Wellington outlast Clarendon to take sole possession of District 2-2A lead

WELLINGTON- With the proximity of the rivalry and following the drama of the girls’ game, the second half of the Clarendon-Wellington doubleheader between the schools’ respective boys’ teams had a hard time conjuring up intrigue and suspense.

That didn’t mean things weren’t interesting, certainly for the home team. When it was over, the Skyrockets went home with the undisputed District 2-2A lead.

In a clash between teams with unblemished records through two district games, Wellington had a little more offensive balance than Clarendon, which translated into a 45-39 victory and sole possession of the district lead.

The score indicates a competitive game, which indeed it was, as neither team held a double-digit advantage. However, as the second half wore on, Wellington (15-6, 3-0 in district) looked like the better team on the night, even if the Skyrockets never soared completely clean of the Broncos (7-3, 2-1).

“They’re a good team and (coach) Boston Hudson does a really good job with them,” said Wellington coach Quenton Patterson of the Broncos. “You have to play sound whenever you play them. Luckily we did just enough.”

Neither team had a big night offensively, but a close first half held promise for an exciting finish. The two teams traded leads most of the first half, and at halftime, Wellington was clinging to a 22-20 lead.

Welington never quite pulled away in the second half and scored only nine points in the third quarter. But aside from six points by Mason Sims, Clarendon couldn’t score in the third period, establishing a pattern for the rest of the game. Part of that was obviously due to Wellington’s defense.

“We’re a huge defensive team,” Patterson said. “That’s what we talk about, especially in the fourth quarter when we get a lead. We win this game defensively. I do believe we have a couple of guys who as the game goes on who wear on (opponents). That frustrates shooters.”

The Skyrockets were unable to go up by more than nine points in the fourth quarter, but Clarendon got no closer than four in the final minutes. Clarendon hurt its own cause by missing the final five free throws of the game.

Wellington had three players in double figures. Bryant Tarver had 17 points, while Brenden Garcia came off the bench to score 13 and Carson Tarver added 10.
Sims led Clarendon with 13 points and Anthony Ceniceros had 10. Ceniceros scored seven in the first quarter, but didn’t score again until the fourth quarter.

Clarendon   12  20  26  39
Wellington  11  22  31  45
C- Mason Sims 13, Anthony Ceniceros 10. W- Bryant Tarver 17, Brenden Garcia 13, Carson Tarver 10. Records: Clarendon 7-3, 2-1; Wellington 15-6, 3-0.