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