2024-25 Season Preview: Class 2A, Sectionals 45 & 46

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='999581' first='Jayda' last='Kempf'] (2027) of Our Lady of Providence High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we wrap up Thanksgiving week, I wanted to take the time to continue previewing the season Sectional by Sectional. In the past, I have typically started in Class 1A and moved up, but this season I started with Class 4A instead. Additionally, during the Spring, the IHSAA moved to a traditional enrollment-based format, realigning all classes with hard enrollment cutoff lines per class instead of taking nearly 400 schools and simply dividing them into four equal classes. With that said, each class should be more competitive, but the bigger classes will have fewer teams than the smaller classes. This article serves as the 23rd of 32, previewing each Sectional in the state. In this specific article, I will take a look at Class 2A, Sectional #45 and Sectional #46. Below is a look at the teams in each of those Sectionals, along with some general comments and analysis.<br><small>(<em>SAG = Final 2023-2024 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (394 teams); SOS = Final 2023-2024 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 #45 at South Ripley</font></strong><br>Brownstown Central (20-10), SAG 77, SOS 93<br>Austin (19-7), SAG 102, SOS 148<br>South Ripley (14-9), SAG 204, SOS 230<br>Southwestern (Hanover) (14-11), SAG 212, SOS 240<br>Brown County (11-11), SAG 228, SOS 221<br>Switzerland County (13-12), SAG 250, SOS 273</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong> Brownstown Central has eight consecutive winning seasons with at least 15 wins each. Additionally, they made it to the Semi-State last season with mostly non-Seniors on the roster. Much more experienced now, the trio of 5-6 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='923178' first='Jenna' last='Klosterman']</strong> (<em>7.1p, 4.3r, 3.2a</em>), 5-9 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='928931' first='Sophie' last='Wischmeier']</strong> (<em>7.8p, 7.2r</em>), and 5-6 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486520' first='Harley' last='Toppe']</strong> (<em>9.8p, 2.1r</em>) are all capable double-digit scorers this season. Klosterman takes care of the ball, but she's also a solid athlete who can get to the basket. Wischmeier is a really nice athlete who plays off the bounce, and she can play multiple positions. Toppe has the reputation of being a good shooter, and she is hunting shots on each catch. 5-7 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='891615' first='Addison' last='Darlage']</strong>, 5-8 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486510' first='Jada' last='Miller']</strong>, and 5-8 Senior forward <strong>Kinzee Dean</strong> bring additional experience and look to step into more important roles this season. Also look for 6-1 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='750165' first='Claire' last='Brock']</strong> to be utilized a great deal more, as she flashed good skill and ability throughout the grassroots season this Spring &amp; Summer. As long as Brownstown stays true to who they are as a program, I'd expect for them to be a top Class 2A team once again. If there is a favorite to challenge the Braves, it will likely be the Austin Eagles. The Eagles didn't play very deep last season, with five starters each averaging more than 22 minutes per game (<em>four over 26 mpg</em>), however, none were Seniors, and all five return. The best of the bunch is 5-7 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='567133' first='Brynn' last='Owens']</strong> (<em>20.6p, 5.4r, 3.3a, 2.3s</em>). She is a very accurate perimeter shooter who can fire it up with range. She has good speed &amp; quickness, and she has continued developing her ball skill to play point guard when necessary. 5-7 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1218620' first='Kelsey' last='Hawkins']</strong> (<em>8.6p, 4.0r, 3.2a</em>) is also a primary ball-handler and facilitator. She's a multisport athlete who can give them additional offense. 5-11 Senior post <strong>Lizzy Baker</strong> (<em>7.8p, 7.6r</em>) is a strong, physical, back-to-the-basket traditional post. She has solid hands and footwork, plus she can play in the mid-post at times. Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1131950' first='Allyson' last='Davidson']</strong> (<em>7.1p, 3.8r</em>) and <strong>Jayleigh Schepman</strong> (<em>6.4p, 3.4r</em>) round out the starting five, and both are also capable of putting up points if left open. Of the other returnees, only Juniors <strong>Emma Mains</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>) and <strong>Jazmine Acuna</strong> (<em>0.4p</em>) played enough to be considered having experience. If the Eagles can survive injuries and foul trouble, their starting core is tough to beat, so expect them to be battling for Sectional #45 in February.