Regional Preview: Class 1A South
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The featured image is of Linzie Wernert Linzie Wernert 5'8" | PF Lanesville | 2023 State IN (2023) of Lanesville High School. Following a pair of Sectional championship games Monday evening, the Regional fields are now set. This season, the…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Linzie Wernert Linzie Wernert 5'8" | PF Lanesville | 2023 State IN (2023) of Lanesville High School.
Following a pair of Sectional championship games Monday evening, the Regional fields are now set. This season, the IHSAA decided to make the Regional a one-game affair to win a title, with two Regional games at the same host site, similar to past Semi-States. Therefore, there will now be two Regional winners at each site. The Semi-States will be a four-team, three-game event next Saturday, where teams in each class must win twice to advance to the State Finals. As for the Regionals, below is a look at the two Regionals in Class 1A taking place in the Southern half of the state.
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Southwestern (Shelbyville) Regional:
Game-1: Jac-Cen-Del (15-11) vs. Bethesda Christian (12-13), 1:00 p.m. ET
Game-2: Eminence (17-6) vs. Bloomfield (13-14), 4:00 p.m. ET
Game-1: Jac-Cen-Del is kind of the been-there-done-that team, having won 17 Sectional titles since 2002. They might not have the typical look of a JCD team, but they are tremendously well-coached, they always play hard, and they are one of the better defensive teams in Class 1A. Junior guard Reagan Hughes has the most experience, but fellow Junior Julia Meyer Julia Meyer 5'10" | SF Jac-Cen-Del | 2024 State IN had an impressive season and continues to improve each week. Both are double-digit scorers, as is Senior Olivia Neal, so they can hit you from a number of different angles. Bethesda Christian played the first 17 games without the services of star Junior guard Kenzie Fulks Kenzie Fulks 5'7" | PG Bethesda Christian | 2024 State IN . In the eight games since she’s been back, they are just 4-4, but they’ve won three in a row and four of the last five. In addition, Fulks averaged under ten points per game in her first six games back, then exploded for 23 points and 31 points in their two Sectional games, hinting that she’s much closer to herself than she was during the regular season…definitely scary for the Lady Eagles of JCD. I think this game comes down to Fulks and whether or not she can get loose. If she’s able to affect 25 or more points (scoring and/or distributing), then the Lady Patriots have a great shot at this Regional. But if Jac-Cen-Del can limit her effectiveness with their team defense, they should control the tempo, and therefore the outcome. I will take the Lady Eagles, but just by a 43-39 margin.
Game-2: Eminence has posted their most wins since the 2006-2007 season, and they won their first Sectional title since 1999. Additionally, they seemed to have found a new star in Sophomore front-liner Sophia Saucerman Sophia Saucerman 6'1" | C Eminence | 2025 IN . The long and fluid post is a double-double waiting to happen each game, plus she affects shots defensively with her length. Add to that the multiple years of experience provided by Juniors Natalie Hubbard Natalie Hubbard 5'9" | SF Eminence | 2024 IN , Danica Myers, and Bella Dittemore, and they are capable of continuing this run that they are on. Bloomfield is typically a strong program, they play a solid Class 1A schedule, and this year as the Sectional host, they upset the North Central (Farmersburg) Lady Thunderbirds in the Championship. The Lady Cardinals are more of a sum-of-their-parts type of team this season, though Seniors Delaney Richardson and Brianna Bucher make their imprint on the lineup nightly. This could end up being a real battle, and I’ll take Eminence in a nail-biter, 38-37.
