Budding Stars From the Early Stages of the Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before I take off for the D3 State title game rematch between Waupun and Freedom, I want to highlight some kids who have unexpectedly been some of the top scorers in the state this season. I won't say nobody expected these kids to be this good because they are all talented, but they've been outstanding thus far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448244' first='Ameerah' last='Grant']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After seeing Grant last season against South Milwaukee, I knew she'd be good after some talented seniors left in the spring. However, I did not expect her to be one of the top-five scorers in the state while staying efficient. Against a solid Franklin team, Grant was the best player on the floor. She boasted an improved perimeter jumper, and her speed to beat kids off the dribble was as evident as ever. Some may knock her size, but teams can't stay in front of her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ava Lamers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hodag burst onto the scene this season, scoring 40 against a talented Rice Lake team, and pushed them to overtime in a non-conference game. Lamers can hurt teams from the perimeter, and she's athletic enough to play in transition with some of the best athletes in the state. I love watching streams of her play because she's one of the most must-watch kids in North Central Wisconsin this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='266989' first='Emma' last='Lechleitner']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The older sister of Emma, Brooke, graduated last spring and is playing at Central Connecticut. I suppose the younger Lechleitner was holding back last season because she's been excellent. The Lake Holcombe wing is averaging 25 points per contest which is good enough for the top ten in the state at this junction in the season. She's an active defender and has been one of the more intriguing kids to follow early in the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448257' first='Makenzie' last='Luehring']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kettle Moraine Lutheran guard has come a long way from being on the JV team to begin last season. Luehring has been one of the best scorers this season, having multiple 40-point outbursts against good teams. I'm not sure how much of this is improvement or opportunity, but it doesn't matter. The Charger has been lethal when she gets any amount of space, and she has all the confidence in the world right now, so I don't expect her to slow down anytime soon. This week Luehring and the Chargers matchup with Waupun at home this Thursday, and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be in the gym for that one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->