Sectional 1 Division 4: Predictions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After finishing sectional predictions in D3, we move on to D4, starting with sectional one. Last season, Neillsville emerged from this sectional as champions but lost a few key contributors to last year's group. Let's meet some of the teams vying for the sectional plaque.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>State Contenders</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Neillsville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season, a senior class of six players led this group. They went 16-0 in Cloverbelt-East play and made a run through their sectional, defeating some talented teams, like Phillips. However, junior [player_tooltip player_id='780363' first='Paris' last='Opelt'] is back after her first-team all-conference selection last year, as the only underclass player to appear on that list. There is a real possibility that she is the best player in this sectional this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Osseo-Fairchild</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The loss of Brooke McCune is a prominent one, but the Thunder have had recent success overall and shows even in a "transition," we can't look past them. This team lost earlier than expected last season and ended the year with a 23-3 record. Their program has a tradition of success, and I won't bet against history. [player_tooltip player_id='156092' first='Eleice' last='Dahl'] is back and played well this summer with Team Wisconsin. Dahl is a versatile forward who will help this Thunder team score, rebound, and defend this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ladysmith</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lumberjacks had an odd experience in the postseason last year. Ladysmith won the Heart O'North Conference outright with a 17-1 record but watched their runner-up, St. Croix Falls, play in the Resch Center. That said, the Lumberjacks do return their top two scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='264947' first='Raemalee' last='Smith'] and Allison Clark. Both played for Small Town Stars this summer, and I saw them play in Des Moines. Both players showed positive aspects of their game and should continue to help their team succeed at the high school level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>Sectional Teams</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Phillips</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jada Eggebrecht is at St. Cloud State, and that is important. The Loggers lost their best player and now have a void to fill. Eggebrecht's younger sister, Kacy, does similar things to her older sister, but there's a lot for her to learn. Kacy was one of the leaders in the state in steals but will show her game more broadly this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>Frisky Regional Teams</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fall Creek</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Crickets made a surprise run to sectionals last season after beating Osseo-Fairchild in the regional final. Although this team didn't have anyone who stood out in a statistical sense, they played well together and only lost three seniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h2>My Sectional Prediction</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><li>Ladysmith</li><li>Neillsville</li><li>Osseo-Fairchild</li><li>Phillips</li></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->