Archers win awards
Archives for March 2022
Bonnie Maxine Campbell
Bonnie Maxine Campbell went to her heavenly home on March 20, 2022.
Bonnie was born in Douglas, Texas, and is preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Margaret Smith.
Bonnie was a successful and influential Realtor, Broker, and Community Leader. She spend much of her professional life in Hendersonville, Tennessee, helping individuals and families find their dream homes. She also made it her goal to help her peers and community.
Her accomplishments are too many to list. Some of those most important to her were Realtor of the Year in 2000, serving as President of the 100 Plus Club in 1993-94, member of the Women’s Council of Realtors, and being listed in the “Outstanding Women of America.” Following her “retirement”, she and husband, Gary, returned to Clarendon, where she served as President of the Chamber of Commerce and was named Woman of the Year in 2013. Bonnie was also a dedicated and loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.
She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Gary Campbell, her children, Terry (Martha) Ellerbrook of Lubbock, Bobby (Barbara) Ellerbrook of Clarendon, Kim (Aaron) Garland of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Chris (Missy) Campbell of Hendersonville, Tennessee. She was Nan to 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was a remarkable and accomplished woman, and she will be greatly missed by many.
Bonnie’s family will be receiving friends the afternoon of Friday, March 25th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Robertson Funeral Directors in Clarendon.
Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 26, 2022, in Robertson Funeral Directors Saints’ Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Rev. Bobby Ellerbrook, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Broncos win state title for second year
The Clarendon Broncos took ownership of the San Antonio Alamodome while making history for the second year in a row, defeating Lipan 65-51 to win the state 2A basketball championship.
The 2021-2022 team knew early on they could come back and win it all again, and that is just what they did. The Broncos blew through LaRue LaPoynor in the Semi-Final round that forced a rematch of the 2020-2021 State Semi-Final game with #1 ranked Lipan.
Lipan came out hot in the first quarter and led 11-8 going into the second quarter. The undefeated Indians then turned up the heat and extended their lead.
After trailing by eight points at halftime, head coach Boston Hudson lit a fire under the Bronco players and to say they came out and took control is an understatement. With only 17 seconds into the third, the senior leadership kicked in.
Jordan Herndon made back-to-back threes to close the gap, and Lamarcus Penigar, who would claim the MVP title of the game, nailed the first of six from downtown at the five-minute mark. Penigar found his rhythm and added a field goal about every minute until the clock ticked down to only four seconds in the third period.
The Broncos held a 10-point cushion and the momentum going into the final eight minutes of the game but still had fuel in the tank.
“The first half we really weren’t making any shots and kind of playing their game,” Herndon said. “Coach told us we had to step up as seniors and show leadership, so we got the team rolling. I was just looking for him (Penigar); and if he was calling for the ball, I was going to give it to him.”
Penigar added 16 more points in the final period to close the game out at 41, which hasn’t happened in a 2A state tournament game since 1964.
“I was in foul trouble in the first half,” Penigar said. “They were down, so I had to come up with a nice little plan. I got hot, so when you get hot, you just keep shooting.”
The Broncos did get hot in the second half after, and according to Hudson, they were a little sluggish, and the ball wasn’t moving really well in the first half.
Fellow senior Cayden D’Costa played two solid games at the tournament and finished with 12 defensive rebounds and four on the offensive side. He also had four steals and three assists in the games.
“This is a lot sweeter than it was last year,” D’Costa said. “Especially because it’s the last time we get to play with these guys, and we have the best coach we could ask for.”
Junior Texas Tech football signee Jmaury Davis played strong and was consistent as always. Davis was able to get the crowd on their feet with a fast break windmill dunk that rocked the house.
“I was attempting to do it the whole time, but they kept getting back fast,” Davis said. “I finally got the opportunity to do it. I didn’t want it to be just a regular dunk and wanted to get the crowd into it.”
“Our fan-base traveled so well,” Hudson said. “We are so thankful for their support; they followed us all year.”
Joining Penigar with his 41 points was D’Costa with 10, Davis and Herndon with six each, and Lyric Smith with two.
Lipan Coach Brent Gaylor and his Indians were very complimentary of Clarendon’s ability.
“We talked at halftime about not letting them get a three-pointer or dunk because they are a momentum-oriented team,” Gaylor said. “Clarendon plays at such a higher level when they are feeling that good.”
Hudson knows that high level of play too well.
“They doubled Jmaury because he killed them last year in the state semi-final game, and they face-guarded Lamarcus in the first half (to keep the ball out of his hands).”
The State Semi-Final game began with the Broncos flying down the court to use a 7-0 run in the opening two minutes of the game to set the tempo of the game and earn a 69-60 win over LaRue LaPoynor on Friday.
