Texico wins boys 2A title after fending off furious rally from Mesa Vista
Mar. 15—For the Texico Wolverines, this day was tied a moment long before the school won a state basketball championship on Saturday.
And also long before the school won a state football championship in 2023 — and then another one last fall.
"In our big gym that we have, we have state championship posters of all the teams that won it last," senior guard Alex Fuentes said.
Boys basketball's last championship was 2016. Football's, prior to 2023, was 2008.
"We looked at those pictures and we were like, we need to change those pictures," Fuentes said. 'We need to make them new."
Done.
The top-seeded Wolverines nearly blew all of a massive lead in the fourth quarter Saturday morning, but in the end, two free throws by Fuentes with 19.8 seconds to go proved crucial as Texico held off hard-charging No. 3 Mesa Vista 66-65 in the Class 2A title game at the Pit.
Texico (29-2) was on shaky legs down the stretch.
The Wolverines led 60-45 with 4:53 remaining. The Trojans (26-5) began feverishly trapping Texico, and their ball-hawking defense sparked a comeback that put Mesa Vista on the brink of stealing this one.
The lead was down to one at 62-61 with 77 seconds to go, plenty of time yet for Mesa Vista to complete the comeback.
Moments later, and fittingly, the ball was in Fuentes' hands at the free-throw line with 19.8 seconds left, Texico leading 64-63. And if you wanted one Wolverine with the ball in his hands, this was your guy, since he also rushed for over 2,100 yards last season for Texico in its championship campaign.
Fuentes stepped to the line, spread his arms wide, and calmly sank both shots for a 66-63 lead.
"When you see your leading captain, who's been playing for me for five years, throw his hands up and take in the crowd and then knock down two big free throws, it gives you a little confidence standing on the sideline that we're gonna take care of this game," coach Craig Cook said.
It wasn't quite over yet.
The Wolverines had a chance to ice the game at the line with 9.3 seconds left, but Jaheim Moses missed both shots. Texico had been 20-for-21 at the stripe before those misses.
Going the other way, it was Santiago Martinez with the ball. He went inside the arc and made a 12-foot baseline jumper with about 3 seconds to go, the last of his team-best 23 points. Texico was happy to let him shoot.
"I was looking for a foul call, to be honest," Martinez said.
But the Trojans were out of timeouts and they couldn't stop it after the basket. The clock ran out on them.
"If we came to the Pit and struck out looking, I'd be disappointed," Mesa Vista coach Thomas Vigil said. "We struck out swinging."
Texico Sophomore Jett Curtis had 22 points and was 12-for-13 at the line. "Our journey has been incredible," Curtis said. Fuentes finished with 18 points.
The Wolverines had a huge advantage in two areas: free throws, where they were 20-for-23 compared to 15-for-24 for Mesa Vista, and bench points, where Texico outscored the Trojans 18-0. Both teams had multiple starters dealing with foul trouble issues.
The free throws were important to note, since Cook said Texico has only shot it about 50% from the line all season. They were great at them Saturday, and now the school celebrates the rare double.
"They did it in football," Cook said, "they did it in basketball."
—
Topics
-
Mesa Vista defeats Santa Rosa 58-51, plays Texico for title
ALBUQUERQUE — Thomas Vigil wasn't worried about style points Friday afternoon. Mesa Vista's boys basketball head coach is a substance man. So, his Trojans' performance in the last Class 2A ...Yahoo Sports - 22h -
No. 1 Duke holds off furious North Carolina rally to win 74-71, reach ACC title game without Flagg
Kon Knueppel scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke held off a furious second half rally by North Carolina to beat its rival for the third time this season, 74-71 on Friday night to reach the Atlantic ...ABC News - 22h -
No. 1 Duke holds off furious North Carolina rally to win 74-71, reach ACC title game without Flagg
Kon Knueppel scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke held off a furious second half rally by rival North Carolina to beat its rival for the third time this season, 74-71 on Friday night to reach the ...Yahoo Sports - 22h -
Bergen Catholic rallies in fourth to win state boys basketball title over Camden Catholic
Bergen Catholic rallied from a nine-point deficit to beat Camden Catholic, 52-49, and capture the Non-Public A state boys basketball title.Yahoo Sports - 23h -
Western Christian boys basketball wins Class 2A state championship, defeats West Lyon
Western Christian boys basketball wins Class 2A state championship, defeats West Lyon.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Sergio Garcia fends off Phil Mickelson to win individual, team titles at 2025 LIV Golf Hong Kong
The Spaniard continues to play some terrific golf on the circuitCBS Sports - 6d -
Fourth-quarter scoring barrage leads Berlin past Marion Catholic in PIAA 2A quarterfinal
Berlin Brothersvalley rallied to knock off Marian Catholic in the PIAA 2A girls basketball quarterfinalsYahoo Sports - 23h -
