Sports

By Fred Gray

Last Friday night, September 28, 2012 Hedley traveled to Happy to engage the Happy Cowboys in a football game. Somewhere along the way – they lost their way, and the Happy Cowboys were happy indeed, winning 64-8.

Sometimes in life, particularly when young people are concerned, stuff happens, and it is extraordinarily difficult to fully understand what happened.

When great disappointment causes our young people to feel less than optimum about themselves, we need to do all we can to ameliorate their dejection.

The Hedley Owls are a good football team and I hope they remember that. They work well together and pull for each other. They are fun and exciting to watch as they compete on the gridiron.

Last Friday they lost their focus and lost a football game. They did not diminish themselves. I’m sure they will work with their coaches and learn from this experience. After all, that is the point of sports – to help us grow. Their behavior on the field, in the face of excruciating disappointment, was sterling. Sometimes that is enough. It is a virtue to be appreciated and respected.

Plainview Christian comes to town this Friday, October 5. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Let’s all be there to support them and show them our appreciation.

By Sandy Anderberg

 The Broncos needed every bit of the clock to stay one step ahead of the Kiowas in their 59-56 win on the road Friday night. Despite a desperate effort on Booker’s part to take the lead and the win, the Broncos stayed strong and finished the game with the three-point advantage.

 In a game full of offense and 115 combined points, the Broncos stayed solid even after relinquishing a huge lead to the Kiowas late in the game. A couple of fumbles for the Broncos could have been disastrous, but they were determined to take the win.

 “It was a wild and crazy game,” head coach Gary Jack said. “We were leading by 25 points with ten and a half minutes to go, and they kept chunking it at us. They ended up scoring three times in the fourth quarter. It was a hard offense to slow down.”

 Booker capitalized on fumbles committed by the Broncos and put points on the board to narrow the gap.

 “We played hard,” Jack said. “Our line did a great job blocking. Adam Topper, Rowdy Speed, Austen McNelly, J.D. Baxter, Tres Hommel, John Pigg, and Tyler Burch played hard. Trajen Johnson and Ryan Isbell did a good job blocking in the backfield as well. We tried to use the clock by running the ball, and they had trouble stopping our offense. It was a good way to end our non-district games. They are a good team.”

 Baxter recorded 16 tackles, a blocked punt, and an interception and Chance Rowland had five tackles. Trevor Cobb posted eight tackles, one sack, and two interceptions, while Diego Santos had 10 tackles and one fumble recovery. Johnson racked up seven tackles, Corey Barker had two tackles and one sack, and Jonah Sell had seven tackles. Isbell had seven tackles and one fumble recovery and Chance McAnear earned four tackles.

 Tyler Burch had six tackles and one fumble recovery, Jordan Stone had two tackles, and Adam Topper had three tackles. Offensively, Charles Mason was on fire and carried the ball 42 times for a total of 321 yards and six touchdowns. His seventh touchdown of the night came on a 78-yard kickoff return. The Broncos had 384 total yards.

 The Broncos will have a much-deserved rest next week and will begin their district season October 12 at home against West Texas High beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Bronco Stadium.

 (Note that all District games will begin at 7:00 p.m.)

By Sandy Anderberg

Sophomore Charles Mason was a workhorse for the Broncos in their 33-19 Homecoming stomping over Gruver last Friday night. Mason ran the ball 21 times for 190 yards and four rushing touchdowns from 1, 36, 13, and 86 yards out. Ryan Isbell added to extra point kicks on the night.

 “There was a huge crowd and it was a very exciting game,” head coach Gary Jack said. “We really dominated in the second half and shut them down. Everyone that suited up got the chance to play. It was a team effort and a fun game.”

The Broncos did have a lot of fun with the win as they racked up 437 total yards in the win that put them at 3-1. Quarterback Chance McAnear did a good job of throwing the ball according to Jack and put up 152 yards (15 of 21). Diego Santos also gave it a shot with a 43-yard touchdown throw to Jonah Sell, who was 4/101 yards and one TD, to help boost the Broncos.

