Class 2A Season Preview: Sectionals #45-#48

The beginning of the high school season is right around the corner, as we are just a couple of days 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 South Regional, which incorporates the winners of Sectionals #45 through #48. Below is a look at the teams in each of those Sectionals, along with some general comments and analysis. I will wrap up previewing the upcoming season over the next week, with my final preview articles likely posting next weekend.   (SAG = Final 2018-2019 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (403 teams); SOS = Final 2018-2019 Strength of Schedule)   Sectional #45 South Ripley (18-8) SAG 158; SOS 263 North Decatur (13-10) SAG 213; SOS 218 Switzerland County (12-12) SAG 238; SOS 277 Milan (11-12) SAG 262; SOS 282 Southwestern-Hanover (8-17) SAG 287; SOS 265 South Decatur (6-18) SAG 324; SOS 287 South Ripley has quietly been one of the top Class 2A programs in Southern Indiana over the last decade, winning 15 or more games nine times, 20 or more games 3 times, and collecting six Sectional titles. This year, however, their roster will be without the services of post Elexah Roepke and guard Morgan Peetz, their two most productive players over the last three seasons. Both have graduated, as has Cady Garcia, Autumn Schmaltz, and Jillian Scott. Returning with the most experience is Senior front-liner Cierra Copeland. She should now be the force in the paint with Roepke gone. Junior guard L.J. McQueen and Senior wing Lindsey Meyer also have some Varsity experience, but don’t be surprised if wing Katelynn Samples, forward Mya McNew, or point guard Emily Flood get an opportunity early this season as well…all three are Freshmen. North Decatur put together another solid season last year, but for the second consecutive year, they’ll have to say goodbye to a productive graduating class. Gone are guard Maddy Day, wing Brittany Becker, and forward Kierstyn House. Now it is up to Senior wing Olivia Bohman, Junior guard Morgan Stanley, and Senior forward Sidney Parmer to increase their production once again, if they want to match the program’s recent success. Switzerland County was much more competitive last season, and they will lean heavily on Senior guard Aleiah Thomas, a strong, tough-nosed, hard-working wing who can score it from each level. Help will likely come from classmate McKenli Scudder, a guard, or Junior Keirstan Oeffinger, also a guard. With the backcourt seemingly intact, they’ll turn to several younger, but capable, players to help round out the lineup. The Pacers will miss Lexi Lay and Rylee Hankins, who both graduated. Milan could be in for a really nice year, and they could compete for this Sectional, as they only graduated one player from a team where 11 girls saw action in ten or more games. Gone is guard Courtney Bruns (9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 3.4 spg), but leading scorer & rebounder Cionna Bailey (12.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg), a Senior front-liner, returns to offer a strong presence in the paint. From there, Junior post Lauren Roell (7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Sophomore wing Riley Clark (3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg), Senior forward Makayla O’Brien (2.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg), and Junior guard Angela King (2.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg) saw the most action last season. Southwestern-Hanover struggled a bit at times last season, and now they’ll have to play without guard Abby Ralston, a graduate who regularly scored in double-figures. They’ll need Junior guard Ellie Foley, in addition to several underclassmen, to step up this year. South Decatur actually doubled their win total from the 2017-2018 season, but they graduated four players, most notably Madison Owens (10.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Annie Gant (6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 spg). That presents an opportunity for Senior forward Sierra Lang (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Junior forward Lana Bell (6.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg), and Sophomore guard Erynn Dyer (4.3 ppg) to step up and lead.   Sectional #46 Eastern-Pekin (21-7) SAG 117; SOS 130 Crawford County (22-4) SAG 131; SOS 240 Austin (11-14) SAG 185; SOS 196 Our Lady of Providence (10-14) SAG 273; SOS 236 Henryville (7-18) SAG 319; SOS 310 Clarksville (0-25) SAG 390; SOS 216 Historically, this has been one of the toughest areas of the state to escape from, as there are always well-coached, well-organized, and talented teams here. Eastern-Pekin won the 2017 Class 2A State Championship, but luckily Paoli has switched Sectionals, so this becomes a six-team affair. Eastern-Pekin should once again be very good, as they return nearly all of their production. Senior point guard Isabell Claywell is the heart & soul of this group, as she is the perfect lead guard for the Musketeers, plus she is entering her fourth year starting. Junior forwards Lily Crumpton and Kendra Sill are high-motor kids who can both play around the block or in the mid-post effectively. Juniors Shelby Casey, Shelbi Patton, and Libby Heavner will all have their opportunities to contribute. Also keep an eye on Freshman Ava Sowder…she could find herself in an important role early this season. Crawford County pounded out 22 wins last season, but this year they’re without graduated star guard Adalina Simpson (18.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 3.3 spg). Guard Cally Jo Sturgeon (5.4 ppg) is another starter who exited via graduation. Now the attention turns to Junior front-liner Treasure Nickelson (9.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.7 spg) and Senior guard Brooke Elliott (7.