The Clarendon Enterprise is preparing to run its express edition to the North Pole very soon, and children need to get their Letters to Santa turned in by next Wednesday, December 8.
Letters can be emailed to ads@clarendonlive.com, mailed to PO Box 1110, Clarendon, TX 79226, or dropped by the office at 105 S. Kearney.
News
Lady Broncos beat Happy
The Lady Broncos played Claude and Happy over the Thanksgiving break and earned one win and one loss.
The ladies took on Claude on November 22 and narrowly lost 33-43. Junior Makenna Shadle had a huge game despite the loss as she put in 21 points that included four three-pointers and making seven of eight from the bonus line. However; the second and fourth quarters did not go as planned as the Lady Broncos struggled to put points on the board.
A little bit of foul trouble plagued the Lady Broncos, but the Mustangs went to the free throw line nine times and only made four. Aubrey Weatherton put in six points, Finley Cunningham had four, and Hayden Elam made a pair of bonus points to finish with two.
The Lady Broncos were able to put the loss behind them and get a 42-33 win over Happy the next night. Defensively, the ladies were aggressive and did a good job containing the Cowgirls to only five points in the opening quarter of play. Their offensive execution gave them the upper hand they needed to get the win as they pumped in seven shots from the arc. Once again, Shadle led the way with 19 points and Weatherton added 10 to finish in double figures. Madie Smith added seven and Courtlyn Conkin helped with six.
The Lady Broncos will participate in the Miami Tournament on December 2-4 and travel to Vega December 7.
2021 Clarendon Christmas festivities Saturday, Nov. 27
Local merchants encourage you to shop locally this weekend as the community celebrates “Christmas in Clarendon” and the eighth annual lighting of the Donley County Courthouse.
The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce encourages everyone to shop local businesses, and the Chamber and its partners have lined up several activities to make shopping at home fun, including a downtown Christmas Craft Fair, a Christmas Bingo promotion, and four nights of Late Night Shopping.
As part of Small Business Saturday this weekend, a Christmas Craft Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with vendors set up at the CEDC restaurant building at Kearney and US 287, the future home of Loaded Nutrition in the old book store, and the Masonic Lodge Hall. If needed, vendors may also be located in the Arena of Life Cowboy Church. Everyone is encouraged to come downtown and check out what the vendors have available there. Shonda’s Snack Shack will be serving in the Masonic Lodge from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a food truck is also planned for Saturday.
A coloring contest and entertainment will be held at the Mulkey Theatre from noon to 5 p.m. The official coloring pages and contest details are available online at
ClarendonTX.com/ChamberEvents. Check out the same page for details on the Chamber’s Christmas Bingo contest. Bingo cards are available at participating merchants as well as online. The bingo winner will be drawn, and the coloring contest winners will be announced at 7 p.m. at the CEDC building.
The fun continues Saturday evening at the Donley County Courthouse where Santa Claus will be on hand to visit with the kids starting at 5 p.m. before the official Courthouse Lighting at 6 p.m. The Lions Club will be serving hot chocolate, and musical entertainment will be provided by the Clarendon Elementary Ensemble, Gary Cockerham, and Jesse Lincycomb. Activities will also be available on Third Street between Sully and Kearney following the courthouse lighting.
The Christmas celebration continues Sunday evening with a special showing of The Polar Express at the Mulkey Theatre. Admission will be a donation to the Donley County Community Fund, and attendees are encouraged to get into the spirit of the movie by wearing their pajamas to the show, which starts at 6 p.m.
The shopping fun continues with Late Night Shopping dates set up for December 2, 9, 16, and 23. Check online at ClarendonTX.com/ChamberEvents for a list of merchants who are staying open late for your holiday shopping convenience.
Local merchants are ready to help you find something for everyone on your Christmas list with their Black Friday and Small Business Saturday specials on November 26 and 27. Details on local sales are printed in the Holiday Gift Guide included in this week’s Clarendon Enterprise and also available at ClarendonLive.com.
Small Business Saturday began in 2010 when it was founded by American Express to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.
According to experts, every $100 spent in locally-owned stores returns $68 to the town through taxes, payrolls, and other expenditures. That same money spent in another town or online returns nothing to your local community.
Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong.
Giving Tuesday helps Donley County Fund
As part of a national day known as GivingTuesday, the local Donley County Community Fund (DCCF) is participating in The Panhandle Gives campaign.
For nine days from November 22 through November 30, all funds raised locally will be increased through a match from the Amarillo Area Foundation.
“Participating in this campaign is an opportunity for our local fund balance to grow,” DCCF chair Jacob Fangman said.
The DCCF is a local board whose purpose is to raise money for a perpetuating fund while contributing a portion of the money to local organizations.
Over the past five years, the DCCF has been able to give $6,000 to local charities.
So that the local DCCF can benefit from the match, anyone wishing to participate will need to give their donation by Monday, November 29, so that the final deposit can be made on GivingTuesday.
Contributions can be mailed to Donley County Community Fund, c/o Jacob Fangman, Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226. Checks should be made out to The Panhandle Gives, with DonleyCCF written on the memo line.
