Titles, new coaches, radio guys

SOME OF THE BIGGEST NEWS in Texas Panhandle and South Plains basketball in the past year was on the college level.

Chris Beard jettisoning Texas Tech to coach his alma mater, Texas, after unprecedented success by the Red Raiders had most Tech fans hopping mad, but it was a great opportunity for another top coach, Mark Adams, who has led almost every college men’s team in the region – Clarendon College, Wayland Baptist, West Texas A&M and now his alma mater, Tech – in addition to Howard College and Texas-Pan American.

Adams, a Brownfield native, has been successful and well-liked at every stop, and it will be interesting to see how the Red Raiders compete in the new era of the transfer portal. See page 46 for more details on Adams.

Also well-liked and successful is Steve Gomez, whose Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps won their third NCAA Division II national championship in 2021. The LCU women’s team was well-stocked with Panhandle and South Plains talent. See page 7 for Dave Wohlfarth’s story on Gomez and the Lady Chaps.

The West Texas A&M men came within one game of giving this region the NCAA Division II men’s national title, too. See page 10 for Lance Lahnert’s recap of that remarkable run by Tom Brown’s Buffs.

Speaking of NCAA titles, an Amarillo High senior already has signed to play basketball at Villanova, which has won it in Division I three times. Brendan Hausen, son of Benji Hausen and Stefanie Andrus Hausen, both outstanding former players, will be with the Philadelphia school next year (see page 47) but first hopes to lead Coach Jason Pillion’s Sandies to a Class 5A state championship.

Our region had four of those in 2021. Check out in-depth stories by Dave Wohlfarth on those state titles by the Canyon girls (page 13), Brownfield girls (page 16), Clarendon boys (page 18) and Texline boys (page 20).

See photos of those state-winning teams in the front color section as well as color action photos of the LCU Lady Chaps and the annual “Lookin’ Back” page showing our cover boys and girls of 1981-82. A special feature this year is a series of profiles of many of the outstanding radio basketball broadcasters in the area and their recollections of big games and funny incidents. The “Unseen Voices” section, put together by magazine co-founder Danny Andrews, starts on page 23.

On March 12, 2020, the Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps, sitting pretty with a 28-3 record and planning to meet Angelo State in the NCAA Division II playoffs, were at practice when Coach Steve Gomez brought bad news. Because of COVID-19, the season was over. Their hopes for LCU’s third national championship were gone. But on March 26, 2021, the Lady Chaps won that third title and became the first-ever DII program to go undefeated twice, topping Drury, 69-59, in Columbus, Ohio. Having won the 2019 championship, LCU became the fifth program to win the title in consecutive tournaments. Don’t miss the report in “Basketball News” on the basketball figures – Joe Lombard, Rayford Young and Noel Johnson – who were inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 (page 44). This edition also adds another outstanding writer, Lee Passmore. See Lee’s feature on Hoop 10 on page 40. We are happy to welcome some new schools into the magazine this year. UIL schools Dimmitt, Farwell, Kress and Lubbock Cooper had been missing for awhile, and we’re glad to have them back. And TAPPS school San Jacinto Christian makes a big return in this edition. On the higher education side, Frank Phillips College is back after several years along with its women’s coach Brett Schneider and men’s coach Chris Hackett. The 2020-21 basketball season suffered disruptions

Mark Adams because of COVID-19, including quarantines and the lack of tournaments during the season. Sports still were seeing some effects of the pandemic as the 2021-22 school started, but our hope is that they will be minimal and that our high schools and colleges will be able to compete at full speed. Our gratitude Producing Panhandle-Plains Basketball Magazine takes the cooperation of coaches, school advertising coordinators, booster clubs, families, fans, businesses, college athletic departments and others across the region. Some who should be recognized are Danny Andrews, Russ Anthony, C&R Bindery, ColorArt Printing, Timothy Davis, Tony Freeman, Hartsfield Design, Brady Hochstein, Kathy Haynes, Sam Haynes, Lance Lahnert, Kevin Lewis, Cathy Martindale, Tricia Odom, Lee Passmore, Steve Satterwhite, Vickie Shepherd, Texoma Offset Printing, WT intern Austin Vandagriff, Garet von Netzer, Wayland Baptist University and Dave Wohlfarth. We are grateful to all. Mike Haynes and Sheri Haynes Co-Publishers

Photo courtesy Lubbock Christian University