New '1-2 punch,' camaraderie keep Plains boys basketball rolling

New ‘1-2 punch,’ camaraderie keep Plains boys basketball rolling

Posted by Admin January 15, 2025 Sports

Spread the love

ROPESVILLE — Plains boys basketball coach Jordan Elam entered the season with the dubious task of replacing two of the program’s stalwarts.

The Cowboys have made sure to ease Elam’s mind.

Plains, the 11th-ranked team in Class 2A, has a new “1-2 punch” to make up the production lost by two-time all-region players Alan Gallegos and Tyler Vargas. Gavin Broome and Braylon Ward have stepped into elevated roles, which were put on full display in a first-place battle Tuesday.

With Broome in foul trouble early against Ropes, Ward picked up the slack on offense. Broome returned to take control in the fourth quarter of the 60-51 road victory and reiterate his importance in crunch time.

Ward scored 25 points, and Broome added 15, but Plains’ depth showed up as well. That’s in part how the Cowboys (20-2, 5-0 district) have kept things rolling despite the graduation losses.

The other ingredient?

“It’s the camaraderie these guys have,” Elam said. “I’m not saying we haven’t had that in the past … but this group especially is really committed to bettering one another, because they genuinely love each other. And I mean that. They do everything together, on and off the court.

“It’s really neat to see that play out in the middle of a battle like we just went through.”

Plains utilized the contributions of eight players Tuesday, and every one was needed. Ropes out-sized the Cowboys, but that’s not a new challenge for Plains. Elam admired the team’s “fight” to neutralize the Eagles’ advantage. Plains briefly fell behind late in the third quarter but commanded the final stanza to secure sole possession at the top of District 5-2A.

“You can just see that unity kind of play out as the game goes on,” Elam said. “I think that’s a big thing for us this year. We’re not ever gonna pass the eyeball test physically. But when you play together and play with great toughness and effort, we can overcome a lot of things.”

Desmond Bunton scored 10 points, and returning starter Fermin Luna played more minutes in his second game back. Luna missed the first 20 games of the season with injury. Elam said he saw multiple players step up “in a big way,” especially in Broome’s absence in the first half.

That depth will be crucial to Plains’ long-term plans. The Cowboys reached the region final last season for the first time since 2009. Elam didn’t specify any goals for this year, but he knows Tuesday was a promising showing against “one of the better teams” they’ve faced.

“We try not to look too far ahead,” Elam said. “We feel like we can do some things down the road, but we’re just worried about being the best we can be each and every day. And all those goals that may be out there will be there waiting for us if we just take care of business on the daily.”

DISTRICT 5-2A BOYS BASKETBALL

Plains 60, Ropes 51

Plains 13 8 17 22 — 60

Ropes 5 10 19 17 — 51

Plains (20-2, 5-0) — Fermin Luna 2, Zane Costello 4, Desmond Bunton 10, Gavin Broome 15, Jesse Vargas 4, Braylon Ward 25.

Ropes (9-5, 4-1) — Kade Franklin 16, Brady Bryan 2, Bode Franklin 5, Brennan Bearden 8, Reese Williams 2, Branson Simental 8, Cutter Stumbo 8, Kaden Riker 2.