The Broncos jumped out early in the game and looked to start a blowout against the Flyers with a 15-point lead with only three minutes left in the first quarter. A good shooting second period of play for the Broncos, put the Flyers on the ropes at halftime. But LaPoynor chipped away and narrowed the gap to single digits down the stretch. With only ticks left on the clock, the Flyers came within five points, but the Bronco offense got to work to extend the lead to nine. The Bronco defense worked hard to hold LaPoynor at bay to get the win. Sophomore Lyric Smith had a good day on the boards with 11 rebounds, and Herndon grabbed eight and had five assists. Anthony Ceniceros had seven rebounds and four assists, and D’Costa added six rebounds and three assists.
Davis had a great game and led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds. D’Costa finished with 16, and Penigar had 15. Herndon had six, Tyler Harper and Ceniceros put in three each, and Smith added two points in the win.
Penigar scores 41 points to earn State MVP
Senior Lamarcus Penigar helped to lead the Broncos to another State Championship last weekend and earned the honor of the 2A Most Valuable Player. Penigar had a game high of 41 points against the number one ranked Lipan Indians in the Broncos’ 65-51 win.
Along with his 7 of 10 three-pointers in the two games and 56 total points, Penigar was 11 of 13 from the bonus line that included three in a row when he was fouled on a three-pointer late in the game. He had 13 rebounds and five assists.
After sitting out some of the first half because of foul trouble in the championship game, Penigar came in and went to work from behind the arc.
“In the first half, I was in foul trouble, and they were down, so I had to come up with a nice little plan,” Penigar said. “I got hot, so when you get hot, you just keep shooting.”
The 41 points in that game were the most points scored by one player in a 2A championship game since 1964.
Lipan’s coach Brent Gaylor and players complimented the Broncos on their win.
“In the first half, we played our style of game,” Gaylor said. “Penigar is a good player, and I told him so. After the game, I shook his hand. I think I got some burns because he was still hot. He had a great game offensively. We planned to keep him on the floor driving and maybe get him into some foul trouble. It’s hard to keep him in front of you, and he doesn’t need much space to get that shot off.”
Lipan senior Zach Ross did a good job of staying in Penigar’s face in the first half.
“He just got rolling,” Ross said. “And that’s all he needed. He did what he had to do. He’s a momentum player, and he played amazing.”
Coach Boston Hudson was excited for the championships.
“It is so exciting to go back-to-back,” Hudson said. “This hasn’t happened since the 2014-2015 Canadian team did it. I am grateful we played well at the right times. Glad for these three seniors to go out like this.”
Hudson knows the talent that all of his players have. And his game plan worked when it needed to.
“I told them to keep them off the boards, so they didn’t get second chance points.”
As for Penigar’s scoring frenzy, Hudson added, “Lamarcus did Lamarcus things.”
Joining Penigar on the State Tournament Team is senior Cayden D’Costa and junior Jmaury Davis. D’Costa had 26 total points, 22 rebounds, four steals, four out of five free throws, and three assists. Davis racked up 30 points and 16 rebounds. Outgoing senior Jordan Herndon had 12 points, 11 rebounds, hit four for four from the bonus line, and had seven assists.
Sawyer sues Dalton over election issues
The Donley County Precinct 4 Commissioners’ race in the Republican Primary is headed to court, but both sides say a new election is in order.
Incumbent Commissioner Dan Sawyer lost his primary bid to challenger Brad Dalton, 55-54, in the March 1 election, and those numbers were confirmed by party officials last Thursday.
The election was under a cloud, however, due to multiple reports of people in Donley County voting in the wrong precincts because of issues with how new precinct lines were entered into the voting system and voter registration issues that stemmed from those errors.
Following the only legal course available to him, Sawyer filed suit against Dalton in district court last week seeking an order for a new election.
This week, Dalton answered Sawyer’s filing by agreeing that there were errors in the election and also asked the court to order a new election.
“After reviewing evidence attached to the election contest and after talking to some people who wanted to vote in the Donley County Precinct 4 Commissioners race but weren’t allowed to, I think it is only fair that we have a new election,” Dalton said. “Everyone that wants to vote in this country of ours should be able to vote in the right precinct and for the person of their choice, even if they don’t vote for me. All elections should be fair and equal in the eyes of the people and the law.”
Dalton further stated that he looks forward to “campaigning hard and winning the Republican Primary by more than one vote this time.”
Deputy District Clerk Laverne Pinion said Tuesday that since District Judge Stuart Messer had to recuse himself from the case as the local judge, Judge Ana Estevez of Amarillo will decide the case, which is expected this week.
Dalton and County GOP Chair Bill Word both said they expect the new election to be held along with the Republican Run-off election on May 24, which will also feature another local race, that of the Justice of the Peace in Precincts 1&2.
