April 27, 2008
Albuquerque Journal
UNM Takes Annual Spring Football Game to Santa Fe
By Vince Kong, Journal Staff WriterAn hour before the start of the University of New Mexico Cherry-Silver spring football game at Santa Fe High on Saturday, John Montaño was getting his family settled in at Ivan Head Stadium.
John, wife Monica, and children Johnathon, 10, and Marissa, 8, selected the top row of bleachers, and, armed with snacks for the kids, drinks and a parasol, got ready to watch their favorite team— or at least John's, anyway— compete in their own backyard.
Family outings like theirs were the main reason UNM, in conjunction with the New Mexico Sports Authority, decided to bring the school's annual game to the state capital for the first time.
"One of the missions in the past year or two has been to get out in the community outside of Albuquerque," said Travis Comer, UNM director of sales. "We want to bring Lobo football to people who wouldn't normally make the trip to Albuquerque."
Monica Montaño admits she's one of those people. The 1997 Capital High graduate said she's not particularly a Lobo fan, and only recently began watching football when her son started playing in a youth league.
"I never really understood the game, but when (Johnathon) started telling me about it, I got really excited," she said. "Since he loves it so much, we decided to come here today. It brings us all together."
Johnathon, donning a YAFL Junior Lobo football uniform, had his focus set squarely on the field. That's because, one day, he said, he'll be playing college football.
When asked how his future team looked, the aspiring middle linebacker simply shrugged.
"I like (the University of Southern California)," he said.
UNM is definitely his second choice, though.
The Lobos were the first choice of third-year UNM offensive lineman and Taos High graduate Zayne Bin-Bilal. His parents, Amina and Hassan Bilal of Taos, were in the stands, where they haven't been since Zayne finished playing high school football.
While Amina Bilal, a first-grade teacher at Enos Garcia Elementary School, doesn't remember much about those games, she does remember one thing.
"It was awful cold the last time we were here," she said. "But in the spring here, it's nice."
And Zayne said that it was about time UNM football ventured outside of the Duke City.
"A lot of people from northern New Mexico drive down to watch the Lobos, and it's time for the Lobos to come to them for a change," he said.
St. Michael's graduate Adam Miller shared Zayne's enthusiasm for their homecoming of sorts. But one thing did strike the Lobos' punter.
"When I was in high school (Ivan Head Stadium) was the big-time," he said. "Our state championship game had like 8,000 people, which was huge for me. Now I'm playing in games with 60 and 70 thousand (people)— it's definitely a change in perspective. But this whole experience has been like deja vu."
While Zayne and Miller are in the middle of their UNM careers, Ron Lucero of Santa Fe decided Saturday was the day his son, Jeremy, 6, should get his first exposure to Lobo football.
"I've been going to UNM games for 25 years, but this is my first (Cherry-Silver) game," he said. "I think it's great for Lobo fans in northern New Mexico that they did this. I probably wouldn't have gone if it was (in Albuquerque)— I think it's great for all of New Mexico."