Sports

There are almost 5,000 miles separating London, England, from Clarendon, Texas, but that’s how far two recruits were willing to travel to be part of the Inaugural Golf Team at Clarendon College.

The Enterprise sat down with these two young men, Alex Palomeque of Bristol and Jake Bond of London, both 18, along with their parents, Julia and Gavin Palomeque and Carol and Steven Bond, and Golf Coach and Athletic Director John Green to discuss their journey to Clarendon and their plans while attending CC.

Both Alex and Jake have played golf since age 12 and give almost identical answers to questions despite growing up 100 miles apart and only meeting Thursday.
Q: How did you find out about CC and what’s different about being here?

Jake – The sports agency suggested Coach Green. When I found out (about Clarendon) I looked forward to coming to Texas. I was excited. I had no idea what Texas would be like. Everyone is so friendly here is so friendly. People in London are so grumpy. The weather here is so much warmer and drier. It is quite lovely here.

Alex’s Dad – I expected everyone to be wearing cowboy hats but I’ve seen mostly baseball caps.

Alex – A friend’s brother had played football (soccer) through the agency that told me about Clarendon.

Coach Green – There are agencies in Canada, Europe, South Africa, and Australia. You build a relationship with them, and they know what you’re looking for. We look for the whole package – athletics and academics. I’m convinced that we’re going to the national tournament and these young men are going to us there.

Sports agencies work to connect athletes with colleges in U.S. Jake and Alex both intend to transfer to a four-year school after CC and both want to pursue careers in sports management – either as athletic directors or in the corporate world.

Jake – If I can keep a 3-point (grade average), I can move up.

Are their organized sports in schools in England?

Alex’s Dad (who teaches primary school) – There are organized teams but not like the American system. We have clubs outside of the schools.

What differences are there in school?

Alex’s Dad – Academics are different here, and I think both boys are apprehensive. Testing is a concern due to the language differences.

Jake’s Dad – We asked for the bill at a local restaurant last night and the waitress looked right through me.  It’s a check… to us a check is something you draw funds from a bank with.

What food will you miss the most?

Jake and Alex – Indian food.

What other cultural differences here?

Jake – Everything is bigger and better here. We came in from the golf course yesterday and coach showed us the cinema (the Sandell Drive In). I thought he was joking. I thought it was an advertising board but it’s a huge outdoor cinema. You sit in your car and watch a movie. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.

Jake’s Mom – Customer service is phenomenal here – worlds apart from England. The people at the Best Western could not have been nicer. We’re on first name terms with all of them.

Jake’s Dad – We’ve lived in our house 22 years and only know people 2 houses in any direction. Here everyone knows everyone.

Jake’s Mom – I talked to a lady named Pat Knowles at the supermarket and she tried to tell me where she lives and she offered to take care of my son.

Three other English golfers will be attending CC this year. None of these students will be receiving scholarships but instead will pay their own way to be here.

Why did you choose Clarnendon College?

Jake – The level of education is more in depth and is better in America and of course the opportunity to play golf.

Alex – Our main goal is to get on the golf tour but have an education to fall back on.

Alex’s Dad – Ever since Alex started (playing golf), it has been his dream to come to America.

Jake’s Dad – From the parents’ perspective, it was important to us for them to experience a different culture and experience new people. Either boy could have gotten into a university at home. This will make men of them hopefully.

Alex’s Dad – A big selling point for Clarendon was John Green. He has a reputation with the agencies in England, and that swung the balance to Clarendon.

Jake’s Dad – I spoke with two fathers who had previous experience with Coach Green and that made the difference for me.

Gavin – Other colleges wanted to know what Alex would do for them. John wanted to know what he could do for Alex and said he would take care of him.

Jake’s Dad – Jake was offered a scholarship at another college but we felt like Coach Green would take care of him.

The Clarendon Country Club is showing its support for the new team by hosting a CC Meet & Greet on Saturday, September 10, at 6:30 p.m. during which the public is invited to meet Alex, Jake, and the other members of the Bulldog Golf Team. The event will be held by the swimming pool and BBQ ribs with all the trimmings will be served for $10 per person.

“We’re excited (about the college program) and hope it will encourage more young people to get involved and people to get their kids involved,” Sherol Johnson, Clarendon Country Club Treasurer said. “These kids are paying their own way at CC, and that’s incredible.”

Green says he is impressed by the club’s enthusiasm for the team.

“I have never had this happen before in my 22 years of coaching.”

The Clarendon Broncos opened their 2011 season in New Deal against a good Lion team. Despite playing hard, the Broncos were narrowly defeated at 28-29. A missed extra point late in the final quarter kept the Broncos from an overtime period.

The Broncos began the game with two early fumbles which resulted in touchdowns for the Lions in the first half. But Clarendon rallied back to put seven on the board before the break when Charleston Harris took it in from 25 yards out, and Tyler Burch added the kick. Both teams scored eight points in the third quarter and the Broncos’ score came when quarterback Chance McAnear hit Jerami Johnson with a 23-yard pass, and Chancy Williams added the bonus.

Things seemed to turn around somewhat for the Broncos in the final period of play as they put up 13 points on the board.

McAnear and Johnson teamed up again for six on a 27-yard pass, and Wes Williams ran it in from 23 yards out.

Head coach Gary Jack was disappointed with the loss, but felt the Broncos showed a lot of grit.

“We were down by 14 points early in the game and put ourselves in a hole,” Jack said. “We could have shut down right there, but our guys fought back and even took the lead in the third quarter. It was a crazy and wild game and we made too many mistakes early that gave them two scores. But it ended in a close game, and we learned from it. Most of the mistakes we made were little and things we can correct.”

Jack feels the Broncos will be ready for this week’s contest when Vega comes to town and knows more experience on Friday night is key.

