Photos by Nicole Flowers
November 24, 2023
Bulldogs basketball evens record at 2-2 heading into Thanksgiving Break
Sports Staff
The Bandera Prophetwins
After a pair of wins on Monday and Tuesday, the Bandera boys’ varsity basketball team is off to a 2-2 start to the regular season as the program headed into the Thanksgiving Holiday.
After falling to Floresville and San Antonio Fox Tech to open the regular season, the Bulldogs were back to full strength for a pair of Thanksgiving Week games against San Antonio Kennedy and San Antonio Randolph. Bandera took down Kennedy 44-23 at the Frost Bank Center Monday morning before defeating Randolph 59-45 in the team’s home opener back in Bandera on Tuesday.
“We got off to a slow start through our first two games, but it has been a breath of fresh air to see the way we’re competing defensively and sharing the ball on offense right now,” Head Coach Brady Keane said. “We challenged our guys after Saturday’s loss to attack Monday and Tuesday with a different mindset, and they rallied together and did just that.”
Monday’s game against Kennedy was the Bulldogs’ best defensive effort in any game since December of 2017 as Bandera held the Rockets to six or fewer points in all four quarters. Kennedy made a layup to cut the deficit to 17-12 midway through the second quarter, and the Bulldogs did not allow a made field goal for the rest of the game – more than 18 minutes straight without a basket.
The Rockets only second half points came from the free throw line.
In addition to the strong defensive performance, the Bulldogs got to enjoy the experience of playing at the Frost Bank Center, the home of the San Antonio Spurs. The team turned it into a full-day event, spending valuable team-bonding time together before returning to the Frost Bank Center in the evening for the Spurs vs. Clippers game.
Senior Isaac Segura had a team-high 10 points and four rebounds in the win over Kennedy while junior Eli Salas posted eight points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Junior Beau Bergfeld had eight points and 10 rebounds, senior Bryson Holden had seven points and eight rebounds, and junior Layne Bourgeois had five points and two steals.
“We had a lot of fun Monday and spent a ton of quality time together off the basketball court,” Keane said. “It was good to see our guys relax and have fun being kids. We played solid basketball and had a great day as a team all the way around.”
That carried over into Tuesday, as the Bulldogs were able to avenge last season’s one-point-loss to Randolph by coming out hot on the offensive end. Bandera held Randolph to just 10 points through the first quarter and a half, and the Bulldogs led 35-13 at the halftime break.
The Ro-Hawks caught fire offensively and were able to trim into the deficit after the break, but never got within single digits as the Bulldogs held on for a 59-45 victory.
Senior Cale Barnett had a team-high 13 points, six deflections and two assists against Randolph while Salas posted 12 points, 7 rebounds and six assists. Bourgeois had nine points, Segura had seven points, three rebounds and three assists, Holden had six points, 10 rebounds and two assists, Bergfeld had four points and five rebounds, sophomore Jeffry Thomas had three points and three assists, senior Corben Gonzales had three points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals and senior Hank Pate finished with two points.
“It was nice to finally get a home game four games into the year,” Keane said. “We started fast and continued to be active defensively. It was probably the best we’ve shared the ball in a long time, and our guys were making unselfish plays left and right to help us build an early lead. When Randolph got hot, we didn’t panic – we stuck to what we do well and finished the game with poise on both ends.”
Bandera will now be off until Monday, Nov. 27, when Class 5A Southwest Legacy High School comes to town. The Bulldogs will then travel to the Salado Tournament before hosting Class 5A Medina Valley on Dec. 5. Bandera is then set to take on state-ranked No. 8 Poth in the opener of the Comfort Tournament.
“We have a challenging schedule coming up with a host of 5A and 6A competition and a few state-ranked opponents as well,” Keane said. “It will be a great opportunity for our guys to grow together and compete against some high-level talent. Our goal is to get better one day at a time and be peaking at the right time as we push to make another run in the playoffs.”
After falling to Floresville and San Antonio Fox Tech to open the regular season, the Bulldogs were back to full strength for a pair of Thanksgiving Week games against San Antonio Kennedy and San Antonio Randolph. Bandera took down Kennedy 44-23 at the Frost Bank Center Monday morning before defeating Randolph 59-45 in the team’s home opener back in Bandera on Tuesday.
“We got off to a slow start through our first two games, but it has been a breath of fresh air to see the way we’re competing defensively and sharing the ball on offense right now,” Head Coach Brady Keane said. “We challenged our guys after Saturday’s loss to attack Monday and Tuesday with a different mindset, and they rallied together and did just that.”
Monday’s game against Kennedy was the Bulldogs’ best defensive effort in any game since December of 2017 as Bandera held the Rockets to six or fewer points in all four quarters. Kennedy made a layup to cut the deficit to 17-12 midway through the second quarter, and the Bulldogs did not allow a made field goal for the rest of the game – more than 18 minutes straight without a basket.
The Rockets only second half points came from the free throw line.
In addition to the strong defensive performance, the Bulldogs got to enjoy the experience of playing at the Frost Bank Center, the home of the San Antonio Spurs. The team turned it into a full-day event, spending valuable team-bonding time together before returning to the Frost Bank Center in the evening for the Spurs vs. Clippers game.
Senior Isaac Segura had a team-high 10 points and four rebounds in the win over Kennedy while junior Eli Salas posted eight points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Junior Beau Bergfeld had eight points and 10 rebounds, senior Bryson Holden had seven points and eight rebounds, and junior Layne Bourgeois had five points and two steals.
“We had a lot of fun Monday and spent a ton of quality time together off the basketball court,” Keane said. “It was good to see our guys relax and have fun being kids. We played solid basketball and had a great day as a team all the way around.”
That carried over into Tuesday, as the Bulldogs were able to avenge last season’s one-point-loss to Randolph by coming out hot on the offensive end. Bandera held Randolph to just 10 points through the first quarter and a half, and the Bulldogs led 35-13 at the halftime break.
The Ro-Hawks caught fire offensively and were able to trim into the deficit after the break, but never got within single digits as the Bulldogs held on for a 59-45 victory.
Senior Cale Barnett had a team-high 13 points, six deflections and two assists against Randolph while Salas posted 12 points, 7 rebounds and six assists. Bourgeois had nine points, Segura had seven points, three rebounds and three assists, Holden had six points, 10 rebounds and two assists, Bergfeld had four points and five rebounds, sophomore Jeffry Thomas had three points and three assists, senior Corben Gonzales had three points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals and senior Hank Pate finished with two points.
“It was nice to finally get a home game four games into the year,” Keane said. “We started fast and continued to be active defensively. It was probably the best we’ve shared the ball in a long time, and our guys were making unselfish plays left and right to help us build an early lead. When Randolph got hot, we didn’t panic – we stuck to what we do well and finished the game with poise on both ends.”
Bandera will now be off until Monday, Nov. 27, when Class 5A Southwest Legacy High School comes to town. The Bulldogs will then travel to the Salado Tournament before hosting Class 5A Medina Valley on Dec. 5. Bandera is then set to take on state-ranked No. 8 Poth in the opener of the Comfort Tournament.
“We have a challenging schedule coming up with a host of 5A and 6A competition and a few state-ranked opponents as well,” Keane said. “It will be a great opportunity for our guys to grow together and compete against some high-level talent. Our goal is to get better one day at a time and be peaking at the right time as we push to make another run in the playoffs.”