Sports

By Sandy Anderberg, Clarendon Enterprise

To say that the Broncos were expecting an early dismissal from the playoff race was unexpected is an understatement.

They felt confident that Boys Ranch would just be a stepping-stone to allow them to dive deeper into post-season play.

But the Rough Riders had a different idea about the game and handed Clarendon a 52-51 loss in the Region 1 1-A Division I quarterfinals at Tascosa High in Amarillo Friday night.

The Broncos led most of the game but struggled offensively in the final quarter, only scoring four points to 14 for Boys Ranch. The Broncos, who were ranked number 3 in the state, had their opponent where they wanted them for all but a few seconds in the last quarter.

But turnovers plagued the Broncos, and the Rough Riders went on a scoring frenzy to add nine unanswered points with three minutes remaining. With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, the Broncos missed six crucial free throws, and Boys Ranch drove it in for two for the lead with only three ticks left on the clock.

“We are just really disappointed,” coach Clint Coley said. “We are in shock with the way it ended after leading the entire game. It’s hard to believe the finality of losing in the play offs.”

Despite the loss, Coley felt the guys played hard.

“We played extremely hard,” Coley said. “It just didn’t work for us that night. I feel really bad for the kids.”

Coley felt the long layoff between the end of the season and the beginning of the play offs hurt the Broncos some.

“Us not playing a meaningful game for that time period hurt us,” Coley said.

The Broncos had a great season and went 8-0 in District to claim the District Championship. Their number three ranking in the state was also a testimony to their success this season.

“There are a lot of positives to this season,” Coley said. “We need to be proud of the good things we did this year. We are looking forward to next year. Our junior varsity team went 18-2, and we are excited about the possibilities next year. We want to build on this year’s success.”
Scoring: Johnny Gaines 12, Derrick Shelton 12, Danzel Wilson 11, Stephino McCampbell 11, Alton Gaines 2, Aaron Gordon 2, and Jadon Thornton 2.

The Lady Broncos outlasted and outplayed a good Quanah team to take two games in the Regional Quarterfinal game with the Lady Indians.

One run proved to be the difference in both of the games as Clarendon won the first game 7-6 and the second 5-4 before an electrified hometown crowd.

Senior Sade Cobb started from the mound in the first game, and freshman Danielle Ford took over late in the game.

“We fell behind 0-3 in the first two innings,” head coach Gary Jack said. “We hit the ball fairly well in those innings, but it went right to them.”

The ladies came alive according to Jack in the fifth inning to go up 5-3 with good hits by Macy Shadle and Erin and Elissa Holland to put some runs on the board.

“We battled back,” Jack said.  “We were able to capitalize on some of their errors, and we started hitting the ball better.”

The Lady Indians tied the game at 5-5 in the 7th inning, which made the Lady Broncos hustle to get the upper hand once again and go up by two.

“Danielle walked the first three batters of the inning,” Jack said. “We were able to get two outs, but they also scored a run. They had runners on second and third, and Danielle was able to strike out the last batter, and that was the game.”

The Saturday game began differently for the ladies as they went ahead 3-0 early in the game with Ford on the mound.

“We held them until the fifth,” Jack said. “And then the wheels fell off for us.  They scored four runs and took a one-run lead in the fifth inning.”

Despite trailing, the Lady Broncos chipped away and were able to tie the game when Janae White hit a single to score Erin Holland.  They went on to get another run and win the game to take the series.

“It was a great series against a much improved Quanah team,” Jack said.  “It was an unbelievable crowd.  There were people everywhere, and the girls were definitely excited. It was very special to be able to play a play off game at home.

“This is as far as the Lady Broncos have been in the play offs. At the end of the week, we’ll be playing in the Regional Semifinal game against Marfa. We are ready to move on.”

Clarendon will face Marfa in Midland at Ulmer Park this Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Saturday game starts at 10:00 a.m.

The Broncos are gearing up for their match-up with Electra and did so by playing a warm-up game with Boys Ranch.  Clarendon walked away with a 7-2 win.

“After losing to BR on two occasions, we went into the game more focused in preparing for the playoffs,” Coach Brad Elam said.  “We played well in all aspects of the game, and our pitching was outstanding as we gave up only two unearned runs.”

