Rehoboth Christian Lynxes Fall to Texico 58-46 in 2A State Championship

The Rehoboth Christian Lynxes arrived at The Pit in Albuquerque riding a 14-game winning streak, carrying a 24-7 record into the Nusenda Credit Union 2A State Championship against top-seeded Texico. The Wolverines answered by scoring 10 straight to open the game, and the Lynxes spent the rest of March 14 trying to climb out.

Texico's half-court defense disrupted Rehoboth Christian's rhythm from the opening tip. The Lynxes committed 20 turnovers and shot 40 percent from the field, limitations that prevented even a determined fourth-quarter charge from producing a comeback. Trajen West led Rehoboth with 23 points, and his teammates cut the deficit to eight in the final period before the Wolverines closed the game with a 9-5 run. The final score, 58-46, gave Texico its second consecutive 2A title.

The Lynxes had reached the championship after beating the Pecos Panthers in the March 13 semifinal, a win that sent the Rehoboth Christian contingent into celebration. Sophomore Simon Frederiksen was among the players photographed in that moment by Allen West Jr., his exuberance a reflection of a team that believed it could go one further. One day later, a 42-27 third-quarter deficit against the Wolverines made the distance between those two games feel enormous.

Coach Kevin Zwiers returns a young roster for next season. Frederiksen, still just a sophomore, figures to be a central piece of Rehoboth Christian's next push at a state title. The program finished 24-7 and drew families and traveling supporters from McKinley County to Albuquerque, a show of investment in a program that has made the state tournament's final weekend feel like familiar ground. For the players who suited up at The Pit, those first 10 Texico points are the memory that will shape everything that comes next.