Cavemen Kickoff 2026 In Santa Teresa

By Don Eskins

When the Cavemen soccer team storms the field against the Santa Teresa Desert Warriors on Monday, August 17, in Santa Teresa, they’ll be under the leadership of new head coach Aaron Babcock.

Babcock, who inherits a team that posted a record of 3-15 last year, has been teaching English I and U.S. History at CHS for the past three years. Prior to coming to the Cavern City, he enjoyed 25 years of successful coaching and teaching in Texas.

Despite Carlsbad’s showing in 2025, Babcock says he’s looking forward, with confidence, to the challenges his Cavemen will have to face in 2026.

Having watched his charges workout for the past few weeks, the new head coach had an interesting take on them.

“These kids are much better than last year’s 3-15 record,” said Babcock. “We have a lot of very talented kids playing soccer.

“So far, our biggest struggle has been trying to make sure we’re getting our kids in the right spots,” he said. “If we can do that, and if they can learn to play together, I think we’ll have a chance to be very competitive this year.”

Taking the Lead

While moving kids around in search of proper spots for them, Babcock says his kids are adapting well to the changes.

“We’ve worked hard at getting the right chemistry on the field for us,” he said. “And the changes we’ve made seem to be working out well.

“We shifted junior Ike Anderson from an outside back to a center back spot. We wanted to take advantage of his physical presence, and he’s transitioned well. He looks very comfortable there and has been doing a great job for us,” said the CHS coach.

“We’ve also put senior Bailey King at center back. He’ll be playing alongside Ike. With his height and physical presence, he gives us the qualities we’re looking for at this position.”

Two other players who have impacted this year’s lineup have been freshman Jesus Medina and junior Josiah Workman.

“Jesus is so talented, and his on-the-field tech skills are far above his years. He’s going to help us a lot with controlling the pace of play and the transition between attacking and defending in the middle of the field,” Babcock continued. “Josiah will work alongside Jesus in the middle. Both are very quick with great tech skills, and they work well together.”

The Cavemen head coach also expects to see freshman Jefferson Vasquez and junior Sebastian Castillo get some significant time on the field.

Santa Teresa Test

On Monday, August 17, in Santa Teresa, Babcock expects his charges to square off against a very formidable opponent.

Last year, in the only meeting of the season between the two schools, the Desert Warriors downed CHS 3-1 en route to a 18-4 season.

“We do expect a tough game against Santa Teresa. They may be a Class 4A team, but they can play soccer,” he said. “Besides, in soccer, classification doesn’t really mean a whole lot. If you’re good, you’re good.”

Following the game in Santa Teresa, the Cavemen will return home for two games in the Cavern City.

On Friday, August 21, CHS will entertain the Mayfield Trojans. The JVs play first at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity at 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, August 22, the Cavemen will host the Centennial Hawks. The JVs will take the field first at 10 a.m. Varsity action is set for noon.