Down The Stretch: Class 2A

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="59745" first="Taylor" last="Farris"] of Northeastern High School. As the regular season begins to wind down, and the IHSAA Sectional draw has taken place, including today we have just four days of eligibility left to play regular season games. The state tournament begins next Tuesday, February 2, and teams are ready to get going. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight a handful of teams in Class 2A who stand out for three very different reasons at this point in the season.   STRONG & STEADY I will call this the "usual suspect" list, as these three teams have been strong all season, they are strong most seasons, and they continue to perform at a high level night-in, and night-out. Linton-Stockton has been down right dominant over the last few years, and I’m not sure there is anyone who will touch them in Class 2A this season, but that’s why we play the games. This Senior class is currently 87-14 throughout their careers, and the Miners have won 28 of their last 29 games, with a loss at Class 4A Bedford North Lawrence being their lone blemish. This year they are 20-1 and anxious for postseason play to begin. A trio of Seniors and a pair of Juniors form an impressive and versatile starting five that is tough to match up against. Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="10685" first="Vanessa" last="Shafford"] and [player_tooltip player_id="99363" first="Aubrey" last="Burgess"] are the leaders out there for the Miners. Shafford is a strong, skillful, and tough-nosed perimeter player who does it all. Burgess is a high-energy, competitive, aggressive defender who can also make plays offensively. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="35069" first="Haley" last="Rose"] has nice inside-out ability and athleticism at 6-feet tall, while Junior post Gentry Warrick provides a rebounding and defensive presence in the paint. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="157175" first="Jaylee" last="Hayes"] is yet another perimeter threat who can knock down shots consistently outside or attack the basket for scores. If the Miners remain healthy and continue to do what they do, I would look for them to claim their second consecutive crown. Until last season, Shenandoah always found themselves staring at Triton Central in the Sectional. But now that the two schools can’t meet until the Regional rounds, the Lady Raiders are ready to get things rolling next week, though it won’t be easy at all with the likes of Northeastern and Union County lingering in Sectional #41. The Raiders find themselves sitting at 18-3 thus far, but they find themselves on a 15-game win streak, after beginning the season just 3-3. Their losses were to strong programs like Heritage Christian, Frankton, and Blue River Valley, but they are really playing well now. The two-headed monster of Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130371" first="Erikka" last="Hill"] (21.6p, 14.2r, 4.4a, 4.5s) and Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99406" first="Kathryn" last="Perry"] (18.7p, 5.7a, 4.5s) has been as strong as any Class 2A duo the last four seasons. Senior wing Rachel Soden (9.2p, 2.3r, 2.4a, 2.0s) has stepped up and given them a third scoring option most nights. Speaking of Northeastern, the Knights have put together a strong 16-1 season, despite having several issues with COVID throughout November. Their lone loss was to Blue River Valley, but they’ve won nine games since, plus they circled back and beat the Vikings this past Saturday in a rematch. Four Seniors and a pair of youngsters make up a strong rotation for the Knights. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="99412" first="Jenna" last="McFarland"] (13.9p, 7.2r, 3.1a, 2.2s) has been a staple in the lineup for a few years now. She is a strong, assertive player who does a little of everything. Senior post Emma Wright (6.3p, 4.2r) provides a rebounding and defensive presence, while Senior guards Willow Runyon (5.9p, 3.6r, 2.4s) and McKenzie Chasteen (5.5p, 2.3r, 2.0s) play with a lot of energy at both ends of the floor. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59745" first="Taylor" last="Farris"] (17.2p, 5.9r, 5.4a, 2.0s) is their leading scorer and top playmaker. She is a legitimate talent and pairs nicely with McFarland. 6-1 Freshman post [player_tooltip player_id="177342" first="Addisen" last="Mastriano"] (5.5p, 6.1r) is quite the presence inside, and she can both defend the lane and score it in a variety of ways.   OVERACHIEVERS Following a 15-13 record and Regional appearance in 2019-2020, plus returning a majority of their production, I think many people felt like Andrean would be an improved team in 2020-2021. However an 18-1 start, with their first loss being a nail-biter this past Saturday against Class 4A Crown Point, I’m not sure even they realistically thought they’d be sitting in this position at this point of the season. The Fighting 59ers have been outstanding, and a lot of it can be contributed to those returning players really working on their games and showing marked improvement since last season. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="127214" first="Tori" last="Allen"] (16.9p, 4.8r, 5.3a) has made a huge jump, and she looks stronger and much more confident than her rookie year. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="245962" first="Dyamond" last="Blair"] (15.6p, 3.8r, 3.4a, 2.8s) has also made major strides in her game, and she has sort of been the x-factor that I think people didn’t expect to make such a change at this point in her career. Even four-year contributor [player_tooltip player_id="99429" first="Julia" last="Schutz"] (15.4p, 9.1r, 2.1b), a Senior forward, has played the best ball of her tenure at Andrean. Sophomores Lauren Colon (6.7p, 3.4r, 3.0a) and Abbi Foster (6.4p, 4.3r) have also become bigger contributors since last season. It’s tough to call a perennial power like Triton Central an overachiever, but when you consider the graduation losses of girls like [player_tooltip player_id="101421" first="Maya" last="Chandler"] and [player_tooltip player_id="131976" first="Rylie" last="Stephens"], then take into account the injury to Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="35027" first="Tenleigh" last="Phelps"] and having her miss the entire 2020-2021 season so far, and the Tigers’ 17-3 record does seem a bit more impressive. Much of that can be attributed to a pair of Seniors stepping up in a big way to lead several nice youngsters. