Sports

The Clarendon Broncos put together a great 2018 season and finished as Area Champs. The Gruver Greyhounds were able to stop the Broncos’ momentum that they had built up in post-season play and grab the win away from them at 49-14 last Friday night in Borger.

Things looked good in the first quarter that ended scoreless for both teams. After Senior Ryan McCleskey got in for the Broncos’ first score of the night on a nine-yard run, the Greyhounds answered with three scores in the second quarter to put the Broncos behind by 16 points.

McCleskey scored the other Bronco touchdown on a 34-yard run with Zane Sneathen catching the bonus from quarterback Noab Elam. Gruver closed the door for the Broncos in the third quarter earning the right to move on in the playoffs.

Second year head coach and Athletic Director Clint Conkin was pleased with the determination exhibited in all of his players.

“These boys had another great year,” he said. “I am extremely proud of every one of them.”

McCleskey, who has been solid in the backfield all year, finished the game with 112 yards on 27 carries. Preston Elam added 38 more yards on the ground with nine carries. N. Elam carried once for two yards. Defensively, the Broncos played hard and gave it their all. But Gruver was able to take advantage of them at the right times.

“On defense, we had several guys flying around making tackles,” Conkin said. “Again, so proud of this group of young men.”

The Broncos finished the year as Area Champions and were 8-3 for the year.

Coming off a big win over Vega, the Broncos turned up the heat in the Area round against Iraan in Post last Friday night to extend their post-season play.

The Broncos were named as the underdog, but they knew they were the better team as they defeated the Braves 28-14. Clarendon was the fourth seed going in and brought down Iraan who was seeded number one.

The Braves had only one previous loss and finished at 10-2 on the year and the Broncos are 8-3 overall and are the current 2A DIV II Area Champions. They will have another go at the Gruver Greyhounds on Friday, November 30, at Borger at 7:00 p.m. in a Regional contest.

“Our guys played a great game Friday,” head coach Clint Conkin said. “Our defense played awesome.”

Clarendon was able to force the Braves to turn the ball over several times and were able to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes. The Broncos earned one of their touchdowns from the defense as Isaac Dunham picked an interception and ran it in from 62 yards out for the second six of the game.

Caton Grahn led off the scoring for the Broncos in the second quarter on a 25-yard run. After Grahn and Dunham’s TD’s, Preston Elam caught a 16-yard from quarterback Noab Elam for the third score of the second quarter. Nate Lee grabbed a pass from N. Elam for the two-point conversion. The Broncos led 20-7 at the break.

After a scoreless third period, P. Elam scrambled 45 yards for the last Bronco score and Ryan McCleskey added the bonus. The Broncos racked up some pretty impressive stats with three defensive players finishing with double digit tackles. Grahn had 14, and P. Elam and Jamal Butler had 11 each. P. Elam also caused a fumble and Butler had one QB sack, one interception, and one fumble recovery. Zane Sneathen had eight tackles, one sack, one caused fumble, and one fumble recovery, while Gavin Nazario played solid with eight tackles and one sack. Dalton Benson had seven tackles and Dunham had five tackles and one interception.

“Our offense had 250 yards rushing and 30 yards passing,” Conkin said. “Ryan (McCleskey) had 169 yards on 27 carries and one two-point conversion.”

Adding to the offense was P. Elam with six carries for 68 yards and Grahn with 25 yards. N. Elam was three for ten passing for 25 yards that included two strikes to P. Elam.

The Clarendon Broncos were able to get ahold of the Ralls Jackrabbits early Friday night and take care of business with an unstoppable ground game. The Broncos defeated Ralls for the Bi-District Champions 38-13.

Clarendon scored six in the first quarter of play and added eight points in the second. But the Broncos exploded in the third quarter and racked up 18 points. With the game well in hand, the Broncos were able to get the easy win.

The Jackrabbits struggled to stop the Bronco offense all night. Senior Ryan McCleskey had an explosive game on the ground with 308 total yards rushing on 25 carries. McCleskey rushed for five touchdowns to help put the game away.

“I want to give credit to our offensive line for the blocking up front all night,” head coach Clint Conkin said.

