Returning starters anchor Lady Bulldogs

Lady Bulldogs coach Katie Cooper said that last year was a dream, and this year, her players have the ability to go as far as they want to go. Cooper, who has a 73-38 record, is gearing up for her fifth year at Bald Knob High School. “It would be very hard to exceed our achievements of last year,” she said. “It was one of those magical seasons in which everything went our way — last-second shots, very few injuries with the exception of one player, and the ball just seemed to bounce our way, and so on — up until the first game of the state tournament.” A strong core of talent is coming back to the team this year, Cooper said. The 3A-2 Conference team playing in the blended 3A/4A-7 finished off the 2016-17 season with a record of 28-4, she said. Cooper said returning starters include senior Kynlee Brimer, who averaged 6 points per game and 2 rebounds per game; junior Kinlee Varnell, 12 ppg and 6 rpg; and junior Madi Pierce, 12 ppg and 7 rpg. Brimer is extremely physical and strong, and she has polished post moves and footwork, and great hands, the coach said. “Madi Pierce and Kinlee Varnell [are] excellent shooters, great defenders and tough finishers at the rim,” Cooper said. Team strengths are physical strength, chemistry and the three returning starters, she said. Weaknesses include size and “sophomores who will play significant minutes.” Cooper said all opponents — primarily Harding Academy, Rose Bud, White County Central and Riverview — are worth watching. “It’s so much fun to play against coaches and players that we’re all friends with,” the coach said. The 3A/4A blended conference is “a gauntlet of talented teams,” she said, and nights cannot be taken off in this league. “We’ll face great 4A/5A competition in our tournaments again this year: the Joe T. Robinson Invitational and the Berryville Holiday Hoops in December,” she said.