Sports

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos had a big week and finished the first half of district play at 5-0. They continued their winning streak on the road at Quanah and at home against Wheeler. The Broncos slammed the Indians, 66-41.

Clarendon jumped out to the early lead and held the upper hand in the first quarter. However, Quanah came storming back and made it a one-point game going into the half. The Broncos were able to regroup after the break and settled into a solid offense to open a bigger lead to get the win. Bryce Grahn, Charles Mason, and Colt Wood all finished in double figures for the Broncos with Wood posting a double double.

“We did not shoot the ball well in the first half, but dominated in the second half,” coach Brandt Lockhart said.

Scoring: Grahn 19, Mason 15, Wood 12, Cedrick McCampbell 8, Jr. Ceniceros 6, Chesson Sims 2, and Taylon Knorpp 2. Wood had 10 rebounds and Grahn had seven; Ceniceros had six assists and Grahn had three; Mason had four steals and Grahn and McCampbell had three each.

At home against Wheeler, the Broncos shot 62 percent from the bonus line, which helped them in their 66-48 win.

After playing the first quarter to a 9-9 tie, the Broncos kicked up their offense to lead by five points at the break. They were able to extend their lead with their quickness on offense and shut down the Mustangs’ scoring with solid defense.

“We did a good job of getting turnovers and turning them into points in the third quarter,” Lockhart said. “We shot 7 of 15 from behind the arc. We have several players that are doing things that are not showing up on the stats. I am very pleased the way we have played the firs half of district. However, it will be tougher the second time around.”

Grahn once again led the Broncos on the scoreboard with Chance Lockhart putting in 10. Ceniceros had nine, McCampbell had eight, Wood and Sims had six, Mason finished with four, and Riley Shadle had three. Grahn had five rebounds and Lockhart had four; Mason had three assists and Grahn and Lockhart had four; Grahn had seven steals and Lockhart had three.

The Broncos will take on Shamrock Friday, February 6, on the road and will play Wellington February 10 at home.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos took care of Quanah early in the week, but fell short against Wheeler at home Friday night.

The ladies defeated Quanah 40-37 with Taylor DeGrate leading the way on the scoreboard with 15 points.

The Lady Broncos had a slow start and trailed until the fourth quarter. The Lady Indians never put the game out of reach, and the Lady Broncos were determined to get the win and turned up their defensive heat in the final eight minutes.

Taylor Gaines also finished in double figures with 10 to help in the win. Carlee Johnson had seven, Allyson Grahn had four, and Hannah Howard and Skyler White each helped with two.

On Friday, the ladies played hard, but could not overcome turnovers and were defeated 51-57. Wheeler was able to jump out on top and set the early tempo of the game. But the Lady Broncos did not give up and worked hard to get back into the game. They chipped away at the Lady Mustang lead and got back to within two points in the final minutes of the game.

Crucial turnovers spelled doom for the ladies as the final buzzer sounded. Degrate and Grahn gave a great offensive effort to lead the Lady Broncos on the scoreboard with 17 each and Gaines added 11. Jensen Hatley put in three, Hannah Hommel had two, and Johnson put in one.

The Lady Broncos will travel to Shamrock on Friday, February 6, and face off against Wellington at home on Tuesday, February 10, to end their regular season.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos battled hard against a good Shamrock team at home last Tuesday night and earned a huge 64-56 win.

The game was tight throughout, but the Lady Broncos played with determination and stayed focused. Clarendon jumped on the Lady Irish early and held a five-point lead going into the break. Shamrock worked their way back after three periods, but the Lady Broncos stayed solid the last eight minutes to get the win.

Taylor Gaines had a huge game and finished with 24 points. Carlee Johnson also had a big game hitting 15 points, and Taylor DeGrate helped with 14. Allyson Grahn had nine points, and Sarah White put in two.

The ladies took on Wellington Friday night and despite playing a really good game fell short at 44-54.

The Lady Broncos came out ready to play and surprised Wellington, who has been in the top of the 2A rankings all year. After only connecting on two field goals in the third quarter Clarendon was able to keep them in the game when Johnson went five for eight from the free throw line. Gaines went four for six from the bonus line in the final quarter to stay close to Wellington.

