2024-25 Season Preview: Class 3A, Sectionals 17 & 18

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter the second week of official IHSAA games, I wanted to take the time to preview 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 9th of many, previewing each Sectional in the state. In this specific article, I will take a look at Class 3A, Sectional #17 and Sectional #18. 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 #17 at Griffith</font></strong><br>Highland (14-8), SAG 211, SOS 281<br>East Chicago Central (8-12), SAG 306, SOS 333<br>Bishop Noll (6-14), SAG 314, SOS 248<br>Griffith (3-19), SAG 350, SOS 334<br>Gary West Side (3-18), SAG 359, SOS 340<br>Calumet (1-17), SAG 380, SOS 372</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sectional #17 was arguably one of the weakest in Class 3A a season ago, and it could be tough for teams to find winning records once again in 2024-2025. I anticipate Hammond's Bishop Noll Institute to make the biggest improvements this season. The Warriors saw Sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751033' first='Adrian' last='McGee']</strong> (<em>11.3p, 5.2r, 2.3s</em>) transfer to nearby Hammond Central after a promising start to her career, plus <strong>Jalyssia Crawford</strong> (<em>8.9p, 8.7r</em>) graduated, along with two others. However, a lot of optimism arrives in three new potential stars. 6-1 Sophomore post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='932698' first='Giniya' last='Williams']</strong> comes over from East Chicago Central, and once she's able to play, she could be a double-double most nights. She is athletic and defensive-minded. 5-7 Freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990955' first='Maliyah' last='Lewis']</strong> could be the Warriors' leading scorer all season. She is strong, athletic, skilled, plus she plays with a great motor. She was outstanding earlier this Fall at our PGH Indiana Freshman Showcase. From there, 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1131978' first='Ecrin' last='Mart']</strong> is also a newbie, as the Turkish-born player transferred in this Fall from a Utah-based academy. She is a scoring playmaker who could really stand out for the Warriors this year. 5-11 Senior front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122705' first='Quinn' last='Fehr']</strong> (<em>7.2p, 5.8r</em>), 5-10 Junior forward <strong>Jaiden Hall</strong> (<em>6.5p, 6.7r, 2.3s</em>), and 5-5 Senior guard <strong>Mackenzie Hamer</strong> (<em>4.8p, 3.5r</em>) gained a great deal of experience last season and now look to help fill in productivity around their new teammates. Noll has traditionally been a competitive program who makes deep playoff runs, and once they learn how to play together with this new group, they could once again produce a win total in the teens. Highland changed coaches and graduated <strong>Aaliyah Keil</strong> (<em>11.8p, 7.0r, 2.3a, 3.2s</em>) and <strong>Jill Kinley</strong> (<em>4.4p, 2.7r</em>), their second and third most productive players. 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624883' first='Jordan' last='Steele']</strong> (<em>18.0p, 3.6r, 3.5s</em>) is back, but the sweet-shooting lefty will need help. Steele is a long, fast, and athletic wing who has gotten better each season. Now she's in a position of leadership. Who will she lead? Sophomore guard <strong>Savannah Ballard</strong> (<em>3.4p</em>), Senior forward <strong>Alyssa Niemann</strong> (<em>2.6p, 2.6r</em>), Junior forward <strong>Leyan Khalil</strong> (<em>1.7p, 2.6r</em>) and Senior post <strong>Haylie Houchin</strong> (<em>1.2p, 2.4r</em>) return the most experience. They will all need to step up, but also look for a new coach to bring new players to the forefront as they try to remain a double-digit win team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Chicago Central has struggled to reach 10 wins in three of the last four seasons, and this year could be just as tough. <strong>Angel LaSalle</strong>, <strong>Samantha Rivas</strong>, <strong>Taliyah Jackson</strong>, and <strong>Ra'Kiyah Williams</strong> all left via the diploma. A bright spot, however, is 5-10 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='928916' first='Lela' last='Edmonds']</strong>. She is long, fluidly athletic, and skilled. She has grown about four to five inches since she arrived at East Chicago. I would anticipate 5-8 Senior wing <strong>Shekinah Odom</strong> and 5-5 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='880472' first='Shanari' last='Taylor']</strong> will be her main running 'mates in 2024-2025. The Cardinals will have athleticism, but they will be thin on experience. The Griffith Panthers really struggled for offense a season ago, scoring just under 30 points per game on the year. The good news is their top five scorers all return. 