Season Preview: Class 2A, Sectionals #41-44

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='177342' first='Addisen' last='Mastriano'] (2024) of Northeastern High School.   Last Monday, October 17, marked the start of official practices, therefore the beginning of the 2022-2023 high school season is right around the corner. With that in mind, I wanted to continue my thorough, multi-article preview spread throughout the next couple of weeks, looking ahead at each Sectional, the top teams, and preseason all-state teams. I will now move to the first Class 2A South Regional, which incorporates the winners of Sectional #41 through #44. Below is a look at the teams in each of those Sectionals, along with some general comments and analysis. (SAG = Final 2021-2022 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (395 teams); SOS = Final 2021-2022 Strength of Schedule)   Sectional #41 Northeastern (10-15), SAG 245, SOS 237 Union County (12-9), SAG 261, SOS 313 Hagerstown (10-10), SAG 291, SOS 354 Shenandoah (6-11), SAG 315, SOS 301 Knightstown (2-21), SAG 369, SOS 281   Sectional #41 looks pretty even at the top based on last year's outcomes, but make no mistake about it, this is Northeastern's to win or lose. The Lady Knights return plenty of production, plus they welcome one of the Sectional's best Freshmen. Their most significant loss was that of graduate Anna Drake (6.6p, 4.5r). Back in the pivot, however, is Junior post [player_tooltip player_id='177342' first='Addisen' last='Mastriano'] (9.4p, 7.8r). The 6-2 front-liner has power/strength and plays with physicality, but she also has touch and skill around the perimeter. She will be joined in the lineup by Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='404112' first='Ava' last='Mikesell'] (9.9p, 2.2r, 2.8s). Mikesell can shoot/score it herself, but she also takes care of the ball and can get it where it needs to go. Likely playing alongside her in the backcourt will be Freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='486539' first='Adysson' last='Kircher']. Kircher is a dynamic combo guard who can also shoot/score it from all three levels, and she can play either backcourt role when needed. From there, the Lady Knights welcome back 5-9 Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='773771' first='Juztice' last='Slick'] (5.7p, 3.6r), 5-10 Senior post Kamryn McFarland (3.5p, 2.7r), 5-6 Senior guard Marissa Cates (3.5p, 2.7r), and 5-9 Sophomore forward Cami Angi (2.2p, 2.0r). Those seven alone make for a nice rotation, but there are at least four more returnees with at least some Varsity experience. For the second year in a row, Union County will be significantly affected by graduation, as leading scorer and rebounder Faith Richardson (7.2p, 6.0r) is off at college. Also receiving their diplomas were Lauren Alldredge (6.7p, 3.8r) and Leea Persinger. At the same time, the Lady Patriots did have a number of younger players get their feet wet in 2021-2022. 5-3 Senior point guard Brooke Fields (7.1p, 2.1r, 2.3a, 2.3s) will likely fill the main leadership role this season, but the Sophomore trio of 5-8 wing Ally Gray (4.6p, 3.3r), 5-4 guard Katie McCashland (4.0p), and 5-4 guard Peityn Gillman (3.1p, 2.1r), plus 5-5 Senior wing Carly McCashland (3.5p, 3.5r, 2.1s), all saw plenty of opportunity last year. Each will need to step it up even more if they want to contend with Northeastern this season.   Hagerstown was an even 10-10 a year ago, but in order for them to stay at or above that mark, they first must do so without Grace Klein (11.1p, 4.8r), Maddie Ward (10.1p, 3.8r), Tory Kelley (4.3p, 2.4r), and Marissa Slagle (2.3p, 5.0r). 