Sarah Hatley had the most votes in the JP election with three other names on the ballot, but the same issues of voters casting ballots in the wrong precinct also plagued that race.
Following the election, Connie Lane was second place in that vote and will face Hatley in the run-off. The third-place candidate, Kristen Taylor, could sue as Sawyer did but has not done so as of Tuesday morning, Pinion said.
Peggy LaVerne Cockerham
Peggy LaVerne Cockerham, 84, of Howardwick died Monday, March 7, 2022, at her home.
Funeral services were held on Monday, March 14, 2022, at Howardwick First Baptist Church, with Pastor Jim Fox, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Peggy LaVerne (McCracken) Cockerham was born on April 28, 1937, in Clarendon, to George Pinkney and Molly Marie Reynolds McCracken. She married Jimmie Delano Cockerham on June 18, 1953, in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Peggy was an Air Force wife for twenty years which led her to raise her four children by herself while her husband was deployed overseas. Her husband’s career led them to move all over the country.
Peggy received her LVN degree in 1967, and later became a registered nurse in 1991. She was the first graduate of an osteopathic nursing school to be licensed in South Carolina. After moving back to Clarendon in 1976 and later to Howardwick in 1983, Peggy became the Assistant Director of Nursing at the Clarendon Nursing Home in 1977. Later, she was promoted as the Director of Nursing until she retired in the late 90’s. Despite retirement, Peggy remained very busy. She actively volunteered in the Howardwick community, was a leader in the Texas Panhandle Alzheimer’s Association, and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Howardwick. Peggy enjoyed being a member of the Red Hats Club and was also a Girl Scout Leader.
Peggy instilled a love of reading into her children, and she shared this love with others as a Friend of the Burton Memorial Library. Peggy also wrote a weekly column in the newspaper known as “’wick Picks”. Peggy loved taking her family camping, and her children will always cherish the many memories they made on these trips. Peggy enjoyed quilting, sewing, and crafting. Above all, Peggy loved her family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jim Cockerham; 3 brothers, Ronald Franklin McCracken, Bobby Lee McCracken, and Georgie Dale McCracken; and her sister, Patsy Lavonia McCracken Cox.
She is survived by her son, Gary Cockerham and wife, Candy, of Clarendon; 3 daughters, Cindy Pharris and husband, Ronnie, of Clarendon, Lori Allen of Amarillo, and Colleen Fross of Howardwick; 9 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; several cousins, and by Buffy The Wonder Dog.
The family request memorials be sent to Donley County Senior Citizens, Drawer B, Clarendon, Texas 79226.
Sign our online guest book at www.robertsonfuneral.com.
Mary Kathryn Hoggatt
Mary Kathryn Hoggatt, 73, of Hedley died Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Dallas.
Graveside services were held on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley with Rev. Bruce Howard, officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Mary was born April 20, 1948, in Groom to William Battle and Mildred Harris. She married Johnny Lee Hoggatt on January 16,1976 in Canyon, Texas. She has been a resident of Hedley for the past 30 years and worked as a LVN for High Plains Baptist hospital in Amarillo as well as worked in nursing homes in Tulia, Clarendon, and Memphis prior to her retirement. Her hobbies included crafts, knitting, painting, drawing, and researching genealogy. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Hedley.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother, Ronny Harris.
She is survived by her husband, Johnny Hoggatt of Hedley; her sons, Johnny Hoggatt and wife Jana of Canyon, and James Hoggatt and wife Kristy of Oceanside, California; her daughter, Mary Tolbert of Happy; her brother, Roy Harris of Waco; and 8 grandchildren.
The family suggests memorials be sent to First Baptist Church of Hedley or Hedley Senior Citizens.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com
Norma Jean Hatcher
Norma Jean Hatcher, 84, formerly of Clarendon, died Sunday, March 13, 2022, in Amarillo.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Robertson Saints Roost Chapel in Clarendon.
Cremation and arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Norma Jean (Northern) Hatcher was born on March 4, 1938, in Irene, Texas, to Harvey and Wilda Robertson Northern. She married Gordon Dale Hatcher on October 3, 1964, in Amarillo.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, Gordon Dale Hatcher.
She is survived by two brothers, James Northern of the Houston area and Bobby Northern of Amarillo; and three sisters, Dorothy Vinson, Karen Dellis, and Sherry Loehr and husband Dan, all of Amarillo.
The family requests no flowers be sent. Instead, please consider a memorial donation to the Harrington Cancer Center.
Sign our online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com.
Broncos returning to Alamodome
The 2nd ranked 29-2 Clarendon Broncos are making history for the second year in a row as they head back to San Antonio for the 2A State Basketball Semi-Final round later this week. Never has a Clarendon team won a State Championship and returned the next year to defend their title.
