Sports

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos stepped out of the area last week and competed in a basketball tournament in Bridgeport. The Tourney hosted several big schools, but Clarendon was one of the smallest that participated. The Broncos met up against three 4A schools and one 5A school.

They took on 4A Aubrey in the first round and fell short at 68-73. Four players finished in double figures in the close game. Bryce Grahn led the Broncos on the scoreboard with 25 points and Colt Wood added 15. Chance Lockhart and Marshal Johnson each put in 11. Damarjae Cortez added three, Jacob Jeffers had two, and Bear Smith had one.

They went up against Salado in the second round and breezed by them at 58-23. There was never any doubt as the Broncos were able to dominated on both ends of the court to get the win. Wood and Grahn finished in double numbers with 23 and 10 points. Lockhart added nine and Jeffers had five.

It was another easy game for the Broncos in the third round as they defeated Benbrook 73-48. The Broncos were able to control every aspect of the game and cruise to the win. Lockhart led the way with 18, Grahn put in 13, Johnson had 11, and Smith added 10. Jeffers had nine, Wood, put in seven, and Cortez had five.

In the last round of the tournament, the Broncos went head to head with 5A Northwest Eaton. They played hard and stayed with their opponent, but lost by only four points at 50-54. Three Broncos were able to get into double figures on the scoreboard with Grahn leading the way with 17. Lockhart had 14 and Johnson put in 10. Wood had six, Cortez 2, and Smith put in one.

“Overall we played well at the tournament,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “Hopefully this will help us in the long run by playing bigger schools. I was please with our effort both days.”

The Broncos will travel to Bushland January 6 and play at 8:00 p.m. after the JV plays at 6. They will be on the road January 9 at San Jacinto beginning at 5:30 and 7:00.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos remain undefeated at 12-0 with their recent championship over Lockney in the Lockney Tournament December 15-17. The Broncos played the host team in the championship game and came home with the 72-54 win and first place trophy.

After trailing by three after the first eight minutes, the Broncos turned up the heat and scored 27 points to only 11 for their opponent. However, Lockney was able to come back somewhat after break, which caused the Broncos to turn up the heat in the final quarter of the game to get the win.

Keandre Cortez led the Broncos with 18, Chance Lockhart put in 15, Bryce Grahn had 14, and Marshal Johnson added 11. Bear Smith put in seven, Colt Wood had five, and Jacob Jeffers helped with two. Johnson and Grahn had seven rebounds each, and Wood had six assists. Lockhart and Grahn helped with four assists each. Grahn had four steals and Cortez had thee.

The Broncos got to the championship round by defeating Tahoka in the first round of play at 84-40. They were able to handle Tahoka completely and never allowed them to be a part of the game.

Six Broncos finished in double figures with Johnson leading the way with 20. Lockhart put in 15 and Grahn added 14. Smith each had 11 and Wood and Jeffers each finished with 10, and K. Cortez helped with four. Johnson finished with 12 rebounds giving him a double-double and Grahn and Smith each had eight. Grahn helped with 11 assists and Wood had seven. Grahn also had eight steals with K. Cortez getting four.

The Broncos went up against the Lubbock Titans in the second round and breezed by them, 78-38. Great defensive play propelled the Broncos to the win and allowed them to coast offensively.

Lockhart put in 17, Smith 16, Johnson 12, and Grahn 10. K. Cortez had nine and Damarjae Cortez helped with seven. Once again Johnson grabbed 12 rebounds and Grahn had eight. Wood and D. Cortez each had four assists, and Grahn and K. Cortez had eight and five steals respectively.

The Broncos will participate in the Bridgeport Holiday Tournament December 29-30.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos traveled to Booker before the Christmas break and brought home a huge 55-25 win. The Lady Kiowas were unable to stop the Lady Broncos as they set a strong defense.

With opening quarters of 13 points each, the Lady Broncos surged ahead by 10 at the break. They were able to maintain that lead and control the momentum in the game. They also sealed the win early in the fourth quarter.

Brianna Butler was on fire finishing with 21 points and Jensen Hatley had the hot hand from the three-point line as she nailed four three-pointers for a total of 12 points. Shaelyn Owiti hit two threes and added eight, while Berkeley Alexander added six from inside. Hannah Hommel had four, and Briley Chadwick finished the game with two.

Over the weekend, the Lady Broncos participated in the Lockney Tournament and went up against Happy in the first round. They fought to the end, but fell short by at 32-34.

They trailed the Cowgirls by five after one quarter, but only trailed by three at the break. A poor-shooting third quarter stifled the Lady Broncos somewhat and Happy was able to build a bigger lead going into the final quarter. The Lady Broncos staged a comeback, but the clock was not on their side and they lost by two.