5-8 Sophomore forward Hannah Pyle (2.9p, 6.5r), 5-5 Senior guard Hannah Ridge (2.7p, 3.3r), and 5-9 Senior forward Delaney Oliger (2.1p, 7.9r, 2.4a) have experience, but with more than 70% of the Lady Tigers' points from last year gone, all three will need to score the ball a lot more to match last season's ten wins, plus they'll need others to step up and help them this time around. The Lady Raiders of Shenandoah graduated two of their best players of all-time in 2021, and it showed mightily last year. They allowed about the same number of points per game, so they were consistent at the defensive end of the floor, but they scored roughly 30 points per game less on average. Additionally, leading scorer Holly Shepherd (6.2p, 2.3s) graduated, but everyone else is eligible to return for Shenandoah in 2022-2023. It looks like it will be Seniors and Sophomores for the Lady Raiders, as members of those two classes saw a Majority of the minutes. In the Senior class, they can turn to 5-8 forward Kayla Muterspaugh (5.7p, 6.1r), 5-7 guard Ali Brown (3.5p, 3.4r), 5-9 forward Addison Pruett (2.0p, 4.0r), and 5-7 forward Carley Chandler (1.0p, 3.6r) for leadership and experience. The Sophomore class, with 5-7 guard Lydia Schwagmeier (5.7p, 2.0r), 5-3 guard Aurora McKnight (5.6p), 5-6 forward Kim Farmer (1.7p, 2.2r), 5-11 post Hailey Hughes (1.7p, 4.4r), and 5-4 guard Lilliana Lynch (1.5p) each having played significant minutes, can provide depth for the next three seasons. 6-0 Sophomore post Felicity Blondell (2.6r) can add more size up front. Knightstown hasn't won more than four games since the 2014-2015 season, when they posted a 14-9 record, but the Lady Panthers can approach ten wins this year if they can find ways to score the basketball at a higher rate. The Panthers lose just one graduate, and the top four returnees are all Juniors, so they have two years left together. But between 5-8 forward Brookelynn Snyder (4.8p, 6.0r), 5-7 forward Destiny McGlothin (4.7p, 5.4r), 5-5 wing Taylor Reagan (4.1p, 4.0r), and 5-3 guard Jalyn Kopp (3.8p, 5.1r), one or two of them will need to be closer to double-digit scorers as soon as possible.   Sectional #42 Triton Central (19-5), SAG 92, SOS 228 Eastern Hancock (17-7), SAG 105, SOS 190 Scecina Memorial (8-14), SAG 353, SOS 367 Irvington Prep (1-12), SAG 389, SOS 386 Riverside (2-12), SAG 391, SOS 390   Last season, Sectional #42 produced a tremendous amount of excitement, as Eastern Hancock defeated Triton Central in triple overtime, 66-65, to begin Sectional play. Then, Eastern Hancock fell to Heritage Christian in a nailbiter in the Sectional finale, 45-42. This year, Heritage Christian has moved back up to Class 3A due to enrollment numbers, Sectional #42 will likely come down to Triton Central or Eastern Hancock winning it, and both of them were worthy of making our Class 2A preseason Top-10. Triton Central comes in at #8 to begin the season, while Eastern Hancock starts in the #10 slot (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2022/10/season-preview-top-10-class-2a-teams/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2022/10/season-preview-top-10-class-2a-teams/" target="_blank">you can see both of their team previews here</a>). Scecina returns their top four scorers, led by 5-9 Junior forward Tyaira Jointer (10.8p, 5.4r) and 5-10 Senior post Anna Welborn (8.5p, 7.0r). The Lady Crusaders could definitely benefit from improved production by both 5-3 Senior point guard Ava Smith (4.5p, 2.7r, 2.7a, 3.5s) and 5-7 Sophomore wing Molly Welborn (4.3p, 3.5r). Irvington Prep looks to win multiple games this year, and with 5-8 Senior forward De'Angel Laster, 5-8 Senior forward Ajene Guest, and 5-4 Senior guard Kaliya Holder all potentially back in the fold this year, five or more wins could be possible for the Lady Ravens. Riverside is in a similar situation, looking to build upon last season's two victories. The Argonauts will likely have a new look to their roster this season, though, but 5-4 Freshman point guard Reggi'nae Potts could be one they lean on after having a nice 2022 grassroots season.   