Tag Archives: Bishop Broncos

Broncos Survive Scare to Advance to Second Round

The Bishop Broncos advanced to the second round of the CIF Central Section Division 5 Playoffs last night. Robert Chavez’s team beat the Mojave Mustangs 65-56 in a game that got a little too close for comfort for Bishop.

Mojave jumped out to an early lead, doing a nice job of stuffing the ball inside and scoring off of fast breaks. One player who really stood out for Mojave during the first eight minutes was Senior, Rae’Kwon Alvez, who seemed like he couldn’t be stopped when he had the ball in the paint.

The Mustangs played well for most of the first half, but Bishop assumed control of the game at the midway point in the second quarter. One standout player Tuesday night was Luke McClean, who played lock down defense. The senior had five steals on the night to go along with a couple of blocks.

McClean set up quite a few of his teammates with his excellent vision as well. One such play came off of an inbound pass where McClean dished it to a wide open Tristan Valle, who scored the easy bucket.

When the third quarter came, Bishop began to pile it on, extending their lead to as much as fourteen points.

After a good third period, Bishop began to step off the gas a little bit. That large lead got cut down all the way to just two points. Luckily for the Broncos, Mojave could not take the lead due to a plethora of mistakes. One example of a miscue was when Mustang guard, Tyree Bullard took the ball to the right side of mid-court and inexplicably tried to thread a pass in between two Bronco defenders inside the paint. If Bullard had been able to pull off the pass, Steve Nash would have been envious.

Mojave would turn the ball over a few more times with the game on the line. They also had a poor shot selection down the stretch. Instead of getting the ball inside and taking advantage of their height, the Mustangs settled for low percentage looks.

Credit must be given to Bishop though. The team’s stifling defense and breakneck tempo proved to be the Mustang’s downfall.

Two other players who performed particularly well include Kenyan Piper and Jaydan Brathwaite.

Piper was the best shooter on the floor, and he was able to finish at the cup when opportunities came about.

As for Braithwaite, he probably would have won a game of HORSE against anyone Tuesday evening. One crazy shot happened in the second half, when Braithwaite got the ball from the elbow, and without even looking at the basket beforehand, let off a turnaround jumper that swished through the net.

Bishop will match up against the #2 overall seed, Fresno Christian in the playoffs tomorrow night at 7 pm away from home.

Bishop Lose Pivotal Game Against Kern Valley

Last night was a heart breaker. In a must win game against Bishop’s bitter rival, Kern Valley, Robert Chavez’s team came up short.

When play began, Bishop got off to a torrid start. The Broncos quickly scored eight points, forcing Kern Valley Head Coach, Brian Christianson to burn a timeout.

The timeout didn’t help too much, as the Broncos added to their lead until it reached double-digits.

Throughout the first quarter and midway into the second, Bishop dominated the game. Both Kenyan Piper and Clay Omohundro were hot from deep, combining for four three pointers in the first half.

However, the fun didn’t last long for Bishop. Coach Christianson’s team rallied back to cut the deficit.

With about four minutes to go in the second quarter, Kern Valley trailed by eleven. A combination of Shelton Alley, Davin Lee, and Kaden Preston fought back to tie the ball game up right before halftime.

Bishop went into the third quarter and held onto the lead for a couple of minutes. The game turned into a back and fourth affair until the start of the fourth quarter.

Kern Valley blew the game open in the final portion of the game. Three pointers rained down on the Broncos defense, and the team was unable to cope with the onslaught. Kaden Preston, Shelton Alley, and Ryan Walker were sinking nearly every shot the three of them put up.

The final score finished 77-62. Bishop will finish fourth place in the High Desert League.

Clay Omohundro received player of the game honors for his excellent shooting. The Junior has really made strides this past month of the season, especially when it comes to creating his own shot.

Jaydan Braithwaite also had a good game against Kern Valley. The senior knocked down two three point shots, and swished a couple of mid-range jumpers as well.

Bishop Snap Losing Streak Against Boron

The Bishop Broncos blew out the Boron Bobcats for the second time this season Friday evening. The first meeting was a forty-one point route for Bishop. The final score of the game played a month ago was 69-28. Robert Chavez’s team put up 69 points in the second game as well. However, the final score in this game was a little bit closer with the match up ending 69-42.