Class 4A boys basketball: Weatherford defeats Crossings Christian to win first state title
Weatherford beat Crossings Christian 46-44 for the Class 4A boys basketball state title Saturday at State Fair Arena.Yahoo Sports - 3h -
IHSAA basketball: Monroe Central holds off Daleville to win its first regional in 15 years
Monroe Central won its first boys basketball regional title since 2010 with a hard-fought victory over Daleville at the New Castle Fieldhouse.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Cathedral Prep boys and girls aquatic teams record top-three team results for PIAA meet
Cathedral Prep's girls placed second and its boys third after Thursday's second and final day of the PIAA Class 2A swimming and diving meet.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Hankinson boys' hoops beat Oakes 58-45 to win Region 1 title
Mar. 13—JAMESTOWN — The Hankinson boys' basketball team pulled away late to get a 58-45 win over Oakes High School on Thursday, March 13, in the championship game of the 2025 NDHSAA Class B Region ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Big East tournament bracket, schedule: Rick Pitino, St. John's look to fend off Dan Hurley, UConn at Madison Square Garden
St. John's picked up its first conference title in decades this season while UConn stumbled to the finish line.Yahoo Sports - 6d -
Class 3A boys basketball: Millwood defeats Cascia Hall to win state championship
Millwood won its 18th state championship in program history with a 60-57 win over Cascia Hall in the Class 3A boys basketball title game Saturday at State Fair Arena.Yahoo Sports - 7h -
Fowler boys basketball reaches state title game with win over Allen Park Inter-City Baptist
Fowler advances to face Wyoming Tri-unity Christian in the Michigan high school boys basketball Division 3 championship game Saturday.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
North Jersey HSSA: Bergen Catholic wins sixth boys basketball state title
Bergen Catholic boys basketball team topped Camden Catholic for sixth New Jersey state basketball championship. Declan Wucherpfennig had 16 points.Yahoo Sports - 4h -
With LeBron James looking on, Sierra Canyon captures Division I state title
Maximo Adams helped spur a late rally, and Gavin Hightower finished with 15 points to lead Sierra Canyon past Stockton Lincoln for the state Division I boys' basketball title.Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Western Christian outlasts Grand View Christian in Class 2A boys state semifinals, 53-46
Grand View Christian put up a fight against defending champion Western Christian in the 2A state semifinals, but the Thunder fell just short, 53-46.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Duke women capture first ACC title since 2013
No. 11 Duke rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 7 N.C. State 76-62 on Sunday for their first ACC title since 2013.ESPN - 6d -
France wins Six Nations after beating Scotland with record flourish
France saw off a resilient Scotland 35-16 and clinched the Six Nations title with a tournament-try record on Saturday. Coach Fabien Galthié's side needed only a victory at chilly Stade de France ...Yahoo Sports - 3h -
De Pere, Notre Dame, Bonduel advance to boys basketball sectional championship games
De Pere holds off Sheboygan North, Notre Dame wins on buzzer-beater and Bonduel rolls past Southern Door in boys basketball sectional semifinals.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Columbus Academy boys basketball advances to first OHSAA state final since 1981
The Columbus Academy boys basketball team is one win away from its first OHSAA state championship.Yahoo Sports - 23h -
France v Scotland LIVE: Score and updates from Six Nations title decider as England hope for favour
Fabien Galthie’s team will win the title with victory over Gregor Townsend’s sideYahoo Sports - 4h -
Plants, animals and insects come to Britain from all over the world. It would be a mistake to welcome them all | Tim Blackburn
Biodiversity is great in theory, but there are reasons to fend off invasive species and the knock-on effect of their presence. Britain would be a wasteland if it weren’t for immigration. Fifteen ...The Guardian - 5d -
The Stock Market Tends to Rally Big After a Correction
The S&P 500 is down 10 percent from its recent high, but long-term investors shouldn’t sweat it.Inc. - 1d -
Amorim: We 'need to help' Fernandes win titles
Ruben Amorim has said Manchester United "need to help" Bruno Fernandes win trophies after the Portuguese midfielder scored a hat trick to earn a place in the last eight of the Europa League.ESPN - 1d -
Dan Sheehan’s hat-trick sees off Italy and allows Ireland to celebrate legends
Italy 17-22 Ireland Ireland recover from poor start to claim bonus-point win The destiny of the title was out of Ireland’s hands but there was a point to prove – not to mention a handful of ...The Guardian - 8h -
Miami don't 'risk' Messi in win after GK red card
Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano said he changed the game plan after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari received a red card against Charlotte FC at Chase Stadium, preventing Lionel Messi from ...ESPN - 5d -
Cavs win 15th straight for 2nd time this season
