Sports

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos had a good week on the court while maintaining their number one spot in the district race by defeating Wellington and Panhandle.

The Broncos defeated Wellington 61-40 at home and skimmed by Panhandle on the road with a 36-35 final.

The Broncos jumped out to an early lead over the Rockets, but cold shooting allowed Wellington to start a come back in the second quarter. After regrouping at the break, the Broncos retook control of the game and got the win.

The Broncos did a good job of shooting the three as Colt Wood hit three and Bryce Grahn and Keandre Cortez each put in one. They only shot four free throws in the game and made good on three of them.

Wood had 17, K. Cortez had 11, and Marshal Johnson put in 10. Chance Lockhart had nine, Bear Smith had eight, Grahn put in five, and Damarjae added one.

The Broncos played a tighter game in Panhandle and went down to the wire to get the one-point win. Panhandle lead after one, but the Broncos came back to tie the game at 12 before the break. After fighting it out, the game went down to just ticks left on the clock and tied at 35 all.

Colt Wood went up for a shot with one second on the clock and was fouled. He missed the first free shot, but made the second to put his team up by one. Time ran out for the Panthers and the Broncos won the game.

“We did not shoot well, but we continue to play good defense,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “I was proud of the way the kids found a way to win. We have not won in Panhandle in a long time.”

Grahn had 13 and shot seven out of nine from the bonus line and Johnson had nine. Wood put in six, Smith had four, and Lockhart and Jacob Jeffers added two each.

Smith also had nine rebounds and Lockhart had eight. Grahn had two assists and K. Cortez and Wood each had one. Lockhart had one steal, and Grahn and Johnson helped with one each. Wood had four deflections in the game.

The Broncos will travel to Memphis on Friday, February 10, to finish their regular season play.

By Sandy Anderberg

Jensen hit three three-pointers in the first half of play to help the Lady Broncos set the tempo of the game in their 42-31 rout over Wellington at home last week. The win gave them third place in the district race and a spot in the playoffs.

Clarendon led by four after the first quarter, but extended that lead before the break. A huge third quarter for the ladies sealed the deal in the win. Overall, the ladies hit 23 for 30 free throws, which gave them the momentum they needed to defeat Wellington for the second time this season. Brianna Butler racked up 18 points and went 14/16 from the line. Jensen Hatley put in 10 and Hannah Hommel helped with seven. Hannah Howard, Briley Chadwick, and Berkeley Alexander each put in two, and Shaelyn Owiti added one.

On Friday night, the Lady Broncos traveled to Panhandle and despite playing hard, fell short 25-55.

“Panhandle’s high powered offense and defense were too much for us to handle,” coach Korey Conkin said. “We struggled handling the ball early and dug ourselves a hold. It is tough to get down to a disciplined team like Panhandle. We need to be more confident. It is frustrating knowing they can do so much better.”

Butler put in 10 and Hatley had six. Howard put in four and Owiti and Alexander each had two, and Hommel added one.

The Lady Broncos’ playoff game will be Monday, February 13, against Gruver.

By Sandy Anderberg

The 20-2 Clarendon Broncos kept up their winning streak last week as they rolled over Memphis at home and Wheeler on the road.

That overall winning record, which includes going 5-0 so far in district, has given the Broncos a high state ranking according to the coaches’ poll. After this week, the Broncos will only have three regular season games left.

The Broncos easily defeated the Cyclones, 79-40, with their quickness on defense and their great offensive execution. The Broncos took the early lead in the first quarter of play and were able to turn up their game before the break to take a commanding lead.

The Cyclones were helpless to stop their attack and the Broncos coasted to the win.

Marshal Johnson completely dominated inside and the team was able to feed him the ball all night. Johnson finished with 30 points. Bear Smith and Jacob Jeffers also finished in double figures to help lead their team to the win with 16 and 11 points respectively. Smith also grabbed nine rebounds. Bryce Grahn scored six points, but had four rebounds, six assists, four steals, and two deflections.

Chance Lockhart added six points, six assists, and three steals, and Colt Wood had six points (including one three-pointer), six assists, and four rebounds. Damarjae Cortez had two points and three deflections and Keandre Cortez added two points with two deflections.

“Marshal had a great game shooting the ball,” head coach Brandt Lockhart said. “We did a good job of playing team defense and our guards did a great job of getting Marshal the ball.”