“The girls played real well,” coach Kalen Grahn said. “They (Wellington) are ranked #2 in the state. They were able to grab the lead early and hold on for the win, but the girls played very hard and learned a lot about ourselves. They hurt us on the offensive rebounding and inside play. We need to handle the pressure better to close the gap between a win and a loss. Overall, we played a very solid game. We are looking forward to the next couple of games to set ourselves up for district.”

Gaines ripped 17 points and Johnson, and Grahn helped with 10. DeGrate put in seven.

The Lady Broncos will take on Wheeler at home Friday, January 30, as they begin the second half of district. They will travel to Memphis, Tuesday, February 3.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Broncos jumped to 3-0 in the district race with wins over Shamrock and Wellington last week. At home on Tuesday, the Broncos demolished the Irish defeating them, 72-52.

Shamrock took the early lead against the Broncos as they stormed to a four-point lead in the first quarter. But the Broncos would not be denied and took control of the game in the second period of play. They were able to takeover the lead before the break and never relinquish their momentum.

The Broncos were able to hold their own in the last half and get the district win. Charles Mason stormed the court with 20 points including two three-pointers. Bryce Grahn followed suit and put up 16 points, and Cedrick McCampbell showed his senior leadership with 13 points. Colt Wood put in eight, Taylon Knorpp had four, Chance Lockhart had three, and Riley Shadle and Chesson Sims each had two.

On Friday, the Broncos fought hard to earn a two-point win over a good Wellington team at 58-56.

The Broncos trailed until the very end when they gained the two-point advantage over the Skyrockets. Wellington jumped out to the early advantage in the first quarter of play and led by three points. After holding a two-point lead at the break, the Skyrockets ended the third period with a three-point lead. The Broncos turned up the heat in the final period to get the win.

“We shot the ball well from behind the arc,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “It was a big win on the road for us against a ranked opponent. I was very pleased with our effort.”

Lockhart came up big with 16 points, McCampbell put in 12, and Grahn finished with 11. Mason had nine, Ceniceros put in seven, and Wood finished with three. Grahn led the Broncos rebounding with 13 and Lockhart grabbed nine. The duo teamed up again in the assist column with Grahn helping with six and Lockhart five. Grahn also nabbed two steals.

The Broncos will play Wheeler at home on Friday, January 30, at 8:00 p.m. and travel to Memphis February 3.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos played hard against a good Memphis team and grabbed another district win at 63-42. The ladies are 2-1 in District play.

The Lady Broncos jumped out to take advantage of the early momentum, but allowed the Lady Cyclones gain a little ground before the break. Both teams hit a slow-scoring third quarter, but the Lady Broncos turned up the heat in the final period to get the solid win.

“It was a great game for the girls,” head coach Kalen Grahn said. “We have been battling injuries and sickness the past month, so it was sure great to have them all together.”

Allyson Grahn blasted the Cyclones in the first quarter when she hit four three-pointers to help the Lady Broncos set the tempo for the game. Grahn went on to rack up 20 points to lead the team on the scoreboard and Carlee Johnson and Taylor DeGrate added 11 points each. The team made 18 out of 26 from the bonus line as well.

“We shot the ball very well in the first half, and in the second half we did not shoot that well outside,” Grahn said. “We changed our attack and went inside to draw fouls and work our inside game. The girls did well.”

Skyler White went four for four from the bonus and racked up eight points, and Taylor Gaines put in five. Hannah Hommel and Sarah Williams each put in four points.

The ladies took on Wheeler on the road Tuesday night and, despite fighting hard, fell 43-61.

The Lady Broncos stayed right with the Lady Mustangs through the first half of play, but they fell off their game in the final half of play. Wheeler was able to gain a little momentum in the final periods to get the win.

Johnson had 16 and DeGrate put in 11. Grahn and White each put in six and Hommel and Jensen Hatley each had two.