5-7 Junior wing <strong>Morgan Von Ogden</strong> (<em>8.8p, 4.4r</em>) and 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Maddy Ladendorf</strong> (<em>8.6p, 2.9r</em>) will use their experience to likely become double-figure scorers, helping improve the offense. The latest Esquivel sisters, 5-7 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='882827' first='Briana' last='Esquivel']</strong> (<em>5.4p, 4.9r</em>) and 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='882835' first='Olivia' last='Esquivel']</strong> (<em>2.0p, 2.7r</em>), also look to add firepower for Griffith. If the Panthers scored just five more points per game last year, they would have doubled their win total. I'd anticipate them being improved in 2024-2025. Gary West Side is a school who over the years has seen their share of success, but lately, it has been a tough few seasons. Now, they must play without point guard <strong>Madison Hopkins</strong>, who graduated. Returning, however, are 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>Priscilla Burton</strong>, 5-4 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='880981' first='NyAsia' last='Whitley']</strong>, and 5-2 Senior guard <strong>Kaylah Williams</strong>. The former could be a double-digit scorer, while the latter two have multiple years of Varsity experience. If they can take care of the basketball and find some interior play, the Cougars could double their wins. That leaves the Warriors of Calumet. The Warriors struggled for offense and rarely had a close game, but they could be improved in 2024-2025. Guards <strong>Alexis Flores</strong> and <strong>Kayla Congress</strong> are gone, and they took on a lot of the ball-handling responsibilities. But 5-8 Senior wing <strong>J'Niya Campbell</strong>, 6-1 Senior post <strong>Ina Bengaly</strong>, and 5-7 Senior wing <strong>Ashanti Stokes</strong> return and offer a veteran presence. Keep an eye out for 5-10 Sophomore wing <strong>Layla Washington</strong> and 6-1 Freshman post <strong>Eunice Guadarrama</strong>, who offer size and youthful potential.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #18 at Lowell</font></strong><br>Kankakee Valley (15-10), SAG 162, SOS 128<br>Lowell (13-11), SAG 176, SOS 205<br>Hanover Central (17-8), SAG 183, SOS 279<br>Illiana Christian (14-9), SAG 265, SOS 344<br>River Forest (7-15), SAG 358, SOS 369</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kankakee Valley and Lowell are used to having neighborly battles, but most recently in Class 4A Sectional #2. Now in Class 3A, they look to again reign supreme. The Kougars of KV, however, are going through a youth movement. After graduating a solid 2023 class, they have now lost seven members of a 2024 class that made up all but one of their top eight spots last year. Missing are <strong>Olivia Plummer</strong> (<em>9.5p, 6.7r</em>), <strong>Brooke Swart</strong> (<em>7.8p, 2.6r</em>), <strong>Lyric Carpenter</strong> (<em>7.1p, 3.9r</em>), <strong>Maddy Murray</strong> (<em>5.2p, 3.7r</em>), <strong>Juliet Starr</strong> (<em>4.9p, 3.8r, 2.2a, 2.1s</em>), <strong>Abigail Walstra</strong> (<em>4.7p</em>), and <strong>Sarah Biedron</strong> (<em>2.4p</em>). That leaves 5-7 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756245' first='Mallorie' last='Rose']</strong> (<em>5.4p, 3.7r</em>) as the lone returnee to play in more than 7 games during the 2023-2024 campaign. Looking to help from her Sophomore class are 6-0 post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='875128' first='Olivia' last='Adams']</strong> and 5-5 guard <strong>Jessica Beauchamp</strong>. 5-5 Freshman point guard <strong>Camry Krueger</strong> and 5-6 Freshman guard <strong>Jenna Walker</strong> have the potential to be nice prospects long-term, and whether they are ready or not now, they could be counted on to play big minutes early. A lot of the Kougar roster will be Freshmen and Sophomores, so they'll be learning "on the fly". Once they get their feet wet, look for them to be more competitive around Thanksgiving or so and potentially reach 10 wins once again. The Lowell Red Devils always have a ton of kids in their program from year to year, so replacing depth is easier for them than most teams. That's good, because <strong>Kirstin Summers</strong> (<em>11.1p, 4.6r, 2.0s</em>), <strong>Maddie Mielczarek</strong> (<em>6.0p, 4.7r</em>), plus three other 2024s have since graduated. Back in the pivot, however, is 6-2 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='828063' first='Elysia' last='Laub']</strong> (<em>6.8p, 5.4r</em>). She has improved her skillset each year, plus she is strong and physical. 