Both teams played evenly throughout most of the first half. However, Bishop led the entire time, doing a nice job of sharing the ball and knocking down open looks.

Bishop’s standout player in the first quarter was Junior, Clay Omohundro, who drained back to back three pointers toward the start of the game. He scored eight points inside the first three minutes of the game.

The first half ended with Bishop holding on to a small lead. When the second half began, Bishop came out guns blazing. The Bronco’s lead quickly ballooned to a double-digit advantage early in the third quarter.

The star of the second half was undoubtedly Sophomore, Kenyan Piper, who was scoring at will inside the paint. There were many instances where Piper would receive the ball at the top of the arc and explode into the paint past the Boron rim protectors.

Bishop snapped a three-game losing streak with their victory against Boron. Up next for the Broncos, a pivotal match up against Kern Valley, who are one spot ahead of Bishop for third place in the High Desert League. If Bishop want any chance of hosting a home playoff game, they have to win tomorrow night.

Struggling Broncos Drop Second Straight Game Against Desert

The Bishop Broncos suffered their second straight loss last night against the Desert Scorpions losing 62-45. Unfortunately for Bishop, the loss all but eliminates them from having a chance to win the High Desert League.

Bishop got out to an early lead, hitting their first few shots. However, the advantage did not last for long. Desert took control of the game in the second quarter and never looked back.

The reason Bishop’s opponent was able to get out to a big lead in the first half was because of Desert’s shooting. Senior, Javier Elliot hit back to back three pointers in the second quarter, and continued his effective shooting throughout the quarter hitting a total of four three-pointers in the first half.

When Elliot wasn’t hitting shots beyond the arc, he was driving inside the paint whenever he pleased. There were many times throughout the game where Elliot had the ball on the left wing and would slash into the paint to create an easy layup for himself.

Another player who was hitting shots throughout the game was Marquis Morris. The Desert guard was the recipient of quite a few wide-open looks from three thanks to Elliott’s penetration which collapsed the defense.

The Broncos did a good job on Desert’s best player in the first half. Emil Rogers, who is averaging a double-double, was a non-factor inside thanks to Luke McClean and Tristan Valle’s interior defense. The Scorpions would often throw the ball inside to Rogers to try an get easy looks. However, every time he got the ball inside, McClean and Valle were there to stave off the big fella’s efforts.

Bishop’s stout interior defense fell apart in the second half. Emil Rogers was able to score three straight buckets to start off the third quarter. The senior continued to dominate inside in the second half.

Although Bishop did not have the best game, there were still some positives. Luke McClean, who had a bad night from beyond the arc was able to make up for it on the defensive side of the ball. There was a span where McClean had three straight steals on three possessions. A few plays later, McClean had two blocks in one sequence.

Jaydan Braithwaite had a good game defensively as well. The senior was a pesky presence with his excellent perimeter defense. He won player of the game honors thanks to his hustle.

Clay Omohundro performed well in the game. The young Junior came off of a rough game against Rosamond on Tuesday in which he had difficulty connecting on his shots. This time, Omohundro hit jumpers and did a nice job creating baskets for himself off of the dribble.

Bishop will face California City on Tuesday for their next game in the High Desert League.

Bishop Fall Short in State Championship

The ride was fun while it lasted. In the final game of the season, Bishop ended up losing 37-19 to the CIF Northern Coast Division 7 Champion Selesian Pride. The loss is the first for the Broncos since the third game of the season against Rim of the World.

One thing was quite apparent while watching the 6-A California State Championship on Saturday. Salesian were fast and strong. They were perhaps fastest and strongest team Bishop had faced all season.

Speaking of that speed, it was on display during the Pride’s first drive. Quarterback, Ronald Robertson efficiently marched his team all the way down to the one yard line. That’s when Salesian’s strength was demonstrated. Bishop did a solid job of stopping the first two Salesian attempts in the red zone. However, the third time was the charm as Salesian scored off of a 1 yard sweep to Running Back, Kareem Sullivan.

Later on in the first quarter, Bishop responded with a touchdown of their own. Quarterback, Luke McClean marched his offense all the way inside Salesian’s five yard-line. McClean called his own number and scored on a keeper. The PAT was missed by Dan Sudki. The Broncos trailed 7-6.