“Chance threw well and our receivers did a good job catching the ball,” Jack said. “Our line did a good job blocking in the second half and we were also able to run the ball more effectively.” The Broncos also turned up the heat defensively and Sell and McAnear each had an interception. Sell racked up 10 tackles and JD Baxter and Ryan Isbell each had seven tackles. Caleb Cobb had five tackles and two caused turnovers and Tyler Burch had five tackles, caused a turnover and recovered a fumble. David Johnston recovered a fumble, McAnear had three tackles and an interception, Diego Santos had six tackles and Corey Barker, John Pigg, and Tres Hommel all played well on defense. And Chance Roland gave a great effort according to Jack.

“It was a solid game for us,” Jack said. “We are getting closer to what we’re looking for. I am very pleased with the effort and we’ll keep working at it.”

The Broncos will take on a tough Booker team next Friday night on the road. “We are looking forward to the Booker game,” Jack said. “It will be a tough challenge. They are a pretty explosive team.”

By Fred Gray

What a difference a year, and a couple of good coaches, makes. Last year, when Hedley played Hart, they were beaten by more than 45 points by the Longhorns.

This year, after spotting Hart a six point lead that resulted from a failed onside kick to start the game, the Owls’ defense once again unsheathed its talons and held the Longhorns scoreless for the rest of the game.

Meanwhile, the offense rolled up 331 rushing yards and 132 passing yards on its way to a hard-hitting 48 to 6 victory. The Owls scored 12 points in the first quarter, 8 points in the second quarter, 20 points in the third quarter, and another 8 points in the fourth quarter.

Even though the Hart Longhorns were bigger than the Owls, and as fast as the Owls, Hedley imposed its will on the Longhorns with intense, hard-hitting teamwork. Although Hard opened the scoring with their first drive, Hedley answered quickly and often. Defensively, the Owls were constantly around the ball and gang-tackled, punishing the Longhorns all night long.

After taking Hart’s kickoff following the Longhorn’s only score, Hedley war horse Coltin Kingston let the Owls down the field for the tying score. Following a long pass to Austin Adams to the Hart 8 yard line, Kingston galloped off left tackle for Hedley’s first score.

On their second possession of the night, Klaiton Moore, running hard behind his pads all night long, scored the Owls’ second touchdown with a seven yard sprint around the right side, running over and through the Hart defenders.

After another Diego Vidal Souza kickoff sailed through the end zone, the Hedley defense swarmed the Hart playmakers, and gave the offense the ball at the Hart 20 yard line. Owls’ quarterback Bryan Evans hit fullback Seth Ruthardt with a 15 yard TD pass. Kicker Andy Munoz Aizaga’s PAT was good, and the Owls were up 20-6, with 2:06 left in the first half.

In their first possession of the 2nd half, Coltin Kingston carried the ball six straight times, the last a six yard plunge up the middle for the score, and Hedley was up 26 – 6.

After Diego Vidal Souza once again boomed the kickoff through the endzone, Hart took possession of the ball at their own 20 yard line. On their third play of the drive, Bryan Evans made the first of his three interceptions of the night, and gave Hedley the ball at the Hart 21. On first and 15, Klaiton Moore, again running behind his should pads, with knees churning high and fast, rambled over and through the Hart defenders for 21 yard touchdown run. The PAT was good, and the Owls led 34 to 6, with 5:31 left in the 3rd quarter.

On their next possession of the game, Coltin Kingston again carried the ball multiple times on a drive that ended with an 11 yard touchdown run by Kingston, on a dive play up the middle. With six seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Hedley led 40 to 6.

The Owls scored their last touchdown of the game with 7:26 remaining in the 4th quarter. The drive started with the second interception by Bryan Evans at the Hart 25 yard line. Immediately, Hedley’s Lone Ranger, Klaiton Moore, punished the Hart defenders with a 16 yard run around the right end. Quarterback Bryan Evans then hit Seth Ruthardt with another touchdown pass of 12 yards. The PAT was good, and Hedley led 48 to 6.

Coltin Kingston rushed for 172 yards, three touchdowns, passed for 98 yards, and made 11 tackles on defense. Klaiton Moore rushed for 146 yards, scored two touchdowns and made three tackles on defense.

Bryan Evans passed for 32 yards and two touchdowns, while intercepting three passes and making seven tackles.

