Division 1, Sectional 1: Preview and Prediction

After a narrow vote on where to start this series, I'm beginning with previewing sectionals with Division 1 Sectional 1. Last season, Appleton East won this sectional and made it to the state title game, where they lost to Kettle Moraine. However, with a lot of roster turnover, things look destined to change in the sectional. Let's look at the teams in this sectional.   <h2>State Title Contenders</h2>   Hortonville   There probably wasn't a team more frustrated group to end last season as the Polar Bears were after their sectional semifinal. Although they have a reason to be upset with how things ended, they put themselves in a position for what happened to occur late in the game. Even though this group has a new coach and lost Ms. Basketball Kamy Peppler, starting center Maggie Werner, and defensive ace Lyric Johnson this group still has the makeup of one of the best teams in the state. The Polar Bears are an elite defensive group with versatility all over the place. There aren't many better defensive frontcourts than [player_tooltip player_id='266988' first='MiKayla' last='Werner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='209902' first='Kallie' last='Peppler'] in the midwest. [player_tooltip player_id='206727' first='Trinity' last='Mocadlo'] is more than capable of running an elite offense for this team while playing elite defense. It also doesn't hurt having one of the most talented rising sophomores in the midwest and last season's leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='374227' first='Rainey' last='Welson'] back after an impressive summer with North Tartan.   Neenah   When I talk about how good Neenah is, it starts with [player_tooltip player_id='189502' first='Allie' last='Ziebell'], but it doesn't end with her. Yes, Ziebell is one of the best rising juniors in the country and possibly the best all-around scorer by a country mile, but this Neenah team is deep and guard-heavy. Former Xavier guard, [player_tooltip player_id='156051' first='Sammie' last='Buss'], transferred to Neenah this season and will be ready to go, along with her younger sister Ellie, who showed loads of ability this summer with her Playmakers/Thrive team. [player_tooltip player_id='444784' first='Amaya' last='Jones'] was the unsung hero in last year's matchup with Hortonville in the sectional final with 12 points and seven rebounds. Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='400484' first='Ava' last='Kok'] was a release valve for this team and is back for her senior campaign. Even incoming freshman guard Rowan Klesmit looks like a player you can trust with the ball in pressure situations. Don't expect this team to turn the ball over that much next season.   <h2>Sectional Contenders</h2>   Wausau West   The Spartans have a well-rounded unit, with senior [player_tooltip player_id='264954' first='Lexie' last='White'] leading this group in scoring. The Truman State commit's one of the most underrated scorers in this state and could win a game the Spartans shouldn't win with her offense alone. [player_tooltip player_id='342358' first='Kelly' last='Kray'] has improved her offensive game this summer while showing she's one of the most athletic forwards in the state. Senior guard Kenzie Deaton does all that will lead to wins. If the seemingly obvious Sectional Final doesn't occur, suspect that Wausau West was the one who spoiled the party.   Eau Claire Memorial   The Old Abe's have young talent that can surprise some people. Led by Minnesota-Mankato commit [player_tooltip player_id='156059' first='Lily' last='Cayley'], this team can play fast. When given space, Cayley can be incredibly challenging to defend. Although they lost four seniors, rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='421305' first='Jordyn' last='Peed'] and rising sophomore Rayna Welsch could contribute more than some would expect. They'll get tested against talented teams in the Big Rivers and were one point away from sectionals last season.   Superior   You can't count out a team who made sectionals last season. Superior is always a mystery because they play in a conference based out of Minnesota, but they're talented and return their main scoring threats and most of their rotation.   <h2>Frisky Regional Teams</h2>   Appleton East   I'll never count out a [player_tooltip player_id='156073' first='Sammi' last='Beyer']-led team to make a run when it matters. She's been in big games her entire high school career, and I wouldn't be surprised if this Appleton East team surprised some teams. Don't forget they still have a handful of kids who played minutes at state last year. Even though they lost a lot of talent, they still have a lot.   Hudson   The Raiders return Grace Lewis and [player_tooltip player_id='342361' first='Olivia' last='Grothaus'], both big 5-foot-11 athletic forwards. They can defend and do various things offensively.    Appleton West   It's unfortunate that [player_tooltip player_id='264950' first='Olivia' last='Peterson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='329592' first='City' last='Figlinski'] play in the FVA. I feel that they fly under-the-radar because of who they play on a consistent basis. However, that backcourt is one of the better backcourts in the state. With rankings the way they were last year, they got the short end of the stick, but depending on how things shake out, they could cause problems in the regional rounds.   <h2>My Predicted Sectional Teams</h2>   <ol><li>Hortonville</li><li>Neenah</li><li>Wausau West</li><li>Eau Claire Memorial</li></ol>

After a narrow vote on where to start this series, I'm beginning with previewing sectionals with Division 1 Sectional 1. Last season, Appleton East won this sectional and made it to the state title game, where they lost to Kettle Moraine. However, with a lot of roster turnover, things look destined to change in the sectional. Let's look at the teams in this sectional.