The Broncos had a little tougher win against the Wheeler Mustangs Friday night. They were able to defeat them 45-31. Lockhart felt the Broncos’ defense was key in the win.

“Overall we did not play our best game, but did a good job on defense,” he said.

The Broncos led the entire game, but the Mustangs kept it somewhat close in the first half of play. Lockhart hit two-three pointers for a total of 15 to lead the Broncos on the board, and Johnson added 10.

Wood hit one three and finished with nine, while D. Cortez had five. Smith helped with four, and K. Cortez and Jeffers each had one. Smith grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the team and Lockhart had eight. He also had three assists and two steals. Wood had four assists and three steals, Grahn had three assists, and Johnson had two steals.

The Broncos will travel to Panhandle Friday, February 3, and host Claude on Tuesday, February 7, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos needed a good week at home and on the road to stay alive in the playoff race as their season comes to an end. They did just that by getting wins over Memphis and Wheeler. Their spot in the playoffs is secure with two games remaining.

The ladies took on Memphis at home Tuesday night and defeated them 45-35. The game was tight in the first quarter of play, but the Lady Broncos were able to have a solid shooting game in the second eight minutes to give them the momentum going into the break. Memphis was able to close the gap slightly after halftime, but the Lady Broncos stayed focused to get the win.

“The girls rallied in the fourth quarter against Memphis by taking care of the ball and making their free-throws to pull ahead of the Lady Cyclones,” coach Korey Conkin said.  “We needed to have a solid game, four quarters of focused play. We have struggled on our home court, which is frustrating and hard to understand. We finally played well at the Broncos Gymnasium.

“Briana Butler led the way in the point guard position and was solid throughout all four quarters. Shaelyn stepped up and went four of four from the line in the fourth to help seal the deal.”

Butler hit three big three-pointers and finished with 19 points to lead the Lady Broncos on the scoreboard. Shaelyn Owiti hit one three and added 11 points. Berkeley Alexander hit six from inside, and Briley Chadwick helped with five. Hannah Howard added two, and Hannah Hommel helped with one.

Wheeler was a closer game for the ladies, but they pulled out a 37-32 win to stay in contention for the playoffs. After trailing by five in the first quarter, the Lady Broncos stepped up their offense to tie the game at 14 all at the break. Defense was key after the break as the ladies held the Lady Stangs to only one point in the third quarter. They stayed solid in the final eight minutes to get the win. Owiti hit three three-pointers and finished with 13 and Butler added 10. Jensen Hatley shot the three ball well hitting two big shots and helped with eight. Howard, Hommel, and Alexander added two points each.

“We struggled with their defensive pressure in the beginning,” Conkin said. “Shaelyn got hot from the three-point line in the second to five us a spark.” Conkin was pleased with their performance from the bonus line at the end of the game. “The girls shot well from the free throw line in the final minutes to grab the victory,” she said. “We concentrated on blocking out all week in practice and they handled the challenge well. We hope to continue to improve I this area as well as handling defensive pressure with confidence.”

The Lady Broncos will finish district play this week with games at Panhandle on Friday, February 3, and a game at home on Tuesday, February 7, against Claude.

By Sandy Anderberg

It was a good week for the Broncos as they smashed two good teams to go 18-2 overall. They defeated Panhandle at home, 73-51, and annihilated Claude on the road, 79-19. The Broncos are playing great basketball and are using their quickness on both sides of the court to frustrate opponents. The Panthers gave them a little competition at best but were helpless against their quickness and strong defense.

Four Broncos finished in double figures in that game with Bear Smith leading the way with 17. Colt Wood and Chance Lockhart each hit two three-pointers and ended the game with 16 and 15 points respectively. Once again Marshal Johnson was the Broncos’ strength down under and made good on 15 points. Keandre Cortez and Bryce Grahn added four points each, and Jacob Jeffers helped with two. Lockhart also added eight rebounds, three steals, and two assists while Grahn had six rebounds, and two deflections. K. Cortez ended the game with four assists, two deflections, and two steals. Wood had two steals and Smith had two assists. Head coach Brandt Lockhart was very pleased with both wins.

“We came out and played really well in a key district game,” he said. “We were able to get turnovers and turn them into easy points. We shot a season high 63 percent from the field.”

The Broncos overpowered the Mustangs from the tip off leaving the Mustangs powerless against the stronger Broncos. It was never a contest and the Broncos coasted to the 60-point win.

