Basketball season overview: Belgreen Bulldogs
BOYS
Marty Cooper’s Belgreen varsity boys teams have enjoyed a lot of success in the past few years. First, Cooper is a widely-respected and experienced coach. Second, Cooper – by his own admission – enjoyed the highly talented duo of Will and Collin Bonner.
The Bonners are gone – but Cooper is still here, coaching his new look team just like he has in the past.
“We have a young team that will really need to grow as the season progresses,” said Cooper, “and, hopefully, be playing our best basketball in February.”
Cooper said he knows his team will have a target on it. What he is looking for from his players is how they face adversity. “We will take some lumps early, and how we respond will be the key to improvement.”
Losing eight seniors from this past year’s team, Belgreen’s only returning starter is Austin James, who can be a deadly three-point shooter. James averaged seven points and three rebounds this past year.
“We will rely heavily on freshmen and sophomores,” said Cooper. “We will probably start two ninth-graders, but we seem to have good team chemistry. This has been a fun group to work with.”
Belgreen competes in Class 1A, Area 14, with Vina, Phillips and Hackleburg.
GIRLS
Chad Green enjoys what any coach would want: a young and experienced group of returning players.
Green returns all five starters from this past year’s team – a team that showed steady improvement from the beginning of the season to the end.
Belgreen returns one senior Noelle Willingham, who averaged 12 points and eight rebounds. Two top underclassmen returning are Dacota Green, who averaged 10 points and six rebounds, and Bryn Scott, who was the team’s leading three-point shooter, averaging six points per game.
While putting points on the board is key to winning games, Green said it is the fundamentals that are going to make the Bulldogs a team that competes for championships.
“We have to be successful rebounding the basketball, taking second chances away from the other teams and getting second-chance baskets ourselves,” said Green. “We also have to protect the basketball.”
Belgreen competes in Class 1A, Area 14, with Vina, Phillips and Hackleburg.
BHS BOYS ROSTER
0 Will King, Junior
1 Chris Naylor, Junior
3 Ely Mitchell, Sophomore
4 Hunter Woodruff, Sophomore
10 Alex Guidry, Junior
13 Braycen Johnson, Freshman
23 Jonathan Mendoza, Freshman
33 Zaden Johnson, Junior
34 Austin James, Senior
BHS GIRLS ROSTER
3 Noelle Willingham
4 Jacqueline Alban
5 Sydnee West
11 Isabella Tate
12 Bryn Scott
13 Makayla Willingham
15 Makenna Fisher
22 Alayna Tate
33 Dacota Green
42 Carson Hovater
SCHEDULE
Nov. 3 Tremont – Home
Nov. 8 Covenant Christian – Away
Nov. 10Tharptown – Away
Nov. 14 New Site – Home
Nov. 15 Waterloo – Away
Nov. 22 Red Bay – Home
Nov. 23 Russellville (Girls) – Away
Nov. 28 Shoals Christian – Home
Nov. 29 at Addison – Away
Dec. 2 Vina (Homecoming) – Home
Dec. 5 Phil Campbell – Away
Dec. 6 Tharptown – Home
Dec. 8 Addison (Boys) – Home
Dec. 9 Waterloo – Home
Dec. 13 Phillips – Away
Dec. 15 Cherokee – Away
Dec. 16 Hackleburg – Home
Dec. 19-20 Winston County (Girls) – Away
Dec. 22 Shoals Christian – Away
Dec. 30 Phillips – Home
Jan. 5 Hackleburg – Away
Jan. 9-14 County Tournament – Home
Jan. 17 Red Bay – Away
Jan. 19 Covenant Christian – Home
Jan. 24 Vina – Away
Jan. 26 Phil Campbell – Home
Jan. 27 Tremont – Away
Jan. 31 Russellville (Girls) – Home
Feb. 3 Cherokee – Home
