Texico boys staying level-headed

TEXICO — Texico High’s boys basketball team isn’t using the "U" word. Not yet.

Yes, the 3A Wolverines are currently undefeated, sitting at 19-0 after Saturday’s 72-59 home win over 4A Ruidoso. But, chatter about an undefeated season? No way.

Still, it would be nice. It’s just about impossible for a National Basketball Association team to go 82-0, though it seems like the Golden State Warriors have a chance heading into every new season. And, Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers ran the college basketball table in 1976.

High schools teams have done it. Texico may well do it, too. The Wolverines, though, won’t read that far ahead in their season. Lots of basketball left, and all that good stuff.

But, it won’t stop the "U" word from hanging out there, it won’t go away. Nor will the bullseye on Texico’s backs.

“I get that a lot,” Texico head coach Ty Thatcher said. “People consistently ask you when you’re at this point that we’re at, ‘Do you need to lose one to be humbled and get re-focused? And my answer to that is, ‘We need to just get better every day, and focus on competing and striving to win every night.”

“We just look at the next game,” Wolverines junior guard Dalton Thatcher said. “We don’t go further than the next game.”

“We’re always thinking about the next play, the next practice. Never about another win or anything like that,” Wolves senior forward Nathan Phipps said. “We take it the next play at a time, and that way we don’t get worried with outside things. We know that you never take a play off, you just go on to the next play.”

Texico has strung together enough of those plays, enough wins, to already be looking for its 20th victory of the season on Thursday night when visiting Clayton in the opening of district play. Twenty wins is a benchmark for any high school team, but when that team has a chance to go 20-0, it’s even more special.

Beating a district opponent is, of course, the most important thing.

“We’re 0-0 (in district play) going into it,” Dalton Thatcher said, “and we’ve got to win games to get to the state tournament. So it’s going to be fun. It’s always fun playing districts.”

“It’s like a whole new season,” Phipps said. “We’ll be playing the same teams twice, so you’ve got to make adjustments. It should be competitive.”

To help prepare for the 3A titans, Texico has scheduled some 4A teams this winter. Last month the Wolves traveled to West Las Vegas and came away with a 77-40 victory. Saturday, Ruidoso came to town, and though the Warriors led very early, the Wolverines led most of the way, including at the final buzzer.

Ruidoso head coach Billy Page was impressed.

“They’re a very good ball club. I mean, there’s no question about it,” Page said. “Their record is definitely indicative of the type of team that they are. I wish them all the luck.”

Luck, though, won’t have much to do with Texico’s quest for greatness this season. Playing quality teams like Ruidoso will.

“That’s part of the reason that we’re playing Lovingtons and Ruidosos and teams that are possibly a little bit deeper and can run a lot of guys at you and put you in a position to have to really make plays,” Ty Thatcher said. “It exposes your weakness, and allows you to get better. And that’s what we need to do going into district play, make sure that we’re ready for your Santa Rosas and Claytons.”