Sports

By Sandy Anderberg

Wanting to even the score after a previous loss, the Clarendon Broncos meant business when the Memphis Cyclones came to their gym last Tuesday night. They had a game plan and were able to pull off a big win at 56-42 as their District season nears its end. The Broncos played solid on both ends of the court and turned a first quarter one-point lead into a seven-point lead at the break. Their determination to get the win was more than the Cyclones could handle and after the Broncos found a rhythm, the game was sewn up and the Broncos earned a big win.

“We played really good defense and did a good job getting the ball inside on offense,” coach Brandt Lockhart said.

Junior Ceniceros and Marshal Johnson led the Broncos in double figures with 16 and 15 points respectively. They both grabbed five rebounds each, and Ceniceros had two steals on defense. Colt Wood put in nine points and had four assists, and Chesson Sims added seven points. Chance Lockhart had five, Keandre Cortez three, and Bryce Grahn two.

The Broncos knew Friday night’s game with Shamrock would be a tough one and they went at the Irish focused and determined. But the Broncos came up short and took a 47-53 loss. The Broncos trailed for the majority of the game, but were never out of it. The undefeated Irish led by as many as 13 points after the third quarter, but the Broncos never quit and hustled their way back to within less than 4 points at one point. Shamrock was able to hit one more three-pointer than the Broncos, but both teams shot 71 percent from the bonus line.

“We had too many turnovers on offense and you cannot do that against a good team,” Lockhart said. “We did a great job of coming back in the fourth quarter and got within four points.”

Lockhart pumped in 15 points and added seven rebounds and five assists. Ceniceros had 11 points, and Grahn finished with eight points and four rebounds and five assists. Johnson had five points and three steals, and Wood had four points. Keandre Cortez had three points, and Sims added one.

The Broncos will travel to Quanah Friday, February 12, and finish their district season at home on Tuesday, February 16, against Wheeler.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos had already defeated Shamrock in the first round of district and was looking to make it 2-0 against the Lady Irish last Friday night. After a hard-fought game, the Lady Broncos’ Brianna Butler put in a nice layup with just ticks on the clock for the 41-40 win. Shamrock’s attempt to win the game failed, and the Lady Broncos took the one-point win.

The first eight minutes belonged to the Lady Irish as they held a four-point advantage going into the second quarter. But Clarendon stormed back to go up by one at the break with solid play. The Lady Broncos shot 75 percent in the first half from the bonus line and that proved to be the difference in the end.

Both Jensen Hatley and Emily Johnson were perfect from the free throw line at five out of five in the first half.

The scoring stayed all square until the final buzzer with both teams scoring 21 points each in the second half and the margin staying at one in the Lady Broncos’ favor. Butler finished with 14 points, and Berkeley Alexander helped with 10. Shaelyn Owiti put in seven, Hatley and Hannah Hommel three each, Hannah Howard and Johnson with two each.

Earlier in the week, the Lady Broncos hosted Memphis; and despite playing a tough game, the Ladies lost 42-54.

Clarendon held a nine-point lead at the break and seemed to have control of the game. But a cold-shooting fourth quarter left the girls fighting to get the lead, and foul trouble hindered their comeback attempt. The Lady Cyclones were able to make 14 out of 22 free throws in the second half, which proved to be the difference in the game. Owiti hit four three-pointers for 12 points, and Butler added 10. Sandrea Smith and Briley Chadwick each had five, and Alexander put in four. Hatley had three, Howard two, and Johnson one.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos are coming off a totally dominating week as they racked up big wins over Quanah and Wheeler. The Quanah game was one-sided with the Broncos getting the huge 84-28 win, but the Wheeler game went to double OT before the Broncos earned the ‘W’ at 59-57.

At home against Quanah, the Broncos were unstoppable and totally frustrated their opponent with great defensive play. The Bronco lead was never in jeopardy the entire game as they were dominant in every aspect.

Offensively, five players finished in double figures as they took advantage of several turnovers and steals.

“We were able to get fast break points and we made seven out of twelve from the three-point line,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “Our defense was very good and we held Quanah to 28 points, which was a season low for us.”

Junior Ceniceros had 21, and Bryce Grahn put in 16. Chance Lockhart added 13, and Marshal Johnson and Chesson Sims each helped with 10. Damarjae Cortez put in eight, Keandre Cortez had four, and Colt Wood had two. Lockhart added seven rebounds and Grahn had six. Wood racked up eight assists with Cortez helping with five. Grahn had seven steals on defense and Wood had three.

The Wheeler Mustangs proved to be a tougher opponent and it took the Broncos two extended periods to get the win. The Broncos held a three-point lead with just ticks left on the clock and the Mustangs were able to connect on a three to force extra minutes.

It was the Broncos’ turn to force the next OT when Damarjae Cortez made good on a two-pointer. The Broncos then did just enough to earn the win.

“After having two starters foul out, our bench came in a played well,” Lockhart said. “Damarjae hit a big shot to put it into overtime.”

