Waggoner brings a lot to the United, but Demons might lose more
Jun. 30—It's a new day for Alex Waggoner — as it is for the Santa Fe High Demons.
Waggoner, the boys soccer star at Santa Fe High, said Wednesday he is committed to playing for the New Mexico United Academy team and is looking forward to start his training with the club, which begins Thursday.
The club has not yet confirmed Waggoner's addition to the academy, but Waggoner said an announcement is expected soon.
Waggoner will get a chance to work with Luke Sanford, the head coach of the United's academy and U-23 teams, as well as with United players. Even better, Waggoner said the coaches are looking at him as a striker, which was where he has done his best damage.
He scored 73 goals in leading Santa Fe High to its first Class 5A state title and had 156 goals in a four-year prep career with the Demons and Taos, where he played for three seasons.
"What got me excited to play for [Sanford] is he wants to work with me [one on one] and talk about my development as a striker," Waggoner said. "That was one of the things that really sold me. I think that, as a player, I bring a lot of flair and creativity and a finishing element to any team."
Plenty of teams in Northern New Mexico got to see that out of Waggoner. Former Santa Fe Prep head coach Hersch Wilson said Waggoner was a one-of-a-kind player who was a joy to watch but a pain to prepare for because of his blend of skill, size and quickness.
"He was playing at a different level than everybody was in high school, which was why the Santa Fe High kids always tried to get him the ball," said Wilson, who coached against Waggoner when he played at Santa Fe High and Taos. "He's at the level of where you really want to play for your high school, but you really want to improve as a player. And the only way to do that is to play with kids better than you."
Waggoner said he will certainly see that, as the United Academy will take on other academies affiliated with USL and Major League Soccer teams plus elite-level club teams in the Southwest and California. He said the skill level between academies and club teams is almost imperceptible.
"Personally, playing with both club and the [United] Academy, they're pretty even," Waggoner said. "I think a lot of club teams would beat the Academy team, and I am sure the Academy team could beat any club team. It's like college-level soccer where any team can beat anyone."
Meanwhile, Santa Fe High will begin the process of moving forward without Waggoner. What's more, the Demons are also likely to lose rising junior defender Ivan Lozano, who head coach Chris Eadie said will likely play for a soccer academy in Arizona in the fall.
Those two departures take away key pieces for Santa Fe High. Eadie said he understands and supports Waggoner's and Lozano's decisions, but now he must figure out how to reshape a team that had a shot at repeating as state champions with Waggoner and Lozano in the fold.
Eadie said he and Waggoner have talked over the summer, but suspected his star player would not be returning because the United expects Waggoner to play solely for the academy team.
"He was very appreciative of his time at Santa Fe High, of me and the staff and the players welcoming him and making it feel like a home for him," Eadie said. "He definitely made the most of his one year with us — there is no denying that."
The departure of Waggoner, Lozano and 11 seniors means the Demons are essentially starting from scratch. The potential returning players in the program combined for six goals and 17 assists for a team that scored 136 goals and dished out 105 assists in 2021 that forged a 22-1 record.