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Brown County: 5-6 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122858' first='Ava' last='Stogsdill']</strong> (<em>14.8p</em>); South Ripley: 5-10 Senior forward <strong>Lexi Franklin</strong> (<em>8.7p, 5.9r</em>), 5-7 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137334' first='Claire' last='Samples']</strong> (<em>8.7p, 3.5r, 2.0s</em>); Southwestern (Hanover): 6-0 Junior post <strong>Rorie Scroggins</strong> (<em>8.6p, 6.9r</em>), 5-7 Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1221123' first='Olivia' last='Simpson']</strong> (<em>6.1p, 5.6r, 3.7a, 2.6s</em>), 5-2 Freshman guard <strong>Mikayla Nussbaum</strong>; Switzerland County: 5-7 Senior guard <strong>Bri Stow</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #46 at Crawford County</font></strong><br>Lanesville (29-1), SAG 30, SOS 130<br>Providence (16-8), SAG 99, SOS 140<br>Crawford County (19-7), SAG 117, SOS 155<br>Paoli (11-13), SAG 158, SOS 137<br>Eastern (Pekin) (3-22), SAG 232, SOS 86<br>Salem (6-18), SAG 238, SOS 94<br>Mitchell (1-22), SAG 305, SOS 131<br>Clarksville (3-20), SAG 345, SOS 236</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong> The Lanesville Eagles are back-to-back Class 1A State Champions. Because of their success, they have earned a promotion to Class 2A. That should not deter them, as they return three of their top four players from last season. While they did graduate several 2024s, 5-9 Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295760' first='Hadley' last='Crosier']</strong> (<em>15.4p, 4.6r, 4.0a, 4.0s</em>) returns after suffering a knee injury in the first half of the 2024 State Championship game. She is a highly skilled, versatile guard who is a willing facilitator, but she can also score it all over the court. 5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324067' first='Hylton' last='Brumley']</strong> (<em>9.1p, 2.9r, 2.3a</em>) is another sound, high-motor player who doesn't mind playing with physicality. She can handle the ball a little, shoot it a little, and defend multiple positions. Additionally, 6-3 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='880516' first='Shelby' last='Allen']</strong> (<em>12.5p, 6.8r in 17 games</em>) really blossomed as a player late in the season, and she carried that into the Spring &amp; Summer. She is a big, strong, traditional post presence. From there, building the back half of the rotation will be critical, but there is talent waiting to get on the court. 5-6 Junior guard <strong>Madelyn Magner</strong> (<em>19 games played</em>), 5-9 Junior forward <strong>Libby Saier</strong> (<em>0.8p in 19 games</em>), and 5-8 Junior wing <strong>A.J. James</strong> (<em>0.1p in 16 games</em>) are the most likely candidates to help contribute in 2024-2025. As a program, Lanesville has the pedigree to continue its dominance. As long as their "big three" are producing and the rest of the roster rebounds &amp; defends, look for them to make another deep tournament run, even in Class 2A. This will sound odd, but potentially the toughest opponent for Lanesville in Sectional #46 will be the Musketeers of Eastern (Pekin). Though just 3-22 last season, the Musketeers had several youngsters gain great experience. Then, in walked three 2026 transfers who expect to lead Eastern into action this year. 5-7 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624882' first='Addison' last='Smith']</strong> (<em>11.3p, 4.1r, 2.5a, 2.5s</em>) and 5-8 twin, wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885219' first='Avery' last='Smith']</strong> (<em>11.3p, 8.2r, 2.0s</em>), enter from Our Lady of Providence where they spent two years as starters/stars. Now, they'll take the lessons they learned and apply them in a leadership capacity. Both are nice athletes who play with versatility. Next, Eastern added 5-10 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1131931' first='Sidney' last='Burton']</strong> (<em>15.0p, 7.7r</em>) from Salem High School. She is another versatile player who can play in the mid-post, battle in the paint, or even occasionally step out to the perimeter. 5-9 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834938' first='Katie' last='Hauner']</strong> (<em>10.3p, 4.0r</em>), 5-3 Sophomore guard <strong>Bailey Trainor</strong> (<em>4.9p, 2.0r</em>), and 5-7 Senior forward <strong>Bracie Jackson</strong> (<em>0.6p, 2.0r</em>) are the most experienced true returnees for the Musketeers, and they all look to grow with the three newcomers. Hauner flashed great potential a year ago and should continue to improve this season. If Eastern can mesh the returnees with the newcomers quickly, look for them to win 15+ games this year and compete for a Sectional #46 title, because the Smith twins and Burton are talented enough to flip this program immediately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Clarksville: 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>Tiarra Lewis</strong> (<em>9.6p, 2.3r</em>); Crawford County: 5-4 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1218694' first='Maddyson' last='Sturgeon']</strong> (<em>12.9p, 2.8r, 3.0a</em>), 6-1 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885178' first='Emery' last='Stroud']</strong> (<em>14.8p, 9.5r, 2.7s</em>); Our Lady of Providence: 5-7 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999581' first='Jayda' last='Kempf']</strong> (<em>9.9p</em>), 5-9 Freshman forward <strong>Jamila Carrilo</strong>; Paoli: 5-8 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885409' first='Jericho' last='Hopper']</strong> (<em>11.6p, 6.2r</em>)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->