CHS falls to El Paso Harmony

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos gave their all against El Paso Harmony in the Regional Tournament Friday night in Levelland, but fell short in their attempt at extended post-season play. The Broncos succumbed to the charter school and were defeated 50-72.

Things did not go well for the Broncos in the first half of play, and the Tigers roared to a huge lead as they were able to connect on several three-point shots. The inside work of their 7’3″ post did not hurt the Broncos offensively. Because of the height difference, post Adam Topper had to be very creative with his shots and made good on several shots underneath the basket. But after two quarters of play, the Broncos trailed the Tigers, 14-34.

“We did not shoot the ball very well the first half and got too far behind,” coach Brandt Lockhart said.

The Broncos came out determined in the second half and played strong. But the deficit was too big and Clarendon had to foul to get the ball out of the Tigers’ hands.

Cole Ward lit up the last two quarters of play and finished with 27 points to lead the Broncos on the scoreboard and added 16 rebounds for a double double.

The Broncos finished a great season at 22-11 and will miss the seniors who have labored for four years.

“I thought we played very well in the second half, but we were too far behind,” Lockhart said. “I am very proud of this bunch and their effort this year. Like always, my staff and I enjoyed coaching this group of seniors the last three years.”

Scoring: Ward 27, Topper 13, Santos 4, Johnson 3, and Wood 3.

The Broncos will say good-bye to Adam Topper, Cole Ward, Trajen Johnson, Diego Santos, Cody Wood, and Jonah Sell.

Earlier in the week, the Broncos defeated the Stratford Elks in the Region 1-1A Division II quarterfinal in Amarillo 57-32 to earn their trip to the Regional Tournament. According to Lockhart, the Broncos’ defense made the big difference in the game, and the Elks could not handle the pressure.

Scoring: Topper 19, Johnson 15, Ward 14, Santos 6, Mason 2, and Wood 1.

Congratulations on a great season, Broncos!