“We had a slow start against Happy,” coach Korey Conkin said. “We have to learn to start every game with energy and intensity.”

Shaelyn Owiti led the ladies on the scoreboard with15, and Brianna Butler added nine. Berkeley Alexander put in seven, and Hannah Howard finished with two.

They took on Tahoka in the next round and suffered another close loss at 49-52. They began the game trailing their opponent, but they fought hard and worked their way back in the game in the following minutes. Tahoka led the entirety, but the Lady Broncos could not contain Tahoka’s best player.

“This was another close game against Tahoka,” Conkin said. “They had one very good shooter and we struggled to stop her. We had our chances but came up short.”

Alexander was strong inside and finished with 15 and Butler helped with 11. Chadwick had six, Hatley had five, Emily Johnson and Hommel put in three each, and Howard and Owiti added two each.

The Lady Broncos took on Ralls in the final round and easily defeated them, 77-22. It was never a contest as Ralls had trouble stopping them.

The Lady Broncos were able to shoot a little over 50 percent from the free throw line, and Owiti connected on five from the three-point line. She finished with 27 points to lead the Lady Broncos.

Butler had 16 and Alexander put in nine. Hatley, Kira Weatherton, Brandalyn Ellis, Hommel, and Chadwick each put in four points and Howard and Johnson had two each.

“This was a much better outing for the girls,” Conkin said. “We played great defense and had a total team effort where each girl scored.”

The Lady Broncos will participate in the Gruver Tournament over the holidays on December 28-30.

By Sandy Anderberg

Clarendon’s Clay Koetting was named as the Defensive MVP for his linebacker position, and Riley Shadle was named the Fighting Heart Award winner when Athletic Director Gary Jack has released the All-District selections for District II.

The District Most Valuable Player went to David Dickson from Memphis. The offensive MVP went to Jose Tellez from Memphis.

Other honorees were Keandre Cortez and Clint Franks, who were named to the first team at the running back position, and Preston Elam was named as a wide receiver. Jacob Jeffers made the team as a tight end and Seth Greer and Nick Shadle were named to the offensive line. Taylon Knorpp and Justin Christopher were named to the team as defensive linemen, and Nick Shadle was also named as a linebacker. Keandre Cortez and Bryce Grahn were named for their position in the defensive secondary. Clay Koetting was named as the kicker and Bear Smith was named as a utility player.

The District coaches also named a Second Team All-District. Damarjae Cortez was named as quarterback, and Andy Davis was named to the team at his wide receiver position. Taylon Knorpp was named to the offensive line, and Marshal Johnson was named to the defensive tackle position. Daquawne Oliver and Andy Davis were named to the linebacker position, and Damarjae Cortez and Preston Elam were named to the defensive secondary spot.

Clarendon Offensive Honorable mentions were Marshal Johnson, Justin Christopher, Daquawne Oliver, Jack Moore, Isaac Dunham, Bryce Grahn, and Clay Koetting. Defensive Honorable Mentions: Seth Greer, Jacob Jeffers, and Clint Franks.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos finished playing in Miami December 3 and brought home a huge tournament win by getting passed Gruver and West Texas High. The Broncos defeated Gruver 72-45 and skimmed by WT at 67-65.

The Greyhounds were really no competition for the Broncos as they took control on the offensive end, and proved to be too quick for Gruver to stop. Defensively, the Broncos stopped everything the Greyhounds tried and dominated on both ends. Four Broncos finished in double figures and they connected on seven three-pointers in the game. Bryce Grahn put in 15 and Bear Smith had 14. Colt Wood and Chance Lockhart each had 11. Keandre Cortez had seven, Marshal Johnson had six, Jared Jeffers put in five and Damarjae Cortez had three. Grahn had eight assists, and four steals and Lockhart had three assists while Johnson had nine rebounds, and Jeffers and Smith each grabbed six. Smith also had five steals.

The WT game was a more difficult win for the Broncos, but they were able to get by them. The Broncos led throughout, but WT would not quit and finished with three players in double figures.

“Overall, we played well in the tournament,” head coach Brandt Lockhart said. “We were able to win the tournament against a very good West Texas team.”

Lockhart hit four three-pointers and finished with 21 points, while Johnson was strong inside with 19 points. Grahn added 12 to join them in double figures. Wood pumped in seven, D. Cortez had five, Smith two, and K. Cortez 1. Grahn had three assists and three steals and D. Cortez had four assists and two steals. Smith and Johnson each had five rebounds, and Lockhart had two steals.

