Sports

Great things come around every once in a while and in the case of the Bronco basketball team that ‘every once in a while’ has been 16 years.
The last time Clarendon participated in a Regional Basketball Tournament was in 1994 and Monday night at Randall High School, the Broncos fought off Stratford and bought their ticket to the Regional game, which will be held this Friday in Levelland.
The win was great for the players and the many fans in attendance.  And what was even better, several of the players from that 1994 Regional Finalist Team were on hand to cheer on this young group of players and watch them do exactly what they did.
That’s what Clarendon basketball is all about.
The Broncos (22-5) did not disappoint in their determination to defeat a very physical Elk team and began the game with intensity.  Thirty-two minutes after the tip, the Broncos proved they could battle and earned the 69-62 win.
It was a showcase for the three-point shot and there were lots of them. Brayden Phillips connected on four, Justin Shillings hit three, and Johnny Gaines made good on two.  Those 27 points boosted the Broncos to the win and stopped the 16-year Regional Tournament drought.
Stratford tried to answer, but the Broncos were quick to answer right back and hit crucial shots to maintain their lead.  The Elks were able to tie the game at 49 all at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but that did not stop the Broncos from their goal.
Big men Tre Brown and Mike Crump toughened up inside and the Broncos put an end to any comeback attempt by the Elks.  Johnny Gaines, Tre Brown, and Brayden Phillips finished in double figures to lead the Broncos to the win.
“I thought our guys did a tremendous job of executing our game plan against Stratford,” coach Clint Coley said.  “We really tried to pick up the tempo and turn it into a fast paced game, and I think for the most part we were able to do that. We knew how strong and physical they were, but I think our guys are just as strong really, as well as fast, so we just tried to use that to our advantage.
“We hit nine three’s in the ballgame and that certainly didn’t hurt either.  I’m just so proud of the way our guys handled themselves in the game.  I think they do things with a lot of class and that’s a credit to them.”
Coley also said fan participation was a great asset for the Broncos.
“We appreciate the crowd once again and hope we can get a big group down for the Regional Tourney. It is great to see everyone come out and support these kids.  We have had better crowds than the opponent, and I can tell you that makes a big, big difference in a game.”
Scoring:  Gaines 20, Brown 15, Phillips 12, Justin Shillings 9, Stephino McCampbell 5, Mike Crump 5, Jadon Thornton 2, and Chris Crump 1.
Last week, the Broncos were able to advance by defeating Crosbyton in the Bi-District game 48-39.  The game was fairly even the entire time until the fourth quarter when the Broncos pulled away.
“I was extremely proud of the way our bench stepped up,” Coley said.  “We’ve been relying on several people all year long and that night was no different.  Justin Shillings and Brayden Phillips came in and did a great job keeping us in the game.”
Scoring:  Gaines 16, Shillings 10, Phillips 6, McCampbell 4, Thornton 4, Brown 4, C. Crump 3, and M. Crump 1.
The Broncos were named Area Champs when they defeated Wheeler 67-52 Friday night at Randall High.
It was another hard-fought game for the Broncos, but they jumped out to the early lead, which put them in a rhythm that lasted the entire game.
“I was really proud of our guys Friday night,” Coley said.  “They came out ready to play from the opening tip. We were aggressive and attacked all night long.”
Scoring:  Gaines 21, Brown 15, Phillips 10, Shillings 5, McCampbell 5, C. Crump 5, M. Crump 4, and Thornton 2.
The Broncos will play Seagraves in Levelland on the campus of South Plains College at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 5.  Please come and support the Broncos in the Regional Tournament and cheer them on to a trip to Austin!

They have made the playoffs three years in a row and now the Broncos have added one more trophy to the case with a huge Bi-District win over Nazareth at Highland Park on last Friday night.

The 25-18 win gave the Broncos the right to play in the Area game this Friday, November 20, against Stratford, which is the defending state champ. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Harvester Field in Pampa.

The Broncos began the game with determination. Three touchdowns early in the half gave them the clear domination over the Swfits that they were looking for.

Chris Crump opened the scoring on a seven-yard run, and Brayden Phillips caught a 48-yard pass from Johnny Gaines to add another six. Gaines threw another strike to Stephino McCampbell that went 16 yards to increase the Bronco lead to 19 as Coby Braughton added the bonus kick.

But Nazareth was not out of the game as they hit a 43-yard field goal before the break. The Swifts would add two more touchdowns in the third quarter after the Broncos’ Chris Crump added their last score from seven yards out.

Lots of drama ensued at the end of the game as Nazareth threatened to score with only seconds remaining on the clock. One last desperate attempt ended when Brayden Phillips snagged an interception, and the Broncos were victorious.

