POLL: Biggest Surprise of Regional Action

Brady Peterson February 27, 2022 @ 04:52 PM

The last two days brought some surprising results in almost every division. Today’s poll is different from the player of the week polls that we’ve done. I’ll talk about four teams who exceeded expectations these past few days and explain why they are worthy of mention. The teams listed are in no particular order. Columbus In possibly the biggest surprise of the weekend, the Columbus Cardinals knocked off one of the top-three teams in Prarie du Chien. Before I talk about that game, the first game I saw in person this season was Columbus against Platteville in the Beaver Dam Classic. In that game, the Cardinals were looking for their first win. They lost that game 49-41 and each of their first four games of the season. Since then, they’ve been on a tear, winning 15 of their final 19 of the season. They carried that momentum into the postseason and defeated No. 12 River Valley in the Regional Quarterfinal, then avenged their early season loss to Platteville and went on the road and beat the No. 4 Hillmen 60-55. The following day, Columbus beat favorites No. 1 Prairie du Chien 65-58 in double-overtime. Junior Amy Theilen led the Cardinals with 15 points and seven rebounds. Fellow junior Mikenna Boettcher scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists in the upset win. Alise Hayes also did a little bit of everything, scoring eight points, pulling down nine rebounds, and dishing out six assists. Divine Savior Holy Angels DSHA has shown that they can play with just about anyone this season. They’ve lost a few games that they probably think they should’ve won, like their 59-53 loss to Kimberly in the Kettle Moraine Classic and their 63-58 loss on the road against Germantown. Since their second loss to Germantown to begin the month of February, something seems to have clicked for the Dashers. The Dashers are riding a six-game winning streak, entering their clash with No. 3 De Pere this coming Thursday. If you were to isolate a team with the best sophomore duo in the state, it might be the Dashers with and . I’ve seen these two play twice, and even in two games, I’ve seen a lot of highs and lows. That said, if these two are playing at their best, the Dashers are a difficult team to beat. Not many groups can open up 20 point leads on Kimberly and Germantown, and unfortunately, the Dashers’ inconsistencies led them to lose those games, but you can see the outline of how good this team could be this season. Beating No. 2 seed Homestead is something that I didn’t see coming. There is a chance if they win against De Pere that they could get a third chance at the Germantown Warhawks with a trip to state on the line. New Glarus When you watch a New Glarus game, you have to know that their opposition will be keying on 23 all night. Sophomore is one of the most talented wings in Wisconsin. The 5-foot-10 wing is one of the most challenging players to guard. Schadewalt is a tall wing with a lot of lift on her jumper, making it difficult to contest her shots. In the Glarner Knights’ win over Cambridge, Schadewalts scored 24 points. Schadewalt added 19 against No. 1 seed and Rock Valley Champion Brodhead to win the Regional Title. The sophomore averaged over 20 points throughout the season, and not one other player averaged double-figures this season. Outside of Schadewalt, the Glarner Knights have kids who know what they do best and excel in their roles. You won’t see Alex Atwell or Elle Lancaster do anything more than what they’re capable of, and it’s translated to success in the postseason. Keep an eye on the Glarner Knights because if they beat No. 3 seed Pardeeville, they will get a chance to play one of the top teams in Division 4 in either Aquinas or Mineral Point to earn a trip to Green Bay. Racine Lutheran The Crusaders are an intriguing team. They have consistent sources of offense in junior Sarah Strandle and senior Nevaiah Bell-Tenner. The Crusaders also have an x-factor in 6-foot-2 freshman Julia Kellner. In the first two postseason games, Kellner’s presence has been evident. The freshman scored 14 against No. 5 seed Kenosha St. Joseph and No. 1 seed Milwaukee Academy of Science. Looking at their sectional tournament, Kellner will need to continue affecting the game in multiple facets because if they can beat Milwaukee Academy of Science, they can win state. To get a chance to play in a sectional final, the Crusaders need to beat a team they’ve lost to twice this season in No. 2 seed, The Prairie School. If they exercise those demons on Thursday night, I think there is an excellent chance we see the Crusaders in Green Bay. VOTE HERE