Sectional #43 University (23-5), SAG 66, SOS 179 Sheridan (14-6), SAG 169, SOS 282 Park Tudor (15-8), SAG 208, SOS 377 Covenant Christian (5-17), SAG 290, SOS 148   Sectional #43 is about as small as they come, with only four teams making up the field this year. University should be a heavy favorite this year, and they have landed at the #2 spot in our Class 2A preseason poll (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2022/10/season-preview-top-10-class-2a-teams/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2022/10/season-preview-top-10-class-2a-teams/" target="_blank">you can see their team preview here</a>). From there, Sheridan will be highly competitive, and if anyone can upset the Trailblazers, it's likely them. The Blackhawks were led by three Freshmen a year ago, and now as Sophomores they have their sights set on 20 wins sooner rather than later. 6-0 Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='324072' first='Kenzie' last='Garner'] (14.5p, 7.8r, 2.9a, 3.2s) has real talent and is drawing Division-I interest already. She is long, smooth, and can really shoot the basketball. 5-6 Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='482853' first='Cecilia' last='Timme'] (9.2p, 6.1r, 2.6s) also posted a highly productive rookie campaign, as did 5-6 Sophomore guard Ashley Webel (8.9p, 2.0r), and both should be Varsity mainstays the next three seasons. Newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='331804' first='Shelby' last='Eaton'], a Sophomore wing, could carve out a significant role as well after transferring in from nearby Zionsville Community High School. 5-8 wing Chaney Smith (6.3p, 4.0r, 2.0a, 2.8s), 5-5 guard Lilly Chesney (2.3p, 2.0r), and 5-5 guard Jacquellyne Bates (2.3p, 2.5r) can provide Senior leadership and additional experience after each participating in 19 or more games a season ago.   Park Tudor will be a bit of a mystery until they take the floor in a little over a week, because they lost a tremendous player to graduation in guard Halle Shelt (19.0p, 4.4r, 3.8a, 2.9s), however they return the rest of their production. I will be curious to see who steps up to fill the void left by Shelt. 5-7 Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='372359' first='Gretchen' last='Farley'] (17.7p, 5.6r, 2.0a, 4.8s) was already producing at a high rate, so maybe she makes another jump to more than 20 points per game. However, 5-4 Junior guard Dominae Butler (8.8p, 3.1r, 2.5s), 5-10 Senior post Desha Van Veldhuizan (3.4p, 7.2r), and 5-11 Junior forward Lilly Harris (3.3p, 5.4r) are the leading candidates to significantly increase their production immediately for the Lady Panthers. Then there is Covenant Christian. From the 2007-2008 season through the 2019-2020 season, the Lady Warriors posted 16 or more wins on 11 occasions, plus they won ten Sectional titles, two Regional titles, a Semi-State title, and they finished as the State Runner-Up in 2015-2016. This season, Covenant Christian looks to head back towards that type of success, and with their top five players from a season ago eligible to return, improvement is an expectation. 5-7 Senior forward Gabriella Crane (11.9p, 9.3r) leads the way for the Warriors with her play on the interior. 5-6 Senior guard Mia Gamble (5.2p, 3.3r), 5-6 Sophomore wing Julia Hoffman (4.9p), 5-2 Sophomore guard Avery Reichart (4.8p, 3.4r), and 5-7 Senior wing Madeline Freeth (3.8p) all lend a helping hand around the perimeter. They will need to build depth, and quickly, but the Warriors could see a quick rise to ten or more wins once again.   Sectional #44 North Putnam (18-9), SAG 181, SOS 297 Parke Heritage (19-7), SAG 199, SOS 329 South Putnam (10-13), SAG 253, SOS 275 Southmont (9-12), SAG 268, SOS 306 Cloverdale (8-16), SAG 288, SOS 289 Greencastle (6-18), SAG 301, SOS 287 Riverton Parke (5-18), SAG 345, SOS 351   North Putnam had a fine 2021-2022 season going before falling to University in the Regional final. However, the Lady Cougars are now without six key Seniors, three of which led them in scoring. Most notably missing are Kyla Willis (18.7p, 4.3r, 2.7a, 3.8s), Marin Davies (8.7p, 3.2r), and Annabelle Goss (7.7p, 3.5r, 4.2s). If the Cougars are to even come close to last season's success, they'll need to lean on a strong Junior class, led by 5-5 guard Samie Hoops (5.1p, 3.4r) and 5-8 wing [player_tooltip player_id='177312' first='Ava' last='Breece'] (3.5p, 4.6r). Breece moved in last season from Danville Community High School. 