PREP ATHLETICS
Hendersons, both father and son, go into NMHSCA Hall of Honor
Cooper and L.G. both coached Artesia to multiple football titles
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Cooper Henderson was, in a way, reunited with his late father on Friday.
The Henderson boys 鈥� Cooper and L.G., both legendary football coaches who led Artesia to multiple state championships 鈥� were both formally inducted on Friday afternoon into the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor.
鈥淭he biggest honor is the players and the coaches you worked with, and those people that helped you get where you are,鈥� Henderson, 71, said. 鈥淚t makes you slow down (to appreciate) all the people that had a part in your life.鈥�
Cooper and L.G. Henderson were two of four NMHSCA Hall of Honor inductees recognized during an awards show at the Crowne Plaza hotel.
Mike Castillo, who spent nearly four decades as a coach at Silver High, and Becky Robertson, who led Goddard to 14 girls state golf championships, also are being honored this year by the NMHSCA.
Henderson won 293 games in 32 seasons in Ruidoso and Artesia. He led those schools to a combined 15 championships 鈥� all but one at Artesia, where he grew up 鈥� by far the state鈥檚 leader in that category.
He left as Artesia鈥檚 head coach over a decade ago, and he briefly served as the school鈥檚 athletic director, as well. As recently as a couple of years ago, he still had his hand in coaching, with the Bulldog sophomores.
But he remains a popular fixture in and around Artesia.
As to why L.G. Henderson, who guided the Bulldogs to five titles in the 1960s and who passed away in 2012, was not already in this particular Hall, the reason simply is this:
The NMHSCA recently adjusted its criteria for induction. He did not have the minimum 20 years of service/membership to be eligible, but that was changed, so that was no longer an obstacle for his induction.
鈥淥ur dad had such a big influence on our family and our community,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淭his really means a lot.鈥�
Both Cooper men already were New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame inductees. Of note, Bulldog Bowl, New Mexico鈥檚 most famous prep venue, was built during L.G. Henderson鈥檚 time as Artesia head coach.
Robertson, like the Henderson men, oversaw a bona fide dynasty. She took Goddard to six straight golf titles from 1990-95, and then seven in a row from 1997-2003. She was named a National Coach of the Year in 2004.
Castillo was a prodigious, versatile coach at Silver. He coached basketball, football, wrestling and track and field at various times; he earned over 400 basketball victories, plus another 150 in football.
OTHER AWARDS: As the annual summer conference for the NMHSCA, the New Mexico Activities Association, the New Mexico Athletic Directors Association and the New Mexico Officials Association was winding down for the most part, Friday鈥檚 awards program also allowed the NMHSCA to hand out its Coach of the Year awards for the 2025-26 year.
See full list of recipients below.
AWARDS, CON鈥橳: Roy Sanchez of Eldorado was chosen the NMHSCA Athletic Director of the Year.
Jeneca Montoya, a Mayfield assistant girls basketball coach, and Ashley Darnell-Duran, the head girls basketball coach at Bernalillo, both were recognized with the NMHSCA鈥檚 Coaches Changed My Life Award. Both women have been facing, and coaching through, battles with cancer.
Bloomfield鈥檚 Evani Velasquez, a kicker who had a couple of extra points in the Bobcats鈥� Class 4A state championship victory over St. Pius, is the Section 6 Student Athlete of the Year from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
The New Mexico Officials Association inducted three men into its Hall of Fame: Danny Lujan, Jess Martinez and David Briseno.
GUEST SPEAKERS: NFL referee Brad Rogers was one of two keynote speakers Friday morning.
Rogers, who also serves as a girls basketball coach at a school in Lubbock, Texas, reiterated the urgent need to find 鈥� and, more importantly, retain 鈥� officials at the high school level.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to turn this around,鈥� he said.
Of particular focus, he added, is to lower the average age of high school officials which is hovering near the mid-50s.
鈥淲e need to get younger,鈥� Rogers said, who also added that approximately 80% of officials quit after three years.
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .
