Sports

The Bronco baseball team continues to rack up win after win in their perfect 9-0 season and shut out Quanah in their last addition to the great overall record they are posting this season.

The win also put the Broncos at an impressive 5-0 in the District race.
The Broncos stormed Quanah and defeated them 10-0 with Johnny Gaines on the mound and Brayden Phillips behind the plate. After two scoreless innings, the Broncos eased in one run in the third and added another in the fifth.

But the sixth inning was the magic the Broncos needed to get the big win.
“Their pitcher was good, but we were able to get to him in the sixth,” Brad Elam said.
“It was a tight game until then. We didn’t score until the third inning when Dusty Rice singled and then was able to advance to third on a groundout by Justin Shillings. He then scored on a passed ball.”

The next Bronco score came in the fifth inning when Bradley Watson singled in Rice, and that made it 2-0.

The Broncos’ got a hold of the momentum when Gaines struck out at the plate but was able to go to first base on a wild pitch. He then scored on a David Roberts single.
After John Levario was hit at bat by a pitch, Diego Santos laid down a perfect bunt, and two players walked.

“Gaines hit a shot the third baseman could not handle to drive in two more runs before Chambless was able to end the game on a hot shot past the first baseman,” Elam said.
“Gaines allowed only one hit and one walk, and we played error free ball on defense.”
Quanah tried to rally at the end, but the Broncos were sharp and picked of the base runners and threw out those trying to steal to end the game.

Earlier in the week, the Broncos destroyed Paducah on the road 27-0. Offense was key in the blowout as the Broncos were steady at the plate.

“It was a big offensive day for us,” Elam said. “We scored 14 runs in the third (inning), and the first 10 batters reached base and scored.” Bradley Watson, Gaines, and Cole Ward each hit doubles and Chambless hit a bases loaded triple. David Roberts hit his first homerun of the year, and Gaines added a pair with eight RBI.

The overall pitching was on target as well; and, according to Elam, Chambless and Phillips joined forces for the five-inning shutout. Defensively, the Broncos were unmatched.

“We turned a triple play in the fourth inning,” Elam said.

Ward caught a fly ball in left field and threw to Mitchell Parry on second for the second out, and then Parry went to Chambless on first to complete the triad.

Elam knows they have a couple of tough games coming up and is grateful for the crowds that cheer the Broncos on.

“Thanks for all the fan support,” Elam said.

The Broncos will play Childress at home Saturday, April 9, at 1:00 p.m. and travel to Memphis April 12 to take on the Cyclones at 4:30 p.m.

After trailing part of the game, the Lady Broncos rallied to get a one-run win over Borger at home Friday. The 10-9 win was hard fought, and the ladies dug in when they needed it most.

Senior Danielle Ford pitched a “pretty good game” according to head coach Gary Jack.
“Danielle pitched a good game, and we really hit the ball well,” Jack said.

The ladies made several good defensive plays to stifle the Lady Bulldogs. Jack credited Maci White with making some good plays on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensively, Jack felt the momentum change when Emily Clark hit an out-of-the-park
homerun that was good for two Clarendon runs.

“That homerun gave us a spark,” Jack said. “It came in the middle of the game and got us going with our bats. It was a big hit.”

Borger tried to come back in the seventh inning, but the Lady Broncos answered their rally with great defense and solid offense.

“Borger is a good 3A team,” Jack said. “In years past, we’ve beat them pretty easily, but they are a much-improved team.”

The junior varsity played after the varsity and lost a close game at 6-7. Jack was pleased with their effort despite the loss and knows the playing time is good for the underclassmen.

The Lady Broncos will play at Booker Friday, March 25, beginning at 4:00 p.m. They will play Claude at home on Monday, March 28.

After recording a stellar season, the Clarendon Bronco basketball team was denied a shot at the State title after a disappointing loss to Tenaha in the semi-final game in Austin last Thursday. 

Despite the loss, the Broncos had a great run this season and inspired a new-found spirit in the community.  Each of the players on the 2011 Bronco varsity team and the ones who were moved up from the junior varsity squad represented their school, parents, fans, and community in a way that had not been exhibited in a long time.  They brought a sense of excitement and pride to their fans that will not soon be forgotten.

The Broncos were ranked number one going into the semi-final game against Tenaha as they had been all year.  But too many missed shots plagued the Broncos, and they fell 59-72.  Tenaha would eventually finish second to Eula in the finals.

The Broncos were on fire in the opening period and led by seven in the middle of the second quarter.  But the Tigers took control of the momentum and got hot from the field as they went on a 14-1 run to gain the lead. 

Tenaha is a quick team like the Broncos, and coach Brandt Lockhart noted that they got to a lot of loose balls that the Broncos usually grabbed.  Clarendon struggled with too many turnovers in the last of the second quarter, and Lockhart said that the Broncos settled down against the press in the second half, but their shooting went cold. 

Clarendon staged a comeback late in the game, but could never overcome Tenaha’s lead. 
“Our guys played well,” Lockhart said. “The key moment in the game was when we got down in the first half and then had trouble scoring in the third.  They played hard and did everything we asked of them all year. They are a great group of guys to coach, and I am very proud of them.”

Senior leader Johnny Gaines left it all on the court and finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds.  Chris Crump had seven points and nine rebounds, and Brayden Phillips added seven points and two rebounds.  Sophomore Cole Ward put in five points with one rebound, and Justin Shillings had four points and one rebound.  Daniel West helped with four points and five rebounds, and Mike Crump had one point and grabbed six rebounds.  Wes Williams and Adam Topper also contributed in the game.

Gaines, Mike and Chris Crump, Phillips, Shillings, and West played their last basketball game as Clarendon Broncos and will be sorely missed.  They have played together since junior high and dreamed of reaching the state tournament.  The fact that they accomplished that goal their senior year gives hope as to the caliber of teams in the future at Clarendon High School.