The Smyer Bobcats hosted the Smyer Basketball Tournament this past weekend, and the Anton Bulldogs went undefeated to win the tournament championship.
The Bulldogs beat West Texas 80-41, Smyer 57-29 and Slaton Junior Varsity 6152, improving to 8-4 on the season.
Against Slaton, Shooter Campos led the team with 26 points behind a killer-performance from the free throw line, making 13/14 attempts.
Other scorers included Isaiah Alafa with 12 points, Caleb Carlock with eight points, Zian Martinez with six points and Xavi Avalos with three points.
Campos and Carlock were named to the All-Tournament team, and Campos was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Campos averaged 18.7 points per game while Carlock averaged 13 points per game.
Bulldogs Head Coach Ezekiel Clay applauded their performances throughout the tournament, but the team’s success went far beyond those two.
“We play hard, full court defense, and we’re learning to do it without fouling as much. We didn’t have a single player foul out of a game this weekend, and that was a huge step in the right direction,” Coach Clay said. “The two biggest plays in the tournament were defensive plays. In the first game, freshman Joseph Gutierrez checked into his first varsity action ever and immediately took a charge. In the same game, the opponent had a kid throw down three ferocious dunks. When he went for his fourth, 6’6” sophomore Xavi Avalos met him at the rim and blocked it. I am extremely proud of our boys for learning how to respond to adversity with toughness and tenacity.”
Now following the tournament, Anton is back in action early this week before facing KPA at home on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The Smyer Bobcats also played three games in tournament play, going 0-3, losing 59-36 to West Texas, 57-29 to Anton as referenced and 52-34 to the Shallowater junior varsity. Through the three games, Max Benevedes led the Bobcats in scoring with 21 total points.
“Overall, the team has gotten better in each game, especially on the defensive end, but it hinders itself on the offensive end with turnovers,” Bobcats Head Coach Jared Colley said.
Following the tournament, the Bobcats are now 3-6 this season. They’ll have a quick turnaround as they’re back in action early in the week before heading on the road on Friday to play Tahoka at 7:30 p.m.