6-2 Sophomore front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834936' first='Gatlin' last='Hanrath']</strong> (<em>3.5p, 3.2r</em>) offers additional size, making them one of the taller teams in Northwest Indiana. 5-8 Senior guard <strong>Bre Kidd</strong> (<em>5.0p, 2.0r</em>) is a nice athlete who could step into a more prominent role and potentially lead the Red Devils in scoring. 5-7 Senior wing <strong>Reagan Claus</strong> (<em>3.1p, 2.3r</em>) and 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1229374' first='Brooke' last='Dawson']</strong> (<em>2.9p</em>) could round out the starting five. Lowell is deep enough and has enough experience to win Sectional #18 this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats of Hanover Central graduated six players, including three of their top five scorers. <strong>Emmi Doty</strong> (<em>8.4p, 3.5r, 2.3s</em>), <strong>Skylar Ferry</strong> (<em>7.1p, 2.5r, 3.0a, 3.0s</em>), and <strong>Gabi Comia</strong> (<em>6.8p, 4.6r, 2.0a, 3.4s</em>), all guards, will be missed most of the graduates. 5-6 Senior guards <strong>Sienna Antkiewicz</strong> (<em>7.4p, 2.8r</em>) and <strong>Natalie Eckart</strong> (<em>2.2p</em>) are the most experienced of the returning backcourt players, but neither have ever played on the ball for extended periods of time. Look for 5-5 Sophomore <strong>Simone Parker</strong> to step into a lead guard role after seeing limited action last season. She has some upside for the role and just needs Varsity reps at this point. The good news is the Wildcats welcome back most of their frontcourt. 6-0 Junior post <strong>Sienna Stilley</strong> (<em>8.5p, 4.4r</em>) was the team's leading scorer and 5-8 Senior forward <strong>Bridget Noel</strong> (<em>3.7p, 6.0r, 2.5s</em>) was the team's leading rebounder in 2023-2024. 6-0 Senior <strong>Ava Vanderhye</strong> (<em>1.1p, 2.7r</em>) possesses some length and athleticism, and this season looks to play a bigger role for the Wildcats. If Hanover Central can take care of the ball and make some outside shots, they have the interior defense and rebounding to match up with most teams on their schedule. Illiana Christian is now in its 5th season as an IHSAA tourney eligible team, and they are still looking for their first Sectional title as a school after falling to Andrean in the Sectional championship game at the 2A level last season. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they lost <strong>Cheyenne DeJong</strong> (<em>9.1p, 12.3r</em>), <strong>Avery Olthof</strong> (<em>5.6p, 6.0r</em>), plus two others to the diploma. DeJong was one of the state's leading rebounders. However, 5-5 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122788' first='Abbie' last='Ritzema']</strong> (<em>13.4p, 4.3r, 2.7a, 3.6s</em>) does return, and she is a do-everything basketball player and a versatile multisport athlete. She led the Vikings in scoring, assists, and steals last year. 5-6 Senior wing <strong>Ella Olthof</strong> (<em>5.6p, 6.0r</em>), 5-9 Junior forward <strong>Kennedy Voss</strong> (<em>3.5p, 3.4r</em>), and 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Sienna Eenigenburg</strong> (<em>2.9p</em>) all saw rotation minutes in 22 or all 23 of their games in 2023-2024. Seniors <strong>Aubrey Van Beek</strong> (<em>1.2p</em>), <strong>Amariah Allison</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>), and <strong>Sami Bultema</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>) are additional experienced options for Illiana Christian, though none is taller than 5-foot-8. If the Vikings can manage to overcome a lack of interior size against their best opponents, they have the perimeter play to compete most nights. Finally, we get to the Ingots of River Forest. They are the only team who finished under .500 last year, however, they return nearly all of their productivity. 5-9 Senior post <strong>D'Yanna Hurn</strong> (<em>13.5p, 10.6r</em>) is back for a final season, and she brings a lot of experience and production inside the arc. 5-5 <strong>Rayna Cary</strong> (<em>6.7p, 5.1r</em>), 5-4 <strong>Khaliya Randell</strong> (<em>5.2p, 3.5r, 2.2s</em>), and 5-0 <strong>Amy Arana</strong> (<em>3.8p, 4.1r, 3.2s</em>), all Junior guards, take care of backcourt responsibilities for a second year as a group. Guard <strong>Llailyn Colon</strong> (<em>3.7p</em>), post <strong>Gracelyn Cordero</strong> (<em>1.7p, 3.7r</em>), and forward <strong>Kaliea Jeffery</strong> (<em>0.3p, 2.2r</em>), all Juniors, offer additional support at multiple positions. The Ingots should be improved in 2024-2025, so 10 wins isn't out of the question, and with a new coach who has been successful in the area, that could be the goal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->