NMHSCA all-star tilts under way

ALBUQUERQUE — Coaches Richard Luscombe and Dennis Roch and player Theo Marez represented Texico on the South squad in the Class 1A-2A New Mexico High School Coaches Association all-star baseball series over the weekend, played at Sandia Prep.

The South went 1-2 in the two-day event, winning the finale 17-2 after losing the first two games by scores of 5-2 and 11-5.

Roch, Luscombe’s assistant when the Wolverines won the Class 1A state title in 2005, is preparing the leave to become the assistant superintendent next year at Tucumcari.

Luscombe said Marez played second base most of the weekend, although he did get an inning on the mound in the blowout finale.

“He really played pretty well,” Luscombe said. “When you get in this situation, you just hope the kids have a lot of fun.”

He said the South players settled down in the finale.

“It was kind of funny,” he said. “I think it just took our kids a little while to get back into it.”

Three more NMHSCA all-star games involving local participants are on tap this weekend, including a girls basketball doubleheader at Gallup. Clovis’ Tori Northcutt will play for the South in the Class 4A-5A contest, while Melrose’s Zanessa Dodd and Fort Sumner’s Alex Owens are on the South roster in the Class 1A-2A contest.

The Class 1A-2A football game is set for Silver City on Saturday. The North squad has three players from Texico — Ethan McDaniel, Kyle Teitz and Justin Garrison — and five from Fort Sumner — Tell Montoya, Shawn Perkins, Vincent Sena, Josh Pacheco and Ryan Hall