“We were able to put pressure on their guards and get turnovers,” Lockhart said. “We did a good job of finding the open man.”

Once again four Broncos finished in double figures and racked up good stats in the game. Grahn finished with 18 points and Lockhart had 13. Smith put in 12 and K. Cortez added 10. Wood and Johnson helped with eight each and Jeffers added two. Wood hit one three and went three for three from the free throw line and Smith went two for two.

The Broncos will travel to Wheeler Friday, January 27, and host Wellington on Tuesday, January 31, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos faced off against two highly ranked teams last week and suffered two losses.

On Tuesday night the ladies matched up against number five ranked Panhandle at home and were defeated 17-63.

Things did not go as they had planned, and cold shooting hindered them even further. Panhandle took advantage of turnovers converting them to points. The Lady Ettes also hit seven three-pointers in the game and converted 12 of 15 from the bonus line.

On Friday, the ladies traveled to Claude; and despite playing better offensively, the Lady Broncos took a 37-74 loss. The game was closer through three quarters than the final score suggested as Clarendon struggled in the last eight minutes to put points on the board.

“We had two very challenging games this week,” coach Korey Conkin said. “Claude is the number one ranked team in the state, and Panhandle is ranked number five. We could not handle the pressure.”

Conkin feels her girls are better than the two losses showed.

“The girls are capable of playing with these teams, but they struggle with confidence when matching up with ranked teams,” she said. “We are looking to bounce back from these losses with strength and poise. We are sitting third in district standings after the first round of play and as the second round begins we will be ready.”

Scoring in the Panhandle game: Brianna Butler 8, Briley Chadwick 5, Shaelyn Owiti and Berkeley Alexander 2.

Scoring in the Claude game: Butler 12, Owiti 9, Alexander 8, Hannah Howard and Hannah Hommel 3, and Jensen Hatley 2.

The Lady Broncos travel to Wheeler Friday, January 27, and take on Wellington at home on Tuesday, January 31, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos put together four great quarters of basketball last Friday night in Wellington and upset them, 47-43.

The Lady Rockets jumped to the early lead in the first quarter by three, but only led by two at the break. That gap remained after three, but the Lady Broncos had grabbed the momentum and were able to set the tempo of the game going into the final period of play.

The Lady Broncos overtook their opponent in the fourth quarter and were stellar from the bonus line hitting seven out of eight. Brianna Butler was perfect from the bonus stripe hitting four out of four in the fourth quarter and making good on six in the game. Hannah Hommel hit three out of four in the fourth to help her team.

Coach Korey Conkin coached a laid-back attitude in preparing for the Lady Rockets.

“We went in with the attitude of just playing hard and having fun with no pressure and it worked,” Conkin said. “We play the most amazing defense and handled their full court man to man pressure with ease. It was an all-around great game of the Lady Broncos. (It is) so extremely emotional and exciting.”

Butler led on the board with 19 and Shaelyn Owiti helped with 16 that included three three-pointers. Berkeley Alexander finished with six points and Jensen Hatley and Hommel each had three.

The Lady Broncos had another win against Wheeler that same week at 45-41. They trailed until the end of the final quarter but worked hard to rally back and were rewarded with a huge win.

Clarendon was able to pick up the pace in the final eight minutes and made crucial shots. Butler nailed two three-pointers and hit five out of seven free throws to help her team. Hatley hit a three as well and Briley Chadwick went 50 percent from the bonus line.

Butler finished with 17, Owiti had eight, Hannah Howard put in seven, Chadwick five, Hatley and Alexander three, and Hommel two.

The ladies will travel to Claude on Friday, January 20, and play at 6:30 before hosting Memphis at home on January 24.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Wellington Rockets were helpless in their attempt to defeat the Broncos on their home court last Friday night in Wellington. The Broncos set the tempo from the tip off and earned a 61-25 win.

The Broncos only led by three in the first quarter but turned up the heat in the second eight minutes of play. They were able to outscore their opponent and take an eight-point lead into the break. They were able to coast in the final two periods of play to get the 36-point win.

Three Broncos finished in double figures with Marshal Johnson leading the way with 16. Bear Smith put in 12 and Colt Wood added 10.

Chance Lockhart had eight, Jacob Jeffers had seven, Bryce Grahn had five, and Keandre Cortez put in three.