The Lady Broncos will travel to Wellington Friday, January 23, and travel to Quanah on Tuesday, January 27. Game time for both games is at 6:30 p.m.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

They stayed focused and played solid for four quarters of regulation and two overtime periods to get their first District win over Memphis at home. After a 56-56 tie in regulation and a 64-64 score after one overtime, the Broncos pulled ahead in the next extra four minutes to get the 72-69 win.

Neither team hit many shots in the first quarter and the Broncos trailed by one. But, they were able to regroup in the second quarter to take an eight-point lead into the break. They were able to hold that lead through the third quarter, but succumbed to a momentum swing in the final quarter in regulation. The teams went back and forth in the overtime periods before the Broncos prevailed to get the win.

“We shot 77% from the line, which was key in winning the game,” head coach Brandt Lockhart said. “We did a good job of moving the basketball. We just need to get better at the little things.”

The Broncos hit 10 threes in the game with Cedrick McCampbell hitting two in the overtime periods. Bryce Grahn finished with four three-pointers for 25 points and Chance Lockhart hit three big shots for 15 points. Charles Mason hit several big shots for 14 and McCampbell put in 12 points. Junior Ceniceros put in four, Colt Wood added two, and Riley Shadle had one.

Grahn and McCampbell were top rebounders with six each and Grahn had six steals. Mason finished with seven assists and four steals, while Ceniceros had four assists.

The Broncos took on Ascension Academy on Tuesday night and totally dominated them 87-37. It was never a contest for the Broncos as they exploded in the first half after holding a commanding lead early on. McCampbell had 20 and Ceniceros and Lockhart each had 17. Grahn finished in double figures as well with 12. Mason put in nine, Wood had six, Chesson Sims added five and Shadle had two.

The Broncos will travel to Wellington Friday, January 23, and then to Quanah on Tuesday, January 27. They will play at 8:00 p.m.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos opened their District season with a confidence-building win at home Friday night against the Quanah Lady Indians. The 53-31 win put the ladies at 1-0 in District play.

The Lady Broncos were on fire in the first half of play as they were consistent on the offensive side of the court. They were able to knock down several three-point shots and did a good job of driving to the basket. They held a 24-point lead at the break and were able to build on that in the second half. The ladies made 11 of 19 from the bonus line.

“It was a good night of basketball,” head coach Kalen Grahn said. “Our defensive rebounding was the receipt for success. We were able to control the boards, which in return helped us get out and create some easy scoring opportunities. The girls played well on defense, which produced a good win.”

Allyson Grahn and Taylor DeGrate took over the scoring for the ladies and put in 21 and 20 respectively. Grahn was five of seven from the free throw line and DeGrate was four of six. Carlee Johnson dropped two three-pointers and finished with six points. Jensen Hatley put in two free throws, and Skyler White and Hannah Hommel helped with two as well.

Earlier in the week, the Lady Broncos faced off against a good White Deer team and were defeated, 47-58.

The two teams were fairly even in the opening half of play and the Lady Broncos only trailed by three at the break. The Lady Broncos Does dropped everything they shot and the Lady Broncos struggled to come up with anything big in the second half of play.

DeGrate made good on 17 points and Grahn added 11. Taylor Gaines had five, Johnson and Hannah Howard put in four each. White, Hommel, and Briley Chadwick each helped with two.

The Lady Broncos will continue their District schedule at home on Friday, January 16, against Memphis at 6:30 p.m. They will play Shamrock here on January 20.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Bronco varsity basketball team made short work of the White Deer Bucks at home last Tuesday night defeating them, 82-32.

The Broncos totally dominated the Bucks from start to finish leading by 28 points at the break. The Broncos stood strong defensively and converted several turnovers into points. The Bucks struggled on both ends of the court and were helpless against a stronger Bronco team.

“We did a good job of passing the ball up the court,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “We were able to get turnovers and turn them into points.”

Five players finished in double figures. Seniors Cedrick McCampbell put in 17 and 15 points respectively, Junior Ceniceros had 14, Chance Lockhart helped with 13, and Bryce Grahn added 10. Riley Shadle had six, Colt Wood put in four, and Chesson Sims had three.

Ceniceros topped the field with eight rebounds; Wood and Grahn each had five. McCampbell had five assists, Grahn and Lockhart had four. McCampbell also grabbed five steals and Shadle had four.