Midway into the second quarter, Salesian added to their lead. The Pride were running an overload offense the entire drive leading up to the score. That’s when the team from Richmond decided to throw the ball in a traditionally run-based formation. Robertson found standout wide-out, Kailan Chang over the middle of the field for a 30 yard touchdown. Bishop trailed 14-6.

Shortly after the touchdown, Salesian got the ball back and marched deep into Bronco territory. It appeared as though the Pride were going to score again; that’s when Kennedy Bachelder came up with a huge interception. Robertson, who was facing pressure threw it right to the young sophomore. The ball was spotted at the 2 yard-line.

Unfortunately for Bishop, the momentum from the turnover was short lived. That speed and power mentioned earlier was on display, when UC Davis commit, Princeton Toki tackled McClean for a safety. Bishop would go into the half trailing 16-6.

Bishop had possession to start the final half of their season. After a nice run up the middle to start the drive by Steven Paco, the Broncos turned the ball over resulting in the second fumble of the game. Unfortunately, McClean was pressured on a run up the middle and lost the ball.

Robertson subsequently found Chang for another receiving touchdown making it 22-6 Salesian.

The 22 points given up by the third quarter were the most points Bishop had surrendered since the game against Rim of the World in mid September.

Instead of folding, the Broncos demonstrated that resilience, which has served them so well throughout the entirety of the year. Running back, Steven Paco got Bishop within nine points when he scored off of a 15 yard sweep. Paco, who grew up playing as a slot receiver but switched to running back his sophomore year got the ball from the slot for the touchdown.

Salesian scored yet again in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Robertson hooked up with Chang for the third time on the day. The Pride converted the two point try, which made the score 30-13.

Luke McClean scored a few moments later off of another quarterback keeper, but it was a little bit too late for Bishop pull off a comeback.

Bishop finish their season with a 12-3 record, which is the best year Arnie Palu has had as a coach. The team finished as the CIF Central Section Champions for Division 6. Bishop will miss key contributors such as Luke McClean, Tristan Valle, Jaydan Braithwaite, and Joey Molina next year. However, the cupboard is not empty. Returning players include Kennedy Bachelder, Steven Paco, Joe Weaver, Clay Omohundro and Trevin Moose.

Bishop Union Win Third CIF Championship in School History

Photos by Gary Young

Defense wins championships. However cliché it sounds, the Bishop Bronco’s defense is what won them the championship against the Orosi Cardinals on Saturday night.

Midway through the first quarter, the Broncos forced their first turnover of the game, when Jaydan Braithwaite stole Orosi Quarterback, Evan Lara’s screen pass, which was intended for star running back, Dominic Martinez inside the red zone. Braithwaite knew the ball was going to be thrown to Martinez before Lara could even react.

Later on, Orosi had another opportunity to score inside the red zone. Lara tried to throw a ball off of his back foot. The wayward throw was intercepted in the middle of the field by Darren Dondero, who recorded his fourth interception of the season.

Right before halftime, it appeared as though Orosi would score some much needed points trailing 13-0. Dominic Martinez received the hand off, shifted to the left and headed toward the goal line. That’s when a host of Bronco defenders stormed toward Martinez, who was on the one yard line and fumbled before scoring.

The ball looked like it had a mind of its own, inexplicably shooting out of the hands of the junior tailback toward the touchdown marker as defenders closed in on Martinez. The officials determined the Orosi Cardinal did not cross the goal line, therefore the Broncos would take possession on their 20 yard line.

Later on in the game, Lara would fumble the ball for the team’s fourth turnover on the night near midfield.

Turnovers weren’t the only facet of the game in which Ricky Beal’s defense thrived. Sophomore, Kennedy Bachelder led the team with ten tackles and two sacks. Cornerback, Joe Weaver had five pass breakups along with two tackles, and Tristan Valle recorded seven tackles and one sack.

Although Bishop’s defense is it’s strength, the Broncos offense isn’t too shabby either. Led by Luke McClean and Steven Paco, James Ferrell’s offense has scored fifty-five total touchdowns this season. Five of those touchdowns were scored in the championship.

Going into the second quarter, the game was tied 0-0. Steven Paco turned the tide in favor of Bishop with a one yard scamper into the end zone, making it 7-0. The first score of the game was Paco’s 14th rushing touchdown of the year.