Earlier in the week, the Broncos took on San Jacinto and were able to get a seven-point win at 56-49. The Broncos outhustled their opponent and stayed focused. San Jacinto tried to rally back but ran out of time.

Grahn put in 16 and Johnson had 14. Lockhart had eight, Wood had seven, Smith put in six, Damarjae Cortez had three, and Jeffers helped with two. Grahn also had nine rebounds, three assists, and three deflections. Smith had seven rebounds and Lockhart had four assists and two reflections. Wood had four steals and the Cortez brothers had three steals each.

The Broncos will travel to Claude on Friday, January 20, and take on Memphis at home on Tuesday, January 24 beginning at 8:00 each night.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos know it will be a tough road for them in district play, but a win over Memphis will boost their confidence level for the games ahead.  The ladies fought hard on the road and brought home a 44-41 win last Friday night.  That win put the ladies at 12-5 overall and 1-0 in district play for the year.

Things began slowly for the Lady Broncos as they trailed the Lady Cyclones by four after the first eight minutes.  But a great second and third quarter propelled them to the lead as they went into the final quarter of play.  Coach Korey Conkin was pleased with the win.

“We started district out right, with a win on the road,” she said.  “Memphis has an athletic group of girls.”

The Lady Broncos turned up the heat defensively and held the Lady Cyclones to only five points in the second and three points in the third.  Memphis was not finished as they came storming back in the final eight minutes of the game.  However, the Lady Broncos held on to get the win.  Brianna Butler led on the scoreboard with 14 and Berkeley Alexander went to work inside to add 12.  Shaelyn Owiti was strong on the outside and finished with 11.

“This is only the first of many battles that we will see in district play,” Conkin said.  “We must keep working hard at practice to be prepared for each opponent.”

Finishing out the scoring for the Lady Broncos was Hannah Howard with three, and Hannah Hommel and Briley Chadwick with two each.  The ladies shot 16 for 22 from the bonus line.

The Lady Broncos will travel to Wellington Friday, January 13, and take on Panhandle at home on Tuesday, January 17, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos played five games in the Gruver Tournament over the holidays and defeated Texline in the first round at 61-44.

The ladies held a slight advantage after the first eight minutes, but turned up the heat in the second quarter to extend their lead. They were able to play fundamental basketball until the end and walked away with the win. Brianna Butler put in 18 points, and Shaelyn Owiti added 11 to lead the Lady Broncos. Briley Chadwick had seven, Berkeley Alexander had six, Jensen Hatley and Emily Johnson had five, Brandalyn Ellis put in four, Hannah Howard and Kira Weatherton each had two, and Hannah Hommel helped with one.

They went up against powerhouse Canadian in the next round and were defeated, 14-64. The ladies could never get anything going against the strong team. Owiti had seven, Alexander four, and Butler three.

The ladies took the next game with Borger into overtime and narrowly defeated them, 50-49.

The Lady Broncos jumped out to an early lead, but allowed the Lady Bulldogs back into the game before the break. Clarendon held the advantage after three, but Borger came back to send the game to OT. Alexander led the way with good inside work putting in 14 and Butler helped with 13. Howard and Chadwick each had seven, Owiti six, and Hatley three.

They took on San Jacinto next and earned a two-point win at 52-50. The game was close throughout, but the ladies hung on to get the win. Butler put in 23 points and went nine for eleven from the bonus line. Owiti had 12 and Alexander put in 11. Chadwick had four and Hommel put in two. As a team, the Lady Broncos shot 80 percent from the free throw line.

That win put the ladies in the consolation round where they took on Dalhart. Despite playing hard, the ladies were defeated, 37-69. The scoring was spread out nicely, but they struggled to stay with the Lady Wolves.

Butler, Owiti, and Ellis finished with eight each and Alexander added four. Howard and Hommel put in three each and Johnson added one.

“The girls had several tough games during the tourney,” coach Korey Conkin said. “We beat Borger, a 4A school in OT by one and beat a well-rounded San Jacinto team by one point as well. We were outmatched all around by an extremely talented Canadian team who is ranked number one in the state 3A division. We beat Texline fairly easily and our younger girls were able to get quite a bit of playing time. Dalhart was very quick and we had a hard time finding the energy to compete with them in the consolation championship.”

The Lady Broncos will begin district play January 6 in Memphis at 6:30 p.m. They will take on Wheeler at home on Tuesday, January 10.