By Amanda Perkins
A slew of incoming freshmen and some top returning players are sure to be a boon for the Dixon Bulldogs as Cole Garnette enters his third season as head coach. The team ended last season with a 9-15 record and lost in its district opener.
“Last year’s team was young,” said Garnette. “We only had one senior and the rest were underclassmen. We ended up having to start three different freshmen at some point in the season, and injuries really took a toll on us late in the season. We only had seven available players come district tournament time.”
The Bulldogs lost Amanda Campbell (5.7 rebounds and 4.2 ppg) to graduation. The team will miss her size on defense, her ability to force opponents to alter their shots, and her rebounding skill.
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Dixon returns several starters this year. Sophomore point guard Tayler McKinnon (3.6 ppg, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals) is a quick player who can defend any guard and looks to have a strong sophomore campaign. Megan Gilbert, 5’9” senior who averaged 6.4 ppg and 9.8 rebounds, is a strong player and excellent rebounder who can and will play any position from a 3 to a 5.
Tressa Hughes (12.2 ppg, 4.4 rebounds) is a junior point and shooting guard combo whose expertise is ball handling, as well as knockdown shooting. Senior Madison Duncan is an all-conference and all-district standout shooting guard and a hard worker who wants to win at all costs. Last season, she put up 14.8 ppg, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 2.8 assists.
Also back from last year is Skylar Maddox, a junior wing player who is versatile and is asked to play every spot from a 2 to a 5 at different times during a game.
“She’s one of the hardest workers around and will do anything for her team,” said Coach Garnette. Sophomore shooting guard Lauren Gilbert is an improved ball handler who can play anywhere from a 1 to a 3. “Lauren’s best attribute is her ability to forget a missed shot,” said Garnette, noting her strong shooting ability as well.
The final returning player is Jordan Aranjo, a sophomore who had a season-ending injury last year and will be working to come back from that. She can play both shooting guard and at point.
Garnette said that his team’s strength will be depth. “The last two years we have struggled with depth, finishing with six available players in districts last year,” he said. “This year, we moved up 13 freshmen who went 27-5 in their two years of middle school basketball, having won two Frisco League Championships. We also return nearly everyone from last year’s varsity squad.” Garnette said he looks for the freshmen to add speed and size to his roster.
The team also could trip up opponents with their versatility. “We don’t really have a true offensive or defensive style,” said Garnette. “We will play to the weakness of our opponent, or if we have a particular strength we want to exploit, that is how we will play.”
The Bulldogs tip off at Cuba on November 18.
“Our outlook for the upcoming season is the same as it has always been,” said Garnette. “We look to be competitive, we want to compete for a conference championship and get better all season long. We want to go into districts with a strong record and playing our best basketball of the season.”