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.5 spg). If Senior guard Gabi Gaines (4.5 ppg, 2.3 spg), Junior wing Autumn Schigur (3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg), and Senior forward Lexie Fraime (3.0 ppg) continue to improve, then the Wolfpack can certainly win its share of games again this season. The Austin Eagles showed some improvement last year, and they can continue that steady climb this time around if they can replace the production of graduated forward Addi Law. Senior wing Grace Igleheart, Senior guard Jalen Coomer, and Junior guard Misti Kimberlin clearly have the most experience. If anyone else can step up this year, they can push their record above .500 once again. Providence is kind of the wildcard here. They’ve had some deep tournament runs in the past, but last season they had to overcome the graduation losses of some really nice 2018 girls. This year, however, everyone from last season’s team is eligible to return. Senior forward Natalie Boesing (21.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.2 spg) is one of the state’s best players who no one talks about. She can play inside or around the perimeter equally well. Senior post Brigid Welch (7.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) mans the trenches for the Pioneers, while Senior point guard Kaylee Kaiser (5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.8 apg) handles the ball. Sophomore wing Amanda Upton (3.1 ppg) saw her share of opportunity as a Freshman and should only get better. Henryville looks to bounce back after playing several younger girls last season. Now, Senior Allison Horn (14.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.2 spg), Junior Riley Nunn (9.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.6 spg), and Sophomore Kaitlyn D’Angelo (3.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) look to learn from last year and increase their win total this time around. Clarksville will look to get in the win column this year, and the return-from-injury by talented Junior forward Jasmine Walker (13.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.8 bpg as a Freshman in 2017-2018) should help the Generals a great deal.   Sectional #47 Vincennes Rivet (29-1) SAG 34; SOS 135 Linton-Stockton (22-4) SAG 73; SOS 182 North Knox (16-8) SAG 142; SOS 189 South Knox (16-12) SAG 157; SOS 217 Paoli (15-11) SAG 174; SOS 215 Mitchell (7-16) SAG 203; SOS 154 Eastern Greene (9-16) SAG 295; SOS 289 Sectional #47 was already tough at the top, with Linton-Stockton, North Knox, and South Knox in here. But now, Vincennes Rivet moves up to Class 2A due to their tournament success, and Paoli slides over from Sectional #46. Rivet might sound like an obvious choice to step in and compete for the title, and they will still be very good, but for the first time in a while they’re going to have to figure out a way to play without do-everything forward Grace Waggoner (22.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.3 apg). Now a walk-on at IU, Grace scored the ball, handled the ball at times, rebounded, and defended the opponent’s best player on occasion, whether they were a guard, forward, or post. Molly Niehaus (5.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg) also graduated, and she was a key role player for the Patriots. The cupboard isn’t bare by any means, though, as Senior wing Tia Tolbert (13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg) returns and should approach 20 ppg herself with Waggoner gone. Tia is a tough kid and had a great grassroots season. Senior wing Caroline Herman (6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.7 apg) could be the x-factor this year, because at 5’10 she has height, length, fluidity, and very good perimeter skill. The question will be if girls like Junior post Lauren Carie (2.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg), Sophomore forward Meredith Weiss (2.4 ppg), Senior guard Macee Hamilton (3.4 ppg), Sophomore wing Maddisyn Halter (3.4 ppg), and Senior guard Livia Trent (2.5 ppg) are ready to step into bigger roles. I think my favorite to begin the season in Sectional #47 is probably Linton-Stockton. Not only did they win 22 games last year, but they return their top three scorers, all Juniors, and all double-digit performers. Leading the way is Junior wing Vanessa Shafford (16.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.7 spg). She handles the ball and runs offense, she plays on the wing and scores it at a high level, and she can get inside and be physical…she’s just a joy to watch play. Junior point guard Aubrey Burgess (12.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.2 spg) really upped her game last season and throughout this Spring & Summer. Junior front-liner Haley Rose (10.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg) has also come a long way developmentally, and she will likely see the biggest jump in numbers, especially rebounding and defense, this year. Guard Mallory Frye and forwards Lexi Anderson and Mattia Potter did graduate, so some less-experienced players will need to step up if the Miners want to make a deep run in the tournament. North Knox will remain competitive, but they will also be in some transition this year as they must figure out how to play without their heart & soul in graduated guard Makinzi Meurer (24.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.4 apg, 5.0 spg). There wasn’t anything she didn’t do for the Warriors, so others will definitely have to step up big-time. They did get great play from Sophomore guard Graycie Poe (12.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.1 spg). She’ll obviously need to increase her production without Meurer there, but Poe put together a tremendous Freshman year. Senior post Grace Yochum (5.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and Sophomore wing Abigail McKinley (3.