Lobos spring game draws healthy crowd
The final home game of the Bob Davie era drew a (generously listed) crowd of 11,611 on Nov. 30, 2019. The actual figure was far, far lower, with some estimates from those of us in the press box somewhere between
2,000 and 3,000 fans. UNM later explained that it was paid attendance, not the actual number of people in the facility.
The Lobos haven’t played in their home stadium since then. The entire allotment of 2020 home games was moved to Las Vegas,
Nev., thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s been so long, in fact, that the team’s home has changed names (out with Dreamstyle Stadium, in with the ol’ standby University Stadium) and had its field’s title sponsor changed.
While Saturday’s annual spring game wasn’t a real game, it did draw a crowd of 4,769 socially distanced fans. In other words, somewhere in the neighborhood of twice the number of fans as compared to the last time the stadium hosted its own team.
Credit the excitement people feel over coach Danny Gonzales and the work he’s done to rebuild a program that had gurgled down the drain in the waning stages of Davie’s time with the school. Toss in the fact that the team has shown real gains since Gonzales arrived, plus the fact that he has injected a huge influx of high school talent — some from New Mexico — and it’s easy to see why people are curious to see what all the hubbub is about.
And let us not forget last week’s signing of graduate transfer Terry Wilson, a three-year starter at Kentucky. With a proven, veteran, winning quarterback to go with a host of solid running backs, it’s clear things are turning around.
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While we’re at it, how about those lids? Saturday’s spring game had the surprising uniform twist of new helmet decals. The Silver wore a version of the familiar wolf profile headshot worn by the Lobos in the 1970s and ’80s. The Cherry wore the throwback licking Lobo decal, the cartoonish headshot with the wolf wearing what looks like a sailor’s hat.
Could it be a sign of what’s to come in 2021? Only five months (150 days, in fact) until the season opener.
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Busy much?
Three sports under the direction of the New Mexico Activities Association will return Monday, the official start date of preseason workouts in the traditional spring sports of baseball, softball, track, tennis and golf.
Tack that onto the ongoing seasons of boys and girls basketball, swimming, wrestling, spirit and, of course, soccer. The only sports whose seasons are over are cross-country, football and volleyball, the last two of which ended over the weekend.
As for football, the only area teams to finish above .500 were St. Michael’s (2-0) and Taos (3-0), although Capital (2-2) and Santa Fe High (1-1) had successful runs.
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Northern New Mexico College men’s basketball coach (and, it seems, budding comedian) Ryan Cordova posted a helpful video