TEXICO, N.M. – Championship moments are what every high school athlete dreams about — but this year’s title run for the Texico boys basketball team carried a weight far greater than the pursuit of a trophy.

Just days before the Wolverines traveled to Albuquerque for the state tournament, tragedy struck their tight-knit community. 18-year-old Luciano Miranda, a classmate and friend to many on the team, was killed in a car crash in Clovis. The loss sent shockwaves through Texico, leaving students and families searching for strength in one another.

Despite their grief, the team made a shared decision: they would honor Luciano in everything they did.

Texico capped off a remarkable 30–2 season by winning its second consecutive state championship for the second time in program history — a storybook ending made even more meaningful by the emotions behind it.

“We were playing with high emotions and intensity until the final buzzer,” said head coach Craig Cook. “Once it went off, it was just full joy.”

“We went to war every day in practice,” said student-athlete Mason Pipkin.

While the celebration unfolded on the floor of The Pit, players never forgot who was missing from the moment.

On March 8 — just two days before the tournament — Luciano Miranda died in the crash. 17-year-old River McElroy of Farwell, Texas, was also killed. Another Farwell student was ejected from the car and taken to a Texas hospital.

For classmates, the news was devastating.

“I immediately started crying,” said Jahiem Moses. “He was like my brother. I grew up with him real close.”

“It hits you, and then the whole community is just in shock and pain,” added Maverick Hawkins. “That’s when it really became difficult.”

Coach Cook brought the team together the day after the crash — not to run drills, but to mourn as one.

“At the end of practice, underneath our goal, we finally let it all out,” Cook said. “There were tears, sobbing, and lots of hugs.”

“No one was left alone,” student Jack Curtis said. “We could talk our feelings out with each other. That really helped.”

As the Wolverines loaded the bus for Albuquerque, their mission had changed.

“Luciano wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Bennett Wahlen. “We started playing for him. We played for a bigger purpose.”

Their intensity on the court mirrored the way Miranda approached life and sports.

“He would dive on the floor and keep going hard, then get back up and do it all over again,” Cook said.

After the championship win, players lifted Miranda’s athletic jersey high above their heads as they received their medals — a tribute shared with the entire arena.

“There were so many emotions,” Moses said. “You’re happy you won, but someone you wanted to watch isn’t there.”

“That moment is really special in my heart,” Wahlen added. “It was cool to honor him on the biggest stage.”

The community continues to grieve not only for Luciano Miranda, but also for River McElroy, the Farwell High School student who was killed in the same crash. A third student, also from Farwell, survived and was hospitalized.

Texico’s championship victory was a triumph on the court — but for the Wolverines, the true measure of strength came from standing together through heartbreak.