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Texico one win from perfect season

RIO RANCHO — Senior Nathan Phipps had game-highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Texico moved one step away from securing the third perfect season in Class 3A boys history with a 53-39 victory Thursday over district rival Santa Rosa at the Santa Ana Star Center.

Dalton Thatcher added 11 for Texico (29-0), which goes for its sixth title in school history and second in three seasons at 10 a.m. Saturday against either Pecos or Estancia.

The Wolverines earned their fourth victory of the season over the Lions (19-10), who kept things close early but started to fall behind once post Cody Schattschneider got into foul trouble and his teammates had trouble against the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Phipps.

Texico led the game for 27:37, and by as much as 17 in the fourth.

Ben Crist and Skyler Davis each added eight for the Wolverines, while both going 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Martin Madrid scored 10 to lead the Lions, while Daniel Esquibel added seven.

Thatcher, an assistant under Scott Karger on Texico’s 2016 state champion, will go for his second title as a head coach. He took Dora to the Class 1A title in 2003, with those Coyotes ending the season on a 21-game winning streak.

Texico has won 25 of its games by double figures, with the exceptions coming to Farwell in the season opener, Class 2A finalist Fort Sumner in December, and District 5-3A foes Clayton and Santa Rosa.

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