Johnny Gaines and Austin Howard threw three innings, and Trevor pitched the last inning.

“As a group, they struck out seven and walked only one hitter,” Elam said.  “Our defense was strong and committed only two errors. Gaines went three for three at the plate with a walk, three runs scored, a triple, three RBIs; and he also connected for his third homerun to rack up good numbers offensively.”

The Broncos will take on Electra on Friday, May 9, at 5:00 p.m.  It will only be one game, and the Broncos will have the hometown advantage as it will be played at Clarendon College.

“All the way, baby!” is the motto for this year’s Lady Bronco softball team (17-3), and so far they are right on track to make that trip to the state softball game.

As the Enterprise was going to press, the Lady Broncos were ranked tenth in the state in Class 1A by the Texas State Coaches Poll.

Clarendon edged one step closer to the state title with a big two-game win in a best two-out-of-three game with Ranger in Abilene May 2-3 to claim the Area Championship.  The ladies squeaked out a 2-1 win in the first game and a 14-11 win in the second.

“It was a couple of pretty intense games,” Head Coach Gary Jack said. “They wanted it really bad, and we played really well.  Both teams pitched great, and we were very closely matched.  They were both great play off games.”

Danielle Ford pitched the first game and was credited with several strikeouts.  Sade Cobb got the call in the second game and pitched well, also.

“Danielle did a great job in the first game,” Jack said.  “She got us out of a big jam in the sixth when we were ahead 2-1, and they had runners on first and third with no outs.  She was able to get the next three batters out, and no one scored.”

Jenci White also made a great catch in center field, and Jack also gave credit to Dominique Mason for great relief running.

The early momentum belonged to Ranger in the second game, and the Lady Broncos trailed 1-7 in the first two innings.

“Sade pitched the second game and did well, and she had good defense behind her,” Jack said.

The ladies were determined to get the second win to end the series and continued to fight even after Ranger regained the lead.

Jack noted that great hits were made by Macy Shadle, Erin Holland, Elissa Holland, Brandi Mays, and Janae White.

“Sade made a great bunt in the first game to bring a couple in at a very crucial time after Danielle Ford knocked down a big triple.”

The win over Ranger allowed the Lady Broncos to advance to the next level which is the Regional Quarterfinals against Quanah.  It will be another best two-out-of-three and will be played on each team’s home fields.

“We will play the first game on Thursday, May 8, at Quanah at 5:00,” Jack said.  “The second and third game (if needed) will be played in Clarendon on Saturday, May 10, at 2:30 pm.

“They are a much improved team. We’ve got to be ready to go play,” Jack said.

The Broncos rallied in the last two innings Monday to come from four runs down to grab the win for the number one seeding in the playoffs in a game with Follett.

The win put the Broncos at 16-6 for the year and gave them a first round bye in the playoffs.

“We are ready for the playoffs,” coach Brad Elam said.  “Our defense played really well, and we made plays when we needed to.  We turned a big double play defensively.”

According to Elam, Austin Howard pitched three good innings before being relieved by Johnny Gaines, who came in and pitched four solid innings.  After holding the four-run lead, Follett crumbled somewhat and the Broncos took over to dominate the game and the win.

Trevor Leeper reached base four times and had two stolen bases; Dalton Askew hit a double, reached base three times, scored two runs, and had two stolen bases; Austin Howard slammed a triple and added two runs; David Roberts had two hits and two RBIs; Derrick Shelton had an RBI single and scored one run; and Stephen Fowler had an RBI.

The Broncos earned a bye in the first round, which will begin this week.  The Broncos look to play Friday or Saturday, May 9-10, and will take on the winner of the Ralls/Electra game.  Times and location will be in next week’s edition of the Enterprise.

Earlier in the week the Broncos took on Caprock JV and defeated them 10-9.

“We started out with the lead and held on at the end,” Elam said.  “Austin Howard started the game and pitched four good innings. Troy Chambless came on in the fifth and finished the game for the win.”