They will return with most of the players that won the 2021 Championship minus State MVP Donovan Thompson and Ethan Babcock who graduated last spring.
The Broncos are on fire as they continue in the playoffs executing their game plan against two tough teams in the Texas Dome on the South Plains campus last weekend. They took on New Home in the semi-final round and defeated them 64-53. The first quarter went back and forth with New Home holding a one-point advantage. But the Broncos were able to bounce back and owned the second eight minutes that allowed the them to retake the lead at the break. Junior Jmaury Davis came on strong after the break and led the way with four huge dunks to help the Broncos grab all the momentum. The Leopards fought back in the final minutes, but the Broncos’ sharp shooting gave them the game. Davis, Lyric Smith, and Jordan Herndon finished in double figures in the game with 24, 13, and 10 points, respectively. Also scoring was Lamarcus Penigar with eight, Cayden D’Costa with seven, and Tyler Harper with two.
The win put the Broncos right where they belonged as they went up against a good Christoval team in the Regional Final game on Saturday. A 14-2 run by the Broncos in the final quarter gave them the game and the championship as they defeated the Cougars 60-49.
The Cougars jumped out to blast the Broncos with the early lead when Jaron Slaton pumped in three three-pointers in a row and the Broncos found themselves in a not so familiar spot. But the Broncos persevered and came raging back to come with two points after the first quarter. They were able to continue their dominance in the next eight minutes and gave themselves a little cushion going into the break.
With an upset on their mind, the Cougars stormed back in the third period posting a 14-3 run to regain the lead with only one quarter remaining. But just like earlier, the Broncos remained composed and confident in their teamwork to fight back and made a 14-2 run of their own to send Christoval to the locker room with the 11-point loss. Davis was responsible for 11 of those fourth quarter points as the team looked to him to put points on the board.
“Coach Hudson got on us in the huddle before the fourth quarter,” Davis said. “That motivated us.”
Davis finished with 21 points that consisted of a 6-0 run on his own in the final period. Two jumpers and a layup preceded a huge alley oop from D’Costa that rocked the house. Penigar joined Davis in double figures with 19 that included two from behind the arc and hitting three of four from the bonus line. Defensively, the Broncos were strong and took advantage of steals to put points on the board. Herndon put in nine, D’Costa had six, and Smith helped with five.
When asked about the pressure of returning to state, head coach Boston Hudson stated that they tried not to talk about San Antonio.
“In the back of everyone’s mind we know the pressure to get back to state is there,” he said. “We’ve been ranked up there all year, we had most of our guys back, so we’re expected to be here. I’m proud of how we stayed composed and closed this game out.”
The Broncos will go head-to-head with LaPoynor in the opening round at the State Tournament playing at 10:00 am on Friday morning. The championship game will be held on Saturday at 1:30.
JP, Commissioner elections unresolved
It is unclear who won the only two contested local races in last Tuesday’s Republican Primary after several reports of voting irregularities.
Uncertified vote tallies show Sarah Hatley getting the most votes for the race for Precinct 1&2 Justice of the Peace with 162, but she did not get more than 50 percent of the total vote and will face the second place vote-getter in a runoff election at some point.
Connie Lane was second in the JP race with 98 votes, Kristen Taylor got 89 votes, and Ashley Savage had 13 votes.
However, County Republican Chair Bill Word County Clerk Vicky Tunnell both confirm that the election results are in doubt. There are multiple reports of people voting in the wrong precincts because of issues with how new precinct lines were entered into the voting system and voter registration issues that stemmed from those errors.
The irregularities may be enough to cast doubt on the vote margin between Lane and Taylor.
Also, the errors could impact the race between Precinct 4 Commissioner Dan Sawyer and challenger Brad Dalton. The uncertified vote tally has Dalton leading by one, 55-54, over Sawyer.
County Judge John Howard said the only possible remedies for a questionable election outcome are a recount or a court challenge. Neither of which can happen until Word certifies the vote, which he will do in public at the Donley County Courthouse Annex this Thursday, March 10, at 11 a.m.
Party and county officials do not expect the vote canvass to change the election totals, but a losing party in the election – Sawyer or Taylor, in this case – could file suit in district court to overturn the election and call for a new election.
“With elections being as close as these were, accuracy is paramount,” Howard said.
The issues with people voting in the wrong precincts is due to time constraints in getting people registered within new precinct lines. The COVID-19 delayed census results by four or five months, which in turn led to the county not getting its new precinct lines drawn until December. That in turn put a severe time constraint on the tax assessor-collector’s office which had to manually move voters into new precincts where the boundaries changed, a complicated process which led to mistakes being made.
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