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg) are likely no-brainers in the lineup as well. South Knox made a leap and posted a winning record last year, and they return all but graduated wing Paige Cavins. Senior point guard Mykayla Couchenour is the leader and a double-figure scorer. Senior front-liner Hannah Ivers is productive on the interior. Junior guard Lexi Detweiler has seen Varsity action since her Freshman year and brings a lot of experience. The rest of the lineup will likely be filled by any number of Juniors and Sophomores who return. Paoli is new to Sectional #47, but they have had some successful seasons recently. They will, however, have to replace the production of graduated forward Keaton Chastain, forward Jacqlyn Rice, and point guard Madison Street. Chastain & Rice were both multi-year double-digit point scorers. Now the Rams look to a relatively inexperienced bunch of returnees. While they have seen the Varsity floor, they haven’t necessarily been the center of attention for opponents. Mitchell had a somewhat down year, but the Bluejackets do play a tough schedule. Now, they must play without five graduates. Gone are top producer Macy Robbins, post Emma Terrell, guard Jayven Workman, post Ally Passmore, and forward Jasmine Blais. Senior guard Jayden Shaff looks to be the most experienced returnee this year. Now it’s up to several Sophomores to step into much bigger roles. Eastern Greene posted a significantly improved season, but they did so with three now-graduates leading the way. Gone are Michelle Hatfield (7.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.1 spg), Shayden Flynn (6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and Farrah Young (5.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg). However, the Thunderbirds do return a nice collection of youngsters, including Sophomore guard Indy Workman (4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.2 spg), Junior forward Kira Padgett (3.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg), and Junior guard Shelley Tarr (3.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg).   Sectional #48 Evansville Mater Dei (17-11) SAG 122; SOS 149 Forest Park (11-13) SAG 193; SOS 180 South Spencer (11-12) SAG 222; SOS 264 Southridge (7-15) SAG 223; SOS 185 Tell City (15-11) SAG 237; SOS 272 Perry Central (4-19) SAG 328; SOS 224 North Posey (1-22) SAG 355; SOS 208 Evansville Mater Dei has always been a very tough “out” come tournament time, and last year they made it all the way to the Semi-State round, before falling to Winchester. Gone from that team are forward Jossie Hudson (12.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg), guard Hannah Winiger (12.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg), forward Kelsey Carr (4.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg), forward Olivia Effinger (4.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg), and point guard Alaina Spahn (3.1 ppg, 4.3 apg). However, I expect the Wildcats to remain a favorite here, and getting Junior post Mariah Dickerson (6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) back healthy for an entire season will surely help. Junior wing Emily Beckerle (4.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) also saw some big minutes last year, but I anticipate a few newcomers to step into key roles. One player who could be much more impactful is Sophomore forward Kennedy Wenger (2.6 ppg)…she saw a little action last year, but her skill and versatility should play a big role this season. Younger sister Kate Wenger, a Freshman forward, could also play some early in her career. The biggest question will be who mans the guard positions this year. Forest Park should get back to a winning season this year, after playing several underclassmen last time out. I’d look for them to be the top candidate to compete with Mater Dei for the Sectional #48 crown. Senior forward Faith Zazzetti is the top scorer and rebounder up front, and her combination of size and athleticism are tough to handle at the Class 2A level. Senior guard Macie Zink is the top scorer on the perimeter for the Rangers. Senior point guard Kenlee Gehlhausen has a great deal of experience as well. Look for Freshman wing Lydia Betz to potentially carve out a role with this group early this month. If South Spencer is going to make any type of run this season, it’s going to have to be with several less-inexperienced players, as they graduated their top five scorers from last season, six players in all. Noticeably missing are Averi Myers (11.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg), Kelsey Bowlds (10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.2 spg), and Cali Woodburn (8.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg). Now it’s up to Senior post Alix Stoermer (3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg) to lead the way. Southridge falls to Class 2A from Class 3A, and considering the schedule they play, it will be welcomed. They could legitimately go from seven wins to competing for this Sectional, but they’ll have to do so minus graduated point guard Mady Neukam. Leading the way moving forward will likely be 6-foot Sophomore wing Myah Montgomery. She had a few outstanding games last year as a Freshman, she’s a talented Division-I prospect as well, she just needs to maintain consistency each time out. Junior guard Kennedy Nalley, Junior wing Monica Steckler, and Sophomore forward Micah Goeppner should see their opportunities increase this year. Tell City is a team who loses significant production, as four of their top five players are gone, including post Kammie-Jo Hayes (13.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.0 bpg). Senior guard Ava Hilgenhold (7.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is the one returnee with quality Varsity experience. Perry Central also graduates four of their top five scorers, however leading scorer Bree Noland (11.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg), a Junior forward, returns after missing the middle portion of last season and only playing in 11 games total. As for North Posey, they should be somewhat improved this season, as they return their top eight scorers. Leading the way for the Vikings is Senior guard Haley Wilson (12.4 ppg). Sophomore forward Jenna Rhineburger (7.1 ppg), Junior forward Jenna Heath (3.8 ppg), and Sophomore forward Claire Koester (3.1 ppg) are the most experienced players on the roster.   Feature image is of Vanessa Shafford of Linton-Stockton High School. Image is courtesy of Mercedes Shafford's Twitter account.