Elam also noted that, offensively, the bottom of the lineup was very productive.  Derrick Shelton reached base three times, scored two runs and drove in two with a long triple; Stephen Fowler scored two runs; Brayden Philips had two hits and drove in two; and Trevor Leeper had three hits including an inside the park homerun.

The Broncos also played Bushland on Saturday and lost 1-19.

“We did not show up to play against a very good team, and the score shows it,” Elam said.  “We made too many errors in the field and did not hit the ball well.  We ended up with only one hit, and Austin Howard run scoring double in the first inning. We really didn’t strike out that much, but we were unable to hit the ball hard.”

The Broncos will play a practice game on Friday, May 2, to prepare for the playoffs.

The Lady Broncos left no doubt as to who was the better team in their play off seeding game against Follett on Tuesday in Fritch.

It was the third meeting of the year after a 1-1 split in regular season play.  The 10-3 win pushed the ladies to the number one seed in the Region 1 1-A Bi-District race.  The Lady Broncos who are currently at 15-3 will take on Ranger in a best two-out-of-three Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, at Abilene Cooper High School at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“I won the toss, and we’re going to go with two out of three,” head coach Gary Jack said. “We are the number one seed going into the Area game, and that’s where we wanted to be.

“We will have some girls gone in the game against Ranger because of the UIL State Academic meet; and we thought if we went with this format, we could get some girls back for the Saturday game.”

If a third game is needed, it will follow the second game.

In the Follett game, Clarendon got things rolling in their favor early on when they scored four runs in the first four innings to take a 4-0 lead.  After a scoreless fifth, the Lady Panthers rallied back to come within two runs of Clarendon.  But determination kicked in for the Lady Broncos, and they put the game out of reach by scoring five runs in the seventh and holding Follett scoreless.

“They got some hits and runs on us in that sixth inning,” Jack said. “They had three hits in a row and took advantage of an error that we made.  But we came back in the seventh inning to score five runs to seal the deal.”

Freshman Danielle Ford was on the mound and, according to Jack, pitched a great game.

“Danielle threw a great game,” Jack said.  “It was nearly a perfect game, and she was very consistent.  Going into the fifth, she didn’t have any hits or walks; and she struck out 10 batters. And our defense played great behind her.”

Also according to Jack, this game was one of the best played by the Lady Broncos.

“We really played the best game of the year,” Jack said.  “It was nearly flawless.”

The game was the third time this year these teams have played with each team getting one win.

“We started off hitting the ball against their really good pitcher,” Jack said. “That’s something we didn’t do when we lost to them. We’ve played them six times in two years, and we’ve won four of those games.”

The ladies hit the ball well against Follett, according to Jack.

“We had some really big hits,” Jack said.  “Macy Shadle had two singles, a triple, and scored three runs; and Abby Patten got us going when we needed it with a shot down the third base line with two outs.  Erin Holland also had a single and triple, and Danielle Ford and Brandi Mays did a nice job of hitting the ball.  Overall, it was just a solid game for us.”

The ladies are currently ranked 19th in the Coaches’ Poll and are confident they can move up the ladder with a big win over Ranger in the Area game this next weekend.

Clarendon High School boys and girls are both going to the playoffs after terrific seasons.

The Broncos put together a great season and finished their District run with only one loss.  That loss came at the hands of Follett, who shares the District Championship with the Broncos.

The Broncos sealed their championship at home Saturday, April 19, with a big 17-2 win over Booker.  They will play Follett in a seeding game on Monday, April 28, in Fritch at 4:00 p.m. to decide who gets the number one seed in the playoffs.

Offensively, the Broncos were on fire behind the good pitching of Johnny Gaines.  The freshman pitched four scoreless innings for his third win of the season.

“Johnny pitched four innings and gave up only three hits,” Coach Brad Elam said.  “He also struck-out six batters.”

Trevor Leeper was three for four and scored four runs; J. Gaines was two for four; Devin Noble drove in three runs; Dalton Askew had three hits and drove in four; David Roberts had two hits (one of which was a long double); Derrick Shelton had one long double and walked twice; and Stephen Fowler drove in two runs.

Earlier in the week, the Broncos annihilated Wellington at 20-0.  They completely ruled the game to add to their winning season.

