The two teams most likely to battle it out for the Class 2A state will get a quick look at each other in pool play today. Defending champion Texico and Mesilla Valley bring identical 22-0 records into the event, having lost only five games between them this season. They match up in a 6 p.m., two-game Pool A clash at Albuquerque Academy. Texico beat the Son Blazers in four games in the state semifinals last year. “We’re looking forward to it,” veteran Texico coach Mike Littlejohn said. “We’ve heard a lot about (the Son Blazers), and I’m sure they’ve heard a lot about us.” Pool play determines the seeding for the eight-team bracket play that starts Thursday. In Class 1A, Fort Sumner (18-4) and Clovis Christian (18-2) are in Pool B at Del Norte High School. The defending 1A champion Vixens and the Lady Eagles are scheduled to match up right away at 5 p.m. Quarterfinal matches in both classes are scheduled for Academy on Thursday, with the semifinals on Friday and finals on Saturday at the University of New Mexico’s Johnson Center. Littlejohn, seeking his sixth state title in 29 years at Texico, admits his team is excited about facing Mesilla Valley. Both squads lost only one player to graduation from last year. “We’ve been anticipating this matchup all year long,” he said. “We’re the two favorites. We’ve talked since day 1 about how we’ve got a target on our back.” Still, he cautioned about overlooking anyone else in the field. “(Fellow Pool A members) Navajo Prep and Coronado are not bad,” Littlejohn said. “There’s not anybody who can’t beat somebody else up there.” Fort Sumner returns three starters from last year’s championship squad in juniors Rita Herrera, Bree Lucero and Racheal Chavez. Coach Lisa McMath said she’s counting on their leadership. “If we play as a team and the older girls do a good job of settling the other ones down, we should be OK,” said McMath, looking for a fifth state title. “Anything can happen when you go to state. The team that handles the nerves the best will probably have an advantage.” The Vixens’ only loss to a 1A foe was at district rival Elida, which also made the eight-team field. Fort Sumner’s other setbacks were to Class 4A Artesia and Class 3A Portales in the season-opening Clovis Invitational, and to Mesilla Valley in the finals of the Vixens’ tourney. “We struggled at times through the year,” McMath said, “but I felt if we just played together we’d be all right.” CCS brings a 17-match winning streak into the fray. The Lady Eagles made their first trip to state last year, losing to Elida in the quarterfinals. “I think with every match we’ve improved,” first-year coach Lora Hubby said. “I think we’ll have a good showing. “If our girls keep their heads about them and stay focused, I think we can be successful.” Hubby is hoping the experience gained last year will prove beneficial. “They know what to expect (at state),” she said of her players. “They’ve really focused on going to state all year long.”