Tanner Chambless hit hard all night long, making 10 tackles, and caught several passes for 33 yards.

Seth Ruthardt made five tackles to go along with his two touchdown receptions.

Most importantly, the Owls made a stellar team effort, working together, and having each others’ backs all night long.

Four games into the season, it’s readily apparent that new head coach Darrell Wallace and assistant coach Garrett Bains are coaching good fundamental football, with a focus on playing hard for four straight quarters.

After the game, quarterback/linebacker Bryan Evans commented that the team had bought into the fundamentals that coaches Wallace and Bains are teaching. He added, “The team feels like if they play hard every down, and focus on fundamentals, that they can’t be beat. We may beat ourselves if we don’t focus and play well, but we are a much better team now than when the season started.”

Amen, brother.

This Friday, September 28, the Owls travel to Happy for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

The Hedley Owls traveled to McLean last Friday night and beat the Tigers 54 – 8, ending the game early due to the 45 point rule.

After Hedley kicker Diego Souza used his howitzer-like leg to drive the opening kick-off through the end zone, as he did all night long, McLean took possession of the ball on their 20 yard line and were held to three yards on three downs. On fourth and 11, Coltin Kingston intercepted the McLean quarterback’s pass and returned it to the Tigers’ 11 yard line. Hedley was unable to advance the ball and turned the ball over to McLean on downs.

The Owls started slowly, scoring their first touchdown with 41 seconds remaining in the first quarter, after exchanging two possessions with the Tigers. After driving from the Hedley 38 to the McLean 25, Nicco Bennett took a pitch from quarterback Brian Evans and sprinted around the right end for 25 yards and a touchdown.  The PAT failed and Hedley led the game 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Following another booming kickoff by Diego Souza, McLean took possession at their 20 yard line. After Nicco Bennett broke up a McLean pass on fourth and five, Hedley took over the ball and Coltin Kingston immediately hit Nicco Bennett for a 31 yard touchdown pass. The PAT was good, and Hedley led 14-0.

McLean finally got on the board with their only touchdown of the game on their next possession, driving 70 yards for a touchdown. After the PAT was good, the Owls’ defense unsheathed their talons and stuffed the Tigers for the rest of the game.

On the first Owls’ possession of the third quarter, senior running back Coltin Kingston broke off several long runs before sprinting around the left side of the line for a four yard touchdown jaunt.  The PAT was good and the Owls sported a 22-8 lead.

Later in the third quarter, Kingston hit fullback Seth Ruthardt in the right end zone with a 13 yard touchdown pass. The PAT was blocked, and Hedley extended its lead to 28-8, with 3:46 left in the third quarter.

Hedley’s defense again rose up and stopped McLean on downs at the McLean ten yard line. On the first play of the possession Coltin Kingston raced around the right side for a ten yard touchdown. The PAT missed and Hedley led 34-8 with 1:44 remaining in the third quarter.

The Owls then surprised the Tigers with a successful onside kick at the McLean 32. Three plays later, Kingston again sprinted around the right side for another touchdown run of 16 yards. The PAT was no good, and the Owls led 40-8, with 1:24 left in the third quarter.

On their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Owls added another touchdown drive, scoring when quarterback Bryan Evans hit junior lineman Kyle Lindsey with a long scoring pass on the third play of the drive. Andy Aizaga added the PAT, and the Owls extended their lead to 48-8. After trading possessions, Hedley got the ball again with 3:06 remaining in the game. On the third play of the drive freshman running back Klaiton Moore threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to freshman end Clay King, who sprinted into the end zone for the final score.

After the game senior Coltin Kingston, who rushed for 141 yards, said, “This (win) feels great, we should have won the first two games, and it feels great to get our first win.” Head coach Darrell Wallace added, “I’m pleased with the strong effort of the offense and improved fundamentals of the team. We have focused on playing four strong quarters and it was good to see four quarters of good effort. Coltin Kingston and Tanner Chambless led a strong effort by the entire team.”

The only negative in the game was a second half knee injury (possible torn meniscus) to senior end Nicco Bennett. At press time, Nicco had undergone an MRI and the results were not yet available.

