Hondo too much for Apaches

CONVERSE – Fouls and turnovers haunted the Gonzales Apaches and with a stingy Hondo defense, it all ended on Tuesday.

Gonzales (19-12) had its season end abruptly in the bidistrict playoffs after the Hondo Owls dismantled the Apache offense en route to a 66-50 win in class 3A bidistrict at Wagner High School.

No player could get into rhythm for the Apaches having to battle interior foes Chase Gardenhire and Ben Keilman.

Leading Apache scorer Mark Hastings and junior point guard Jon Anthony Casares were taken out of the game completely by the Hondo defense that allowed the two to score a combined 15 points.

 Gardenhire was the workhorse of the evening for Hondo controlling the paint for the Owls and scoring 16 points to lead all scorers.

Gonzales’ largest lead came in the first quarter when the Apaches took a 4-0 lead and looked to control the tempo.

But Hondo gathered itself and responded with a 3-pointer by Jose DeLaCruz, the first points of the game for the Owls that set the tone.

The Owls could only hold a 4-point lead into the second quarter and the Apaches found the bucket after Hastings nailed a jumper and senior Jalen Longoria’s 3-pointer to regain the lead 19-18.

Hondo’s upbeat tempo tired the Apaches and Hondo guard Jason Gentry took over.

The second quarter ended with four Gonzales turnovers and then both Keilman and Gardenhire supplying six unanswered points to end the quarter at 31-21 in favor of the Owls.

 Gonzales wasn’t going away and opened the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers from Hastings and Longoria to pull the Apaches to within four points. After a Hondo miss on the ensuing possession, Blake Moore was fouled on the other end and made one of two free throws and give the Apaches a fighting chance with the score 31-28.

Two more Gonzales turnovers and a hard foul by Moore on Keilman who completed a 3-point play, put the Owls in control once again with a 10-point lead.

The Apaches gave it one last chance when Hastings hit a 3-pointer that began an 8-0 run that ended on a running jumper by Casares and a resounding dunk off of a rebound from Kedrick Cray.

Cray led the Apaches with 12 points. Longoria finished with 12 points.

Hondo controlled the fourth quarter and took as much as a 17-point lead midway through the period.

Gentry finished with 14 points for Hondo and Keilmann and DeLaCruz each finished with 11 points.

Hondo will play Boerne in the area round on Friday.