Class 2A Season Preview: Sectionals #37-#40
The beginning of the high school season is right around the corner, as we are about one week away from the first official games. With that in mind, I wanted to continue our thorough preview of the 2019-2020 season. In…
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Continue ReadingThe beginning of the high school season is right around the corner, as we are about one week away from the first official games. With that in mind, I wanted to continue our thorough preview of the 2019-2020 season. In this article, I will take a look at the second Class 2A North Regional, which incorporates the winners of Sectionals #37 through #40. Below is a look at the teams in each of those Sectionals, along with some general comments and analysis. I will continue previewing the upcoming season over the next week and a half, with my final preview articles likely posting at the end of the first week of games.
(SAG = Final 2018-2019 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (403 teams); SOS = Final 2018-2019 Strength of Schedule)
Sectional #37
Manchester (17-8) SAG 176; 225
Wabash (9-14) SAG 249; SOS 242
Rochester (8-14) SAG 284; SOS 285
Delphi Community (12-10) SAG 288; SOS 358
Carroll-Flora (4-19) SAG 349; SOS 312
Lewis Cass (1-22) SAG 352; 276
Following Oak Hill’s Class 2A State Championship last season, the Eagles have now moved on to Class 3A due to their tournament success. That leaves Manchester holding the most impressive resumé of all the returnees. However, the Squires must overcome the loss of four of their top six scorers to graduation, including leading scorer Kennedy Fierstos (12.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.1 spg). Also gone are Kennidy Lauer (4.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Emma West (4.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg), and Jirni Cripe (2.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg). Leadership now falls upon the shoulders of Junior guard Eva Bazzoni (10.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 spg) and Senior wing Kiera Hatfield (5.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 spg). Wabash is always a tough matchup for everyone, but even they must deal with the loss of three of their top five scorers from a year ago. They will miss Hope Unger (7.7 ppg), Abby Vinopal (3.6 ppg, 2.9 apg), and 6’2 post Tabatha Wagner (3.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg), but they do return their top two scorers…both just Juniors now. Alivia Short (10.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) is a strong and imposing front-liner who likes physicality, while Mariah Wyatt (9.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) compliments her inside to give them a stout duo on the glass. They’ll need Junior guard Nici Gunderman (2.2 ppg), or possibly a few of their younger guards to step up this season.
With Manchester and Wabash plugging several new players into their lineups, it could present an opportunity for an experienced Rochester squad who returns their top five scorers. The one graduate they’ll miss most is Corina Peterson (3.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg), but they do get back quite a bit. Senior shooter Maci Brown (9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) returns and will be their biggest offensive threat. Senior post Kensey McKee (7.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) has good athleticism and upside. Junior forward Kaitlin Rogers (5.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Senior wing Genni Isbell (4.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), and Sophomore forward Emily Hughes (3.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg) played a lot last season as well, plus Sophomore point guard Kami Burkett (1.9 ppg, 2.9 ppg) and Sophomore forward Alexus Thomas (1.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg) saw a lot of floor time too. Several of those ladies are in the 5’10-5’11 range, so the Zebras will definitely have a size mismatch most games. I would also consider Delphi as a potential threat in Sectional #37. They have a history of success, they won 12 games a season ago, and they return their top six scorers. Do-everything Senior guard Lillie Smith (11.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.9 spg) leads the way for the Oracles, while Senior wing Jordyn Gasser (8.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 3.9 spg) and Junior wing Harley Myers (8.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) could each reach double-figures in scoring this season. Junior post Haley Nelson (4.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Senior wing Addi Yerkes (3.6 ppg), and Junior forward Karissa Tomson (3.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) should also compete for playing time.
Carroll-Flora could be much-improved this year and get back to their winning ways, so don’t let their record fool you. They return their top five scorers, but this is a three-headed monster along the frontline. Junior forward Morgan Viney (10.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is a high-motor mid-post forward who got better as the season went on last time. Junior forward Megan Wagner (9.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is a solid athlete, she can hit shots, and she plays inside-out. And Senior post Kelsey Hammond (8.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg) is a long and bouncy defensive presence in the paint. They’ll need help, but those three are a tough trio. Lewis Cass looks to improve upon a one-win season, but they must overcome the loss of several Seniors. Junior post Paxtyn Hicks and Junior forward Kyla Mennen look to step up this year.
Sectional #38
Lafayette Central Catholic (20-7) SAG 72; SOS 99
Seeger (20-4) SAG 169; SOS 344
Clinton Prairie (18-6) SAG 178; SOS 322
Sheridan (12-11) SAG 275; SOS 321
Rossville (6-17) SAG 325; SOS 331
Fountain Central (3-20) SAG 354; SOS 326
Lafayette Central Catholic has had its share of success over the years, which is part of the reason they were elevated to Class 2A the last few seasons. They are back and hungry to make a deep tournament run once again. This year they must do so minus wing Lexi Thompson (15.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg), point guard Kaylyn Cherry (6.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg), and guard Halle Blumling (5.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg), all gone via the diploma. The Knights rarely rebuild, though, they just often reload, plus they return their second and third leading scorers in Sophomore guard Karsyn Cherry (12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.6 spg) and Junior guard Caroline Lutz (8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.0 apg). Look for Senior post Jozee Evans (4.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg) to step it up this season, plus Sophomore wing Caitlin Dineen had a strong Spring on the grassroots circuit. One wildcard could be Lexi Thompson’s younger sister, Freshman wing Tori Thompson, who is yet another sharpshooter with good long-term upside.
