Way Too Early Look at Class 1A

<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="59789" first="Linzie" last="Wernert"] (2023) of Lanesville High School and IGB-Bradley 16U.</em></span> As I have done to preview the past three high school seasons, I will provide subscribers with a much more thorough and in-depth look at each of Indiana’s four school classifications at some point in mid to late October. But in the meantime, I wanted to take a quick glimpse into five Class 1A teams who I felt, on the surface without a great deal of research, stood out as teams to watch during the 2021-2022 high school season. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>THE TOP THREE</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>1. Lanesville (21-4 in 2020-2021)</strong></span> The Eagles graduated one of the top Class 1A scorers in the state in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22694" first="Gracie" last="Adams"]</strong> (<em>21.4p, 7.2r, 2.9a, 2.9s</em>), but they return their next four scorers and add an impressive Freshman to the mix. Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59789" first="Linzie" last="Wernert"]</strong> (<em>11.8p, 6.1r, 2.6a, 2.8s</em>) is the leading returning stat producer in just about every category, and her versatility, motor, and toughness give Lanesville someone who should be able to increase her production and help mask the loss of Adams. At the same time, 6-0 Junior post <strong>Morgan Sonner</strong> has improved and should be more impactful, plus Sophomores <strong>Ava Kerr</strong> and <strong>Elle Schneider</strong> are primed to step into bigger roles. But additional excitement comes by way of Freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="295760" first="Hadley" last="Crosier"]</strong>, widely considered one of the better guards in Indiana’s 2025 class. At 5-9, she can play on the ball and run/create offense, plus she can act as a multilevel scorer off the ball. Her presence will give the Eagles that perimeter scorer they have needed and should help balance the lineup a little bit. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2. Tecumseh (15-7 in 2020-2021)</span></strong> On the surface, the Lady Braves’ 15-7 record was solid but not great. However, they rattled off nine games down the stretch before losing to <strong>Loogootee</strong> in the Regional Final. They also knocked off <strong>Lanesville</strong> (<em>above</em>) 63-60 in the Regional morning game. When you dig deeper, they return their top four scorers from last year, plus neither of their graduates averaged more than four points per game, therefore they have as much experience within their lineup as anyone. Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97268" first="Kaybree" last="Oxley"]</strong> (<em>18.9p, 10.6r, 2.5a, 3.9s</em>) is their do-everything star. She can battle inside and play physical, she’s a well-rounded athlete, plus she has the skill to handle it a little and attack off the bounce. Sophomore forward <strong>Jenna Donahoo</strong> averaged nearly ten points and just over six rebounds per game, and she looks to pick that up even more in year-two. Junior guard <strong>Karsyn Flowers</strong> (<em>5.4a</em>) handles the ball and runs the show, while 5-11 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128207" first="Morgan" last="Wilson"]</strong> is a long, bouncy athlete who plays with a nice motor. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>3. Blue River Valley (22-4 in 2020-2021)</strong></span> Anytime you have one of the best posts and one of the better guards in Class 1A, you’re probably going to be pretty good. Such is the case for the Vikings, who return Senior front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97266" first="Ally" last="Madden"]</strong> (<em>17.4p, 10.8r, 2.1a, 2.3s, 2.6b</em>) and Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="203655" first="Maci" last="Chamberlin"]</strong> (<em>15.9p, 2.4r, 3.2a, 2.2s</em>). At 6-1, Madden is strong, physical, but also highly skilled for a post, and she creates matchup problems for schools at all levels, not just Class 1A. Chamberlin is a hard-working, tough-nosed guard who can really shoot it, but she also has a natural feel for the game and makes players around her better. The graduation losses of <strong>Mallory Cross</strong> and <strong>Abby Thornburgh</strong> will obviously be felt, but Blue River still has a number of experienced returnees, starting with Seniors <strong>Emma Blackburn</strong> and <strong>Samantha Loveless</strong>. If their inside-out attack can stay healthy and effective, look for them to make another deep run in the state tournament. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>SLEEPER <span style="font-size: 14pt;">Z...<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Z...</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Z...</span></strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Union City (14-9 in 2020-2021)</strong></span> The Indians had a roller-coaster season going, sitting at 9-8, but they finished strong, winning their final five regular season games before falling at the hands of <strong>Blue River Valley</strong> (<em>above</em>) in the Sectional. I have them as a sleeper because of their early exits from the state tournament following their 2017 State Finals appearance, plus a modest 14-9 record a season ago. However, they return three double-digit scoring Seniors who, if they can put together a consistent output each night, could cause problems for the Vikings and other Class 1A teams. Wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97326" first="Mariah" last="Claywell"]</strong> (<em>15.4p, 9.8r, 4.2a, 3.2s</em>), guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="182140" first="Skylie" last="Lutz"]</strong> (<em>16.9p, 5.2r, 2.7a</em>), and 6-2 post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243576" first="Emily" last="Livingston"]</strong> (<em>12.7p, 9.6r</em>) are the heart and soul of this team. Additional Seniors <strong>Andrea Sanders</strong>, <strong>Carlee Rismiller</strong>, and <strong>Katherine Elliott</strong>, plus Junior <strong>Emily Evans</strong> only add to their depth and experience. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>UP-AND-COMING</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Caston (15-7 in 2020-2021)</strong></span> The Caston Comets had not seen a double-digit win total since the 2013-2014 season when they were 14-7. Then in walk 2024s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="239357" first="Isabel" last="Scales"]</strong> (<em>13.0p, 5.0r, 3.4a, 3.1s</em>) and <strong>Addison Zimpleman</strong> (<em>8.3p, 3.0r, 2.3a, 2.2s</em>) and they are suddenly competitive again. Scales is a strong, tough-nosed, versatile wing forward who can play a little on the ball and create, but she can also score it at all three levels. Zimpleman compliments her nicely around the perimeter, and she can get hot at times from behind the arc. Maybe the best news for the Comets, though, is that in addition to having a pair of nice, younger players, Pioneer has moved up to Class 2A for at least the next couple of seasons. That should certainly help Caston come tournament time. In addition to their star Sophomores, they return Seniors <strong>Abby Williamson</strong> and <strong>Maddison Smith</strong>, as well as Junior <strong>Bailey Harness</strong>. All saw solid minutes a year ago.