Franks ready for NFR battle
By Ted Harbin
It was the fall of 2020 when Cole Franks made a couple of goals for himself.
He was a sophomore at Clarendon College in his hometown, competing on the rodeo team for his father, Bret Franks, the program’s coach. He also had just purchased his card, allowing him to be a full-fledged member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association instead of a permit-holder.
He wanted to win a college championship for his team for the 2020-21 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association season and hoped to add the PRCA’s Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year title.
The missions were accomplished in multiple ways over the summer run of rodeo. Franks dominated the bareback riding race at the College National Finals Rodeo and also qualified for the championship round in saddle bronc riding to win both the bareback riding and all-around titles in Casper, Wyoming. He also was a major part of the reason the men’s team title went to Clarendon.
Within a few weeks of that, he’d earned enough money to have clinched the rookie crown. He finished with $77,393 in earnings, leading the field by nearly $45,000. With that, though, he added another major accomplishment to his list by qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo. In fact, he’ll head to Las Vegas for ProRodeo’s grand finale as the 12th-ranked bareback rider in the world standings.
“Making the finals is really great,” said Franks, 20, now a junior at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri.
“When I got my card this year, I wasn’t focused on it or even looking at the finals this year. I was just looking at the rookie deal and banking on making the finals next year. For it to happen this year is really cool.”
It happened because of relationships he’s developed in his time in ProRodeo. He joined two NFR veterans – three-time world champion Tim O’Connell and 2020 average titlist Jess Pope – on the rodeo trail and gained some education because of it. As Franks moved his way up the bareback riding money list, O’Connell and Pope offered the idea of a switch in priorities: Focus on making the NFR, and the rookie race would come.
That’s exactly what happened. Along the way, Franks picked up some big victories. In fact, he finished the 2021 campaign with 13 event titles and had three rides of 90 points or better, all of which came the same week in early August. He started out the week by scoring 92 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s Spanish Feathers to win in Carson, Iowa.
A couple days later, he followed that with a 90 on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code to win the first round in Dodge City, Kansas, advancing to the championship round at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame event in western Kansas. On Short-Round Sunday, he set an arena record by spurring Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire for 93 points, one of the highest scores of the season in the PRCA.
Born in Guymon, Oklahoma, Franks is the second generation of his family to advance to rodeo’s most prestigious event; Bret Franks was a three-time NFR qualifier in saddle bronc riding. Cole Franks proves the genetics come strong in their athletic form, but so does the love for the game.
He was two months from being born the last time his dad played on the biggest stage in ProRodeo. He’s only seen videos and heard stories, but that never curbed his hunger to be one of the best cowboys in the sport. Like his dad, Cole Franks likes riding bucking horses. He uses a bronc saddle some, especially in college, but he’s excelled using a bareback rigging.
“It’s cool to think I’m following in Dad’s footsteps, even if it’s in bareback riding and not bronc riding,” said Franks, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Cinch, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, Western Legacy Co. and 287 Ag.
“I have always told myself that I had to make it at least three times, tying Dad’s three,” he said. “But I want to make it to where I have three (world championship) gold buckles to put with Dad’s three back numbers.”
By transferring to Missouri Valley, he’s positioned himself to only improve upon his skills. The college is well known for its bareback riding prowess, and Franks will be one of four bronc busters with ties to the college performing at the NFR, joining O’Connell, Pope and Tanner Aus for the 10 nights of action from Dec. 2-11 in Las Vegas.
“Bareback riding is just more of a fight,” Franks said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve always had a fighter’s personality, but I’ve always wished I was in a way. I think that’s what made me stick with it because of the aggressiveness of it. In the bronc riding, you have to be relaxed to a point, but in bareback riding, it’s 100 percent bare down.”
It’s the perfect fit for the young man who won’t back down from a fight with a 1,200-pound bucking beast.
Wink ends Broncos’ football season
The Broncos’ 2021 season ended abruptly with a 26-64 loss to Wink in the Area Round in Lubbock at Lowery Field last Thursday night.
The Broncos had a very successful season with District and Bi-District Championships. The Broncos finished at 10-2 for the season with losses to Vega and Wink.
Clarendon was ready to take on the Wildcats and felt good about their chances, but things just did not go their way. Senior Jordan Herndon left the game early with an injury, which caused the Broncos to change things up offensively. They were able to muster 175 rushing yards and 95 passing yards by senior quarterback Brock Hatley. Despite almost 300 total yards, the Broncos’ fumbles worked against them in the end.
Jmaury Davis stepped up from the backfield position to carry 14 times for 82 yards and one touchdown. Hatley gained 50 yards on eight carries that included one touchdown, and Lyric Smith had seven carries for 38 yards. Hatley was seven of 15 passing and zeroed in on Smith for five catches, 88 yards, and one touchdown.
Head coach Clink Conkin thought the guys played hard.
“The season didn’t end like we wanted to, but I’m very proud of this team and all the work they put in the past few years,” he said. “This senior group will be missed tremendously.”
Broncos win bi-district title
The Broncos took control of the game early and never looked back in their 43-6 win over Sunray last week in Bushland to claim the Bi-District Championship.