Players to Watch:
Bethesda –
Kenzie Fulks
Kenzie
Fulks
5'7" | PG
Bethesda Christian | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 13.6p, 3.1r, 2.6a, 3.0s
Bethesda – Paige Vawter, 2023 – 10.1p, 5.4r, 3.0a
Bethesda – Sydney Goodin, 2024 – 9.0p, 5.4r, 2.0a
Bethesda – Jayla Ferguson, 2024 – 6.6p, 8.5r
Bloomfield – Delaney Richardson, 2023
Bloomfield – Brianna Bucher, 2023
Eminence –
Sophia Saucerman
Sophia
Saucerman
6'1" | C
Eminence | 2025
IN
, 2025 – 11.9p, 8.5r
Eminence –
Natalie Hubbard
Natalie
Hubbard
5'9" | SF
Eminence | 2024
IN
, 2024 – 10.1p, 8.0r, 2.2a, 2.6s
Eminence – Danica Myers, 2024 – 9.6p, 4.6r, 3.6a, 2.4s
Eminence – Bella Dittemore, 2024 – 7.3p, 3.1r
Jac-Cen-Del –
Julia Meyer
Julia
Meyer
5'10" | SF
Jac-Cen-Del | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 13.1p, 6.6r, 3.6a, 2.3s
Jac-Cen-Del – Reagan Hughes, 2024 – 12.7p, 3.0r, 2.5s
Jac-Cen-Del – Olivia Neal, 2023 – 10.9p, 5.8r
Jac-Cen-Del – Kelsey Borgman, 2025 – 7.1p, 3.0r, 2.4a
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West Washington Regional:
Game-1: Springs Valley (17-7) vs. Trinity Lutheran (21-6), 4:00 p.m. ET
Game-2: Lanesville (24-2) vs. Wood Memorial (14-10), 7:00 p.m. ET
Game-1: Springs Valley has had a fantastic season, they are led by a pair of talented Freshmen, but at times they are still Freshmen. That matters come tournament time. Freshman wing Maddie Carnes Maddie Carnes 5'10" | SF Springs Valley | 2026 State IN and Freshman guard Maci Eckerty Maci Eckerty 5'4" | PG Springs Valley | 2026 IN have exceeded expectations this year, and both are primed to make big plays tomorrow. However, they will need to lean on their teammates, as Trinity Lutheran fields a very experienced group. The Lady Cougars have one of the best weapons in Class 1A in Senior Bailey Tabeling Bailey Tabeling 5'10" | SG Trinity Lutheran | 2023 State IN . She can create offense, bury shots with deep range, plus she’ll defend and rebound. Junior Liza Froedge Liza Froedge 5'10" | SF Trinity Lutheran | 2024 IN is another perimeter weapon, as is Sophomore Jordan Brewer. Sophomore Madison Keith helps Trinity Lutheran from the inside and will likely get a double-double tomorrow. I think this will be a good game for about three quarters, with Trinity Lutheran winning, 58-45. However, I think it will also be a great opportunity to prepare Springs Valley for future seasons of success.
Game-2: In my final contest to preview before tomorrow’s games tip off, Lanesville will take on Wood Memorial. Lanesville has been here each of the last four years, but they are just 1-4 in Regional games during that span. This is their best team and best chance to get to the Semi-State for the first time in program history. They have strength in numbers, size, skill, and tough-nosed kids. Senior forward Linzie Wernert Linzie Wernert 5'8" | PF Lanesville | 2023 State IN will run through walls to help them win, while Sophomore guard Hadley Crosier Hadley Crosier 5'9" | CG Lanesville | 2025 State IN is an athletic matchup problem around the perimeter. Junior Ava Kerr is a nice, skillful guard who can make shots, and Senior front-liner Morgan Sonner provides a nice presence in the paint. Wood Memorial had huge wins last week over Class 1A #5 Northeast Dubois (18-5) and 2022 Class 1A State Champion Tecumseh to get to this point. They play with great balance, they are well-coached, and they compete each possession at both ends of the floor. This appears as though Lanesville is the easy choice, and I will go with the Lady Eagles, but I think the Lady Trojans will compete for about 25 minutes before Lanesville begins to control the outcome. I’ll take Lanesville over Wood Memorial, 49-40.
Players to Watch:
Lanesville –
Linzie Wernert
Linzie
Wernert
5'8" | PF
Lanesville | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 13.7p, 7.4r, 2.2a, 2.8s
Lanesville –
Hadley Crosier
Hadley
Crosier
5'9" | CG
Lanesville | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 9.6p, 3.2r, 3.4a, 3.7s
Lanesville – Ava Kerr, 2024 – 7.3p, 2.4r, 2.0a, 2.4s
Lanesville – Morgan Sonner, 2023 – 7.2p, 5.3r
Lanesville –
Shelby Allen
Shelby
Allen
6'3" | C
Lanesville | 2025
IN
, 2025 – 7.0p, 5.7r
Springs Valley –
Maddie Carnes
Maddie
Carnes
5'10" | SF
Springs Valley | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 14.1p, 6.8r
Springs Valley –
Maci Eckerty
Maci
Eckerty
5'4" | PG
Springs Valley | 2026
IN
, 2026 – 7.4p, 3.0r, 2.4a, 2.1s
Springs Valley – Brynne Buchanan, 2023 – 6.7p, 3.0r, 2.8a, 2.1s
Springs Valley – Bella Nottger, 2024 – 5.4p, 5.1r
Trinity –
Bailey Tabeling
Bailey
Tabeling
5'10" | SG
Trinity Lutheran | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 22.6p, 8.1r, 4.6a, 2.8s, 2.4b
Trinity – Madison Keith, 2025 – 11.3p, 9.2, 2.1s
Trinity –
Liza Froedge
Liza
Froedge
5'10" | SF
Trinity Lutheran | 2024
IN
, 2024 – 10.0p, 3.8r
Trinity – Jordan Brewer, 2025 – 9.6p, 2.7r
Wood Memorial – Megan Keeker, 2023
Wood Memorial – Kennedy Schoultz, 2023
Wood Memorial – Kamryn Blacklock, 2024