Games of Note This Week

Over the second week of the season, I’m looking at a few intriguing topics heading into the week, so we’ll talk about them today. They’re mainly games to watch, but there are underlying details in all of them.

Neenah vs. Homestead

The Rockets have a new-look group without their seniors from last season. They still rely on Allie Ziebell Allie Ziebell 5'11" | SG Neenah | 2024 State WI , which should come as no surprise. However, keep an eye on the two guards, Ellie Buss Ellie Buss 5'6" | PG Neenah | 2026 State WI and Rowan Klesmit Rowan Klesmit 5'7" | PG Neenah | 2026 State WI . Those two will get open looks from behind the three-point line and will be able to attack open space from swing passes.

I’ve talked about it before, but Homestead has plenty to prove this season, and this game allows them to make an early statement. As good as the Highlanders have been the last few seasons, they haven’t earned a trademark non-conference win, but they’ve had chances. They took Germantown to overtime last season and went to the wire with Arrowhead a year ago. However, mentally, I believe they need to beat a team like Neenah to prove to themselves that they’re good enough to make a run. They have the scrappy defenders to bother Ziebell, like Katelyn Odem Katelyn Odem 5'8" | SG Homestead | 2024 State WI and Grace Zortman Grace Zortman 5'6" | CG Homestead | 2025 State WI , and the offensive weapons to punish teams on the other end with Madison Fitzgibbon Madison Fitzgibbon 5'6" | CG Homestead | 2025 State WI , Natale Mueller, and Lauren Strifling Lauren Strifling 5'11" | PF Homestead | 2025 State WI . I talked about another “prove it game” earlier, and here’s another good one.

Kettle Moraine at Whitefish Bay

There is a real clash of similar styles tonight in Whitefish Bay. Both teams have talented guards who can run forever and love to create live ball turnovers. 

Each team is coming off straight-forward wins against West Allis Hale and New Berlin West, respectively, but will test each other tonight.

The lineup of Lola Bond Lola Bond 5'6" | CG Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI – Emily Gomez Emily Gomez 5'5" | PG Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI -Riley Haertle- Maddie Schopf Maddie Schopf 5'6" | SG Kettle Moraine | 2024 State WI – Keegan Lodes Keegan Lodes 5'11" | SF Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI is so balanced and fast that most teams can’t keep up with it. However, one with Sage Miskel Sage Miskel 5'7" | PG Whitefish Bay | 2026 State WI – Rowan Counsell Rowan Counsell 5'4" | CG Whitefish Bay | 2027 WI -Grace Lodl-Madleine Volpe-Jane Wallace lineups can make this game a treasure.

Menomonee Falls vs. Appleton East

Another game that could be fun to watch is Falls against Appleton East. They are eerily similar. Each has an elite multi-sport athlete playing high-level club soccer, Clare Shea Clare Shea 5'10" | SF Menomonee Falls | 2025 State WI and Lilly Meulemans Lilly Meulemans 5'8" | CG Appleton East | 2025 State WI . Each boasts a scholarship-level kid who can score in the paint, in Sophie Trimble Sophie Trimble 5'10" | SF Menomonee Falls | 2025 State WI and Torie Neubauer Torie Neubauer 6'0" | PF Appleton East | 2025 State WI , and each has a second guard who can alter the game on their own, in Jade Warren Jade Warren 5'4" | PG Menomonee Falls | 2025 WI and Ella Sweeney Ella Sweeney 5'8" | PG Appleton East | 2027 WI .

Both programs have sneaky cases to win some games people think they shouldn’t in the postseason, so they also have an underdog mentality. This one could be a fun battle.

Brookfield East at Kimberly

Everyone I’ve talked to who knows the class of 2027 has raved about Kimberly’s group, and they’ll get tested early on against a Brookfield East team with most of their starters back from a trip to the state title game.

Addison Doyle Addison Doyle 5'5" | CG Brookfield East | 2025 State WI -Shae-Kelley- Maya Kovacic Maya Kovacic 5'7" | CG Brookfield East | 2026 State WI is a balanced backcourt who knows what it takes to win high-level games, and opening the game in Kimberly for them won’t be easy.

I’ll name kids vying for rotational minutes this season at Kimberly. Ava Van Vonderen Ava Van Vonderen 5'11" | SG Kimberly | 2027 WI , Haylie Dulas Haylie Dulas 5'11" | SF Kimberly | 2027 WI , Kennedy Ebben Kennedy Ebben 5'7" | PG Kimberly | 2027 WI , Emily Urban Emily Urban 5'5" | CG Kimberly | 2026 State WI , Bentley Drout Bentley Drout 5'4" | PG Kimberly | 2025 State WI , Claudia Asman Claudia Asman 6'0" | PF Kimberly | 2026 State WI , Alix Kilpatrick, Jaydn Dietrich, Katelyn McGinnis Katelyn McGinnis 5'10" | SG Kimberly | 2025 State WI , Ella Paveletzke, and Raegan Krueger Raegan Krueger 6'1" | PF Kimberly | 2025 State WI . I don’t know how much more I need to say about how deep this team is. They have 11 kids who can play extended minutes at the varsity level, which no other team can say.