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="99430" first="Taylor" last="Heath"] (15.6p, 5.4r, 8.8a, 3.4s) has always been a pass-first kid, but this year she has also taken on the role of leading scorer, as she’s needed to make shots to help her team win. Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130351" first="Bailey" last="Stamper"] (9.9p, 7.1r, 3.9b) has always played with a contagious energy, but now she’s acting as more of a vocal leader, plus she has really worked on developing her skillset. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="96081" first="Lizzie" last="Graham"] (13.3p, 4.3r) has been a real bright spot for the Tigers, as she has given them toughness and another scoring threat each night. Sophomore guard Jenna Cox (6.5p, 3.5r, 2.1a) has given them another ball-handler, plus she’s a consistent shooter from the perimeter. I’m not sure if/when Phelps will return, but this team has been tournament tested over the years, and I wouldn’t want to play them in the month of February. The 11-1 South Putnam Eagles have really had a nice season...when they’ve been able to get on the floor. They have played just 12 games entering the final week of the regular season, they haven’t played since January 12, and they aren’t showing any games scheduled for this week at this time. But they have knocked off quality teams like Cascade and Sullivan. Assuming they get healthy and are available to participate in the state tournament, the Eagles could give people trouble, because they are a rather balanced team with nine players regularly seeing minutes. To top it off, eight of those nine are experienced Seniors and Juniors. Junior post Brie Miller (13.3p, 9.0r, 2.1s) and Senior guard Chloe Custis (13.3p, 4.9r, 3.8a, 3.8s) are the leading scorers, while Miller also leads them in rebounding, and Custis leads them in assists and steals. Senior guard Brionna Egold (11.3p, 3.4r, 2.5a, 2.9s) is another double-figure scorer, with Senior forward Macie Bumgardner (6.3p, 5.4r) adding another rebounding presence inside. Like I said above, assuming they’re available to play, they will likely be the favorite to win Sectional #44 next week.   POTENTIAL SLEEPERS The Tipton Blue Devils are one of the more talented teams top to bottom in Class 2A, and if they can get through Sectional #39 this season, I would be leery of them if I were an opponent in the later tournament rounds. While they sit at a modest 14-7, they have lost close ones to perennial powers like Frankton (53-50), Hamilton Heights (40-35), and Benton Central (60-50) over the last two weeks alone. But the Blue Devils will look to put together a nice run next week, and they certainly have all the firepower they can ask for at this level. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="61070" first="Ella" last="Wolfe"] (14.7p, 3.6r, 2.8a, 2.8s) has been their top performer each of the last two seasons, and the athletic and versatile guard is a real playmaker for them off the bounce. Classmate [player_tooltip player_id="61076" first="Abigail" last="Parker"] (12.0p, 4.0r), a Junior wing, has a soft lefty touch outside, plus she can drive it to the basket. 6-3 Sophomore post [player_tooltip player_id="127234" first="Ashlee" last="Schram"] (14.0p, 12.7r, 2.5b) has shown flashes of strong play, and her size is a problem for most teams. From there, Freshman forward Kaiya Money (6.7p, 2.9r) and Junior forward Olivia Spidel (5.6p, 2.8r) give them a pair of skillful hard-workers who can make shots when left unattended. Another group I think can be scary for opponents are the Carroll (Flora) Cougars. They are just young enough to not know any better, but they also have a veteran presence as well. They split a pair of games with Tipton earlier this year, plus they’ve beaten solid teams like Tri-Central and Sheridan recently. A freshman trio of [player_tooltip player_id="201873" first="Alli" last="Harness"] (22.6p, 5.5r, 5.2a, 3.8s), [player_tooltip player_id="239358" first="Madison" last="Wagner"] (14.4p, 6.1r, 2.4a, 2.4s), and Lainey Johnson (4.0p, 2.9r) have given the Cougars quite the resurgence this season. Harness is a crafty, dynamic playmaker who can really shoot/score the basketball all over the floor. Wagner is a tough-nosed, high-energy wing who does a little of everything. Johnson is another wing who plays with versatility. Add to that Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="245973" first="Megan" last="Wagner"] (16.5p, 4.3r, 3.2a), Senior forward Morgan Viney (4.0p, 5.6r, 2.0b), and Junior post Maryn Worl (5.8p, 6.9r), and the Cougars have quite the concoction to give Wabash, Rochester, Manchester, and anyone else in Sectional #37 problems. The older Wagner has found it much easier to score this season with the abilities of the Freshmen surrounding her. Then there is Eastern (Pekin) sitting there at 10-9 on the surface, and you are welcome to write them off, but the 2017 Class 2A State Champions have won the last two Sectional titles and advanced to the Regional final each year as well. They play a brutal schedule that this year has included North Harrison, Salem, Bedford North Lawrence, Heritage Christian, Lanesville, Silver Creek, and others. One must think they are certainly battled tested heading into next Friday’s Sectional semifinal (the Musketeers drew a bye). The combination of their tournament experience, system, and coaching should give them the upper hand in Sectional #46. An eight-player rotation doesn’t hurt either. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="245970" first="Kendra" last="Sill"] (9.6p, 5.8r) plays with fluidity, great versatility, and a nice motor. Junior point guard McKenna Jeter (9.2p, 3.6r, 2.7a) has stepped up her game this season and is a nice little guard. Senior guard Shelbi Patton (8.2p, 4.3r) plays bigger than she is and rebounds her position well, while Sophomore front-liner Kyia McKinley (7.6p, 5.0r) provides size and a presence in the paint.