The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James

The Santa Fe New Mexican
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  • Weekly

Hosted by award-winning sports scribes Will Webber and James Barron, The New Mexican Sports Den podcast provides coverage of the local sports scene in Northern New Mexico with a focus on prep sports and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Dialed into the New Mexico sports landscape for decades, Will and James share their insight on the latest developments from season to season. They also welcome guests for lively and colorful conversations.   The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of The Santa Fe New Mexican.

  1. 2d ago

    Santa Fe Prep seeks to repeat as state soccer champs; plus Lobos talk and prep football picks

    A dramatic win against Sandia Prep in penalty kicks in last year’s Class 1A-3A boys soccer state championship match gave Santa Fe Prep its first state title since 2016 and its fourth in program history. Following an 18-1 regular season in 2026, the Blue Griffins head into this year’s state tournament eyeing a repeat. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Blue Griffins head coach Rick Canby joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss the success of his squad and its mentality heading into the tournament. The Santa Fe Prep boys have the No. 2 seed in the tournament after winning it all as the top seed last year. Canby talks about the impact of Dylan Chandler, one of the state’s best players, and other strengths of the squad. He also looks at the Blue Griffins’ path and discusses other top contenders in the tournament. In the second segment, the guys make their picks for the final week of the prep football regular season and talk about the University of New Mexico football team’s big win over North Dakota State. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. Oct 20

    UNM Football faces North Dakota State, the nation's second-ranked defense.

    Our guest for this week's podcast was Derek Hanson, the brand manager for 740 The Fan, KNFL-AM in Fargo, North Dakota. A longtime Fargo resident, he hosts a sports talk show on KNFL and KFGO, 104.7 FM. He was with us to share his insights on North Dakota State's football team. The Bison will be in Albuquerque this Saturday to face New Mexico at University Stadium, a game that will go down as one of the biggest regular season games in program history. North Dakota State is in its first season at the Football Bowl Championship level and is the newest addition to the Mountain West Conference. The Bison (6-1 overall, 3-1 in the conference) have the nation's second-ranked defense. The Lobos (5-1, 2-0) are hoping for a sellout crowd, which would be the third in the last two seasons under coach Jason Eck. UNM has won 10 straight games at home, and the Lobos have never lost a home game since Eck took over as coach prior to last season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Oct 14

    From 1-9 to district contenders, Santa Fe Indian School football team enjoying landmark season

    Six wins in seven games has already secured a winning season for the Santa Fe Indian School football team. It’s uncharted territory for the players of a program that had gone four straight seasons with just one win, and the Braves are hoping to keep the momentum rolling. 
 In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, SFIS head coach Anthony “Bones” Segura joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports Will Webber and James Barron to discuss his squad’s dramatic turnaround and its aspirations as the playoffs near. Segura, now in his third year at the helm, has the Braves sitting at 6-1 heading into Friday’s key matchup with Newcomb (3-3) in their regular season home finale. SFIS hits the road for its last two regular season games, played at Shiprock and Cuba. A former star running back at Capital, Segura discusses some of the early challenges he faced when taking over a program that had fallen on hard times. He also shares what he’s learned from mentors, including Bill Moon. While the Braves are enjoying their new success, Segura says they still have big aspirations. Their goals to start the season, he said, were to win their district and to host a playoff game, both of which are still in play. In the second segment, Will and James make their prep football picks and offer support for longtime Albuquerque Journal sports writer James Yodice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Oct 7

    From running around town in jeans to NCAA excellence at UNM, Tina Nisoli discusses her unique path

    A member of a top-three NCAA cross country team in the nation, it would be easy to assume the University of New Mexico’s Tina Nisoli followed the course of most other exemplary athletes with a decorated prep career translating into college success. But her story took an uncommon route. Nisoli went to a high school — Los Alamos High — that has one of the top cross country teams in New Mexico year after year. But Nisoli never participated in cross country or track at the school. What she did was run every afternoon during a free period after lunch because she was restless and needed a release to be able to sit still in class the rest of the day. Often she would wear Converse sneakers and jeans, not athletic apparel and running shoes. Now, she has a chance to wear a medal around her neck at the end of the season as the Lobos pursue a national championship. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron speak with Nisoli about her unusual path to becoming an elite college athlete. Nisoli shares why she decided not to run in high school and how she still ended up running for a college program that is consistently one of the best in the nation. She also talks about how she has balanced athletics with studying to be a nurse. The Lobos’ men’s and women’s teams have both produced not just some of the best runners in the NCAA, but some of the best in the world. Nisoli shares what sort of influence they have had on her through her college career. In the second segment, Will and James review the football action from the past week and make their picks for this week’s prep football games, including the game of the week between St. Michael’s and West Las Vegas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. Sep 29

    UNM guard Hudson Mayes discusses Lobos' expectations, his family's athletic background