Later on in the second quarter, Luke McClean found Johnny Torres, affectionately known now as “Johnny Playoffs” for his stellar performances in the post season for a twenty yard reception, which put the Broncos at the one yard line. McClean finished off the drive with a one yard rushing touchdown.

With 10:30 to go in the third quarter, McClean hooked up with the player of the game, Joe Weaver for a twenty yard touchdown pass over the middle. Bishop converted the two-point attempt to give them a three score lead against Orosi.

Luke McClean would get his second touchdown of the game when he kept the ball for a three yard touchdown right before the fourth quarter began. The rush was the star quarterback’s eighteenth touchdown on the ground this season.

Bishop’s offense would finish off the night with a twenty yard sweep to “Johnny Playoffs.” Torres went in motion from the right side, took the ball up the left, and blew past the Cardinal defenders. The game would finish 34-7.

The CIF title is the first for Head Coach, Arnie Palu and the third in school history. The team’s last championship came in 2010. Before that, Bishop had to wait fifty-three years to see a title, which happened in 1957.

Bishop Win a Thriller to Advance to the CIF Championship Game

Photos by Gary Young Photography

Resilience is a word that comes to mind when describing Bishop’s effort Friday night.

The first half belonged to the Cardinals. Lindsay controlled the tempo on their first possession, with a methodical march down the field that lasted nearly seven minutes. Star running back, Danny Trujillo, who came into the game with more than 2,100 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, was dragging Bishop’s front seven forward on what appeared to be nearly every play.

Nearly every time the standout halfback was hit, he would fall forward, or break a tackle, until Lindsay found themselves on Bishop’s doorstep. Lindsay scored on a one yard run, but it was Danny’s brother, Israel who punched it in.

Down 7-0, the Broncos quickly responded. Lindsay put all of their eggs into one basket by trying to stop the run the subsequent drive. With 2:40 to go in the first quarter, Luke McClean threw a strike down the middle of the field to Jaydan Braithwaite for a 55 yard touchdown.

After tying the game up at seven a piece, Bishop didn’t do much else in the first half. The Trujillo brothers were running rampant on the Bronco’s front seven. It seemed like every time a linebacker or defensive lineman had a good angle for a tackle, the Trujillo brothers were able to slip by the defense.The ground and pound formula paid dividends yet again for Lindsay, when Danny Trujillo scored a six yard touchdown to make it 16-7 Cardinals. Bishop looked tired, beaten, and battered.

Bishop got the ball to start the second half. The waters did not calm for the Broncos during the first drive. Star quarterback, Luke McClean threw an interception on the near sideline, giving the ball back to the Cardinals in Bishop territory. The interception could have been the moment where head coach, Arnie Palu’s team folded, but it wasn’t.

Instead, the turnover was a moment which appeared to galvanize the team. Bishop forced a three and out after the turnover, and for the rest of the game defensive coordinator, Rick Beall had his defense dialed in.

Those Grand Canyon sized holes Danny Trujillo was running through in the first half turned into narrow crevices. All of those missed tackles in the first half were a thing of the past. The Broncos were able to get to Trujillo before he had any steam and nullified most of his rushing attempts.

The offense followed the defense’s example, playing inspired football. In the third quarter, the Luke McClean found wide receiver, Johnny Torres for a thirty yard touchdown to pull within two.

In the fourth and final quarter, McClean went back to Torres, who was wide open for a fifteen yard touchdown. The crowd erupted as Bishop had finally taken the lead. McClean then scored the two-point conversion on a direct snap. Bishop were up 22-16.

After the score, it was time for the Bronco defense to hold the line. On a crucial third down, Sophomore, Kennedy Bachelder sacked quarterback, Randon Gomez resulting in a fourth down and long for Lindsay. The Cardinals were bailed out on what would have been Lindsay’s final play, when Sophomore, Luis Cruz got called for pass interference.

With about two minutes left in the game, Gomez threw up a prayer with hopes of trying to convert a first down. That prayer was not answered. The ball was thrown near Steven Paco, who came up with the game-winning interception.

The final score in this one was 22-16. Bishop will now match up against Orosi in the CIF Championship Game for Division Six.

Bishop Massacre Foothill to Win the Championship

A Trojan Horse entered through the gates of Troy Tuesday afternoon as the Bishop Broncos slaughtered the Foothill Trojans to take the CIF Division VI Championship.