“I was proud that we hung on at the end,” head coach Gary Jack said. “I told them not to let up because Nazareth wouldn’t give up. We made a few mistakes, and we played pretty solid for two and a half quarters. Then we just relaxed a little. It was a definite momentum change.”

Jack credited Phillips, Chris Crump, and Johnny Gaines with having good games against Nazareth.

“Stephino McCampbell had 14 tackles, one sack, and one touchdown,” Jack said. “Wes Williams ran the ball well, and Tré Brown and our line did a good job for us,”
Jack knows the Broncos will have to play mistake free this week.

“If we play hard and get after it, we will be right there in the game,” Jack said. “They [the Elks] have been a solid program for about a decade and have played in four state championship games in recent years. We are looking forward to the game.”

Jack went on to say that the Broncos will have to execute their game plan to stay ahead of the Elks.

“We’ll finally be fairly healthy,” Jack said. “We are excited about the opportunity. If you’re going to be one of the best, you’ve got to beat the best. We’re going to gear up and play hard.”

The Broncos played their last regular game of the season at Bronco Stadium Friday night, and it was a contest that was much closer than the score revealed.
Clarendon lost to the Sky Rockets 7-28, but not before giving Wellington a huge test. Despite the loss, the
Broncos have earned a spot in the playoffs and will play in the Bi-District game against Nazareth Friday, November 13 in Amarillo at Highland Park High School at 7:30 pm as the home team.

The Broncos were threatening to strike first deep in scoring range but threw an interception that Wellington ran back 99 yards for the first score of the game. Both teams remained scoreless in the second quarter, and the Rockets held the advantage going into the break.
The second score came early in the third quarter for Wellington, but the Broncos answered right back when Mike Crump and Johnny Gaines hooked up for six that went 44 yards. Coby Braughton added the bonus kick.
That would be the only score for the Broncos, but they racked up 184 total yards in the game. Rushing yards accounted for 140 of those yards, which equaled what the Rockets did with 145 yards rushing.

“We outplayed them,” head coach Gary Jack said. “We played right with them and caught them off guard. I was very pleased with their effort and performance.”
Minus a couple of mistakes and a few breaks to go the Broncos’ way, it would have been a different game.

“We told the guys we needed to take the fight to them,” Jack said. “We were ready to go. We just needed a couple key breaks to get the extra momentum going.”
Wellington was able to capitalize on a couple of mistakes made by the Broncos and gain the advantage on the scoreboard. Despite the loss, the guys played solid on both sides of the ball. Stephino McCampbell had a good game defensively and so did Brayden Phillips who grabbed a crucial interception for the Broncos and also stepped in for injured quarterback Johnny Gaines.

Gaines injury is healing and he did see some playing time and Jack feels he’ll be 100 percent for next week’s game with Naz.

“Johnny adds a lot to our game and having him in the game helps to give us that extra momentum,” Jack said.
Also playing tough defense according to Jack was Bradley Watson, Chris Crump, Mike Crump, Tre Brown, Lee Tolbert, and Forrest Yelverton. The Crump boys had 17 tackles between them, and Chris also got a sack on the QB. Brown had six tackles and a sack and Lee Tolbert had a solid game according to Jack. Freshman Forrest Yelverton played the entire game both ways and made six tackles.

The Broncos will be preparing all week for their Bi-District game with Nazareth and Jack knows they will be ready to go.

“We’re ready for them,” Jack said. “It’s a new season for us, and this (the playoffs) is all that matters. It will be a battle for us, because they are big. We scrimmaged them earlier in the year, and it was pretty even. They will play hard, and we are going to gear up and get ready to go.”

Make plans to support the Broncos at Highland Park, Friday, November 13, at 7:30 p.m. for the Broncos’ first playoff game with the Swifts.

By Sandy Anderberg, Clarendon Enterprise

The Clarendon Broncos headed to the Regional Semifinals this week after defeating Haskell in Lubbock in the Region I-1A quarterfinals and once again proved that nothing is keeping them down this season.

The Broncs will face Miles Thursday in Lubbock at 6 p.m.

It looked as if Haskell had slammed the door on the first game of the series last Friday when they took a seven nothing lead after two, but they forgot they were playing the Broncos and finally succumbed to a 7-9 loss.

Senior Derrick Shelton had been fairly quiet during the game, but came alive when he needed to help his team gain the two-run advantage for the win. His two-run single sent the Broncos over the top, and they took a one-game advantage in the best two-out-of-three series against Haskell.

Again the Broncos allowed their opponent to get on the board first, and the Mustangs took a 7-0 lead.

“We had more errors, but we did not give up,” Coach Brad Elam said. “We scored in the bottom of the third after Brayden Phillips singled, and Alton Gaines drove him in with a double.”

David Roberts was then able to get Alton and Johnny Gaines home and then came in himself on a hit by Derrick Shelton to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. The Broncos kept the offense going and got the win.

