Defending 2A champs cruise 50-0

TEXICO – Following a 50-0 mercy rule victory over rival Santa Rosa High School, Texico High School head coach Bob Gilbreath soaked in the scene and expressed pride in how far the program has come.

Upon arriving in 2020, Gilbreath said spirit revolving around the team was low, the varsity squad had just 27 players and the JV squad scratched just one game together.

But now, after back-to-back 2A-state championship appearances, including last year's state championship victory, Gilbreath has seen the community rally around the team. There's now a surge in young kids wanting to playing football.

Gilbreath said he's eager to prove last year was "no fluke" and build a dynasty among the likes that no one from this town of less than 1,000 people has ever seen.

“The community has really rallied around the success of our program,” said Gilbreath, who was also named the school’s athletic director this year.

And each member watched on as junior quarterback Bennett Wahlen dazzled in his debut.

"It was a really exciting game. Santa Rosa usually brings the heat and it's usually close, but we brought it today and I'm really excited for the future," said Wahlen, who finished with well over 150 all-purpose yards.

Thanks to Wahlen's two passing touchdowns and one rushing TD, and senior Alex Fuentes' rushing score, THS went up 28-0 going into halftime. The last score of the half was from a Wahlen passing touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion where Wahlen was suspended in air before crashing into the end zone.

Upon landing, his helmet rolled away which served to fire him up. As adrenaline rushed through his 6-foot-3-inch, 150-pound frame, Wahlen roared as cowbells from the stands clanged away.

"I saw the dude there and I thought I could jump over him," said Wahlen. "I'll do anything for my team."

Fuentes helped solidify THS's dominance. He scored on a 65-yard scamper to open the second half, making it 34-0. In the first quarter, his dash into the end zone out of the wildcat gave THS a two-possession lead to start the game.

"We had a lot of guys in the weight room (this offseason) and it really helps out when I got a lot of the guys out there blocking for me," said Fuentes, who rushed for more than 100 yards.

THS took control after Denny Turner caught an interception and forced a fumble in the first quarter. Then, at one point in the second quarter, SRHS was threatening to make it a one-possession, but THS came up with a goal line stop.

"That was probably the turning point of the game," Gilbreath said. "We were able to do that and turn around and go 99 yards and score. That kind of sucked the air out of their balloon."

Six hours before THS' throttling, Gilbreath reflected on last year's state championship 44-7 victory over Eunice. He called it "a glorious day," made even more glorious by the "several years of frustration getting close and not being able to kick the door down."

But key mmbers of that groundbreaking team are gone – chiefly Cade Figg, who was Class 2A all-state at quarterback and linebacker.

Gilbreath said he knew how special that team was. But he and members of the squad hope they set the example that this edition of THS, and future ones, can give this town something to believe in.

"We got a target on our backs this year. We've known that since June," Fuentes said, later adding that "football is what makes the whole community go crazy."