A big week of regular season tournaments is in the books and we’re getting a clearer picture of the contenders as teams head into the second half of the season.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer their observations of what they’ve seen so far for boys and girls teams across classes.

Among the topics of conversation, the guys discuss how St. Michael’s, Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep are looking like they could be battling among each other a trophy in Class 3A, while Pecos made a statement in the Northern Rio Grande Tournament and looks to be a top two or three team in Class 2A. James also talks about what he’s seen from Santa Fe High.

On the girls’ side, the guys go over some area teams including Santa Fe High, Robertson, Santa Fe Indian School and Mesa Vista.

A big week of regular season tournaments is in the books and we&rsquo;re getting a clearer picture of the contenders as teams head into the second half of the season.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast,&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer their observations of what they&rsquo;ve seen so far for boys and girls teams across classes.
Among the topics of conversation, the guys discuss how St. Michael&rsquo;s, Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep are looking like they could be battling among each other a trophy in Class 3A, while Pecos made a statement in the Northern Rio Grande Tournament and looks to be a top two or three team in Class 2A. James also talks about what he&rsquo;s seen from Santa Fe High.
On the girls&rsquo; side, the guys go over some area teams including Santa Fe High, Robertson, Santa Fe Indian School and Mesa Vista.

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.

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.&nbsp;&nbsp; The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of&nbsp;The Santa Fe New Mexican.

The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James

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.

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.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of&nbsp;The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Will and James offer a Northern New Mexico prep hoops breakdown at the midway point of the season

From a men’s basketball team student manager to interim athletic director, Ryan Berryman has made a meteoric rise up the ranks of the University of New Mexico’s athletics department. The 31-year-old has seen Lobo athletics go through some turbulent times, and in 2025 achieve one of the most successful years in its history.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Berryman joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss his path to attaining his position, the figures who served as his influences, UNM’s recent success and the department’s ambitions for the future.

A standout basketball player at East Mountain High School, Berryman explains his decision to pursue administrative roles instead of going down the coaching path. He talks about his early days at UNM, where he got his first opportunities working in athletics under former men’s basketball coaches Craig Neal and Steve Alford.

Berryman shares what he learned during a stop at the University of Washington, where he served as senior associate athletic director and chief financial officer before returning to UNM in March of 2025 as deputy athletic director — chief operating officer under Fernando Lovo. He was named interim AD soon after Lovo accepted the AD job at Colorado in late December.

Looking to the future, Berryman discusses renovation plans for University Stadium and the potential for development near UNM’s athletic complexes. He also speaks on the athletic department’s ambitions in a new-look Mountain West Conference, where he wants to see the Lobos positioned for conference championships in every sport.

In the second segment, Will and James run through a big week of district games for local prep hoops teams. They also marvel at Diego Pavia, the incredible shrinking quarterback. The guys wrap things up trying to decide which events they want to compete in during the upcoming New Mexico Senior Olympics Winter Games in Santa Fe.

From a men&rsquo;s basketball team student manager to interim athletic director, Ryan Berryman has made a meteoric rise up the ranks of the University of New Mexico&rsquo;s athletics department. The 31-year-old has seen Lobo athletics go through some turbulent times, and in 2025 achieve one of the most successful years in its history.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast, Berryman joins&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss his path to attaining his position, the figures who served as his influences, UNM&rsquo;s recent success and the department&rsquo;s ambitions for the future.
A standout basketball player at East Mountain High School, Berryman explains his decision to pursue administrative roles instead of going down the coaching path. He talks about his early days at UNM, where he got his first opportunities working in athletics under former men&rsquo;s basketball coaches Craig Neal and Steve Alford.
Berryman shares what he learned during a stop at the University of Washington, where he served as senior associate athletic director and chief financial officer before returning to UNM in March of 2025 as deputy athletic director &mdash; chief operating officer under Fernando Lovo. He was named interim AD soon after Lovo accepted the AD job at Colorado in late December.
Looking to the future, Berryman discusses renovation plans for University Stadium and the potential for development near UNM&rsquo;s athletic complexes. He also speaks on the athletic department&rsquo;s ambitions in a new-look Mountain West Conference, where he wants to see the Lobos positioned for conference championships in every sport.
In the second segment, Will and James run through a big week of district games for local prep hoops teams. They also marvel at Diego Pavia, the incredible shrinking quarterback. The guys wrap things up trying to decide which events they want to compete in during the upcoming New Mexico Senior Olympics Winter Games in Santa Fe.

