Basketball season overview: Belgreen
GIRLS
With a core group of starters returning and all underclassmen, the Belgreen varsity girls are poised for two solid years of basketball.
“We have some great kids that are enjoyable to coach,” said longtime head coach Chad Green.
Belgreen’s starters have a lot of minutes under their belts as they get set for the season.
“This year’s team has a lot more experience with several girls who have played at the varsity level for many years,” Green explained.
The core group of returning players include Dacota Green, Isabella Tate, Bryn Scott and Makenna Fisher.
They appear to have all the ingredients to have a successful season.
“We have speed, size and shooters,” said Green.
Green said he wants his team to develop around the idea of “toughness and grit.”
“I want our team to play fast, hit the boards and rebound and play tough, gritty defense.”
ROSTER
Lily Green 2
Bryn Scott 3
Jacqueline Alban 4
Laura Seal 10
Isabella Tate 11
Morgan Lauderdale 12
Lilliana Willingham 14
Makenna Fisher 15
Mackinley Hogan 21
Alayna Tate 22
Dacota Green 33
Carson Hovater 42
BOYS
The Belgreen Bulldogs look like a team building for the future. With one senior, Marty Cooper’s squad is young when it comes to age and experience, but he says they love the game of basketball.
“We are a young team,” said Cooper. “We have good chemistry, though. They play hard, and they pull for each other. They want to be successful and work hard.”
Belgreen lost one senior from last year’s team, Austin James. James, however, was a big kid and could step out beyond the arch and shoot the three ball.
“We don’t have much size,” Cooper explained. “I think we are quick for a 1A team.”
Cooper said he believes his team’s depth could be a difference-maker this year.
“We have ten players on varsity, and we can use all of them. They will all have a role to play.”
Belgreen returns Will King, the lone senior and team’s point guard. Braycen Johnson, a sophomore guard, was the team’s second leading scorer last year. Jonathan Mendoza, a sophomore, played several minutes as a freshman last year. The Bulldogs also return junior Hunter Woodruff.
Cooper said he wants his team to embrace their quickness and develop a defensive mindset.
“We will need to get after other teams and make it difficult for them to run their offense. We need to use our defense to create offensive opportunities.”
ROSTER
#0 Will King SR.
#1 Landon Cox JR.
#2 Miguel Cruz Perez SO.
#3 Ely Mitchell JR.
#4 Ben Wilkins SO.
#5 Gabriel Estrada SO.
#10 Alex Guidry SR.
#12 Jonathan Mendoza SO.
#13 Braycen Johnson SO.
#24 Aaron Rubido SO.
# 33 Hunter Woodruff JR.
