GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - As the winter weather starts to take effect in Butte County, it’s time for Gridley sports to hit the hardwood.

The Gridley girls varsity basketball team is ready to start the season and improve drastically from its 7-21 overall record last season. Becca McCray has been a staple with the Lady Bulldogs basketball program for years.

She is in the 10th season of her second stint as Gridley head coach and told The Herald her team is ready to break out this season. McCray added that the Lady Bulldogs are going to be a talented team heavy with guards and a ton of speed on the court.

Ella Sannar is the team captain for Gridley this season. The three-year varsity veteran is a versatile player that can play all five positions, according to McCray.

RELATED: University Prep gobbles up Gridley in playoff opener

“Ella has put in the work, she has everything you're looking for in a team leader,” McCray explained.

Sannar led the Lady Bulldogs in points (12.1) and rebounds (6.4) last season. Key returners for Gridley include sophomore forward Brooke Marr and junior guard AnaGloria Luevano.

McCray exclaimed to The Herald that Marr and Luevano have both put in hard work over the off-season to be ready for this season. The positive outlook for the Lady Bulldogs is the six senior players on the roster.

McCray told The Herald that senior forwards Kennison Cota and Emily Luna, who recently joined the team following volleyball season, are going to be key contributors in the Gridley starting lineup.

McCray said that last season was a rebuilding year, and she is looking forward to this season as everything is coming together better than last season. Key games that McCray said she looked towards this season are the two Butte View League games against Orland on January 20 and February 7.

“They were the league champs last year and Gridley and Orland girls basketball has always had a rivalry against each other,” McCray explained.

RELATED: Lady Bulldogs’ season ends with loss to Trojans in playoff semifinals

McCray told The Herald that the Lady Bulldogs are going to be a talented group of aggressive ball players. Gridley will play in three local tournaments in the area when they play at the Oroville tournament from December 7-10, Sutter tournament from December 15-17 and Las Plumas tournament from January 5-7.

To catch Gridley in action at home this week, they host the Lady Bulldogs Holiday Classic on Thursday, December 1 through Saturday, December 3. Other teams in the tournament include Franklin of Stockton, Lower Lake, Quincy, Central Valley, Carson and Oroville.

Gridley plays Lower Lake on Thursday, early evening at 4:30 p.m. A few hours later they will play Quincy at 8:30 p.m.

On Friday night at 5:30 p.m., the Lady Bulldogs will play Franklin and end their tournament by playing Central Valley on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.