Season Preview: Class 4A, Sectional #11

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='453215' first='Soriah' last='Gouard'] (2025) of Decatur Central High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we wind down our Sectional preview articles, we will individualize the final few as one Sectional per article. This article focuses on Sectional #11 in Class 4A, which feeds into one of the Southern Regionals. Below is a look at the teams in Sectional #11, along with some general comments and analysis.<br><small>(<em>SAG = Final 2022-2023 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (395 teams); SOS = Final 2022-2023 Strength of Schedule</em>)</small></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #11</font></strong><br>Ben Davis (18-10), SAG 23, SOS 11<br>Roncalli (18-5), SAG 52, SOS 37<br>Franklin Central (8-17), SAG 77, SOS 15<br>Pike (5-18), SAG 83, SOS 10<br>Decatur Central (14-9), SAG 120, SOS 160<br>Southport (10-13), SAG 159, SOS 99<br>Perry Meridian (5-17), SAG 224, SOS 80</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 class at Ben Davis helped the Giants to three Sectional titles and a Regional title during their four years in school, so Ben Davis will definitely miss Indiana All-Star <strong>Cristen Carter</strong> (<em>18.6p, 12.7r</em>), <strong>Taylor Guess</strong> (<em>12.1p, 7.4r</em>), <strong>Kaleah Toomer</strong> (<em>8.6p, 2.9r, 3.7a</em>), <strong>Maliya Turner</strong> (<em>2.7p</em>), and <strong>Kirsten Clark</strong> (<em>2.6p, 2.0r, 2.4a</em>). While those players are gone, the Giants return an interesting mixture of role players and youngsters, who certainly have talent and skill, so depending on how long it takes them to gel and adjust to big minutes at the Varsity level, they could be a 12 to 15-win team once again. 5-8 wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='572797' first='Zoe' last='Wheeler']</strong> (<em>9.8p, 4.0r, 2.3a</em>), 5-11 forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177331' first='Scottlynn' last='Johnson']</strong> (<em>2.9p, 3.8r</em>), 5-5 point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='718299' first='Hermoni' last='Andrew']</strong> (<em>1.3p, 3.1r, 2.3s</em>), and 5-7 guard <strong>Jayla Jackson</strong> are the Seniors and provide the most experience on the roster. Wheeler is a strong wing who could be their leading scorer this season. 5-8 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486542' first='Alonna' last='Divine']</strong> (<em>1.9p</em>) flashed a lot of potential in the Spring &amp; Summer and could step into a key role. From there, 5-8 wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='761186' first='Aleia' last='Sultzer']</strong> (<em>1.1p in 9 games</em>), 5-8 wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='772792' first='Aubri' last='Ingram']</strong>, 6-2 post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624875' first='Laila' last='Brown']</strong> (<em>2.3r in 9 games</em>), and 5-5 guard <strong>Ka'Dence Bland</strong> are additional Sophomores who tasted a bit of Varsity action last season and are the core of the program moving forward. Also keep an eye on athletic 5-8 Freshman wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751120' first='Shania' last='Curry']</strong> to make her mark sooner rather than later. Roncalli has traditionally been a strong program, and this year should be no different. They will, however, have to play without a few players from last year's roster. First, they did graduate four ladies in the Spring, most notably <strong>Sydney Horton</strong> (<em>13.0p, 3.5r, 3.0a</em>) and <strong>Josie Origer</strong> (<em>2.9p, 4.1r</em>). They also saw Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='718317' first='Heaven' last='Thompson']</strong> transfer to Sectional rival Decatur Central. Two skillful and experienced returnees are 5-7 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239349' first='Claire' last='Lindsey']</strong> (<em>12.1p, 4.4r, 3.3a</em>) and 5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='826016' first='Taylor' last='Turk']</strong> (<em>8.5p, 3.7r</em>). They should do a nice job in leadership roles this season. 