However, this Trojan war didn’t last nearly as long as the one featured in ancient mythology. Instead of a war which lasted for ten years, it seemed like this one lasted for ten minutes.

Playing the role of the Greeks were the Bishop Broncos, who caught their opposition by surprise when they scored nine runs in the first inning, which ended the game before it had even begun.

Braeden Gillem got a lead-off double, which put him in scoring position. Michael Kubiak was then walked and now Bishop had two on base, setting up the perfect opportunity for the next batter to drive a few runs in.

Senior, Cal Omohundro hit a two RBI double his first time at the plate, giving the Broncos a 2-0 lead early.

The next player to get a piece of the action was Jalen Watterson, who knocked in a even more runs, which made it 4-0 with nobody out.

As the inning dragged on for the Trojans, they finally got two outs, and just when it felt like they were going to find a way to salvage part of the first inning, they loaded the bases for Michael Kubiak.

Uh oh…

Kubiak crushed Sal Peru’s ball to dead center field, which kept traveling until it reached it’s final destination at 350 feet. The senior hit a grand slam, after launching one out of the park last week against Lindsay.

The first inning finally came to a close and the Broncos had a 9-0 lead.

Playing the role of Odysseus in this game was Cal Omohundro, who had 7 RBI’s in the championship. When it was the big guy’s turn for his second at-bat, he obliterated a ball to left-center field for a three run home run, which gave the Broncos a 15-0  lead.

The innings progressed, and more runs were piled on until the game finally ended 25-2. The margin of victory was the second largest the Broncos had all season, with the first being a 25-1 win against the lowly California City Ravens, who finished second to last in the High Desert League.

As for Foothill, the championship game was the worst defeat they have suffered all year.

Bishop finished their season with an 18-4 overall record and are the 2019 CIF Central Section Division VI Champions.

 

Photos courtesy of Gary Young Photography

Bishop High School’s JV Baseball Team Disbanded Due to Incident

Due to alleged inappropriate behavior from juveniles on the Bishop Union Junior Varsity Baseball team, administrators have elected to fold the junior varsity baseball program.

There have been recent reports that indicate there was an incident which occurred during the Yerington Baseball Tournament. The tournament happened in early March and has led to the disbandment of the team.

Bishop Union High School Athletic Director said. “I regret to inform you that due to athletic suspensions, I have no choice but to collapse my JV baseball team. I apologize, but I need to cancel all remaining games. This is for the junior varsity baseball team only. Unfortunately, the actions of a few have shortened the season for the rest. However, at Bishop Union High School we prioritize holding our athletes to a high standard as it is a privilege to participate in athletics, not a right.”

KIBS/KBOV currently has no other substantiated information to report on at this time, but will continue to provide updates on this matter if they are given. There are many rumors going around pertaining to this matter, but we will only address information that is factual.

Mark Mayhugh, Tia Barfield Win CIF for the Broncos

Last week, two young ladies on the Bronco wrestling team competed in the girl’s 2-day CIF divisional playoffs in Tulare. Freshman Renee Ashworth wrestled at 123 pounds while senior Tia Barfield wrestled at 162 pounds. On the first day, Renee went 0-2 while Tia, who was seeded #1, pinned her first two opponents in 12 and 17 seconds respectively. On the second day, Tia pinned her next opponent in the semifinals in 1:29, which put her into the finals. In the finals, Tia dominated her opponent by a score of 13-0 before pinning herin the second period, earning her a first place finish.

Coach Mark Hodges said, “Tia’s record is now 30-1 and I was not present when she lost earlier in the season. In fact, I had yet to see a point scored against her. For this reason, I was surprised when she was taken down in the semifinals match, where she quickly did a reverse and then pinned her opponent. It was only after the match that I found out she had slipped.”

Tia will compete in the Central Section Master’s Tournament in Lemoore next week, where she hopes to qualify for the State Tournament the following week.

Also last week, the three boys on the Bronco wrestling team competed in the boy’s 2-day CIF divisional playoffs in Bakersfield. Senior Mark Mayhugh wrestled at 128 pounds, Freshman Billy McKinzey wrestled at 140 pounds and Junior Scott Hennarty wrestled at 154 pounds.