Ceniceros had 15, Johnson 13, and Lockhart 11 to lead the Broncos. Both Lockhart and Johnson posted a double-double with 10 rebounds each to add to their point total. Wood and K. Cortez each had five points, Sims four, and Grahn and D. Cortez had three. Lockhart nearly got a triple-double as he added eight assists. Grahn helped with five assists. The Cortez brothers each had one steal on defense.

The Broncos will play Shamrock at home February 5 and travel to Wellington on Tuesday, February 9, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos fought hard against the Lady Mustangs in Wheeler Friday night, but ended with a 28-46 loss.

The ladies could never get anything going offensively in the battle in the first half, but put together a big third quarter on both sides of the ball. They were able to score 14, while holding the Lady Mustangs to only three points. But a slow shooting fourth quarter spelled disaster for the Lady Broncos and they suffered another district loss.

Briley Chadwick finished with eight and Brianna Butler added five. Jensen Hatley, Sandrea Smith and Berkeley Alexander all had four, Hannah Howard put in two and Hannah Hommel added one.

“Again, we had a game of two halves,” Grahn said. “We had a tough time scoring in the first half, so we found ourselves in a hole at the half. The second half we came out very aggressive and shut them down and outscored them, 14-3. We limited their second shots and forced them to throw the ball away. We had to foul at the end and they sealed the game at the free throw line. We have to keep working to find our shooting groove.”

Earlier in the week the Lady Broncos hosted Quanah and were defeated 41-51. The Lady Broncos jumped out to an early one-point lead, but succumbed to cold shooting in the second quarter. The Lady Indians were able to capitalize on it and take a four-point lead into the break.

Clarendon was able to fight back in the third quarter and even tie the game at 28 all until Quanah was able to pull away and get the win. Butler and Hatley led the way with eight points each and Smith and Owiti each had six. Chadwick finished with five, Howard four, Alexander three, and Hommel had one.

“The girls came out and played a very good first half,” Grahn said. “We had balanced scoring with eight of the ten girls scoring. Quanah did a nice job of attacking our zone and getting to the free throw line in the fourth quarter. We have nice balanced scoring; we just need to push our averages up.”

The Lady Broncos take on Shamrock at home February 5 and travel to Wellington February 9 for their last district game at 6:30 pm.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

Dalton Benson out lifted every other competitor in the 114-pound weight class in the Childress Power Lifting Meet last Saturday to claim first place with a total lift of 570 pounds. Ray Jaramillo also won first in the 132-pound weight class with a lift of 910 pounds. Ryan McCleskey finished fourth with a total lift of 740 pounds in that weight class.

Ethan Ballard finished fifth with a total weight of 935 pounds in the 165-pound class, and Daquawne Oliver was seventh with a lift total of 910 pounds.

“The lifters performed well on Saturday and the totals are going up,” coach Johnny Nino said.

The next meet will be Saturday, January 30, at Highland Park in Amarillo.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos ended their dry period Friday night when they stunned the Wellington Rockets 45-32 in front of a huge hometown crowd.

The Broncos, now 1-2 in District and 17-5 overall, held control of the game from the beginning despite Wellington’s attempt to keep it close. The point spread was 10 after the first three quarters of play.

The Broncos seemed to be refocused after the two early losses and dominated play on both ends of the court. Both teams were strong defensively and dealt with cold shooting early on, which accounted for the low-scoring game. But the Broncos stayed determined and earned a big win.

Bryce Grahn hit two-three pointers and racked up 15 points. He also added nine of fourteen free throws in the win. Chance Lockhart hit a three-pointer to finish with 11, going 50 percent from the bonus. Colt Wood had and Marshal Johnson each had five, and Junior Ceniceros put in four, while Keandre Cortez and Chesson Sims had two, and Damarjae Cortez finished with one. Lockhart had seven rebounds, and Johnson and Grahn added six each. Grahn had three assists, and Lockhart, Ceniceros, and Wood each helped with two. Grahn had three steals on defense.

“We did a great job of playing team defense the whole game,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “Colt Wood and Keandre Cortez did a great job of playing defense on their best player.”

Earlier in the week, the Broncos lost a close one to the Shamrock Irish at 47-54. The Broncos led until the fourth quarter when they struggled to finish the game. The Irish went to the bonus line 17 more times than the Broncos making just over 50 percent. Shamrock was eight for twelve in the fourth quarter, which helped in their 20-point fourth quarter.

“We had too many turnovers and did not have a good fourth quarter,” Lockhart said.

Ceniceros pumped in 16 and Johnson had 12. Grahn finished with eight, Lockhart four, K. Cortez and Sims three, and Wood with one. Lockhart grabbed nine rebounds and Johnson helped with seven. Lockhart racked up five assists and Ceniceros had five.

The Broncos will continue their district schedule next Friday, January 29, in Wheeler and host Memphis on Tuesday, February 2, at 8:00 p.m.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The 16-4 Broncos opened their District season in Memphis last Friday night with less than desired results. The Broncos have a great winning season going but fell three points short in their 44-47 loss to the Cyclones on the road.

Memphis proved to be tough from the opening tip and the Broncos struggled somewhat on the court despite holding a two-point lead after the first quarter. After trailing at half, the Broncos took back control in the third quarter, outscoring their opponent to finish the third period at 33 all. But the Cyclones found the momentum when they needed it and handed the Broncos the district loss.