The Broncos racked up 317 yards rushing and 20 yards passing on the night. Preston had nine yards and one TD, and one catch for 20 yards from Noab Elam.

Defensively, the Broncos held Ralls to 248 total yards.

“On defense we held Ralls to 189 yards on the ground and 59 yards in the air,” Conkin said. “We had several guys making plays on defense.”

Three Broncos finished with double figures tackles. P. Elam led the way with 18, Dalton Benson had 17, and Caton Grahn had 15. Jamal Butler had seven tackles, Robert McGuire racked up four and one quarterback sack, and McCleskey had two and one sack.

“Several other guys were in on tackles as well,” Conkin said.

The Broncos will play Iraan for the Area Championship Friday, November 23, in Post. Game time is 4:00 p.m. For game updates, follow facebook.com/TheEnterprise.

Making it to the State Cross-Country Meet for the second year in a row was big for Clarendon High School junior runner Kenny Overstreet. He has worked hard all season to accomplish his goal of making it back to State and it paid off.

However, an injury at the meet took Overstreet out of contention as he finished 140th with a time of 20:25.02.

Cross-country coach Kalen Grahn was more than pleased with Overstreet’s season.

“Kenny is past the thrill of going to state, he expects to go and expects to place,” Grahn said. “It was heartbreaking to watch him struggle through the pain and disappointment. His injury during the race ended his hope for a medal.”

Despite the disappointment, the drive and determination to get back next year remains strong.

“This set back will only make him more determined,” Grahn said. “I am very proud of Kenny for having the character and mental strength to push through and finish. I could not have been any prouder of him, than if he had won the state championship.”

Overstreet’s time in the first mile was 5:46. At the two-mile mark he was at 12:35, and he set a pace of 6:33/mile.

Bronco senior Kenny Overstreet has been pounding the streets and knocking on the door of a state appearance all season long. The runner has been consistently in the top ten finishers all year and Monday reaped the benefits of his hard work. Overstreet finished seventh in the Regional Meet held at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock and punched his ticket to the State CC Meet to be held in Old Settlers Park in Round Rock on November 3.

His time for the three-mile course was 17:17.90, which was a little over two minutes off the winning time set by Steven Quintanilla of Sundown. The Broncos finished in 16th place as a team.

“It was a very rewarding day for Kenny,” coach Kalen Grahn said. “He was committed to getting back to the state and he dropped his time by twenty-four seconds on this course. Kenny is a very hard working and humble young man and we have 11 days to keep working to drop more time.”

Gavin Hall finished the race in 55th place with a time of 18:59.50, and Caton Grahn finished 86th with a time of 20:02.50. Jodee Pigg ran the course in a time of 22:21.90 for 132nd place, and Brandon Santos finished in 141st place at 29:32.50.

“Gavin Hall had a very productive day as well,” Grahn said. “He dropped over a minute of time off this course. He did not advance, but he is placing himself in position to be another runner in the future to make a trip to Austin. Caton Grahn has come out to run for us to make a team and I am very grateful for his contribution. Jodee Pigg ran a competitive race and he is in position to go to the next level as well. Brandon Santos has been a reliable steady runner for the past four seasons. He will be missed.”

The Lady Broncos also ran at Regionals finishing 14th as a team led by Madi Smith, who finished 26th with a time of 13:06.80. Lillie Dale was 71st at 13:55.10, and Aubrey Jaramillo was 95th with a time of 14:24.20. Emeri Robinson was 111th at 14:48.90, and Brooke Duncan ran the course in 15:05.00 for 124th place. Gracie Shadle was 140th with a time of 15:30.80, and Brandalyn Ellis was 142nd with a time of 15:31.60.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos amped up their game on both sides of the ball Friday night against the Wheeler Mustangs to come up with a big Homecoming victory at 18-12. The Broncos were deserving of the win and gave a hard-fought performance on the field. They racked up 141 yards rushing and threw for 151 yards in the win.

Defensively, the Mustangs only managed 82 yards rushing and 65 yards in the air against a Bronco defense that was keyed in on nearly every play.