5-6 forward Kyndal Brewer (2.6p, 3.7r) is a Senior for North Putnam who could provide additional depth to the frontcourt. Parke Heritage must also overcome significant graduation losses, both in productivity and in size. Gone are 5-11 wing Grace Ramsay (13.9p, 6.4r, 3.2a), 6-1 post Hannah O'Brien (8.4p, 5.8r, 2.0s), plus Kristen Wood (5.6p, 7.0r, 2.2s) and Bethany Wilson (5.0p). A bright spot for the next three seasons should be Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='506018' first='Emma' last='Simpson'] (11.8p, 5.8r, 2.5a, 2.8s). She was outstanding at times on the 2022 grassroots circuit, and she should clearly be the leader for the Lady Wolves this season. Fellow 5-7 Sophomores Catherine O'Brien (2.0p) and [player_tooltip player_id='881701' first='Addilee' last='Jenkins'] saw limited action as rookies, but they could be next in line for key starting roles. The Lady Eagles of South Putnam leaned heavily on Brie Miller (20.1p, 9.9r, 2.3s) and Lilly Vittetow (10.6p, 4.6r, 2.4a, 2.4s) a season ago, but both left via the diploma in the Spring. Now, it's up to a new cast for the Eagles, but they can begin with 5-8 Senior forward Hanna Teipen (5.2p, 5.3r) and 5-4 Sophomore guard Danae Cline (3.4p, 4.4r, 2.1a). 5-7 Senior guard Kelsey Custis (3.4p, 2.0r), and Junior guard Joscelyn Pilcher (2.5p, 2.4r) also look to step into bigger roles in 2022-2023.   Graduation seems to be a theme in Sectional #44, as Southmont is also down four of their top six players from a season ago, most notably front-liner Belle Miller (12.7p, 8.6r) and guard Dori Frederick (8.2p, 3.0r). But the Mounties played nine deep on most nights, so there are a few ladies who return with significant experience. Key players back and looking to step up are 5-2 Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='825896' first='DeLorean' last='Mason'] (6.2p, 4.0r, 2.5a, 3.1s), 5-7 Senior guard Chelsea Veatch (3.3p, 3.3r), and 5-11 Junior forward Chloe Jenkins (2.6p, 2.5r). Cloverdale loses significant production with the graduation of forward Veronica Carter, plus the diploma claimed Chloe Sprinkle and Ella Rightmyer. 5-7 Junior wing Emily Mann and 5-2 Senior guard Andrea Nees are the top two returnees leading the Lady Clovers into action this season. 5-9 Junior forward Taylor Bernard and 5-8 Senior wing Kiersten Wade look to contribute as well, as Cloverdale attempts to match last season's record. Greencastle is a team who could rise in Sectional #44 due to other schools' personnel losses. A new addition who is sure to make waves is 5-7 Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='206425' first='Gloria' last='Brewer']. She comes to the Tiger Cubs after putting up huge numbers for the Indianapolis Homeschool Wildcats the last several years. She can handle, create, and score it in bunches. She is definitely a game-changer for Greencastle. The Tiger Cubs also bring back 5-7 Senior wing Emma Hunter (10.5p, 4.7r, 2.0s), their leading scorer a year ago after moving in from Cloverdale. Additionally, 5-4 Junior guard Evelyn Briones (6.2p) and 5-10 Senior forward Stephanie Morales (2.5p, 2.1r) have seen their share of the action. But Greencastle will have to play without the graduated Raigan Chavez (5.6p, 7.4r, 2.1s) and Anna Zellers (4.7p, 2.7r). Riverton Parke also looks to approach ten wins, and that could be made possible by the return of 5-5 Senior wing Bailey Duke (10.6p, 12.0r). 5-3 Senior guard Macey Barnes (6.4p, 2.3r), 5-0 Sophomore guard Haylee Mathas (4.1p, 3.2r), and 6-0 Junior post [player_tooltip player_id='177309' first='Reaghan' last='Benjamin'] (4.2p, 5.4r) look to step into much more impactful roles this season. Benjamin's season ended in early December, so they hope to have her for the entirety of this year. The Lady Panthers will need to replace the production of Caeden Bennett (8.2p, 4.3r, 2.3s), who graduated, but there are several newcomers chomping at the bit to contribute in 2022-2023.

The featured image is of Addisen Mastriano Addisen Mastriano 6'3" | C Northeastern | 2024 State IN (2024) of Northeastern High School.