This Bandera Bulldog news is brought to you by:
|
|
|
Download & Print
Photo by Nicole Flowers
January 8, 2025
Bulldogs finish non-district 18-5, shift focus to Fredericksburg
By Prophet Staff
The Bandera boys basketball team finished off its non-district slate with a pair of wins over Llano and La Grange, improving to 18-5 on the season entering district play.
The Bulldogs traveled to Llano and had to push through a poor shooting performance and foul trouble from start to finish to knock off the Yellow Jackets on Friday before defeating La Grange in a neutral-site game at San Marcos on Monday.
In Llano, Bandera jumped out to a 20-point first-half lead before allowing the Jackets to slowly climb back into the game at the free throw line. The Bulldogs led 48-42 entering the fourth quarter before falling behind 55-52 with 1:40 remaining. Junior Jeffry Thomas quickly brought the Bulldogs within two at the free throw line, and then added another free throw to make it 55-54 with 40 seconds to go.
Bandera got a couple of timely stops down the stretch, and junior Anden Tentis De Grote connected on an offensive rebound put back with just two seconds remaining to seal with victory.
Senior Elijah Salas led the way with 21 points, five rebounds and six assists while Thomas added 10 points and three steals. Senior Beau Bergfeld had eight points and seven rebounds, and sophomore Cooper Franklin had seven points and three rebounds.
“This was a game where I think we may have relaxed a little too early,” Bandera Head Coach Brady Keane said. “But we definitely showed a lot of toughness battling through everything that was going on with several of our top scorers in foul trouble. It wasn’t our best shooting night, but we stayed composed when things went south and found a way to win on the road. I was proud of that aspect of it, but we know we have to play at a higher level all the way around at this point in the season.”
The Bulldogs bounced back with a more commanding performance against La Grange Monday night, building a 29-19 halftime lead before holding off a run from the Leopards in the second half to secure a 58-48 win.
Bergfeld had 14 points and 10 rebounds, junior James Bower had 11 points and four assists, Salas had eight points, six assists and six rebounds, senior Gattlin Winkler had eight points, and Thomas finished with eight points, five assists and four rebounds.
“The La Grange game was a much better all-around effort," Keane said. "We executed well on both ends of the floor and built a lead early. Even when La Grange made their run, we kept our composure and responded. It was encouraging to see different players step up in key moments, especially late in the game.”
Bandera will now shift its focus to the battle for a playoff berth in District 26-4A, where five of six teams enter with a winning record. Davenport, Wimberley, Canyon Lake, Fredericksburg and Bandera are the front runners, while Navarro has recorded a handful of impressive wins as well.
The Bulldogs will open district play at home Friday night against Fredericksburg. The Billies have won six in a row entering district play and are 16-7 on the season.
“Our district is one of the most competitive in 4A but we enjoy the challenge every night," Keane said. "There’s no room for an off night. We’ve had a strong start to the season, but now it’s time to elevate our play to a more consistent level every week. Our guys are ready for the challenge, and we’re looking forward to opening at home Friday night against Fredericksburg.”
The Bulldogs traveled to Llano and had to push through a poor shooting performance and foul trouble from start to finish to knock off the Yellow Jackets on Friday before defeating La Grange in a neutral-site game at San Marcos on Monday.
In Llano, Bandera jumped out to a 20-point first-half lead before allowing the Jackets to slowly climb back into the game at the free throw line. The Bulldogs led 48-42 entering the fourth quarter before falling behind 55-52 with 1:40 remaining. Junior Jeffry Thomas quickly brought the Bulldogs within two at the free throw line, and then added another free throw to make it 55-54 with 40 seconds to go.
Bandera got a couple of timely stops down the stretch, and junior Anden Tentis De Grote connected on an offensive rebound put back with just two seconds remaining to seal with victory.
Senior Elijah Salas led the way with 21 points, five rebounds and six assists while Thomas added 10 points and three steals. Senior Beau Bergfeld had eight points and seven rebounds, and sophomore Cooper Franklin had seven points and three rebounds.
“This was a game where I think we may have relaxed a little too early,” Bandera Head Coach Brady Keane said. “But we definitely showed a lot of toughness battling through everything that was going on with several of our top scorers in foul trouble. It wasn’t our best shooting night, but we stayed composed when things went south and found a way to win on the road. I was proud of that aspect of it, but we know we have to play at a higher level all the way around at this point in the season.”
The Bulldogs bounced back with a more commanding performance against La Grange Monday night, building a 29-19 halftime lead before holding off a run from the Leopards in the second half to secure a 58-48 win.
Bergfeld had 14 points and 10 rebounds, junior James Bower had 11 points and four assists, Salas had eight points, six assists and six rebounds, senior Gattlin Winkler had eight points, and Thomas finished with eight points, five assists and four rebounds.
“The La Grange game was a much better all-around effort," Keane said. "We executed well on both ends of the floor and built a lead early. Even when La Grange made their run, we kept our composure and responded. It was encouraging to see different players step up in key moments, especially late in the game.”
Bandera will now shift its focus to the battle for a playoff berth in District 26-4A, where five of six teams enter with a winning record. Davenport, Wimberley, Canyon Lake, Fredericksburg and Bandera are the front runners, while Navarro has recorded a handful of impressive wins as well.
The Bulldogs will open district play at home Friday night against Fredericksburg. The Billies have won six in a row entering district play and are 16-7 on the season.
“Our district is one of the most competitive in 4A but we enjoy the challenge every night," Keane said. "There’s no room for an off night. We’ve had a strong start to the season, but now it’s time to elevate our play to a more consistent level every week. Our guys are ready for the challenge, and we’re looking forward to opening at home Friday night against Fredericksburg.”