Defensively, the Broncos were sharp, especially when it counted.

“Josh Krumwiede and Derrick Shelton turned a double play to end the game,” Elam said. “Troy Chambless started the game and pitched really well, striking out nine. Johnny Gaines came in in the sixth to close the game out. And our defense played better after the second inning.”

The next game was do or die for Haskell, but the Broncos were in the driver’s seat, and once again their determination kicked in, and Clarendon prevailed 10-5. The game was close in the first inning at 4-3, but the Broncos hit another gear offensively as they added four more runs in the second.

Haskell did not have an answer for the unstoppable willpower showed by the Broncos. The Clarendon boys racked up 10 hits in the game and only committed three errors. Haskell could only muster five hits and made nine errors in the game.

“We started out on fire for the first time in the playoffs,” Elam said. “We scored eight in the first two innings, and this was the first game in the playoffs we started out with a lead.”

The Broncos scored four in the first inning, and according to Elam, the first four batters reached base and scored. Senior Devin Noble got things rolling with a single, and Phillips followed with another single. Alton Gaines then walked to load the bases, and Johnny Gaines drove in Noble before Roberts, Shelton, and Billy Ceniceros drove in the other runners.

“Phillips started the game and pitched a good first inning,” Elam said. “Johnny then came into the game and gave up only two runs the rest of the game and struck out eight.”
Gaines was able to close out the game.

Earlier last week, the Broncos denied Claude a win by coming back from trailing by three runs in the first two innings of play to end victorious at 8-7.

The Broncos put two runs on the board in the third, one more in the fourth before adding three in the seventh. Sophomore Bradley Watson took his turn at the plate with bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning and slammed a single to score Johnny Gaines, who got the Broncos the one-run advantage.

“We started out bad as we spotted them a three-run lead in the top of the first on some errors,” Elam said. “We were able to add two runs in the third when Josh Krumwiede led off with a double, and Brayden Phillips drove him in with a triple. Then Alton Gaines drove in Phillips on a ground out.”

The Broncos would go on to score again and tie the game when Watson drove in David Roberts. There was yet another lead change when Claude gained a little momentum, but the Broncos stormed back to get the win.

“We had great fan support in Claude,” Elam said. “(We also had) great fan support in Lubbock for the Haskell game.”

The University Interscholastic League today postponed all athletic and academic competitions until May 11 because of the swine flu outbreak.

On the recommendation of Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, and in consultation with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott, the UIL altered all schedules.

“The health and safety of our student activity participants is of the utmost importance,” said UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt. “Taking every possible precaution to prevent the further spreading of this disease is an important contribution to the welfare of our great state, and altering the schedule of our events is a way to keep our participants safe.”

As this is a fluid situation, the UIL tentatively releases the following schedule for UIL regional and state events affected by this situation.

Academic State Meet

The UIL Academic State Meet, originally scheduled for May 7-9, will be rescheduled at a later date. The Conference 4A and 5A One-Act Play competition will continue as previously scheduled on May 15-16. All other conferences competing in One-Act Play will be rescheduled. A schedule of the Academic State Meet, including One-Act Play, will be posted on the UIL web site once finalized.

Baseball and Softball

No interschool games will take place until May 11 for either softball or baseball. The schedule will then be as follows

Bi District Deadline, May 16 (1 game or 2 out of 3), May 23 (1 game or 2 out of 3); Area Deadline, May 19 (1 game only), May 26 (1 game only); Regional Quarterfinal Deadline, May 23 (1 game or 2 out of 3), May 30 (1 game or 2 out of 3); Regional Semifinal Deadline, May 26 (1 game only), June 2 (1 game only); Regional Final Deadline May 30 (1 game or 2 out of 3), June 6 (1 game or 2 out of 3); State Tournament, June 4-6, June 10-13

Texas State Wind Ensemble Festival

The Texas State Wind Ensemble Festival, originally scheduled for May 9, has been cancelled. The UIL staff will consult with the 16 participating schools to determine whether or not to reschedule the event at a later date.

Regional Track Meets

All UIL regional track meets originally scheduled for this weekend, May 1-2, have been cancelled. The state track and field meet will be extended to a three-day format to include semifinal heats. The meet is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 14-16.

Semifinal qualifiers will be based on the district track meet results. Each region will be represented at the state meet by the top four performances in each event for all conferences. Hand-held times will be converted to fully automatic times as defined by the National Federation of State High School Association rules. A revised track and field state meet schedule will be posted on the UIL web site no later than Friday, May 1. Qualifiers to the UIL state track and field meet will be posted on the UIL web site on Wednesday, May 6.

Golf State Tournament

The UIL golf state tournament will take place at the previously scheduled times beginning May 11.

Tennis State Tournament

The UIL tennis state tournament will take place at the previously scheduled times beginning May 11.