On Tuesday, the Broncos hosted Vega and they were able to get another big win at 42-17. It was never a contest for the Broncos as they were able to gain a twelve-point lead at the break. The Longhorns could only manage one point in the second quarter against a tough Bronco defense. Grahn finished with 10 points and six steals, and Johnson had nine points, two assists and eight rebounds. Smith also had nine points with four steals and Lockhart put in six points and two assists. Wood had five points and K. Cortez had three. D. Cortez also had seven rebounds. “We did not shoot the ball well, but were able to play very good defense and get them out of their offense,” Lockhart said. “We still need to keep improving in all areas.”

The Broncos will play in the Lockney Tournament December 15-17 and participate in the Bridgeport Tournament December 29-30.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos took on Caprock in the Miami Tournament and easily defeated them 56-28. It was never a contest for the ladies as they were able to dictate the tempo of the game.

Clarendon took a huge lead early in the game and led by 17 points at the break. The Lady Longhorns were unable to get anything going against the Lady Broncos, who were playing solid defense. Brianna Butler finished with 18 points, Shaelyn Owiti had 14, and Berkeley Alexander added 12. Hannah Hommel and Briley Chadwick each had four, Jensen Hatley had three, and Emily Johnson put in two. Owiti hit two three-pointers and the team shot 90 percent from the free throw line.

They then went up against Sanford-Fritch and used their steady offense to get a 42-27 win. Once again, they were tough on both ends of the court and used solid defense to stop their opponent. Butler and Alexander each put in 12, Owiti had eight, Hommel put in four, and Hannah Howard and Chadwick put in three. They were 13/18 from the bonus line.

They then took on McLean and struggled to get anything going. The Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Broncos 54-32. McLean jumped out to the early lead and shut down Clarendon’s offensive attack. A huge scoring second quarter gave McLean the advantage and the Lady Broncos could never recover. Hatley led the ladies on the scoreboard with 10, including two three-pointers and four for four from the bonus line. Owiti put in nine, and Alexander had seven. Hoard put in three, Butler had two, and Hommel added one.

Coach Korey Conkin felt the ladies learned a great deal despite the loss in the championship game.

“Making it to the champions game in the Miami tournament was a goal for us,” Conkin said. “Even though we fell short to McLean, we learned a lot and improved our game throughout the tourney.”

On Tuesday, the Lady Broncos succumbed to Vega 29-34. The game was back and forth with the Lady Longhorns holding the advantage by one at the break. A poor-shooting third quarter hurt the Lady Broncos and Vega earned the win. Butler had 11 and Alexander put in six. Owiti put in four, Hatley and Howard each put in three, and Chadwick had two.

“As far as this game turned out, we had absolutely zero energy in that game,” Conkin said. “We felt like we let that one get away from us. We should’ve come out of that one with a win. It was a disappointing outing for sure.”

The Lady Broncos will play in the Lockney Tournament December 15-17 and participate in the Gruver Tournament December 28-30.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos won big over River Road last week and brought home a 68-31 win. Intense hustle allowed the Broncos to dominate the Wildcats causing them to struggle on both ends of the court.

A huge first quarter set the tone for the Broncos, who had the game in hand at the break. River Road was helpless to do much as the Broncos controlled the game and the momentum.

“We shot the ball really well,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “We hit eight threes in the first quarter. We did a good job on defense.”

Colt Wood finished big with 28 points, which included six three-pointers. Bryce Grahn added 14, and Chance Lockhart put in nine. Keandre Cortez had eight, Marshal Johnson had five, Jacob Jeffers finished with four, and Damarjae Cortez had one.

On Thursday, the Broncos played two games in the Miami Tournament and scored two huge wins. They defeated Perryton JV 71-20 and got the best of the host team 67-9.

In the Perryton game, the Broncos flexed their muscle early on as their offense was spot on. They were able to take a 29-point lead into the break and finished strong as they continued to put distance between them and the Rangers.

“We were able to play good defense and turn it into easy baskets,” Lockhart said.

Johnson dominated inside and put in 27 points for the Broncos, and Wood added 19. Jeffers had 12, Smith added two, and Grahn had one.

They were able to annihilate the Warriors in the second game by a great defensive effort. The Broncos only allowed their opponent three points in the first half and held them to single digits for the entire game.

“We moved the ball well on offense and played very good defense,” Lockhart said. “We are now 5-0.”

Four Broncos finished in double figures and the team combined for 100 percent from the bonus line. Wood and Smith each had 14, K. Cortez put in 12, Jeffers had 10, Grahn had nine, Johnson added six, and D. Cortez had three. The score included five three-pointers from three different players.