“We dominated all aspects of the game,” Elam said.  “Austin Howard pitched another great game giving up only two hits (in the last innings) and struck out 10 hitters.  He is now 8-1 on the season.”

Also according to Elam, the Broncos were fearless offensively.

“Everyone in the lineup scored at least one run.” Elam said.

J. Gaines 2/3, scored 4, one long home run (2nd of season), 2 walks

Trevor Leeper scored 4, reached base 4 times, drove in 3 runs, had 2 stolen bases

Noble scored 3, 3 hits

Howard 3 hits, drove in 3; Josh Krumweide and Troy Chambless had 2 RBI each

The Broncos will pay at home Friday, April 25, against Bushland at 4:30 p.m.

They will travel to Claude on Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m.

The Lady Broncos played well enough this season to finish in a tie with Follett for the District Championship.  Their matchup with Follett last Tuesday ended in a five-run loss for the Ladies to put them even with Follett for the season.

A play off game with Follett will have been played as this paper goes to press to decide the number one and two seeds for the two teams.  The game will be played Tuesday in Fritch at 4:30 p.m.

A win would give the Lady Broncos a bye in the first round of the play offs, and a loss would mean a match up with Electra on Wednesday of this week.

“We don’t like playing on Wednesday,” Jack said.  “But we will be missing about three starters on Thursday because of the Regional Track Meet.”  If the Ladies win, they will play Ranger the following week in the second round of the play offs.

The Lady Broncos had a little trouble with Follett at home last Tuesday and struggled against their pitcher.

“They’ve got a good pitcher,” head Coach Gary Jack said.  “We did a good job of hitting her the first time we played them, but we struggled against her at home.”

According to Jack, the game was fairly even through five, but errors allowed Follett to gain the advantage when they connected on one hit to score five runs.

“It was just one bad inning for us,” Jack said.  “All three of our losses came after one crazy inning.  They took advantage of our errors.”

The Booker game was on the road Friday, April 18. It went in the favor of the Lady Broncos at 18-2 in four innings.  Senior Sade Cobb was on the mound and pitched well.

“After we adjusted to their slow-pitching, we hit the ball pretty well,” Jack said.  “We did what we had to do to stay first.”

Hedley’s Rebekah Howard has achieved many things in her career as a basketball player.

She garnered all-state awards and played in a high school state title game and then went on to become a starter and major contributor for College of the Ozarks in Branson, Missiouri, an NAIA Division II school.

Recently the 2004 Hedley High School graduate became the 17th Lady Bobcat to score more than 1,000 points for her career. She was the team’s third leading scorer and leading rebounder and was their premiere post defender, according to Hall of Fame coach George Wilson.

The C of O Lady Bobcats were ranked first in NAIA Division II all year, entering the national tournament with only one loss and that to an NCAA Division II school much larger than theirs.

The national tournament is held annually in Sioux City, Iowa, and the top-ranked Ozarks squad made short work of their first three opponents, winning by an average margin of more than 25 points per game. Teams from Oregon to Maine and California to Michigan competed, but the national semifinals were dominated by Midwest teams from Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri.

The Ozarks played Hastings, Neb., in their national semifinal, and it took two gut-wrenching overtimes to decide the game in favor of the Lady Bobcats. Howard scored 15 points in that contest and pulled down 10 rebounds.

In the national title game, the Ozarks third title game in a row, pitted the Lady Bobcats against the third-ranked Lady Raiders of Iowa’s Northwestern College and their national player Debbie Remmerde.

Howard and the Lady Bobcats had knocked Northwestern out of the tournament last year and led the championship game this year for nearly 35 minutes, but Remmerde, who ended her career as the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II, brought her team back to tie the game with 5:26 left.

Remmerde scored 41 points in the game, was 16 for 16 from the free-throw line, and was unstoppable in the final minutes of the title game. The Ozarks had to again settle for a second place finish nationally.

Though disappointed to be denied a national championship, Howard can look back on some wonderful accomplishments and tremendous success in her cage career. While in college, her teams went 135-12, an astounding 0.918 winning percentage.

The last two years have been even better with teams going 68-4 with two of the four losses in national championship games.

Howard will graduate next December with a degree in English from College of the Ozarks.