5-3 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='296265' first='Sara' last='Rosko']</strong> (<em>5.1p</em>) came in last year after being homeschooled, and she adds some savvy at the point. 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486513' first='Brennah' last='Cerny']</strong> (<em>4.2p, 2.7r</em>) played a lot as a rookie and will help the backcourt. Look for 6-1 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='718308' first='Jasmine' last='Horsman']</strong> (<em>1.5p, 3.6r</em>) and 6-1 Sophomore post <strong>Lydia Stahley</strong> (<em>1.2p, 2.7r</em>) to get opportunities in the frontcourt. Also look for Royal fans to be excited about the arrival of 5-9 Freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='716615' first='Elliot' last='Leffler']</strong>. She does a little of everything well and should contribute immediately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Franklin Central looks to get on the winning side of .500 this season, and they will likely do so with a strong influence of Freshmen in the lineup. Additionally, they didn't graduate much production, but they will need to replace <strong>Mattie Finney</strong> (<em>5.4p, 2.8r, 2.2a</em>), <strong>Abby Steinhofer</strong> (<em>4.4p, 5.1r</em>), and <strong>Madison Monday</strong> (<em>2.3p</em>). The trio of 5-11 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295800' first='Lily' last='Graves']</strong> (<em>14.2p, 5.2r</em>), 5-10 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='264120' first='Carys' last='Wilson']</strong> (<em>8.8p, 4.8r</em>), and 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Emma McVey</strong> (<em>6.6p, 2.3r</em>) do return and bring a lot of battle scars to the lineup. Graves is a pure shooter with deep range, Wilson is a nice athletic playmaker, and McVey is a tough-nosed, high-energy performer. As for that 2027 class, there will likely be several who play, but three stand out in particular. They are 6-2 front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751115' first='Payton' last='DuVall']</strong>, 5-9 wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='692561' first='Ashlee' last='Baker']</strong>, and 5-6 point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756239' first='Riley' last='Huotari']</strong>. DuVall has an incredibly high ceiling and continues to get better and better each time out. Baker is a skilled shooter with a natural feel for the game. Huotari could be the key, though, as she is the crafty point guard the Flashes have needed for a couple of years. As quickly as they can gel and the rookies can adapt to a Varsity game, that will determine how soon they can put together a winning record. The Pike Red Devils had a tough year in 2022-2023, and they did so playing a lot of upperclassmen. In fact, they graduated their top three scorers in <strong>Giavonnie Belton</strong> (<em>13.4p, 3.5r, 2.3a</em>), <strong>Autumn Rucker</strong> (<em>9.4p, 4.3r, 2.3s</em>), and <strong>Alexia Cole</strong> (<em>8.0p, 4.2r, 3.0a</em>). Additionally, Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453218' first='Ashiyah' last='Teague']</strong> (<em>6.1p, 6.9r</em>) transferred to Lawrence North, and Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='406432' first='Jadyn' last='Harris']</strong> (<em>1.0p, 2.9r</em>) is no longer on the team. That leaves the Red Devils with just a handful of players returning with experience, so they will also likely turn to a talented younger group of prospects. 6-1 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='326484' first='Alexis' last='Warren']</strong> (<em>7.6p, 6.8r</em>) gives them a much-needed presence in the paint. She continues to improve and has great strength inside. 