The Broncos will begin District play on Friday, January 16, at home against Memphis beginning at 8:00 p.m. and host Shamrock on Tuesday, January 20.

 

By Sandy Anderberg

Chelsea Morris went right back to work this season after a great season last year in powerlifting. She competed in the Bovina powerlifting meet in the 198-pound class and won first in her weight class with a total lift of 625 pounds.

According to coach Johnny Nino, it all came down to the last lift.

“Chelsea won her division by five pounds and it came down to the final lift,” Nino said. “In the dead lift, Chelsea had to get her lift at 275 pounds or she probably doesn’t place in the top three. She competed very well on that last lift.”

Nathan Shadle was in the 114-pound class and placed seventh with a total lift of 500 pounds. Nick Shadle was in the 165-pound class and lifted 655 pounds for 14th. Jack Moore had a lift total of 730 pounds and placed 15th in the 275-pound class. Justin Christopher was in the 198-pound class and finished with a total of 660 pounds for 13th place. Joseph Jaramillo also competed in the 148-pound class, and Emily Thompson had a lift total of 420 pounds finishing 15th.

“I am very proud of all the lifters,” Nino said. “They competed very well for the first meet. This is the earliest we have been to a meet. Our next meet will be on January 31 at Highland Park. We now know what we have to work on to get better for the next meet.”

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos competed in the Canadian Basketball Tournament over the holidays and brought home a second place finish. Their only loss came from the host team in the championship game.

In the first round of the tournament, the Broncos took on Cashion, Oklahoma and easily defeated them, 56-36. The Broncos led throughout the game, and the Wildcats were not able to stop them offensively. Seniors Cedrick McCampbell and Charles Mason finished in double figures with 12 and 11 points respectively. McCampbell also had two steals. Bryce Grahn put in nine points, adding 10 rebounds, four assists, and three steals, and Colt Wood added eight points and three assists. Riley Shadle had seven points, Chesson Sims helped with four, Chance Lockhart had three, and Taylon Knorpp put in two. Lockhart also had seven rebounds and two steals.

The Broncos met up against White Deer in the next game and severely demolished them, 74-30. The Broncos led from the tip off and never looked back, while the Bucks were clearly outmatched. Grahn finished the game with a double-double that included 16 points and thirteen steals. He also added five assists. Junior Ceniceros led the Broncos on the scoreboard with 17 and Lockhart put in 15. Lockhart added five rebounds and four steals. Mason and Sims each had six points, Marshal Johnson and Knorpp put in five, and Shadle and McCampbell helped with two each. Knorpp grabbed seven rebounds, McCampbell had four steals, and Wood had five assists.

The two wins put the Broncos in the championship game and the final score was 49-60. The Wildcats led after the first quarter of play, but the Broncos fought back to lead by four points at the break. But the Broncos struggled somewhat in the second half and could never get anything started. McCampbell finished with 15, Grahn had 11, and Ceniceros and Lockhart put in 10 points each. Colt Wood helped with three points and Lockhart posted a double-double. He pulled down 10 rebounds, and Grahn added seven. Lockhart had three assists, Grahn and Shadle had two, and Grahn had three steals.

“I thought we played really well during the tournament,” Brandt Lockhart said. “We played really well against Canadian, which is a pre-season top ranked team. We just have to get better at the little things before we enter district play. I was very pleased with our effort.”

On Friday the Broncos traveled to Fritch and posted a 54-46 win. The Broncos trailed by six points in the first half of play, but got things rolling on their side of the court in the second half of play. “We did shoot the ball well,” Lockhart said. “I was proud of the way we finished the game. We played well in the third quarter.”

Grahn and McCampbell put in 10 each and Lockhart had nine. Ceniceros had eight, Mason and Wood put in six, and Knorpp added two. McCampbell had eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals, Ceniceros had five rebounds and five assists, Lockhart helped with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and Grahn had five rebounds and five steals.

The Broncos will take Ascension Academy Friday, January 13, at 7:30 p.m. The JV Broncos will play at 6:00 p.m.