“We have a lot of juniors and seniors that didn’t see a lot of playing time last year because of the numbers we had. It will take a game or two to get our confidence going. It is a learning process.”

Jack cited several players with good games. Williams had a good game running the ball, and Harris made some good plays. Jack said Jacob and Jayson Pigg and Jerami Johnson were solid on both sides of the ball. Trevor Cobb made some good catches for the Broncos and played good defense, and Chance McAnear had a good game calling the signals.

“Chance had a good game for us as a sophomore quarterback,” Jack said.
“He had to make some plays and decisions quick and did a good job for us.

“The game was a good test for us, and we will clean it up and be better next week.”
The Broncos play Vega at home Friday, September 2, at 7:30 p.m.

With one more scrimmage under their belt, the Broncos are set to begin the 2011 football season this Friday night in New Deal.

Last year, the Lions defeated the Broncos in a very close matchup. This year they are looking for revenge. Hard at it since the first of August, the Broncos are ready to go and eager to get the season going.

On Thursday, the Broncos scrimmaged against a strong West Texas High team and walked away encouraged by their play.

“We did well against them,” head football coach Gary Jack said. “We are pretty big this year, but they were even bigger than us. But our guys did a good job. It was a tremendously different scrimmage from Nazareth, and it was a good battle up front. It was definitely a war in the trenches.”

According to Jack, the Broncos scored six times, while WT only took it across the line three times.

“It just went really well,” Jack said. “We made some mistakes and that will happen. But we also were able to see some more things we need to work on. We are just trying to get better every week.”

The Broncos will travel to New Deal Friday, August 26, to take on the Lions at 7:30 p.m.

“They are a pretty big team as well,” Jack said. “They are extremely tough, and we will have our hands full, but we are ready.”

Johnny Gaines is no ordinary person and certainly no ordinary athlete.

Gaines qualified for the State Track Meet in Austin last weekend in three events, and even though Gaines missed out on the gold, by a combined two and three-fourths inches in the two events, his performance in the meet was stellar.

Gaines jumped to two silver medals and ran for a seventh-place finish in the 300-meter
hurdles.

Gaines jumped a distance of 22’2 ¾” in the long jump for second place, which was only three-fourths of an inch behind the gold medalist.

He then put together a fantastic leap in the triple jump at 45’4” to tie the longest distance at the meet in class 1A. Because of the tie, the winner was determined on the young men’s second longest mark and Gaines fell short again, and this time it was two
inches.

“Forty-five feet four inches was his personal best,” coach Johnny Nino said. “And achieved that jump on his last jump in the finals. He tied for first, but his next jump of 45’1” was less than the other jumper.”

Gaines ran a time of 40:33 in the 300-meter hurdles for a seventh-place finish. The winner of that race ran the distance in a time of 38.37.

“This was Johnny’s third trip to Austin, which is quite an accomplishment,” Nino said. “This year he received his first two medals. I was proud of the way he
competed. Johnny has always represented himself and Clarendon very well. This year was no different. I was very happy for him to finally get a medal at the state meet and I will surely miss his competitive spirit and leadership.”

The Lady Bronco 800-meter relay also competed in the state meet and finished the race in a time of 1:48.85, which was good enough for 8th place. The 1A team from Snook won the gold at a time of 1:43.28. Members of the relay are Amber Keelin, Sarah Luttrell, Marqueda Gaines, and Glory Bryley. Coach Alton Gaines was pleased with the ladies’ performance at the state level.

“The state meet was a real reward on the year for coaches and girls,” Gaines said. “They really worked hard this year to get to that point in the season. I am so honored to be their coach. They put another clip on my highlight reel. Ladies, thank you.”

Gaines knows the girls that ran at state are young and the experience they gained in Austin was huge.

“The meet was pretty intimidating,” Gaines said. “They were able to see what it is going to take to get back to the state meet next year and the hard work they are going to have to invest in, in order to run with that type of competition. They ran really well and we got the experience we needed to repeat next year. Again, thanks for a heck of a year ladies.”

The Clarendon Bronco baseball team stifled Nazareth 8-2 in the Area round of the playoffs and earned the right to advance in post-season play. They were solid in their win and are looking to a trip to the state baseball game in June.

The Broncos began the game on a good note and scored all their runs in the first four innings. Nazareth’s pitcher came alive in the last half of the game to shut down the
Broncos’ offense.

“I was thinking we would break it open at any time, but we were not able to do that,” coach Brad Elam said.

“Naz’s pitcher kept us off balance and we were not able to score the runs we have the past couple of games.”

Elam is proud for the wins but knows the last few games have been good for the Broncos’ hitting. “These last three games have been good because we have seen quality pitching and that will get us better,” Elam said.

In the first inning of play, Brayden Phillips doubled, Johnny Gaines tripled Phillips in and Troy Chambless drove in Gaines. In the next inning, Diego Santos scored when Justin Shillings hit a triple and Phillips drove in Shillings.

The other four runs came from Gaines, Chambless, Trevor Cobb, and Dusty Rice. Phillips finished three for four with two runs scored and an RBI.

“Defensively, we did make some mistakes that we are going to have to clean up as we advance,” Elam said.

“Pitching, Johnny Gaines did an outstanding job limiting them to four hits, while striking out 16,” Elam said.

The Broncos will take on Stamford in the Regional Quarterfinals Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, in Lubbock, Texas at Westerner Field. The Friday game will begin at 6:00 pm and the Saturday game will be played at 1:00 p.m. If a game three is needed it will begin thirty minutes after the end of the second game.

They are looking for revenge, as Stamford was the team that knocked them out of the play offs last year. The Bronco team is also very appre ciative of the great fan support and packed stands at all of their games.