Today, I want to give you a glimpse into my world and share a bit about who I am. As we roll out our Black Friday sale, I'm deeply grateful for the support and conversations with many of you. My journey with this site spans 15 years, following 15 football seasons (and 16 basketball seasons).

It all started in 2008 when, as a sophomore at the University of New Mexico and an assistant coach at Valencia High School, I purchased my first subscription to NMPreps. Back then, my passion for sports led me to write team previews while sitting in Biology 101 at UNM in a notebook. In March 2007, I found myself predicting team tournament outcomes for basketball. Armed with notebooks full of player notes, I meticulously tracked teams from 3rd grade onward. I'd eagerly await local newspapers (then Cibola Beacon and the Albuquerque Journal) and even the Tribune at one point, for those who remember it. Thanksgiving recently brought back memories with my dad, reminiscing about waiting for the Street and Smith College basketball magazine each year, a tradition we cherished. I would read it front and back throughout middle school and high school.

In 2010, when I lost my brother, the NMPreps community became a source of solace. What started as an unpaid internship turned into a 15-year journey. Little did I expect to be here, taking over the site, managing editor since 2016 when Hendo departed for Alabama. I'm forever indebted to Hendo for mentoring me and allowing me to carry forward the legacy he built.

I recall the day my son was born (2012)—I was crafting a preseason basketball piece that first night. He'd sit on my lap as I worked the scoreboard and tracked the state, receiving around 1,000 texts nightly with stats and scores. Those were the good days, and though the process has evolved, we still never miss a score.

That's just a glimpse into who I am and why your support, whether sharing the link or buying a subscription, means so much. Covid hit us hard, losing 65% of our members in 2020 alone. With guidance from Yahoo and Rivals, we aim to continue being the top site covering our state.

3:00 AM (Friday): Alarm goes off.

3:10 AM: Read the Bible, let out my awesome Dogue de Bordeaux named Barkley, and feed him. Turn on the coffee pot.

3:30 AM: Research for the day's story, whether it's a team preview, game preview, etc.

4:00 AM: Start writing.

5:30 AM: Submit to the editor.

6:00 AM: Post the first story.

6:10 AM: Rinse and repeat on another story or clean up the website, checking emails, updating stats in my database, and keeping track of recruiting news.

7:30 AM: Wake up my son, make him breakfast.

8:00 AM: Take him to school.

9:00 AM-5:00 PM: Work my real job as Athletic Director of St. Michael's, with an hour of travel each way to Santa Fe. On Monday through Thursday we could end up being at the school until 9pm, 10pm and sometimes midnight.

6:00 PM: Get something to eat, pick up my son.

6:30 PM: This particular day is a Friday, so I attend one or two games around Albuquerque, watching a half at one game and the second half at another.

9:00 PM: Update the website.

10:00 PM: Watch film from the games that night.

12:00 AM (Saturday): Start writing recaps.

3:00 AM: Send to the editor.

3:30 AM: Been up for 24 hours. Story posted. Hit the shower.

4:30 AM: Update the site and finalize things.

5:00 AM: Feed the dog, take him out.

6:00 AM: Get ready, relax, and watch a little College Gameday.

8:00 AM: Head back to Santa Fe for a Horsemen football game. Make sure officials arrive, security, etc all the pre-game duties.

5:00 PM: Head home from the game, update scores as needed, and start watching film or writing.

8:00 PM: Finally, after 41 hours of being up, go to bed.

Wishing you a fantastic remainder of your Thanksgiving Day! Once more, thank you for your continuous support.

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