The NBA-leading Cavaliers rallied from 18 down in the third quarter to beat the Nets and match the longest winning streak in franchise history.ESPN - 3d -
From a South Carolina repeat to UConn ending its title drought: Six teams that could win it all
Sixty-eight teams will compete in March Madness. But these six make up the short list of title contenders.ESPN - 2d -
L/L-M boys' hoops get tight 43-40 win over M/P-B in R1 third place game
Mar. 13—JAMESTOWN — The LaMoure/Litchville-Marion boys' basketball team's season will last for at least one more day after a 43-40 win over Medina/Pingree-Buchanan in the 2025 NDHSAA Class B Region ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
"Buena Vista Social Club" serenades Broadway
In 1996, a group of elderly, mostly forgotten Cuban musicians recorded an album that became a critical and commercial phenomenon worldwide. Now, the Grammy Award-winning album has inspired a ...CBS News - 6d -
PIAA SWIMMING: Scranton Prep’s Kaszuba wins medal; Dallas relay team strikes gold in girls Class 2A meet
Scranton Prep sophomore Eva Kaszuba added some hardware to a busy winter sports season by reaching the award’s podium at the PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships. Kaszuba, who is also a ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Grand Canyon rallies past UT Arlington for WAC title, 1st NCAA Women's Tournament berth
Grand Canyon extended its nation's longest winning streak to 30 games Saturday, earning its first NCAA Women's Tournament appearance.Yahoo Sports - 56m -
Dayton tops VCU 79-76 to prevent Rams from clinching Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title
Javon Bennett scored 22 points and Dayton prevented VCU from clinching the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title with a 79-76 victory, ending the Rams’ nine-game win streakABC News - Mar. 8 -
Reddit rallies after three-day slump as analyst calls sell-off 'excessive'
Reddit shares rose more than 10% following an analyst note on Tuesday that said the company's shares remain "extremely attractive."CNBC - 4d -
Celtics vs. Thunder: Who would win a Finals matchup?
The two teams with the best NBA title odds face off on Wednesday night.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER: Bronchos to host EP Franklin in bi-district round
Mar. 13—The Odessa High boys soccer team will host El Paso Franklin in the first round of the Class 6A Division I playoffs next week. The Bronchos will face the Cougars at 7 p.m. March 20 at ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Ulta Beauty CEO says investments in growth ‘will take time’ to pay off, but shares still rally
Beauty-products retailer Ulta Beauty’s stock climbed after hours Thursday, after the company offered a full-year forecast that was shy of Wall Street’s estimates but fourth-quarter results that ...MarketWatch - 2d -
Colorado State slams Boise State to win first Mountain West title since 2003
The Colorado State men's basketball team is heading back to the NCAA Tournament after the Rams secured March Madness with the Mountain West title.Yahoo Sports - 1h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Rintaro Sasaki, aka Japan's home run king, absolutely crushed his first college home run
Rainmaker: Rintaro Sasaki's completely crushes his first college home run at Stanford.Yahoo Sports - 9m -
Mark Vientos looking more and more like Mets' next long-term third baseman
Even with franchise royalty such as David Wright and Howard Johnson owning third base for the Mets during the team’s history, the position has been a club trouble spot at times, too.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
49ers trade RB Jordan Mason to Vikings
49ers, Vikings swap sixth-round picks.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
49ers updated list of 2025 NFL draft picks after Jordan Mason trade to Vikings
The San Francisco 49ers dealt Jordan Mason to Minnesota so they could move up on Day 3 of the NFL draft.Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Injury update for Lakers versus Suns game on Sunday
Will the Lakers get back any of their injured players when they host the Suns on Sunday?Yahoo Sports - 16m
More in Sports
-
Rintaro Sasaki, aka Japan's home run king, absolutely crushed his first college home run
Rainmaker: Rintaro Sasaki's completely crushes his first college home run at Stanford.Yahoo Sports - 9m -
Mark Vientos looking more and more like Mets' next long-term third baseman
Even with franchise royalty such as David Wright and Howard Johnson owning third base for the Mets during the team’s history, the position has been a club trouble spot at times, too.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
49ers trade RB Jordan Mason to Vikings
49ers, Vikings swap sixth-round picks.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
49ers updated list of 2025 NFL draft picks after Jordan Mason trade to Vikings
The San Francisco 49ers dealt Jordan Mason to Minnesota so they could move up on Day 3 of the NFL draft.Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Injury update for Lakers versus Suns game on Sunday
Will the Lakers get back any of their injured players when they host the Suns on Sunday?Yahoo Sports - 16m