By Sandy Anderberg, Clarendon Enterprise
To say that the Broncos were expecting an early dismissal from the playoff race was unexpected is an understatement.
They felt confident that Boys Ranch would just be a stepping-stone to allow them to dive deeper into post-season play.
But the Rough Riders had a different idea about the game and handed Clarendon a 52-51 loss in the Region 1 1-A Division I quarterfinals at Tascosa High in Amarillo Friday night.
The Broncos led most of the game but struggled offensively in the final quarter, only scoring four points to 14 for Boys Ranch. The Broncos, who were ranked number 3 in the state, had their opponent where they wanted them for all but a few seconds in the last quarter.
But turnovers plagued the Broncos, and the Rough Riders went on a scoring frenzy to add nine unanswered points with three minutes remaining. With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, the Broncos missed six crucial free throws, and Boys Ranch drove it in for two for the lead with only three ticks left on the clock.
“We are just really disappointed,” coach Clint Coley said. “We are in shock with the way it ended after leading the entire game. It’s hard to believe the finality of losing in the play offs.”
Despite the loss, Coley felt the guys played hard.
“We played extremely hard,” Coley said. “It just didn’t work for us that night. I feel really bad for the kids.”
Coley felt the long layoff between the end of the season and the beginning of the play offs hurt the Broncos some.
“Us not playing a meaningful game for that time period hurt us,” Coley said.
The Broncos had a great season and went 8-0 in District to claim the District Championship. Their number three ranking in the state was also a testimony to their success this season.
“There are a lot of positives to this season,” Coley said. “We need to be proud of the good things we did this year. We are looking forward to next year. Our junior varsity team went 18-2, and we are excited about the possibilities next year. We want to build on this year’s success.”
Scoring: Johnny Gaines 12, Derrick Shelton 12, Danzel Wilson 11, Stephino McCampbell 11, Alton Gaines 2, Aaron Gordon 2, and Jadon Thornton 2.
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