TEAM: Burlingame Bearcats/Lady Bearcats

CLASSIFICATION: 1A-1

LEAGUE: Lyon County

COLORS: Purple & White

SOCIAL MEDIA: @BGAME_Bearcats on Twitter

2024-25 SCHEDULE

12/5-7 Burlingame Tournament
12/13 vs Lyndon
12/17 at Hartford
12/20 vs Northern Heights
1/7 at MDCV
1/10 vs Olpe
1/14 vs Lebo
1/17 at Madison
1/21 at Waverly
1/27-2/1 Lyon County League Tournament
2/7 at Chase County
2/10 at Bishop Seabury
2/14 at Howard/West Elk
2/18 at Mission Valley
2/21 vs West Franklin

Lyon County League game

GIRLS

HEAD COACH: Jeff Slater (5th year, 73-18)

2023-24 RECORD: 17-6, 4-3 in Lyon County League

2023-24 IN REVIEW: The Lady Bearcats produced another impressive season on the shoulders of one of the state’s best players, Kaylin Noonan, who helped guide her team to 17 regular season wins, a late-season winning streak that reached 10 games, and a sub-state championship game. But their goal of reaching State ran into an obstacle, as Centralia defeated them soundly in that sub-state final on their way to a third-place finish at State.

2024-25 OUTLOOK: Noonan is at Emporia State now, and replacing her will be a team effort. And while the balance of the roster will be young, three starters are back to show the way. Senior guard Joselyn Simmons is the veteran of the group, and she averaged seven points per game last year while knocking down 43 three-pointers. Junior center McKenna McFarlane returns in the low post. And sophomore Harper Seele is coming off an impressive rookie campaign that saw her average ten points, eight rebounds and two assists in a versatile role offensively while earning All-Defense honors in the Lyon County League. All three returning starters will need to step up their offense while others mature into increased playing time as the season goes on.

FROM THE COACH’S CLIPBOARD: “We need to really emphasize the defensive side of the ball and continue to grow and develop our consistency on the offensive side of the ball.  This year presents some exciting challenges, I fully expect our girls to face them head on.  We have taken pride the last few years in being a competitive program in our league as well as the state. It takes a lot of hard work, commitment and PRIDE, and we cannot waver if we want to continue to be successful.” – Jeff Slater

BOYS

HEAD COACH: Eric West (7th year, 99-41)

2023-24 RECORD: 14-8, 5-2 in Lyon County League

2023-24 IN REVIEW: If a 14-win season represents a slight step backwards for your program, your program is in a very good place. That describes the Bearcats, who had won 17 games the year prior but went through a more up-and-down 2023-24 campaign as young players found their footing. The 1-2 punch of guard Dane Winters and big man Drake Skirvin led Burlingame to some big wins, but they couldn’t solve eventual 1A-1 runners-up Bishop Seabury, who beat them in two of their final three games of the season, including a sub-state semifinal.

2024-25 OUTLOOK: If inexperience was an issue early for Burlingame last year, it shouldn’t be this year, with four starters and five total veterans back for Eric West’s bunch. Junior center Skirvin (15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks per game) and senior Winters (15 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game) are the focal points, as both were first-team All-League in the Lyon County League last year. Seniors JD Tyson and Jimmy Roberts also have starting experience in the veteran-heavy backcourt. Burlingame’s hope is that Skirvin’s gravity in the paint opens the floor for the guards to get, and make, open looks from distance, and propel the Bearcats to the top of the LCL and back to State for the first time in seven years.

FROM THE COACH’S CLIPBOARD: “We have to get contributions from more guys, more consistently. Skirvin and Winters will be leaned on to score, rebound and defend but our other guys are more than capable of contributing as well. We need to rebound well as a group, we will be playing 4 guards around Skirvin most of the time. We will be at our best when we play well in transition and get out and run the floor.” – Eric West

–Dan Lucero

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