Wolverines make their way to 7-0 start

Texico's boys basketball team is seven-for-seven this season.

That is, seven wins in seven games.

The Wolverines improved to 7-0 Saturday night by holding off Fort Sumner 53-47 in the Farwell Tournament championship game. They've won a lot of blowouts, but have had their moments when they've had to rally, had to come through in the clutch.

No matter what storm has headed their way - big teams, outside-shooting teams - the Wolves had been able to weather it.

"I think these guys know how to win," Texico head coach Ty Thatcher said. "They know how to compete. They play with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence. ... They're ready for that tough matchup."

Saturday was an example of being ready for a tough matchup. The Wolverines were embroiled in a competitive game against Fort Sumner, as the two fought it out for the Farwell Tournament crown. Texico, in fact, led only 14-13 after one quarter.

Used to playing a 1-3-1 zone and succeeding with it, the Wolverines found that defense getting repeatedly scorched by Fort Sumner. No problem. They just kicked it NBA style, switched to man-to-man coverage and slowly took command of the game.

"They're able to withstand a lot of strategies and keep their heads up," Thatcher said of his players. "That's key to the whole deal. ... We need to keep that going."

The defensive switch put Texico's flexibility, its ability to adjust defensively, on full display.

"That's only going to make us better to play zone teams," Thatcher said, "and be able to play man-to-man (again)."

The Wolves have been able to adjust offensively, too. Saturday night, when teams ganged up on their key inside and outside players - triple-teaming post player Nathan Phipps and doubling point guard Dalton Thatcher - they popped it out to Skyler Davis, an emerging varsity star, who wound up leading all scorers with 23 points.

The final score was Texico's first single-digit victory of the season. Their previous six wins were: 71-60 over Farwell; 61-33 over New Mexico Military Institute; 77-53 over Portales; 65-52 over Gateway Christian; 74-23 over Amherst; and 76-30 over Seagraves. Their average margin of victory in those games was a gaudy 28.8. The average margin in the first two Farwell Tournament games was a staggering 48.5.

Texico, a 3A state semifinalist last season, is focused on getting to the final in March and winning. There's a long way to go, but the Wolverines couldn't ask for a better start.

The Wolves have been going pretty steadily since their Nov. 28 opener, but now get a chance to take a few deep breaths, take a short break from games. They don't play again until this Saturday's road contest at West Las Vegas. The junior varsity action tips off at 2 p.m., with the varsity to follow.

By the time the Wolverines hit the hardwood for another game, they will have had a week off, which suits Coach Thatcher just fine.

"We finally get a chance to practice a little bit," he said. "We get a chance to work on some things."

Which is fortunate for them, because when the break is over, the Wolves could well be facing their toughest test of the season thus far.

"They're a little bit bigger school, they're a 4A school," Thatcher said of West Las Vegas. "I think they're new to our schedule. I'm curious to see how that goes."