“We did not shoot the ball well and had too many turnovers,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “I thought we played good enough to win defensively. Keandre Cortez had another good game on defense.”

Offensively, the Broncos stayed strong with Chance Lockhart grabbing nine rebounds and Junior Ceniceros adding eight. Lockhart had three assists and Bryce Grahn had two, and Lockhart and Grahn each had four steals on defense. Lockhart was the top scorer with 12, and Ceniceros and Marshal Johnson added nine each. Grahn helped with eight, Colt Wood had five, and K. Cortez added one.

Earlier in the week, the Broncos hosted Ascension Academy at home and annihilated them at 88-28. Total frustration set in for AA as the Broncos had an answer for everything they tried. Lockhart thought the Broncos played good offense.

“We did a good job of moving the basketball,” Lockhart said. “We were 10-21 from the three-point line.”

The Broncos did shoot great from the long arc and Ceniceros added five three-pointers for his total of 27 points. Lockhart and Grahn each added three and Damarjae Cortez helped with one three-pointer. Johnson was tough inside and racked up 14 points and went four for four from the bonus line. Lockhart had 10, Grahn 9, D. Cortez 7, Chesson Sims 7, Wood 6, Bear Smith 6, and K. Cortez 2. Grahn and Smith nabbed seven and six rebounds, Grahn and Wood each had seven assists, and Ceniceros and Grahn had four steals.

The Broncos will host Wellington at home on Friday, January 22, and play Quanah at home January 26.

On Friday, January 22, Kenny King will be honored between the Lady Bronco varsity and the Bronco varsity games.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos struggled last week, losing two district games to Wheeler and Memphis. The ladies were stopped by Wheeler at home, 29-46, and on the road in Memphis at 32-34.

The Lady Broncos got a slow start against Wheeler going scoreless in the first quarter. They were able to put points on the board before the break, but struggled to find the momentum they needed to overtake the Lady Mustangs. Brianna Butler put in seven, and Briley Chadwick had six. Sandrea Smith, Hannah Howard, and Berkeley Alexander had four, Allyson Hogan had three, and Hannah Hommel added one.

The ladies played hard against Memphis and kept it close in the opening minutes. They were able to tie the score at 17 all at the break, but a big third quarter by the Lady Cyclones stifled the Lady Broncos and they could never come back from the deficit. The two top scorers were Howard with 11 and Smith with nine.

“We played a couple of tough games this past week,” coach Kalen Grahn said. “Wheeler was a game of two tales. The first half, the girls played hard, just no shots would fall. In the second half we came out strong and in the third (quarter) we cut the lead. But we were in a hole that was difficult to dig out of. The girls played a great second half against Wheeler.

Memphis was another tough battle. We were tied at the half, but fell behind in the third. The girls fought hard, but again, we had a tough time making shots. Sandrea Smith came off the bench and had a quality game for us. The girls are working hard; just having trouble closing out the games.”

The girls will play Wellington at home Friday night, January 22, and host Quanah on Tuesday, January 26, with both games beginning at 6:30 p.m.

 

By Sandy Anderberg
The Broncos breezed to an easy 78-31 win Friday night over White Deer with solid offensive execution and intense defense.
Their authority on the court was never in question as the Broncos rolled to the huge win. Five players finished the game in double figures, which showcased their higher level of play and dominance this season. They shot 66 percent from the free throw line. Overall the Broncos are 15-3 as they prepare to enter district play.
The Broncos jumped on the Bucks early scoring 25 points in the first quarter of play while only allowing White Deer four. They increased their lead every quarter giving the Bucks no opportunity to get back in the game.
Junior Ceniceros hit two three-pointers to finish with 16 and three steals, and Chesson Sims and Marshal Johnson each finished with 14. The duo also shot 100 percent from the bonus line, and Johnson grabbed seven rebounds. Colt Wood and Chance Lockhart each helped with 12 points each with Wood getting four assists and Lockhart grabbing five steals. Bryce Grahn put in nine points and finished with seven rebounds, and Bear Smith had six points. The Cortez brothers, Keandre and Damarjae each finished with two points.
The Broncos will travel to Memphis January 15 to kick off their district season and will play in Shamrock January 19.

By Sandy Anderberg
The Lady Broncos opened their district schedule with a road trip to Quanah. After owning a slight lead at the break, Quanah rallied back to force the overtime. The Lady Indians scored four in the overtime period, and the Lady Broncos went scoreless in their 36-40 loss.
The Lady Broncos played hard against Quanah but struggled to finish. They outscored their opponent in the final period, but allowed the Lady Indians to cover the two-point lead the Lady Broncos had at end of the game.
Briley Chadwick racked up 15 points and went six for eight from the bonus line, but it was not enough to get the win.
Shaelyn Owiti was strong from the three-point line as well, and finished with nine points. Hannah Howard put in six, Berkeley Alexander had four, and Hannah Hommel had two.
The Lady Broncos will continue their district schedule Friday, January 15, in Memphis and January 19 on the road to Shamrock.