The Knights’ primary challengers could very well be Seeger and Clinton Prairie. Seeger is coming off of a 20-win season, and they return quite a bit of experience. Senior point guard Kiley White leads the way for the Patriots. Senior forward Emily Shrader and Senior guard Kaylee Kerr help White after playing a lot last season. Seeger did graduate guard Sydney Sexton, but they now look for Junior guard Avery Cole and Junior forward Karis Sosnowski to take their games to another level this year. As for Clinton Prairie, leading scorer and sharp-shooter Tatum Neal (14.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg) did graduate, and she’ll be tough to replace, but the Gophers do return everyone else. Senior wing Katie Blacker (7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Senior guard Emma McKinney (7.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Senior wing Rebekah Lloyd (5.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and Sophomore guard Tynlie Neal (5.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.1 apg) return to the starting lineup. If they can get Senior wing Kayla Martin (2.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and/or Junior forward Hannah Wilson (2.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg) to increase their production a bit, Clinton Prairie could be in for another nice season.
Sheridan moves into Sectional #38 from Sectional #40, but the Blackhawks will be more concerned with replacing the production of their top three scorers, and four of their top five, following graduation last Spring. Gone are Heather Barker (10.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 spg), Holly Barker (6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Olivia Raines (5.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg), and Jillian O’Flaherty (4.9). They do return some experienced youthfulness in Junior wing Allie Delph (5.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg), Sophomore guard Berkley Williams (3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Sophomore post Taylor Bates (3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg), and Junior forward Lillie Dickerson (2.3 ppg), so hopefully they can maintain and improve. Rossville fell off a bit following the 2018 graduation of Maggie Deboy, but the Hornets played just one Senior last year, Camryn Geheb (11.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg), so their future could be bright. The best of the returnees are Junior guard Madison Miller (12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.1 spg) and Sophomore front-liner Michelle Rodkey (8.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Fountain Central looks to rebound as well behind Junior guard Dakota Borman (8.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Junior post Gracie Foxworthy (5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), but they did graduate leading scorer and rebounder Mackenzy Linville (9.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg).
Sectional #39
Tipton (21-6) SAG 84; SOS 199
Taylor (13-8) SAG 179; SOS 273
Eastbrook (14-11) SAG 233; SOS 301
Blackford (1-21) SAG 362; SOS 278
Madison-Grant (3-20) SAG 365; SOS 249
Sectional #39 saw a lot of movement this year, as Eastern-Greentown and Alexandria-Monroe both left, while Blackford entered, but in the end, it looks like Tipton will once again be the favorite from the outset. The Blue Devils will have to overcome the loss of star wing Cassidy Crawford (22.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 3.3 spg, 2.0 bpg), versatile guard Kelsey Mitchell (14.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.1 spg), forward Lexi Altherr (4.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 spg), and forward Rachael Ressler (2.8 ppg), but Tipton has a great deal of young, talented girls waiting to step up. Senior guard Gracie Phillips (5.6 ppg, 2.4 apg) brings back a lot of experience. Sophomore wing Abigail Parker (4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg) shined at moments last year, while Sophomore guard Ella Wolfe was key in the Sectional, once she finally got cleared from an injury. I’d anticipate those two being the leading scorers this season. Sophomore forward Olivia Spidel (2.3 ppg) and Junior forward Emma Crawford (2.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg) also played key roles last time. The Blue Devils have a talented Freshmen group who could provide depth immediately.
Taylor had a nice run last season, and they’ll attempt to duplicate that this year despite the graduation of wing Taylor Boruff (19.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.3 spg). Sophomore wing Kelsi Langley (12.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 spg) had a really nice rookie campaign, as did Sophomore guard Emma Good (8.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg). Senior guard Alison Pemberton (5.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Senior forward Austyn Huffer (4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg), and Junior post Ashlen Kropczynski (2.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) bring added experience to the lineup. Eastbrook also looks to follow up a successful 2018-2019 season with another winning record, especially after playing Tipton tough in the Sectional. But the Panthers lost two of their top three scorers, and three graduates in total. Gone are do-everything wing Kylie Standfest (12.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg), forward Josalyn Martinez (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg), and forward Zoie Ratliff (2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg). Another potentially big loss for Eastbrook is that of Junior guard Sarah Foulk (11.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg), their second leading scorer. She is a high-level soccer player who has been rumored to not play basketball this season. If that’s the case, the Panthers still have some nice pieces with experience to turn to, specifically Sophomore water-bug Johwen McKim (3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 spg) and high-motor Junior forward Lexi Binkerd (3.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg). Sedah McKim is a Freshman wing who could see the floor early this season.
