Broncos wrangle Mustangs, defeat Vega

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos walked onto the court Tuesday night with a renewed aggressiveness and a strategy to win their opening district game against the Claude Mustangs. They followed through with that plan and defeated them 45-32.

The Broncos fought hard all night and kept the Mustangs at bay throughout the game. They opened with a nine-point lead and the difference was eight at the break. After playing evenly the third, the Broncos stretched out their lead and held that spread until the end. The Broncos were aided by six three-point shots by three players with three of them coming in the opening period.

“The kids did a great job of playing defense,” head coach Brandt Lockhart said. “Claude had a hard time getting into their set plays. I was very proud of our physical play.”

Scoring: Cody Wood 12, Cole Ward 12, Diego Santos 10, Charles Mason 6, Trajen Johnson 3, and Adam Topper 2.

The Broncos continued their winning streak on the road Friday night against Vega where they took a 37-34 win. Clarendon trailed after the first quarter of play, but regrouped to overtake their opponent grabbing a three-point lead going into the break. They sustained that lead in the second half and dug deep to stay alive. Several players stepped up and made crucial points in the final minutes of the game. Defensively, the Broncos stifled Vega’s best player who had been averaging 18 points a game.

“We played really good defense and were able to make plays down the stretch,” Lockhart said. “I was proud of the way the kids responded because Vega is a tough place to play. Cody Wood, Charles Mason, and Jonah Sell combined to stop their best player to just three points. Diego Santos and Adam Topper combined for some key plays also had key plays down the stretch. Trajen Johnson had a key defensive play in the last few seconds and Cole Ward made two big free throws in the last few seconds.”

Scoring: Ward 13, Topper 12, Johnson 10, Mason 2.

The Broncos will play Panhandle on the road Friday, January 18, and travel to Claude January 25.