Cloverbelt-West Conference Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's look at some small-school conferences on the western side of Wisconsin. Today, we have the Cloverbelt-West and Coulee Conferences, which sent a team to the Resch Center in D5 and D3. Both conferences have teams who figure to be threats come March, so let's talk about them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>McDonell Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Macks finally got over the hump in D5 and won their program's first state title in program history last March. However, this season the Macks will jump from D5 to D4, which could be the most intriguing division in the state. That said, the Macks have plenty of talent back that will help them continue to compete at the highest level. For instance, Cloverbelt-West Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id='209585' first='Emily' last='Cooper'] is back for her senior season with the Macks after playing at three state tournaments in her first three seasons. Post-player Aubrey Dorn, who stood out last March at the Resch, is also back for McDonell and will provide a size advantage that most small schools won't match. The Macks will also get [player_tooltip player_id='209585' first='Emily' last='Cooper']'s younger sister EllaMay, who's built an impressive resume in club basketball with [program_tooltip program_id='713332' first='Team' last='Wisconsin'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cadott</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After the losses of Lauryn Goettl and Elly Eiler, there's not much production left from last season's roster. Each was a significant contributor in every statistical category. Without them, that leaves a void. Cadott will need everyone to return and raise their production level significantly from the 22-23 season. The name to watch with this Hornets group will be senior Emma Kowalczyk.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fall Creek</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the past five years, Fall Creek has had one of the best feeder teams in the state and has beaten some of the traditional powers in D1 and D2 before the class of 2026 got to high school. Now, that talent in kids like [player_tooltip player_id='491719' first='Jasmin' last='Heuer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='842255' first='Rebecca' last='Sturz'], who will both be healthy this upcoming season. The Crickets have had some recent success regionally in the Cloverbelt-West, and have the ceiling to be a team that could make some noise in their sectional. The talent has been there, but now their kids have some experience they didn't have last year. There's a chance the Crickets end up at the Resch Center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Osseo-Fairchild</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing about the Cloverbelt-West that isn't true about most other conferences is that all the teams in the top half are good and win games in and out of the CWC. Osseo-Fairchild finished the season at 17-9 and finished fourth. That's not normal. However, the Thunder have been a competitive group for a while under coach Simpson and have had a winning record each season at the helm. One thing I won't do is bet against a program that has made it work over a significant period, even if they lose talented seniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Regis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season, the Ramblers had a relatively young group and had a respectable year. However, they have one of the most talented kids in the conference, [player_tooltip player_id='849560' first='Ashley' last='Chilson']. Having a 6-1 kid who can do a little of everything makes life easier for all the guards Regis has, and they can beat anyone in the conference on any given night, especially if Chilson gets going early.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bloomer</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Blackhawks have a backcourt of scrappy guards in Brooklyn Saurer and Caitlyn Jones. Although wins and losses may not tell the story, those two won't be an easy matchup in their senior seasons and will make opposing guards' nights miserable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stanley-Boyd</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Teagan Becker graduating hurts Stanley-Boyd in every way imaginable. They'll look to fill the void left by Becker in creative ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Thorp</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the smaller schools in here, Thorp nearly pulled off an upset against Turtle Lake in the postseason, who was a No. 3 seed, if that tells you the depth of the CWC.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>My Prediction</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>McDonell Central</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fall Creek</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Regis</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Osseo-Fairchild</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bloomer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Cadott</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Stanley-Boyd</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Thorp</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->