While most have been enjoying time off this summer, the Morgan County girls' basketball team has been in the gym.
Most recently, the Lady Bulldogs hosted a round-robin event earlier last week with other area schools like Greene County and John Milledge Academy in attendance.
Morgan County head coach Milfred Franklin thought his team performed well against competition other than themselves.
“I was very pleased with how the event went. We had some good basketball being played,” Franklin said. “The girls gained some valuable experience on the court, and I was able to get some good evaluation time, seeing how they play and how I want to incorporate some girls into the offensive scheme.”
The event included schools bringing both their junior varsity and varsity teams to participate.
In the first couple of games, the Lady Bulldogs JV team got to take the court and performed well. They defeated John Milledge Academy 33-32 on a last-second shot, which is a pivotal situational experience the girls wouldn’t get from regular practices.
Franklin acknowledged how important it is to get real-time reps in, even at the JV level.
“It makes me feel great knowing that we have a good foundation to build on,” Franklin said. “The girls get to get a good game like that in, and it helps with their confidence and will translate to a greater love for the game.”
Last year, multiple issues off the court hindered Morgan County’s success, but this year’s team returns a few key players from last year.
Overall, the Lady Bulldogs are equipped with the skills to have a successful season, but Franklin believes it has to start with the environment in the locker room.
“One thing that the girls said that they wanted more of was team-bonding,” Franklin said. “I feel as if team bonding will definitely translate over to a stronger bond between the girls with each other and me. We’ve traveled together to tournaments and have had team dinners, so I think it’s going well.”