Division 1 Sectional 2: Preview and Prediction

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking at Sectional 2 in Division 1, this could be one of the most challenging sectionals to get out of this year. I believe seven teams could make it out of this sectional. Without further ado, let's talk about these teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>State Title Contenders</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Germantown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you have a player like KK Arnold, you'll always have a chance to lift a gold ball at the end of the year. Last season, this group fell short against De Pere in a sectional final last season. However, after losing loads of rotational kids after the Warhwaks' state title in 2021, they were a deeper team than I expected. [player_tooltip player_id='444780' first='Lucy' last='Leininger'] was a massive part of the Warhawks' defense last season. Rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='448252' first='Danica' last='Gosz'] showed she could be a part of an elite offense next season, and incoming freshman Maddie Stocks could provide valuable minutes to a team losing a senior like Emilie Wizner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaukauna</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Galloping Ghosts nearly knocked off Germantown in a sectional semifinal last season in Hartford but lost in a shootout. Having [player_tooltip player_id='266984' first='Alexa' last='Kinas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='206730' first='Alana' last='Zarneke'] back gives them a valuable trait, stability. Zarneke and Kinas, at their best, can lead this group to big things, but it goes deeper than them. Rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='448254' first='Savanna' last='Robinson'] played well in that sectional final last season against Germantown for 32 minutes until things got hectic. However, this group has the potential to do something special in the FVA and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Homestead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Highlanders were a young team last year, and this year the only thing that changes is that everyone is a year older. This group is now sophomore oriented instead of freshman oriented. However, this group has already achieved things at Homestead that hasn't happened in decades. They won the North Shore last season in dominant fashion but faltered in the postseason. It's easy to forget that most of their rotational players were underclassmen. That showed in their loss to DSHA. Taking a step back and viewing this group from afar, it was always going to be challenging for all young kids to make it to the Resch Center last year, but it feels like it's only a matter of time. Coach Wolf can run out a lineup of [player_tooltip player_id='329589' first='Madison' last='Fitzgibbon'], [player_tooltip player_id='338951' first='Natalie' last='Mueller'], [player_tooltip player_id='209594' first='Katelyn' last='Odem'], [player_tooltip player_id='156098' first='Delaney' last='Buzzell'], and Lauren Strifiling while leaving people like [player_tooltip player_id='448303' first='Grace' last='Zortman'], [player_tooltip player_id='209596' first='Eva' last='Brandenburg'], and Zoe Mueller on the bench. This team is deep and talented, but this sectional will be difficult don't be surprised to see this team take a step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>Sectional Teams</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kimberly</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Papermakers will have to allocate minutes to kids who haven't played varsity ball before. However, all the young players who'll likely play next season have talent. The one reason I'm tepid on this group is because of how much turnover there'll be with the Papermakers. If things break right for this team, they could make a run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hartford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='338945' first='Makena' last='Christian'] is the real deal, and last season showed just that. 20 and nine as a freshman in the North Shore is insane. This team also gave Germantown a run for their money in the regional semifinal last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Divine Savior Holy Angels</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Dashers beat Homestead in the regional final last year and were the most surprising team to play in the D1 sectionals. This team was inconsistent last year but showed flashes of possibly being an elite team in the next few years. Looking forward to next season, this group will have one of the best backcourt duos in [player_tooltip player_id='207069' first='Ally' last='Timm'] and [player_tooltip player_id='209583' first='Kennedy' last='Holmes'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>Frisky Regional Teams</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bay Port</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kyla Hendrick and [player_tooltip player_id='209881' first='Ellie' last='McDermid'] are a solid paring, and both are elite athletes. The Pirates could give a team headaches having to keep up with their pace.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fond du Lac</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals never seemed to be completely blown out of the water against most teams in the FVA not named Hortonville and Appleton East last year. They hang around and compete. That's a recipe for a possible upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Green Bay Southwest</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This group has talent and experience. They've played against high-level competition for years now. The fighting Trojans have [player_tooltip player_id='209602' first='Addison' last='Pytleski'] and [player_tooltip player_id='440849' first='Margie' last='Stevens'], who are both next-level players. They could win a game in the postseason, depending on the matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2><strong>My Sectional Prediction</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><li>Germantown</li><li>Kaukauna</li><li>Homestead</li><li>Kimberly</li></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->