A full report of the Miami Tournament will be in next week’s edition of the Enterprise.

The Broncos will travel to Booker on December 13 and will participate in the Lockney Tournament December 15-17.

Briley Chadwick put in the winning shot in the Lady Broncos’ game with River Road last week with only a few ticks left on the clock.

Her two-pointer gave the Lady Broncos the lead, but left the Lady Cats with one last attempt at the win. Time ran out for River Road, and the Lady Broncos earned the 44-42 win.

The game was close throughout with both teams fighting hard for the win. The 23-23 tie at half was a demonstration of the level of play both teams were exhibiting. But the Lady Broncos stayed focused and fought through until the end to get the win at the buzzer.

Shaelyn Owiti was on fire from the three-point line and finished with 15 points. She was also perfect from the bonus line at three of three. Berkeley Alexander finished with nine, Brianna Butler had eight, Hannah Hommel put in seven, Jensen Hatley had three, and Chadwick two.

Over the weekend, the Lady Broncos took on Kress in the Miami Tournament and blew them away at 93-18.

Everything went the Lady Broncos’ way from the tip off. They were able to grab the momentum early and shut down Kress with their hustle defense. Offensively, the team spread out the scoring with six ladies in double figures. Butler put in 16, Hatley and Johnson each had 15, Hannah Howard put in 14, Owiti put down 13, and Alexander had 10. Hommel and Brandalyn Ellis each had six, Madi Gay had four, and Chadwick put in two.

“The girls have been playing well in the Miami Tourney,” coach Korey Conkin said. “We have been able to adjust to many different defenses as well as full court pressure. They have been showing great discipline and also their teamwork is getting stronger each time we play. hoping to keep improving and having fun.”

A full report of the Miami Tournament will be in next week’s edition of the Enterprise.

The Lady Broncos will go to Booker December 13 and participate in the Lockney Tournament December 15-17.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos took on the Lockney Lady Longhorns at home last Tuesday night and finished with a 57-33 win. According to coach Korey Conkin, the ladies began slow, but regained their offense and were able to put points on the board.

After playing the first quarter the ladies led by three, but were able to put on a scoring show in the second eight minutes. They put 16 points on the board to take a sizable lead into the break.

“The girls played a great game,” Conkin said. “We had trouble early, missing too many easy buckets, but once we found our rhythm, it was good. Our defense keeps getting better with time and we are learning to control our bodies and stay out of foul trouble.”

The Lady Broncos shot 50 percent from the free throw line and had 19 total fouls.

Berkeley Alexander was strong inside for the ladies and finished with 21 points to lead the Lady Broncos on the scoreboard. She also made 75 percent of her free throws. Brianna Butler went five for seven from the bonus line and put in 15 points to help her team. Shaelyn Owiti had nine, which include one three-pointer, and Hannah Hommel added six. Emily Johnson had four, Hannah Howard 2, and Briley Chadwick 1.

The Lady Broncos will participate in the Miami Tournament December 1-3 and play Vega at home on Tuesday, December 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos are right on track as their season settles into a bi-weekly schedule. The ladies traveled to Hartley last Tuesday night and played to a 43-33 win. They then took on San Jacinto on the road and outlasted them in a high-scoring game at 82-66.

In the game with Hartley, the Lady Broncos held a slight advantage early in the game, but trailed by one point at the break. After a big third quarter, the ladies found their rhythm and stayed solid to get the win.

“The girls played a great game against Hartley after a long two-hour bus ride,” coach Korey Conkin said. “We had our best third quarter so far and took a good lead going into the fourth. We had to overcome two starters sitting with three fouls in the first half, but fought back in the second.”

Shaelyn Owiti put in 13 points and Berkeley Alexander added 12. Brianna Butler put in nine, Hannah Howard had five, and Jensen Hatley helped with four. The team shot 58 percent from the free throw line.

On Friday, the ladies played hard against a good team. They were able to dominate early and settle in to a fundamental game. They turned up the heat from the bonus line and finished at 86 percent. San Jacinto had to play catch up the entire game, but could never stop what the Lady Broncos threw at them.

“I told the girls they would probably not see a better guard than the one from San Jacinto,” Conkin said. “She was hard to stop with her quick handles and her step-back long shot. We were able to play with true grit by way of suiting up only seven girls of which two fouled out early in the fourth quarter. The girls also stepped up and hit many free throws to finish up a tough game.”

Alexander finished the game with 28 and Butler was hot outside with 20. Owiti, Hommel, and Briley Chadwick put in 10 each, and Howard helped with four.

The ladies will go to River Road on November 29 and then participate in the Miami Tournament December 1-3.