DEXTER — The Texico Wolverines and Dexter Demons opened the 2008 football season in a lightning-shortened game in August that didn’t count. Saturday afternoon, they finished the season in a wire-to-wire New Mexico Class 2A state football championship thriller.

Senior running back Mario Posada collected three touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air, as the Wolverines overcame a 14-7 halftime deficit to post a 28-26 win and take the first Class 2A championship in school history.

“This one is the best because it was in 2A. A lot of people didn’t think we could win a state championship in 2A,” said Texico coach Mike Prokop, who led the Wolverines to back-to-back Class 1A itles in 2003 and 2004. “This was two undefeated teams going at it. Dexter had some bad luck, we take our hats off to them, but our kids knew what they had to do and they did it.”

After Dexter missed an extra point attempt that would have tied the game late in the fourth quarter, Texico recovered the Demons’ onside kick near midfield. The Wolverines marched 51 yards in four plays, including a 35-yard scamper from Posada with 1 1/2 minutes left to put Texico up by eight.

“The high point was when we went up 28-20,” Texico senior quarterback-linebacker Brett Anderson said. “That really got us going. This is the greatest feeling in the world.”

Senior quarterback Timothy Regalado led the Demons back 70 yards, capping it with a two-yard sneak that brought the home team to within two points. But his 2-point conversion pass went out of the back of the end zone.

Anderson led the Wolverines on a 10-play, 72-yard drive to open the third quarter, capped by his 9-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 14-14. The Wolverines followed that up with a 9-play, 52-yard drive culminating in a 12-yard pass from Anderson to Posada to give Texico its first lead.

Regalado led the Demons on a 9-play, 80-yard drive highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Sterling Garnett, but sophomore kicker Joshua Coronado missed the extra point to keep Texico in front 21-20.

Prokop figured the Wolverines had to gain momentum in the third quarter.

“At halftime, I challenged them,” Prokop said. “I said, ‘You’ve got to take care of this in the third quarter. You’ve got to go out and win this state championship in the third quarter.’”

Dexter coach Tim Fuller pointed out that his young squad made more mistakes than the Wolverines, and that was the difference in the game.

“The winner of these games is the team that makes the fewest mistakes,” Fuller said. “And Texico clearly made the fewest mistakes. I’m proud of how our kids kept fighting, especially on that last drive.”

Junior Edgardo Meza carried 16 times for 72 yards for Texico, while Posada ran the ball nine times for 40 yards. Anderson went 10-for-16 for 97 yards through the air, with junior Seth Bailey catching four passes for 46 yards.

Dexter sophomore Thomas Batista matched Meza with 16 carries for 72 yards. Regalado went 9-for-14 for 136 yards, running for two touchdowns and throwing for two more.