1A girls champion Roy/Mosquero only unbeaten team in the state

Roy/Mosquero players celebrate after beating Fort Sumner/House to win the Class 1A girls state championship on Saturday in the Pit.

Roy/Mosquero’s Nora Crisp eyes the basket while defended by Fort Sumner/House during the 1A girls championships on Saturday in the Pit.

Roy/Mosquero's Tayla Proffiti goes up for a shot while defended by Fort Sumner/House’s Ruby Norman during the girls 1A championships on Saturday in the Pit.

Tristen Critchfield Tristen Critchfield Tristen Critchfield for the Journal

Published March 15, 2025 - 12:01 p.m. Modified March 15, 2025 - 10:23 p.m.

Roy/Mosquero stands alone — not just at the top of girls Class 1A — but in all of New Mexico prep basketball.

The top-seeded Lady Blue completed a perfect 30-0 season, rolling past No. 2 Fort Sumner/House 68-56 in Saturday’s championship game at the Pit. Not only is this the third blue trophy in the past five years for Roy/Mosquero, but the Lady Blue end the year as the only undefeated team in the Land of Enchantment.

“That’s never your goal. It’s never your intention, and it’s kind of pressure to be undefeated going to the state tournament,” said Roy/Mosquero coach Blair Clavel. “But they embraced it, and they lived with it. They worked hard, and they were always a target. It’s phenomenal to do that and win the state championship.”

The Lady Blue were dominant throughout the year, winning all but two of their games by double figures. One of those exceptions was a road game at Fort/Sumner House (24-6) in December, when Roy/Mosquero trailed before eventually winning 58-49. That helped prepare the Lady Blue for a little early adversity, as the Vixens hit six 3s and led for the majority of the first half.

“We were trailing to Fort Sumner at their place, at halftime — four or five points. I think that’s one of two games where we were trailing,” Clavel said. “…But these girls, they’ve always done well when they get a lead and they keep the lead. So it was good to have that game when we pulled out of that and we ended up winning in Fort. I think that kind of helped us today.”

Down 26-23 at halftime, the Lady Blue came out with a purpose in the second half, opening with a 13-1 run to take a lead they would never relinquish. Nora Crisp scored all eight of her points during that pivotal spurt.

“I just told myself we’re not gonna lose this,” Crisp said. “Last year they made us feel horrible, and I just told myself I’m not gonna let them do that to us again.”

Fort Sumner/House didn’t make its first field goal of the second half until late in the third period, and by the end of the quarter, Roy/Mosquero had expanded its lead to 14. The blitz continued into the fourth, as the Lady Blue led by as many as 22 before a late flurry from the Vixens.

While Fort Sumner/House relied on perimeter offense, Roy/Mosquero feasted inside. The Lady Blue outscored the Vixens 40-14 in the paint, led by Tayla Proffitt’s 24 points and eight rebounds. Natalie Smith chipped in 17 points — including four 3s — for Roy/Mosquero. Smith, who is one of four seniors, took a moment to acknowledge the unique dynamic of this Lady Blue team — a cooperative that featured eight players from Roy and two from Mosquero. It’s a squad that will go down in state history as one of only three girls teams to go undefeated while winning at least 30 games.

“We have a really talented team,” Smith said. “Our coaches prepared us well, and we have a really supportive community. We’re pretty misunderstood as a whole. We have 10 super intense personalities, and we’re not the most cuddly group. But for whatever reason, it’s magic on the court.”