Prior to this Friday’s (September 21) home opener against Hart, the Hall County-Donley County Farm Bureau will sponsor a tailgate party from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sloppy Joes and drinks will be served at no charge. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to come out for the tailgate party and then enjoy another entertaining game by the Hedley Owls. They are, after all, the real deal.

By Fred Gray, Clarendon Enterprise

The Broncos came up big in the second half of play against the Wheeler MustangsFriday night and defeated them, 36-27.

The Broncos made a great showing in the second half in their come-from-behind win to go 2-1 on the season. The Broncos racked up 370 total yards with only one turnover.

Several Broncos stepped up their game and put great numbers on the board. Quarterback Chance McAnear, who threw for 278 yards, was part of five touchdowns, throwing four and running one in for six more. Clarendon’s receivers were spot-on and Diego Santos lit up the night for the Broncos catching six passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns. Great catches were also made by Jonah Sell (one touchdown), Tyler Burch, and Trevor Cobb.

“Our offensive line gave Chance great protection,” head coach Gary Jack said. “And he put it on the money every time.”

The Broncos had to play catch-up in the second half after trailing by a touchdown at the break. Clarendon was able to put up a very impressive thirty points in the second half.

“It is tough to play at Wheeler,” Jack said. “It was a pretty physical, old-fashioned game. But we’re getting there and we’re still working on the little things.” Jack gave credit to several players in the game.

“Corey Barker, Jonah Sell, John Pigg, Tres Hommel, Diego Santos, Trevor Cobb, and Chance McAnear really played well. And our line did a great job blocking, John, Tres, Austen McNelly, Rowdy Speed, Adam Topper, and David Johnston.”

The Broncos will have a tough game against Gruver next Friday night for Homecoming.

“Our defense is a little banged up so we hope to be healthy with enough people with experience to play hard against a good Gruver team.” The Homecoming game will begin at 7:30 pm in Bronco Stadium Friday, September 21.

By Sandy Anderberg, Clarendon Enterprise

The Broncos racked up 295 total yards in their 22-19 on the road win over Vega Friday night. Clarendon struck first on the scoreboard but had to rally in the fourth quarter after falling behind 13 points at the end of three periods.

“Our defense played pretty well,” head coach Gary Jack said. “Guys like Trevor Cobb, Ryan Isbell, Jonah Sell, Diego Santos, Tyler Burch, John Pigg, Tres Hommel, and J.D. Baxter did a great job on defense for us, especially in the fourth quarter.”

Offensively, the Broncos got on the board first in the second quarter when Trajen Johnson made good on a 30-yard run. However, the point after attempt failed and the Broncos led by six.

Vega’s answer to the Broncos’ early lead came on a nine-yard run and extra point to lead by one going into the break. Disaster struck for the Broncos in the third quarter when Vega made two runs to the end zone to seemingly put the game out of reach. But Clarendon never gave up and came roaring back to add 16 points to the final period of play.

Quarterback Chance McAnear, who went eight for sixteen for 185 total yards passing in the game, came on strong finding Diego Santos on a 20-yard pass for the TD and then caught another pass for the two-point PAT. Tyler Burch got in on the action as well and scored on a 26-pass from McAnear to go up by one and Trevor Cobb grabbed a pass from McAnear for the two-point conversion giving the Broncos the three-point win.

“These guys made some really big catches,” Jack said. “Chance threw the ball well, but Tyler, Trevor, Diego, and Jonah (Sell) did a great job catching the ball. We converted several third down plays with great catches.”

But as good as McAnear threw the ball, the offensive line that offered protection was on target as well.

“Our offensive line gave really good protection for Chance,” Jack said. “John Pigg, Rowdy Speed, Tres Hommel, JD Baxter, and Adam Topper blocked well so Chance could make good passes.”

Jack knew the final two PAT’s were big for the Broncos in their win. “We made two two-point conversions late and they were key plays for us,” Jack said. “It is a process – it was good to come back and get the win. Turnovers in the third quarter hurt us (one interception and one lost fumble), but we are giving the kids a lot of credit. They fought back to win it.” Jack is pleased with the effort by the Broncos, but will work on the mistakes. “It’s the little things that are holding us back.”

