Jenkins And Thompson Lead The Lady Bulldogs Into New Season
The Burgin Lady Bulldogs 2024-2025 basketball team from left to right: Leah Jenkins, Haley Hurst, Kynlee Sexton, Ashton Lester, Gabby Thompson, Head Coach Keith Monson, Jemma Jenkins, Bristol Keith, Beth Motley, Claire Pauley and Jocelyn Stanley. (Image: Christy Lee Photography.)
Samuel Warren
Herald Staff
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The Burgin Lady Bulldogs basketball program has come a long way in ten years time. Ten seasons ago Burgin won one game, but this season Head Coach Keith Monson and the Lady Bulldogs have high hopes. The program’s 33 wins over the last three seasons is the most successful period since 2011 to 2013, when they earned 38 wins in three seasons.
The 2024-2025 Lady Bulldogs will be led by seniors Jemma Jenkins and Gabby Thompson. The latter has been one of the most efficient scorers in the program for each of the last four years. Since leading the team in scoring her eighth grade season, Thompson has gone one to amass 917 points, and she hopes to check the 1,000 point milestone off of her list this season, along with the Burgin record of 83 successful 3-point attempts held by Baleigh Turner. To reach her goal, she understands the team needs to move the ball well as a unit.
“I think we just need to move the ball and I love moving the ball. It gets people open,” said Thompson.
The Lady Bulldogs main focus this winter will be on just that, ball movement and intense defensive pressure.
“We don’t have any height so we’re gonna have to learn to block out, play it up and down the floor and press a lot,” said Monson.
Monson says the Lady Bulldogs will struggle if they’re not shooting well, but he doesn’t expect that will happen often.
“They’re a good shooting bunch.”