    Hudson Mayes transferred to the University of New Mexico after a freshman season at UC San Diego where he averaged 11.1 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and was named honorable mention All-Big West Conference. The physical 6-foot-5 guard is expected to be an impact player for the retooled Lobos as they look to compete for a Mountain West title in head coach Eric Olen’s second season at the helm. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Mayes joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss the path that led him to Albuquerque, his family’s athletic background, his expectations for the Lobos and what UNM fans can expect from him on the court. Mayes is the son of Derrick Mayes, who was an All-American receiver at Notre Dame in the 1990s who won Super Bowl XXXI with the Green Bay Packers, and Gayle Brown-Mayes, an actress and model. Roger Brown, his grandfather, played in the ABA and was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. Mayes talks about how being part of a sports family influenced his upbringing and about the decision he had to pursue basketball versus football. Discussing his game on the court, Mayes says it took him a while to learn how to take advantage of his physicality and now he says attacking the basket is a major part of his offensive arsenal. In discussing his expectations for the team, he says the guard-laden squad will need to focus on rebounding but that the Lobos have all the talent to compete with anybody. In the second segment, the guys share their thoughts on the UNM football team’s dominant win over in-state rival New Mexico State before getting into their prep football picks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Sep 22

    Lobos set for Rio Grande Rivalry vs. Aggies after close loss at Oklahoma; plus prep football picks

    The Oklahoma Sooners’ faithful may have come out of Saturday’s game against the University of New Mexico football team more frustrated with their team than impressed with the opposition, but Lobos fans certainly had something to be proud after watching their squad hang tough in a tight 14-6 loss in Norman. UNM got $1.6 million to play the game and gained a level of respect after pushing a Top 25 team to the brink. The Lobos now face New Mexico State in the Rio Grande Rivalry looking to build more momentum before they begin their quest to win the Mountain West. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron share their thoughts on UNM’s solid performance at Oklahoma, look ahead to the Lobos-Aggies rivalry game and offer their prep football picks for the week. Will went to the game at OU and describes the environment from the 80,000-seat stadium, which held a lot of boo birds. The guys offer their take on the Lobos’ quarterback situation and praise the team’s stingy defense that has held its first three opponents to an average of 9.3 points per game. In the second segment, Will and James discuss some make-or-break games for local prep football teams, including a big showdown for Las Vegas Robertson and Pojoaque Valley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Sep 16

    Santa Fe High football hitting its stride with speed, physicality; plus Lobos head to No. 24 Oklahoma

    Even during an 0-2 start to the season, the Santa Fe High football team showed it was going to be a formidable squad that plays at a fast pace. Since a 3-0 overtime loss to perennial Class 3A power St. Michael’s in Week 2, the Demons has racked up two blowout victories and seem to have found their stride. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports reporters Will Webber and James Barron speak with Santa Fe High head coach Adrian Gonzales about his team’s strong play and aspirations for the season. Since their 41-33 loss at Alamogordo in their season opener, the Demons have locked in on defense and upped their physicality, Gonzales said. The tight loss to St. Mike’s was followed by a 35-0 throttling of Clovis, a team that had had Santa Fe High’s number for years. Last week, the Demons had an offensive explosion in a 55-24 win against Highland. For a program that rarely sees the playoffs, Gonzales said “everybody’s bought in to our goals” this season and the Demons are aiming to host a first-round playoff game this year. In the second segment, Will and James chat about the University of New Mexico football team’s big game Saturday in Norman against No. 24 Oklahoma. The Sooners will be motivated after a stumble against Michigan last week. The Lobos will be motivated by the chance to notch a landmark win against a ranked team. The guys then share their Week 5 prep football picks, including what could be a competitive clash between Santa Fe High and Los Lunas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Sep 9

    Lobos football team looks dominant in season opener, plus Week 4 prep football picks

    We’re three weeks deep into the prep football season and the University of New Mexico football team has finally kicked off its highly anticipated campaign. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer their thoughts on the Lobos’ dominant 38-7 victory over Central Michigan and share their Week 4 prep football picks. The guys came away impressed with UNM on both sides of the ball in their lopsided win over the Chippewas. The defense held Central Michigan to just 66 total yards through the first three quarters, while the offense amassed 205 of its 364 yards on the ground with a balanced rushing attack. Will and James also discuss the tragic death of Alexia Verdugo Sigala, a 24-year-old who was the C-team coach for Capital High School’s volleyball program. In the second segment, the guys make their picks for the upcoming slate of prep football games. They discuss Santa Fe High’s impressive win over Clovis, West Las Vegas’ strong start to the season and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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About

Hosted by award-winning sports scribes Will Webber and James Barron, The New Mexican Sports Den podcast provides coverage of the local sports scene in Northern New Mexico with a focus on prep sports and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Dialed into the New Mexico sports landscape for decades, Will and James share their insight on the latest developments from season to season. They also welcome guests for lively and colorful conversations.   The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of The Santa Fe New Mexican.

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