The Broncos will travel to Wheeler Friday, September 14, and play at 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, September 13, the junior high Colts will host Wheeler with the seventh grade game will be at 5:00 and the eighth grade game to follow at 6:15 p.m. The JV Broncos will follow after that at approximately 8:00 pm.

Bronco stadium was alive with shouts of accolade for the Bronco junior varsity Thursday night as they corralled the Vega Longhorns 30-12.

According to coach Brad Elam, the game, which was welcomed at home, took on appearances of their first game against Seymour.

“(This was our) first home game in a while and I think we put on a pretty good show,” Elam said. “It’s good to be able to play a JV game. (It was) a very similar game to the game we had in Seymour.”

Elam noted that the Broncos jumped on the Longhorns early but then faced some difficulties. Romello Smith started things off with a 50-yard run for the first score and Caleb Cobb added the two-points after. The next possession, Isaiah Grays recovered a fumble and Cobb found the end zone a few plays after that. Quarterback Bryce Hatley found Dillon Nickell open in the end zone for the conversion for a 16-0 lead. According to Elam, that is where the Broncos stalled.

“We would slow down after that and it was a close game at half at 16-6,” Elam said. “But Smith started the second half recovering a Vega fumble and returning it 20 yards for the score. Hatley ran in the two points to increase the lead.”

Vega got on the board next to cut the lead but the Broncos came back. Cobb finished off the scoring on a 20-yardrun with great blocks from Cedrick McCampbell and Ray Jaramillo. The Bronco defense shined as well.

“Defensively, we had another great game,” Elam said. “Hatley and Zach Watson had interceptions, plus the two fumble recoveries and Smith had three sacks. Lee Buckhaultz played well in the secondary and the defensive front pressured the quarterback all game.”

Offensively, the Broncos swayed back and forth.

“We looked good at times and struggled at times, but getting better, ” Elam said. “We jumped off sides five times, but we are trying to work on a longer snap count so that should be cleaned up in the next few weeks. We probably left at least three more scores on the field when we failed to score inside their 30 (yard line). Little things are keeping us from putting up a 50-spot, but we will correct those and continue to improve.”

The Broncos will get the chance to keep their record clean when they play Wheeler at home, September 13, immediately following the junior high games, which begin at 5:00 p.m.

Last Friday night, the Lefors Pirates outscored the Hedley Owls 45 to 28. Truth be known, the Owls were not beaten by the Pirates. The Owls were downed by too many fumbles, an unusual disparity in penalties called, and referees who didn’t appear to have a firm grasp of the rules of the game.

It was a game that unduly aged the coaches, frustrated the players, and created wailing and the great gnashing of teeth, along with some wonderful entertainment, by the Owls faithful. It was a game that offered both excitement and disbelief, almost simultaneously. Most of all, it was a game that was an absolute blast to watch, and I hope the players had fun.

The Owls simply played great most of the time. At critical moments during the game, fate seemed to rain misfortune and ruin on the Owls’ efforts, efforts that were both magnificent and prone to error at regular intervals.

With a little over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Owls drove the ball to the Lefors 15 yard line, with a second and seven yards to paydirt. Hedley turned the ball over on downs at the Lefors two yard line when a dive into the center of the Lefors defense was stopped just short of the goal line.

Lefors then ran out the remainder of the first quarter, with the score 0-0.

Early in the second quarter, the Owls once again threatened to score. With the ball on the Lefors nine yard line, Hedley punched the ball across the goal line, only to see the touchdown negated by a holding penalty. Three plays later the Owls turned the ball over on downs at the Pirates 12 yard line.

After Lefors drove the ball to the Owls 23, the Owls’ defense stiffened and got the ball back for the offensive. On second and 15, senior running back Coltin Kingston completed a long pass to senior offensive lineman Brandon Evans to the Lefors 40 yard line. After driving the ball to the Pirates’ nine yard line, Brandon Evans put forth extra effort and bulled the ball over the goal line for a touchdown. The PAT was good and the Owls’ took their first lead of the season, 8-0.

