New Mexico
Defenders of New Mexico: Remembering Judas Priest's Forgotten New Mexico Album
Fans of Judas Priest know about Rob Halford’s history with Arizona but the band has a history with the state of New Mexico too. The band’s heyday was, without a doubt, during the 80s. One of their concerts at Albuquerque’s Tingley Coliseum became one of their most famous thanks in part to it becoming a live album.
What was Judas Priest’s New Mexico live album?
On May 2, 1984, the metal gods would perform at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico while on their Metal Conqueror Tour. They would play a total of 20 songs including hits like “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”, “Breaking the Law”, & “Defenders of the Faith”. Someone would record that very same concert and take the audio to create a live album that went under a few names: “New Mexican Radio“, “Live Bites ’84” and my personal favorite: “Defending New Mexico“.
Judas Priest would play New Mexico at least 10 times since 1980; the last being August 10, 2009 at the Sandia Casino in Albuquerque. If you want to listen to the whole 1984 ABQ concert, you can find a playlist with all the songs from the very show on YouTube here.
Judas Priest wasn’t the only metal band with a forgotten live album; Metallica had one entirely dedicated to an 80’s El Paso performance that you can check out here. U2 also have a live album that was recorded in New Mexico, you can read more about that story here.
10 Tourist Traps to Avoid in New Mexico
Are you visiting New Mexico for the first time or simply exploring the state you call home? Either way, you probably will want to avoid thee tourist traps:
The 10 Richest Cities in New Mexico
The 8 State Animals of New Mexico
New Mexico
Deyton Albury scores 13 for New Mexico in 80-78 win over Mississippi State in Hall of Fame Classic
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Deyton Albury scored 13 points for New Mexico, including the go-ahead layup with 30 seconds left in an 80-78 win over Mississippi State in the Hall of Fame Classic consolation game on Friday night.
Albury’s layup came off a turnover on a bad pass, sending the Lobos (4-2) on a fast break before Uriah Tenette was fouled. Tenette hit both shots from the free-throw line with seven seconds left to end the game.
Thomislav Buljan earned his third double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points and 21 rebounds, breaking a freshman program record for most rebounds in a game. Tenette added 13 points, and Antonio Chol had 12.
Mississippi State (2-3) was led by Josh Hubbard, who scored 29 points and dished out four assists. He shot 11 of 25 from the field and six of 13 from beyond the arc. Jayden Epps added 21 points.
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New Mexico
Sam Bregman says he would push for term limits for New Mexico lawmakers
New Mexico
New Mexico’s Chaparral High School football team is making history
The Chaparral High School football program in Southern New Mexico is making a name for itself these days.
And for the first time, the state of New Mexico is taking notice of the Lobos program. Chaparral High School is located less than 30 miles from Northeast El Paso.
The Lobos are 8-3 overall and seeded No. 3 in the Class 4A playoffs. The eight wins are the most in school history and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs is the highest seed the Lobos have ever had in the playoffs.
The Lobos defeated No. 6 seed Moriarty, 42-41, in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 14 when Lobos quarterback Israel Nieto scored with a rushing touchdown and it was followed by a successful extra point to advance the Lobos. Twelve teams made the state playoffs.
There are multiple classifications in New Mexico, ranging from Class 2A to Class 6A, as well as six-man and eight-man football divisions.
Chaparral football history
The Lobos played their first varsity game in 2007 and went 1-9 that season. The Lobos have had seven seasons with no wins,
The Lobos had winning seasons in 2015 and 2017, both times going 6-4.
Chaparral breaks through in 2024
Chaparral made the postseason in 2024 and defeated Portales in the first round on the road, securing the program’s first-ever playoff win.
Fast forward to 2025
The Lobos have won 8 of their last 10 games after losing their season opener to Gadsden. They went 4-2 in District 2-4A, which placed them second behind Albuquerque St. Pius.
The Lobos defeated strong teams from Albuquerque (Academy and Manzano), the state’s largest city, and another team from Los Lunas (Valencia HS), which is near Albuquerque.
Chaparral players to watch
- Israel Nieto, QB. He has 1,786 yards passing, 634 yards rushing, 19 touchdown passes and 15 rushing touchdown runs.
- Raul Lopez, RB. Lopez has rushed for 1,092 yards and has 470 yards rushing.
- Aaron Eliserio, WR. He has caught eight touchdown passes.
Chaparral’s coaching staff
Joseph Frias, who played quarterback at El Paso’s Franklin High School and graduated in 2003, is the second-year head coach.
His staff includes defensive coordinator Stephen White, offensive coordinator Esai Ontiveros and defensive backs and wide receiver coach David Butler.
What’s next for Chaparral
The Lobos will play No. 2 St. Pius at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Nusenda Community Stadium in Albuquerque in the state semifinals. The winner will play either No. 1 Bloomfield or No. 4 Taos in the state finals.
What Chaparral head coach Joseph Frias said
“The kids have worked hard and bought into what we want to do,” Frias said. “Making the playoffs last year and winning a playoff game meant so much to the program. It gave us momentum.”
What Chaparral player Israel Nieto said
“We’ve had great support from the community, we’ve played with confidence and determination,” Nieto said.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
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