‘We’ve come a long way’: Interim AD Ryan Berryman discusses UNM athletics' growth and ambitions

It’s the dog days of winter, prep basketball teams are entering district play, and at least one of The New Mexican’s sports writers is distracting himself with random bits of news until the blissful arrival of postseason hoops.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Will Webber and James Barron review the latest developments that have caught their eye in the local high school basketball scene, touch on the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team’s upcoming games and talk about the Santa Fe Fuego’s new manager.

James says the St. Michael’s boys are “hands down the team to beat” in Class 3A, rising above Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep in his mind. In 2A, the guys say there’s probably a five-team race involving Texico, Mesa Vista, Pecos, Santa Rosa and Escalante.

Will keeps turning the discussion to the Fuego, because who can get enough Pecos League baseball talk in January? Along with welcoming the team’s new manager, Will launches his campaign to be the Fuego’s play-by-play announcer in 2026.

Will also brings attention to the University of Illinois’ gargantuan new video board, which stretches 250 feet wide and 69 feet tall. He makes a plea to local teams to up their video board game.

It&rsquo;s the dog days of winter, prep basketball teams are entering district play, and at least one of&nbsp;The New Mexican&rsquo;s&nbsp;sports writers is distracting himself with random bits of news until the blissful arrival of postseason hoops.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast, Will Webber and James Barron review the latest developments that have caught their eye in the local high school basketball scene, touch on the University of New Mexico men&rsquo;s basketball team&rsquo;s upcoming games and talk about the Santa Fe Fuego&rsquo;s new manager.
James says the St. Michael&rsquo;s boys are &ldquo;hands down the team to beat&rdquo; in Class 3A, rising above Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep in his mind. In 2A, the guys say there&rsquo;s probably a five-team race involving Texico, Mesa Vista, Pecos, Santa Rosa and Escalante.
Will keeps turning the discussion to the Fuego, because who can get enough Pecos League baseball talk in January? Along with welcoming the team&rsquo;s new manager, Will launches his campaign to be the Fuego&rsquo;s play-by-play announcer in 2026.
Will also brings attention to the University of Illinois&rsquo; gargantuan new video board, which stretches 250 feet wide and 69 feet tall. He makes a plea to local teams to up their video board game.

James calls the St. Mike’s boys the team to beat in Class 3A; Will wants to call Fuego games

The high school basketball regular season revs up this week with big tournaments around the region. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer an overview of the action and highlight the matchups to watch.

James discusses the Jason Abeyta Memorial Tournament at Santa Fe Indian School, the St. Michael’s Shootout and the Northern Rio Grande Tournament at Española Valley. The NRG showcases some of the area’s top Class 2A schools and brings the possibility of a Pecos-Mesa Vista battle in the boys tournament.

In the second segment, the guys make some NFL playoff predictions before discussing the athletic director opening at the University of New Mexico following the departure of Fernando Lovo to Colorado. Will shares his thoughts on interim AD Ryan Berryman, a 32-year-old graduate of UNM and East Mountain High School, and advocates for a youth movement for the department.

The high school basketball regular season revs up this week with big tournaments around the region. In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast,&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer an overview of the action and highlight the matchups to watch.
James discusses the Jason Abeyta Memorial Tournament at Santa Fe Indian School, the St. Michael&rsquo;s Shootout and the Northern Rio Grande Tournament at Espa&ntilde;ola Valley. The NRG showcases some of the area&rsquo;s top Class 2A schools and brings the possibility of a Pecos-Mesa Vista battle in the boys tournament.
In the second segment, the guys make some NFL playoff predictions before discussing the athletic director opening at the University of New Mexico following the departure of Fernando Lovo to Colorado. Will shares his thoughts on interim AD Ryan Berryman, a 32-year-old graduate of UNM and East Mountain High School, and advocates for a youth movement for the department.

Will and James offer a Northern New Mexico prep hoops breakdown at the midway point of the season

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