The win keeps Clarendon alive in the playoffs and put them in the Area Round against Wink on Thursday, November 18. The Broncos have only had one pre-district loss this season and they are looking to add another trophy to their season accomplishments.
According to head coach Clint Conkin, the football team played great against the struggling Sunray team last week in the Bi-District round. Senior quarterback Brock Hatley had a good night guiding the team to the win. Hatley passed for 50 yards in the game hitting four out of 12 passes. He also carried the ball four times for 25 yards. Junior Jmaury Davis tore the field up with 141 yards on 12 carries, saw the end zone once, and had two receptions from Hatley for six yards.
Senior Jordan Herndon was unstoppable running the ball and averaged over 10 yards a carry for 137 yards. Herndon felt at home in Sunray’s end zone as he scored five touchdowns and had one reception for 33 yards. Lyric Smith played a great game from the backfield on three carries for 78 yards. The Broncos racked up 377 total yards in the game.
“We had several guys making great plays on defense,” Conkin said.
Colton Benson and Easton Frausto led the way with seven tackles each and Jordan Evans and Davis grabbed five tackles apiece. They were also in Sunray’s QB’s face all night with Evans getting three sacks and Davis grabbing one. Hatley had five tackles as well and sacked the quarterback once.
Josiah Howard had four tackles and grabbed an interception, and Anthony Ceniceros had one tackle and one interception.
The Broncos will play Wink on Thursday, November 18 at Lowery Field in Lubbock at 7:00 p.m.
Party to honor CC’s NFR qualifiers
By Ted Harbin
The Clarendon College rodeo team has been gaining some incredible momentum over the last few years, and it has only gotten better in 2021.
The proof is in the pudding with three former Bulldog cowboys having earned qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that features the top 15 contestants from the regular season in each event.
Leading the way is two-time qualifier Wyatt Casper of Miami, Texas, who finished the 2020 season as the reserve world champion. He became the first national champion in Clarendon history when he won the saddle bronc riding crown in 2016. He will be joined by fellow bronc rider Tegan Smith of Winterset, Iowa, who finished third at the 2019 College National Finals Rodeo; Smith finished the 2021 PRCA regular season in 10th place, one spot behind Casper.
Cole Franks rounds out the trio of qualifiers, earning his spot by finishing 12th in the bareback riding world standings. Franks, the son of Clarendon College rodeo coach Bret Franks, is coming off a tremendous 2021 campaign; he was named the PRCA Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year.
All that came after being one of the guiding forces behind Clarendon’s men’s team title at the college finals this past June. He dominated bareback riding to claim that national title, then added to it by qualifying for the championship round at the CNFR in saddle bronc riding, securing the all-around national title, too.
All three will be recognized and honored during an NFR Sendoff Party and Prime Rib Dinner, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Donley County Activity Center. Tickets are $100 (for two people), and proceeds will go to the Clarendon College rodeo team.
“I think it’s a pretty special deal that we have three NFR qualifiers from our little college, so we wanted to put something together to honor them,” Bret Franks said. “We also want to put something together to raise awareness and money for the rodeo program. Every ticket will be entered into a $1,000 cash drawing.
“We will also have live music and a silent auction, so we hope it’s a lot of fun for everyone and gives them a chance to wish our cowboys luck in Las Vegas.”
For more information about the sendoff party and prime rib dinner, contact Franks at 806-440-1366.
Giving Tuesday to benefit local community fund
As part of a national day known as GivingTuesday, the local Donley County Community Fund (DCCF) is participating in The Panhandle Gives campaign.
For nine days from November 22 through November 30, all funds raised locally will be increased through a match from the Amarillo Area Foundation.
“Participating in this campaign is an opportunity for our local fund balance to grow,” DCCF chair Jacob Fangman said.
The DCCF is a local board whose purpose is to raise money for a perpetuating fund while contributing a portion of the money to local organizations.
Over the past five years, the DCCF has been able to give $6,000 to local charities while increasing its own fund balance, thanks to support from county-wide residents.
So that the local DCCF can benefit from the match, anyone wishing to participate will need to give their donation by Monday, November 29, so that the final deposit can be made on GivingTuesday.
Contributions can be mailed to Donley County Community Fund, c/o Jacob Fangman, Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226. Checks should be made out to The Panhandle Gives, with DonleyCCF written on the memo line.
Other board members are Shauna Herbert, Sherol Johnston, Diane Skelton, and Roger Estlack
Plans set for Christmas fun
Join the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce in celebrating Small Business Saturday, November 27, and support your local merchants.
In addition to sales and activities being planned with local merchants, a Craft Show & Vendor Fair will be held in two locations – 118 S. Kearney (inside the former steakhouse building) and at the Lions Hall. Vendors, and artisans will be set up from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
At 5 p.m. kids can deliver their letters to Santa at the Courthouse. The 8th annual lighting ceremony will take place at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, November 28, the Mulkey Theatre will have a showing of The Polar Express at 6 p.m. Admission is a donation to the Donley County Community Fund, and everyone will receive hot chocolate and cookies. You are encouraged to wear your pajamas and join us on this adventure.
Other activities and promotions will be announced soon.
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