Both Billy and Scott went 0-2 while Mark, who was seeded #1, pinned his first opponent in the first period. On the second day, Mark went up against the #4 seeded wrestler in the
semifinals. Mark was in control the entire match and won by a score of 5-1, which put him into the finals where he met his good friend and rival from Desert High School. Again Mark prevailed, winning by a score of 4-2, making him a CIF champion. In the awards ceremony, in a vote by all the coaches, Mark was voted the MVP of the lower 7 weight classes!

Coach Mark Hodges said, “I am so proud of all 5 wrestlers on the team; they all wrestled their best, which is all any coach could ask for. To have 2 CIF Champions on a team of 5 incredible and a credit to their hard work. I was so happy for Mark when he won the MVP
award, of course I thought he was the best wrestler there, but I didn’t know so many of the other coaches felt the same way.”

Like Tia, Mark will compete in the Central Section Master’s Tournament in Lemoore next week, where he also hopes to qualify for the State Tournament the following week.

Costly Turnovers Lose the Game for the Broncos

The Bishop Union Boys team lost a pivotal match up against Rosamond on Friday, losing 68-54. Friday’s loss can be attributed to two things: turnovers and fouls.

Things started out well for the Broncos in the first half. Junior, Blaine Spoonhunter scored the team’s first four points, and the team ended up leading by double digits at the end of the first quarter.

Junior, Luke McClean was able to penetrate at will, attacking the basket whenever the opportunity arose. The game started out much like the first meeting between the two teams, where Bishop got out to an early lead and cruised to a 63-44 victory because of transition baskets.

However, the game plan started to go awry with about five minutes left in the first half. Rosamond made some adjustments and did not allow point guard, Luke McClean any space when it came to penetration. McClean was forced into making bad passes by a Roadrunner team who clogged up the paint.

The turnovers provided Rosamond with a spark offensively, and the team from the Antelope Valley were able to finish in transition on multiple occasions, cutting the lead down to one moments before halftime.

Momentum kept teetering in favor of the Roadrunners, until eventually momentum swung completely away from the Broncos. Three pointers started falling, and what started out as a one point lead blossomed into double digits. Rosamond shooting guard, Alex Cervantes started to catch fire from beyond the arc, and ended up hitting four threes in the game.

Bishop promptly stormed back, thanks to a couple of threes from Luke McClean and Cal Omohundro. However, the Broncos found themselves in the bonus early in both the third and fourth quarters, which provided the Roadrunners with frequent trips to the stripe.

Rosamond made the most of their trips to the line, making 14 out of 18 free throw attempts.

The Broncos now have three High Desert League losses, and trail Desert for second place by two games. Bishop have an opportunity to gain ground on the Scorpions, who they play this Tuesday at 7:30 PM on 1230 AM KBOV.

Bishop Crush Boron, Setting Up a Shot at High Desert League Championship

The Bishop Broncos continued their winning ways Friday, extending their winning streak to six games.  Bishop ended up beating Boron 40-15.

Fumbles occurred frequently in this game, with Boron coughing the ball up five times on the evening. The first one happened on the opening kickoff, when Boron captain, Kade Garrett lost the ball inside his own twenty.

Bishop started their first drive inside the Bobcat 20, but were unable to score inside the red zone, and turned the ball over on downs. Boron took over from their own 20 and ended up scoring off a run to the outside by Kade Garrett. The Bobcats then scored a two-point conversion thanks to a pass to the left side to Kade Garrett once again.

Arnie Palu’s team started their drive with good field position, but were not able to score, turning it over on downs once again.

The first score of the game for Bishop came after a Boron fumble, which provided the Broncos a short field. Bishop were able to score thanks to quarterback, Luke McClean’s athletic prowess. McClean weaved his way up the middle on a read-option and ended up scoring the first Broncos touchdown of the game.

After McClean’s touchdown,  the team began to impose their will on the ground with both Steven Paco and Wesley Pettet scoring one-yard touchdowns.

Luke McClean ended up with player of the game honors, scoring three touchdowns with 81 yards rushing. McClean now has back to back games with three touchdowns.

The Broncos will have an extremely tough matchup against Cal-City. The upcoming game will decide who the High Desert League champion will be. Both teams are undefeated in league. The High Desert League championship game will take place at 7:00 PM at Bishop Union High School next Friday.