Blackford and Madison-Grant both look to learn from last season’s struggles in an attempt to improve this time around. Blackford moved from Class 3A down to Class 2A this year. The Bruins played several underclassmen, and Junior wing Jaycie Sones (7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Junior wing Grace Simmons (5.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg), plus Senior post Reaghan Harding (3.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) were the biggest contributors. However, Blackford has a Freshmen group that has seen great success throughout the middle school years. Look for them to have a major impact this year, most notably wing Liv Waters. Madison-Grant looks to increase their win total behind Senior guard Blakylee Stitt (4.9 ppg), Sophomore post Gracey Fox (4.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Junior forward Zoey Barnett (4.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and Sophomore wing Azmae Turner (2.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.3 spg, 1.6 bpg). They also get a boost from Senior forward McKenna Lugar (5.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg in 2017-2018), who returns to the fold after a year away.
Sectional #40
Monroe Central (19-6) SAG 63; SOS 152
Lapel (16-8) SAG 145; SOS 223
Frankton (13-12) SAG 170; SOS 206
Wapahani (15-9) SAG 181; SOS 213
Alexandria-Monroe (10-13) SAG 304; SOS 313
Elwood (4-20) SAG 351; SOS 262
Sectional #40 looks to be very competitive at the top, with Monroe Central looking to make one more run at the title this year. The Golden Bears will be without star forward Jordyn Barga (17.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.3 apg), but they return a great deal of experience otherwise. Senior guard Hannah Bolton (16.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 3.1 spg) does a little of everything well. Senior wing Hannah McCollum (5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.7 apg) is a versatile athlete. Senior forward Gabby Beckham (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Senior guard Brooke Bolton (4.0 ppg, 2.6 apg), Senior forward Katie Pike (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.1 apg), and Senior post Allie Morrison (2.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg) have also logged quality minutes over the years. Lapel also put together a nice season a year ago, but now they must play without graduated guard Kylie Rich (10.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.0 spg). Other than Rich, the Bulldogs return nearly everyone and should contend with Monroe Central. Key returnees for Lapel are Senior point guard Morgan Knepp (10.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.2 spg), athletic Senior forward Makynlee Taylor (9.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.6 spg), and Senior front-liner Delany Peoples (9.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 apg). Junior wing Lily Daniels (5.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Sophomore wing Ashlynn Allman (4.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg), and Junior guard Chloe Tucker (3.1 ppg) looked for more enhanced roles this year.
Frankton is a team who I think could sneak up on people and approach 20 wins this season. While point guard Sierra Southard (6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.0 spg) did leave via the diploma, they return everyone else of note, plus they picked up a couple of transfers. Back in the fold are Senior wing Addie Gardner (9.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Junior post Chloee Thomas (8.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Senior wing Bailey Tucker (6.8 ppg), Sophomore forward Lauryn Bates (6.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Junior guard Ava Gardner (4.4 ppg), and Senior wing Grace Alexander (2.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg). That’s a lot of balance and production, but then they picked up Junior wing Mia Shields (9.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.1 spg) and Sophomore guard Ella Shields (9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 spg) who played at Greencastle High School last season. If they can gel early, they could be the Sectional #40 Champion at the end of the season. Wapahani also put together a nice season last year, but now they must do without Carlie Boggs (11.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Sydney Cook (11.5 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.0 apg), and Dayten Lee (7.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), who all graduated. Junior guard Madison Thompson (11.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.4 spg) returns for her third season of Varsity action, Sophomore guard Ashley England (4.6 ppg) saw some minutes as a Freshman last year, and Senior forward Lexi Humbert (3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg) proved to be a productive worker throughout the grassroots season. If Junior forward Lexi Morrow (2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and Senior guard Lexi Wulff (2.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) can step it up a notch, the Raiders can post another winning season.
Alexandria-Monroe can frustrate anyone on any given night, because they shoot the ball at every position, and they have a nice collection of wings who all return. Junior wings Jenna Reece VanBlair (12.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Reiley Hiser (10.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.1 spg) are the top returnees for the Tigers. Senior wing Kirsten VanHorn (6.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.1 spg), Sophomore point guard Jada Stansberry (6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.6 spg), Sophomore sharp-shooter Ally Honeycutt (4.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg), and Junior guard Rylee Pyle (4.1 ppg) help make Alexandria-Monroe one of the deeper teams in the Sectional. Elwood played as many as 11 girls in their rotation on some nights, but they also gained experience and look for an improved 2019-2020 season. They will, however, have to replace the contributions of Emily Booker (11.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.2 spg), Maleah Ruder (3.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg), and Sherrie Taylor (2.9 ppg), who graduated in the Spring. Booker was a really nice story a season ago. Additionally, 6’0 Sophomore forward Jaleigh Crawford (8.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.7 spg) has opted not to play this season after flashing great potential last year. With that said, Senior guard Claudia Leavell (5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Senior guard Courtney Todd (3.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Senior guard Lexi Crosbie (2.8 ppg), and Senior wing Kelsey Ruder (2.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) will need to fill the voids.
Feature image is of Addie Gardner of Frankton High School. Image courtesy of Don Knight of The Herald Bulletin.