Standout sophomore class continues to impress for Lady Bulldogs
Bearden sophomore Chanler Geer drives to the basket against William Blount. Geer and the rest of the sophomore class have helped supplement Bearden’s experienced seniors and juniors.
The Bearden girls basketball team is having yet another great season, and they attribute much of the credit to the sensational play coming from younger players. It has been a very promising start for the Lady Bulldogs (16-4, 6-3 District 4-AAA) and much of the contribution has come from the sophomore members of the team.
They hope for another big night Friday night at 6 when Bearden looks for a season sweep of Hardin Valley on the road.
“The success they’ve had really doesn’t surprise me because these girls have played a lot of basketball together and are not inexperienced at all,” Coach Justin Underwood said. “Plus, they put in a lot of work over the offseason and have really improved their skills.”
A lot of the experience that they have comes from all the playing time that they were given last season when they were just freshmen.
“I knew they were good players coming into this season because of all the experience they gained last season,” senior Erin Walsh said. “They have all improved from last year and have helped our program immensely.”
Holly Hagood, Chanler Geer, and Kaci Mitchell have all featured in the starting lineup at times this season and have had great successes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court.
Hagood, a point guard who started throughout Bearden’s postseason run a year ago, has gained respect from the team through her constant leadership and her non-stop hard work. Meanwhile, forward Geer has made impressions by displaying her offensive prowess. Mitchell has gained admiration from her defensive execution and her improvement on the offensive end.
“I’ve been impressed with all three of them, and they have all displayed strengths and intangibles that I, as a coach, love to see,” Coach Underwood said.
Hard work, perseverance, and leadership are just some of the intangibles that Underwood was talking about. These assets have come in handy so far this season and if they continue, the Lady Bulldogs have two successful seasons still to come.
“They are all hard workers in practice and want to get better every day,” Walsh said. “We wouldn’t have the record that we do without them and we can’t wait to see what else they will accomplish this season and on.”