament, which will take place July 18-20. Tournament organizers Britney Lucero and Michael Roybal join “The Sports Den” to preview the event, which will include 94 teams this year — more than double the number of teams that took part last year. 

Roybal and Lucero share their experiences with White and discuss his legacy. They also talk about the growth of the JB White Foundation and its mission in the community. 

Learn more about the JB White Foundation at www.jbwhitefoundation.org.

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Carl Vigil has been officiating games in New Mexico for two decades and is now the New Mexico Activities Association’s commissioner of officials. He’s witnessed a decline in referee staffing, which has become a problem nationwide in part because of the abuse officials endure from fans. 

Vigil joins the latest episode of “The Sports Den” with Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss bad fan behavior, the struggle of recruiting and retaining officials, and much more. 

The guys ask Vigil if, as some have suggested, New Mexico’s referee shortage has reached a crisis level. He also discusses how the median age of officials has been on the rise, making it critical to recruit young officials as others age out. 

A former athlete at Las Vegas Robertson and New Mexico Highlands, Vigil talks about what got him into officiating. Will and James ask him who was the better athlete between him and his brother, Curtis Vigil, and who is now the better referee. 

Vigil also discusses what it takes to be a good official, the teamwork and communication that connect a crew, the wear and tear referees can experience, and how he goes about choosing officials to staff state tournaments. He closes by sharing his Mount Rushmore of officials from New Mexico and makes a plea to fans to help improve behavior toward referees.

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It’s media day on “The Sports Den” as Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron welcome Ryan Tomari of The Pit Press to the show. Tomari discusses the origins and growth of the media outlet that focuses on University of New Mexico athletics, and the team that churns out podcasts and content at thepitpressnm.com. 

The guys talk to Tomari about his infamous run-in with former UNM football coach Mike Locksley when Locksley was none too pleased by a column Tomari wrote for the Daily Lobo student newspaper that said the football program was “in shambles.”

Tomari delves into gaining respect as a new media entity, his relationship with the UNM athletic department and the opportunities that have come for The Pit Press as the site and podcasts have grown in popularity. 

The guys also ask Tomari about his thoughts on the future for UNM and other Mountain West Conference teams. He also talks about why he’s an advocate for the football program dropping to the FCS.

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It’s the dog days of summer for sports coverage and Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron are talking hoops in the latest episode of “The Sports Den.”

Will attended last week’s 30-minute University of New Mexico men’s basketball practice to check out the new-look Lobos under their new head coach, Eric Olen. He shares his impressions on what he saw, including which players he thinks fans should keep an eye out for.

James also watched some basketball last week, peeking in on a Sandia Prep boys basketball camp that included local powers St. Michael’s and Robertson. He talks briefly about his thoughts on the programs.

James closes the episode by sharing thoughts about his father, Joseph Morse, who passed away last week. He talks about the struggle of losing a parent and the ray of light sports provided for him in the difficult days following his father’s death.

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There’s no guest on the “Sports Den” this week, and maybe that’s for the best after the disorder of last week’s episode. Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron begin their latest episode by reminiscing about their memorable interview with Pecos League president Andrew Dunn and also talk some Santa Fe Fuego baseball before diving into prep and college athletics.

The guys discuss NCAA conference realignment and its impact on the Mountain West Conference and the University of New Mexico. They also discuss how the recent $2.8 billion settlement in the House vs. NCAA case will impact UNM athletics.

Will and James close the show by discussing local high school sports, starting with a bevy of coaching vacancies. They also chat about their picks for the NorthStars male and female athletes of the year — St. Michael’s Soren Annon and West Las Vegas’ Alexis Pacheco.

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