Lefors took the ensuing kickoff and immediately answered with long drive for a touchdown. The PAT failed and the Owls led 8-6, with 2:31 remaining in the first half.

Hedley then fumbled the ball away on the first play after the Lefors kickoff. Lefors took the ball and immediately converted the turnover into another touchdown. The PAT was good and Lefors led 14-8 with 27 seconds left in the half.

Hedley took the kickoff on their own 35, and with 8 seconds left, lightening struck – Colton Kingston hit the speedy Nicco Bennett with a long touchdown pass, followed by a PAT. The Owls took a 16-14 lead into half-time.

During half time a line of thunderstorms with lightening passed close to the stadium and the second half kickoff was delayed by an hour or so, until the danger from lightening passed.

Lefors took the second half kickoff and drove it the length of the field for touchdown. The Owls blocked the PAT and held Lefors to a 20-16 lead.

The Owls, who have absolutely no quit in them, immediately answered with a touch down of their own when Coltin Kingston punched the ball across the goal line from a yard out. The PAT was blocked, and Hedley led 22-20.

Lefors answered with a long kickoff return and then punched the ball across from the five yard line, for a 26-22 lead.

Not to be outdone, Tanner Chambless took the following kickoff and picked his way through and around the Lefors Pirates for an Owls touchdown. The PAT was blocked by Lefors and Hedley again led 28-26.

For the remainder of the game, the Owls fell victim to questionable calls, fumbles, and misfortune. They were held scoreless for the rest of the game while Lefors tacked on another 19 points.

Hedley was penalized 12 times and Lefors was penalized four times. I thought that Hedley played the cleaner game and exhibited excellent sportsmanship. I can’t understand the disparity in the penalties called, and I closely watched the game.

Throughout the game the referees exhibited an unusual lack of understanding of the rules of six-man football. Perhaps they had an off night. In either event, penalties and officiating seldom cost a team a game. However, it was frustrating to see that the players had a better understanding of the game than the officials.

The Owls showed great improvement in their play and will win their share of games. These young men play well as a team, hustle on every play, and represent themselves very well.

The Owls travel to McLean this Friday, September 14. Kickoff is at 7:30 PM. Be there and you will enjoy yourself, and the team will appreciate your support.

By Sandy Anderberg

A strong finish nearly paid off for the Broncos Friday night at home in their season opener against Tulia, but time fought against them in their 28-30 loss to the Hornets. After beginning the game unsteadily, the Broncos dug deep to try to pull out a win, but could not overcome the hole they dug for themselves according to head coach Gary Jack.

“We had a slow start (against Tulia) and dug a hole for ourselves,” Jack said. “We got down to them 0-18 in the first quarter and then fumbled on the two-yard line in the first half. That hurt our momentum.”

Clarendon did score once before the break when quarterback Chance McAnear hit Diego Santos with a five-yard pass for six and Ryan Isbell added the kick to get on the board.

After a scoreless third quarter for both teams, the Broncos found a rhythm and were able to put points on the board in the fourth.

“We played better in the second half and fought back,” Jack said. “Because we didn’t stop them early, we had to play catch-up. We were very pleased with their effort to come back, but early mistakes hurt us. We came up a little short, but it was a lesson for us.”

The Broncos’ three scores in the final quarter came from a three-yard run from McAnear with Isbell adding the kick, a 20-yard pass from McAnear to Sell who also teamed up for the two-point conversion, and a pass from McAnear to Burch with the point after failing.

Trevor Cobb racked up 11 tackles and one interception while Trajen Johnson had eight tackles with one fumble recovery. Jack also cited Santos, Tyler Burch, and Jonah Sell with good games, and Tres Hommel and J.D. Baxter for doing a good job on defense.

“At the end of the game, our stats looked as good as theirs,” Jack said.

Clarendon racked up 303 total yards and 309 for the Hornets. McAnear was 21 for 37 with two interceptions, and each team fumbled twice losing one.

“We had to make a few adjustments in the second half and it proved we can adjust well,” Jack said.

“We are looking forward to this week when we go to Vega. We are a little short on numbers with only about 18 guys on varsity, but we’ll hopefully stay healthy and be all right.”

The Broncos will travel to Vega Friday night, September 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m.