Carter playing a big role in Burbank’s turnaround season

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Following last year’s dismal trek through the Pacific League, the Burbank girls’ basketball team is looking good for at least a playoff berth this season, and a lot of that has to do with the play of 6-foot senior forward Kendra Carter.

Carter has been tearing it up for the Bulldogs, and heading into their game against Hoover on Wednesday, she’s averaging 18.7 ppg (second most in the region, according to MaxPreps.com) and 8.3 rpg. Also, I know the Bulldogs are happy to have her back after her little Santa Clarita adventure last year.

Carter transfered from Burbank to Golden Valley last year, but after the Grizzlies went 1-9 in league play, she apparently decided to go back to Burbank and re-join the Bulldogs for one more campaign.

And the decision has worked wonders for a Burbank team that went 2-8 in league play last season. Along with junior teammate Tiffany De Ramus, Carter has played an integral part in transforming the Bulldogs from Pacific League has-beens to title-chasers.

Still, if Burbank is going to challenge first-place Muir for the title, it has to find more point producers. In the Bulldogs’ 56-46 loss to Muir on Dec. 18, Carter scored 22 points, but fellow starters De Ramus, Katie Nelson and Kristin Crawford had only 13 combined points. The support staff will have to play a bigger role when the teams meet again on Jan. 22.

Until then, Burbank will have to keep itself in the title hunt by beating a competitive Crescenta Valley team on Jan. 15.

-- Austin Knoblauch