“I thought we played a very good game, especially on defense,” head coach Clint Conkin said. “We had several players with tackles and our defense flew around all night and made big stops when we needed them.”

Seniors Caton Grahn and Dalton Benson showed their strength on defense with 13 tackles each. Grahn earned a sack on the quarterback for the second week in a row. Jamal Butler, Isaac Dunham, and Harm Drenth each had seven tackles with Butler causing a fumble and Dunham and Drenth getting a QB sack. Preston Elam had five tackles, and on fumble recovery while Cole Franks had three tackles and one sack.
Clay Ward had four tackles and several other Broncos had tackles as well.

Offensively, Noab Elam was 11 of 19 passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan McCleskey ran through the Wheeler defense on 28 carries for 132 yards. Preston Elam had six carries for eight yards and caught three passes for 26 yards and two touchdowns. Benson had three carries for two yards and a TD and also caught seven passes for 77 yards. Collin Butler caught a long pass for 44 yards and Nate Lee caught a pass for four yards.

The Broncos have an open date on Friday, September 21, but will defend their winning streak at Memphis September 28 at 7:00 p.m.

Clarendon College student athletes were recently honored with NJCAA Academic All American awards, bringing some high honors to CC.

The Clarendon College Women’s Basketball team was ranked #5 in the nation for their team GPA of 3.54 in the Academic Team of the Year rankings. The #1 team GPA was 3.72 by Barton Community College.

As teams, Women’s Basketball, Softball, Volleyball and Baseball all received honorable mention honors in their respective sports.

In addition, 16 individuals received NJCAA honors for their academic achievement.
NJCAA First Team All Americans earned a GPA of 4.00, and Clarendon College had two individual make this team: Alexis Escobal and Mia Casteneda, both members of the CC Lady Bulldog Basketball Team.

NJCAA Second Team All Americans earned a GPS between 3.80 and 3.99. Eight Clarendon College athletes were named to this team: Julien Cyr, Baseball; Ricardo Velez, Baseball; Chauntel Acosta, Women’s Basketball; Jasmine Hester, Women’s Basketball; Kaleigh Stolz, Women’s Basketball; Taylor Gaines, Women’s Basketball; Devyn Yanello, Softball; and Katelyn Edwards, Volleyball.

NJCAA Third Team All Americans earned a GPA between 3.60 and 3.79. Six Clarendon College student athletes were named to this team: Corey Marches, Baseball; Jason Porter, Baseball; Maurizio Andretta, Baseball; Baily Shelor, Women’s Basketball; Sierra Atchley, Softball; and Madison Price, Volleyball.

The 8th ranked Broncos are taking their stellar season into post-season play and are getting it going right with a big 25-1 run-rule win over Boys Ranch last Tuesday.

The Broncos will play one game against Abernathy on Friday, May 11, at 10:00 a.m. in Lockney in the Area round.

Boys Ranch’s only bright spot in the game was in their first at bat when pitcher Kade Hunsaker walked the first two batters and was hit with a single that scored their one and only run.

After trailing in the first inning, the Broncos turned up the heat like they have been doing all year and quickly put eight runs on the board to take a commanding lead. Four big hits from Preston Elam and great defense in the field gave the Broncos the advantage they are used to, which allowed them to close the game in five innings. Hunsaker earned the win by allowing one hit and run while striking out five in his three innings on the mound. Josh Cobb and Noab Elam helped in the fourth and fifth to seal the deal. As a team, the Broncos posted 23 hits in the game.

P. Elam racked up several hits going four for four with a single and double in the first, and a single and in-the-park homerun in the third inning.

The eight runs the Broncos recorded in the first came from a single by Payton Havens, a single by Nathan Shadle, a double by P. Elam, and a single by Hunsaker. They also capitalized on a huge third inning by scoring 11 runs. Andy Davis, Shadle, Payton Hicks, Cobb, Havens, and Hunsaker all had RBI’s in the game.

“(I am) very proud of these young men,” coach Brad Elam said. “They played a great game under very windy conditions. Pitching of Hunsaker, Cobb, and Noab Elam only gave up two hits while striking out nine. Hitters were fantastic, and Preston Elam crushed the ball all game. Every starter had a hit. It was a great way to start off the playoffs.”