5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='331820' first='Morgan' last='Crowe']</strong> (<em>3.8p, 4.2r</em>) was solid throughout the Summer and could step up. Also look for 5-7 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='718303' first='KeKe' last='Cole']</strong> (<em>2.0p</em>) to fulfill a role as well. From there, 5-11 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='686306' first='Komari' last='Booker']</strong> (<em>3.0p, 3.5r in 11 games</em>) is talented and was great throughout the Summer. She could be a focal point moving forward. Also keep in mind Freshman guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751118' first='Saniya' last='Smith']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751088' first='Korinne' last='Nickolson']</strong>, who both have great quickness and playmaking ability. They should be on tap for big minutes immediately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Decatur Central had a nice year in 2022-2023, but there have been a lot of moving parts as far as their 2023-2024 roster goes. It will be interesting to see what comes from this season, but there is a lot of potential there for continued success. Gone are graduates <strong>Cadence Thomas</strong> (<em>5.7p, 2.5r</em>), <strong>Kyra Vanscoy</strong> (<em>3.1p, 3.1r</em>), <strong>Marie Fuller</strong> (<em>2.3p, 2.8r</em>), and <strong>Aliseonna Garnett</strong> (<em>1.7p</em>). Also missing are uber-talented Sophomore guard <strong>Kamrah Banks</strong> (<em>17.1p, 3.3r, 2.0s</em>), who is now at a prep school in Florida, plus athletic Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486537' first='Naja' last='Winston']</strong> (<em>9.0p, 7.5r, 3.7a, 3.4s</em>), who transferred to Lawrence North. 5-9 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453215' first='Soriah' last='Gouard']</strong> (<em>13.1p, 8.3r, 2.3s</em>) does return, and she is a ray of light for the Hawks. She could have a much bigger year this time around. Beyond that, 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>Kenadi Passley-Banks</strong> (<em>4.0p in 6 games</em>) hopes to get a full season in after missing time injured, plus 5-7 Sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624874' first='Mia' last='Barnes']</strong> (<em>2.6p in 11 games</em>) could see a lot greater opportunity as well. Now, for the newcomers...5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='718317' first='Heaven' last='Thompson']</strong> (<em>5.3p, 2.0r</em>) transferred in from Roncalli, younger sister <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751066' first='Havana' last='Thompson']</strong>, a talented 5-9 Freshman wing enters as well, as does 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570372' first='Kassie' last='McMasters']</strong> (<em>13.8p, 5.4r, 2.7a, 2.7s</em>), who arrives after transferring from Sectional rival Southport. Keep an eye on Freshman post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='890798' first='Skyla' last='Akers-Richards']</strong>, since the Hawks are short on size. Southport gets very inexperienced very quickly. Not only did <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570372' first='Kassie' last='McMasters']</strong> (<em>above</em>) transfer to Decatur Central, but <strong>CeCe Mitchell</strong> (<em>12.2p, 5.8r, 2.0a, 2.3s</em>), <strong>Lela Scott</strong> (<em>9.1p, 7.0r, 2.9a, 2.4s, 2.3b</em>), <strong>Breanna Reed</strong> (<em>3.7p</em>), <strong>Katie Cherry</strong> (<em>3.0p, 3.0r</em>), and <strong>Marianna Martinez</strong> (<em>2.5p, 2.3r</em>) all graduated. The most experienced returnees the Cardinals can field includes the likes of 5-11 Junior post <strong>Sophia Nguyen</strong> (<em>1.4p, 2.2r</em>), 5-7 Junior forward <strong>Nola Linson</strong> (<em>0.8p</em>), and 5-4 Senior guard <strong>Josie Miller</strong> (<em>0.5p</em>). Look for 5-5 Freshman forward <strong>Lorelei Bennett</strong> and 5-8 Freshman forward <strong>Teasia Bibbs</strong> to see immediate playing time and big roles in front of them from the outset. Perry Meridian struggled to keep up offensively in 2022-2023, and that could be the case once again, especially with the graduation loss of <strong>Maya Mundy</strong> (<em>14.0p, 5.3r, 2.4s</em>). 5-8 Senior forward <strong>Izzy Egan</strong> (<em>7.8p, 5.2r</em>) is the most experience Falcon, while 5-2 Sophomore guard <strong>Aubrey Hall</strong> (<em>5.9p, 2.4r</em>) and 5-9 Junior front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122885' first='Mariah' last='Thomas']</strong> (<em>5.8p, 5.2r</em>) saw a great deal of action last year as well. Look for newcomer <strong>Ally Raymer</strong>, a 5-6 Junior guard, plus 5-10 Senior post <strong>Kaleigh Butts</strong> (<em>1.6p, 3.4r</em>) and 5-5 Sophomore guard <strong>Aubriana Haugh</strong> to be a big part of the rotation in 2023-2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->