2025 Team Preview: Texico Wolverines

2025 TEXICO WOLVERINES PREVIEW   OVERVIEW   Just one school in the entire state captured the football and basketball state championship double during the 2024-25 academic year: Texico. The Wolverines first ran the table in football, going 12-0 and trouncing most opponents on the way to the Class 2A state championship. Less than four months later, Texico won the 2A state championship in basketball at The Pit in Albuquerque. Numerous athletes played both sports.   Texico has won back-to-back Class 2A state championships, going 23-2 over that span. If Wolverines head coach Bob Gilbreath is correct, Texico could be just as talented as this year as the previous two. From a leadership perspective, they could be stronger.   “We're very excited about this year because our senior class is so strong,” Gilbreath told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “For a small school, we have 18 seniors. Seven or eight have played vital roles since they were ninth graders. They're very seasoned players. We have a great culture going. They've carried it on. We lost some good leaders from last year's team, but for us it's next man up.”                OFFENSE   Top 3 Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1343408' first='Bennett' last='Wahlen'] (QB), [player_tooltip player_id='1604779' first='Jett' last='Curtis'] (RB/WR), Izzy Silva (OL).   Six-foot-4 senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1343408' first='Bennett' last='Wahlen'] returns for his second season as the Wolverines' starting signal caller. Last season he threw for nearly 900 yards in Texico's run-heavy offense and rushed for almost 500 yards. Texico ran the ball about 81 percent of the time in 2024, but that number could decrease in 2025.     “Bennett got better, stronger and more efficient as last season went along,” Gilbreath said. “This year, we're more talented at the receiver spot than we were last year. Bennett being more experienced and seeing the field and making good decisions will make us more multi-dimensional. We could throw the ball about 40 percent or more. Bennett can also run. He's long and he's a tough, hard runner.”   Texico loses elite running back Alex Fuentes, the state's top rusher from a season ago with 2,107 yards on a 233 carries. Fuentes signed with Eastern New Mexico. Who succeeds him? Senior Kye Conley, who's battled injuries in his career, will get a look along with senior [player_tooltip player_id='1604779' first='Jett' last='Curtis'], last season's No. 2 rusher with 613 yards and 9 TD. He averaged over 8 yards per carry. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1791448' first='Jaheim' last='Moses']  is competing as well.           “You don't just replace a guy like Alex,” Gilbreath said. “We'll try to fill his spot. We'll probably have a committee, so to speak. But all three guys are capable of being extremely good.”   With Texico eying throwing the ball more, the Wolverine receivers' importance to the offense could rise in 2025. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1600127' first='Maverick' last='Hawkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1137119' first='Luke' last='Thompson'] are two of the top contenders. Thompson dislocated his shoulder and missed several games last season before returning for the state championship game. He led the Wolverines in receiving yardage as a sophomore in 2023. Six-foot-2 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1827263' first='Nathan' last='Autrey'] is a talented possession receiver with soft hands. [player_tooltip player_id='1604779' first='Jett' last='Curtis'] could line up in the slot in some packages.   Four starters return from last season's massive offensive line that physically dominated opposing defenses: LT Izzy Silva (6-1, 280), LG [player_tooltip player_id='1137844' first='Ryan' last='Timberlake'] (5-10, 250), C Daniel Harrison (6-1, 275) and RT [player_tooltip player_id='1137845' first='Branson' last='Willoughby'] (6-2, 285). All four have started for the varsity since they were 9th-graders. Senior Cris Garcia (6-0, 265) could work his way into the starting unit after serving as the O-Line's ‘Sixth Man' in 2024.   “They are very well seasoned and they're great guys,” Gilbreath said. “They take a lot of pride in how they do.”                                    DEFENSE   Top 3 Players: Denny Turner (LB), [player_tooltip player_id='1137844' first='Ryan' last='Timberlake'] (DL), [player_tooltip player_id='1600126' first='Keaton' last='Dumas'] (LB).     Gilbreath described senior LB Denny Turner as the ‘quarterback' of Texico's defense. He was the Wolverines' leading tackler in 2024 as the MIKE linebacker.   “Denny knows our defense inside and out,” Gilbreath said. “He's going into his fourth year as our starter at MIKE. He's very sharp.”   Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1600126' first='Keaton' last='Dumas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1137119' first='Luke' last='Thompson'] join Tuner at outside linebacker to give the Wolverines a very experienced second level. All three have started for at least three years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1137844' first='Ryan' last='Timberlake'] and Cris Garcia headline the defensive line. Six-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1827269' first='Dexter' last='Chapman'] is a promising newcomer at defensive end after getting his feet wet in a couple of varsity games in 2024 before an injury shortened his season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1604779' first='Jett' last='Curtis'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1613755' first='Cross' last='Figg'] (younger brother of former Texico QB Cade Figg, who's now at West Texas A&M) are set to start at cornerback. The safeties will be [player_tooltip player_id='1600127' first='Maverick' last='Hawkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1827263' first='Nathan' last='Autrey'].   2025 Texico Football Schedule:   Aug. 22 at Santa Rosa (7 p.m.)                   Aug. 29 BOVINA (TX)(7 p.m.)                     Sept. 5 at Farwell (TX)(7 p.m.)                     Sept. 12 OLTON (TX)(7 p.m.)                     Sept. 19 at Stratford (TX)(7 p.m.)                       Sept. 26 WEST LAS VEGAS (7 p.m.)                     Oct. 3 at Jal (7 p.m.)*                  Oct. 10 LOVING (7 p.m.)*                   Oct. 17 at Eunice (7 p.m.)*               Oct. 24 Bye                   Oct. 3 TULAROSA (7 p.m.)*   * District 2A-3 Game   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FOOTBALL: Texico beat Santa Rosa 50-0 in the Class 2A Final of the 2024 Nusenda Credit Union State Football Championships. It's their 2nd straight state title. The Wolverines finish the season undefeated. Here are the highlights (courtesy NFHS network). <a href="https://twitter.com/nusendacu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nusendacu</a> <a href="https://t.co/9sxA0L70er">pic.twitter.com/9sxA0L70er</a>— NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/1863065113235783966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

2025 TEXICO WOLVERINES PREVIEW