The Bronco baseball team is playing the best baseball in the District and ended their regular season by blowing out the Wellington Skyrockets at 15-0 at home. They finished with a perfect district season with 12 wins.

According to coach Brad Elam, Nathan Shadle pitched his best game of the year against Wellington.

“He was one hit away from pitching a perfect game,” Elam said. “He faced the minimum amount of batters in his five innings and struck out seven and walked no one.”

Defensively, the Broncos shined and their hitting was back on track.

“Joshua Cobb, Payton Havens, Andy Davis, Collin Butler, and Noab Elam each had two hits,” Elam said. “Kade Hunsaker and Davis had two RBI and Havens knocked in three.”

Hunsaker also scored three runs and Cobb, Preston Elam, N. Elam, and Shadle each scored two runs.

“Good way to end the regular season,” Elam said.

The Broncos took on Bushland on Saturday and lost 1-11.

“Thought we competed very well against a very good team,” Elam said. “We were able to jump on them early after a double by Josh Cobb and a single and RBI by Preston Elam. Bats kind of went quiet after that.”

The Bronco defense played fairly solid according to Elam and turned a big double play. Hunsaker got the call on the mound and had a great game striking out four in the three innings he pitched. He also only gave up three hits and two runs.

“We just had a bad fifth inning,” Elam said. “Really proud of how we showed up focused and how we competed.”

The Broncos started post-season play against Boys Ranch for the bi-district title as the Enterprise went to press Tuesday evening. We’ll have details of that victory next week.

The Clarendon Bronco baseball team is setting in a good spot at 11-0 in District in the race for post-season play with an 20-2 overall record. Earlier in the week, the Broncos soundly defeated Memphis, 16-1.

According to coach Brad Elam, the Broncos played a great game and the pitchers threw well.

“Josh Cobb and Preston Elam only allowed four hits while striking out 10,” Elam said.

The Broncos were on target on the offensive side as well.

“(The) hitters had a big day at the plate,” Elam said. “Cobb was two for three with four runs batted in and Preston Elam walked twice, scored three runs, and hit a homerun that was ruled foul.”

Payton Hicks hit a shot off of the wall and scored three runs and Andy Davis had a two-run single. Kade Hunsaker, Payton Havens, and Noab Elam scored two runs each in the game.

The Broncos also defeated a good Bushland JV team 4-2. Elam noted that this team was a good team and great pitching and timely hitting was key.

“Kade Hunsaker pitched one of his best games of the year giving up only five hits and two runs while only walking one and striking out 10,” Elam said.

Hunsaker also had a huge hit that drove in the last two runs with a double that scored Cobb and N. Elam.

“We were able to get our first two runs on a key one out double in the third scoring Cobb and N. Elam,” Elam said.

“Cobb and Collin Butler each had two hits and our defense was outstanding again with no errors.”

On Friday, the Broncos earned a big 7-5 win over Nazareth to stay on top in the District race. The Broncos struggled somewhat after their big win over Bushland but were able to get back on track.

“This was a difficult game,” Elam said. “After coming off a big win against Bushland JV, it took a while for us to get going. “(Our) pitching of Noab Elam and Cobb was good.”

The Broncos struggled a bit on the defensive side but were able to pull it together at a crucial time.

“(We) had some defensive problems at time and also struggled at the plate,” Elam said. “We had some base running blunders. We started behind but were able to take the lead in the second with an Andy Davis single and Nathan Shadle walk.”

After the Broncos posted two runs, the Swifts tied the game in the third and took a three-run lead in the fifth. But, the Broncos fought back with three walks and a big hit from Hunsaker. Payton Hicks was able to drive in the go ahead run with a double in the Broncos’ turn at the plate. Dalton Benson scored an insurance run as the DR for Hicks to help solidify the win.

“I’m a little disappointed on the way we came out,” Elam said,” but was happy with the comeback. The win allowed us to clinch the district championship.”

The Broncos will play Childress here April 27 at 4:00 p.m. and travel to Bushland April 28 to finish their regular season play.