2024-25 Season Preview: Class 4A, Sectionals 13 & 14

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='404387' first='Violet' last='Hall'] (2026) of Bloomington High School South.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter the second week of official IHSAA practices, 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 am starting 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 7th of many, previewing each Sectional in the state. In this specific article, I will take a look at Sectional #13 and Sectional #14. 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 #13 at Martinsville</font></strong><br>Bloomington South (12-11), SAG 63, SOS 73<br>Bloomington North (19-6), SAG 103, SOS 152<br>Martinsville (8-17), SAG 229, SOS 119<br>Terre Haute North Vigo (8-18), SAG 264, SOS 110<br>Terre Haute South Vigo (2-23), SAG 339, SOS 177</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bloomington South could be a heavy favorite in Sectional #13 in 2024-2025. They return a great deal of productivity, and they have a 2026 class with nice size who plays well together. The biggest graduation loss from last season's roster was 6-0 forward <strong>Abbie Lucas</strong> (<em>6.9p, 6.5r</em>), now playing at IU-East. Her athleticism inside will be missed, but the Panthers have quite a bit of talent returning. 5-11 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624879' first='Julia' last='Lashley']</strong> (<em>12.5p, 7.1r, 3.2a, 2.2s</em>), 6-1 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='404387' first='Violet' last='Hall']</strong> (<em>8.5p, 4.4r</em>), and 5-9 Junior Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='832694' first='Audrey' last='Craft']</strong> (<em>7.0p, 4.4r</em>) are the standouts for the Panthers. Lashley is a highly skilled, versatile point forward type, while Hall is a nicely skilled face-up '4', and Craft has skill at all three levels. From there, South boasts more size with 6-1 Junior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='928896' first='Rebekah' last='Arnold']</strong>. She has an athletically strong frame, she works extremely hard, and she will rebound and defend the interior. Junior guard <strong>Alaina Maki</strong>, 5-9 Sophomore wing <strong>Lydia Arnold</strong>, and 5-8 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='989366' first='Annika' last='Smith']</strong> look for bigger roles this year. Two additional prospects who could see the floor early this season are Freshman point guard <strong>Addy Prall</strong> and Freshman forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1144627' first='Quinnly' last='Fife']</strong>. If the Panthers can utilize their size and experience to their advantage, they could sneak their way into the Top 20 and possibly make a nice run come tournament time. Bloomington North posted their most wins since the 2009-2010 season last year, but now they must play without graduates <strong>Mia Robbennolt</strong> (<em>16.6p, 6.2r, 2.3a</em>) and <strong>Ava Reitmeyer</strong> (<em>11.5p, 2.9r</em>). This time, the Cougars look to a pair of Seniors and a trio of Sophomores to play a majority of the minutes. 5-6 Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570385' first='Ava' last='Robbennolt']</strong> (<em>10.5p, 3.6r, 3.1a</em>) is a steady, poised, experienced guard who should step into a leadership role this year. Senior point guard <strong>Ellie Livingston</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>) played mostly in support last season, but now she'll be counted on for bigger minutes. 5-11 forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='878873' first='Ashley' last='Stegemoller']</strong> (<em>6.2p, 5.8r</em>), 6-0 forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='612077' first='Audrey' last='Burton']</strong> (<em>2.3p, 3.2r</em>), and 5-6 guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='969802' first='Rilynn' last='Williams']</strong> (<em>1.5p</em>), all Sophomores, earned their stripes last year as rookies but are counted on for major production in 2024-2025. If the Cougars can build some depth, there's enough talent and size in this group of five players to continue winning double figure games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a couple of tough years, Martinsville seems like they are on the path to bouncing back and winning 10 or more games this year behind a young but balanced team. While 2024 <strong>Haylie Lingle</strong> did graduate, everyone else is eligible to return, plus the Artesians welcome a couple of new faces to the lineup. Versatile 5-9 Senior <strong>Jade Meade</strong> returns with the most experience. She can handle the ball and initiate the offense, she can be a perimeter scorer, and she can play inside a little. 6-0 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992529' first='Brynlee' last='Hamblin']</strong> is maybe the best college prospect on Martinsville's team. She has good height and really nice length, and she can play around the block or in the mid-post. 5-9 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773842' first='Ruby' last='Murrell']</strong> (<em>10.5p, 6.0r</em>) comes over from Monrovia High School, where she averaged double figures last season. She is strong/physical and can play in the mid-post or around the perimeter. Senior guards <strong>Vanessa Stanley</strong> and <strong>Layla Mallery</strong> look to add experience to Meade in the backcourt. The Artesians should definitely be improved this season, so look for them to potentially approach 15 wins. Terre Haute North Vigo is trying to get back to double-digit wins, but the graduation of two of their top three players makes that more challenging. Guard <strong>Rebecca Gore</strong> (<em>10.1p, 3.1r, 2.7a</em>) and wing <strong>Aubrey Ervin</strong> (<em>5.7p, 4.5r</em>) will need to be replaced immediately. 6-0 Junior front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773831' first='Charlie' last='Walker']</strong> (<em>6.8p, 10.0r</em>) has some size and plays with physicality inside. She could very easily average a double-double as a focal point this year. From there, 5-9 Senior guard <strong>Cydnei Strader</strong> (<em>4.2p, 2.1r</em>), Junior guard <strong>Madison Strange</strong> (<em>3.2p, 3.2r, 2.0a</em>), 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Sage Lanning</strong> (<em>2.8p</em>), and 5-10 Junior post <strong>Makenna Lawson</strong> (<em>2.2p, 3.6r</em>) are the most experienced and have seen key minutes in big games. At least one or two of them will need to step into bigger scoring roles this season. Seven other returnees who saw limited minutes, or maybe one or two Freshmen, could be the answer as well, but The Patriots will need to find offensive production somewhere if they want to approach 10 wins this year. The Braves of Terre Haute South Vigo, however, have a bit more work to do to improve. One bright spot for the Braves could be 5-6 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='917006' first='Karizma' last='English-Malone']</strong>. She is a nice, strong athlete from the wing who can potentially provide some scoring at any of the three levels. She had a couple of solid outings when I was able to see her during the grassroots season. From there, South will look to a Sophomore class that saw guards <strong>Katie Cox</strong> and <strong>Emilee Mundell</strong> get some firsthand experience as rookies a year ago. All in all, the Braves are a somewhat young team, but if they can gain some confidence early in the season, they could double their wins from a year ago and possibly steal a victory here and there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #14 at Columbus North</font></strong><br>Franklin Community (24-4), SAG 8, SOS 25<br>Columbus North (11-13), SAG 111, SOS 38<br>Whiteland Community (12-13), SAG 123, SOS 77<br>Columbus East (5-18), SAG 148, SOS 29<br>East Central (7-17), SAG 205, SOS 97</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For nearly the last decade, it seems like the Franklin Grizzly Cubs have reloaded year after year. This season, that could be tougher, having graduated seven of their top eight players, and nine 2024s in total. Most notably gone from the roster are <strong>Erica Buening</strong> (<em>11.9p, 3.9r</em>), <strong>Brooklyn York</strong> (<em>11.3p, 3.0r</em>), <strong>Scarlett Kimbrell</strong> (<em>8.5p, 5.5r, 2.4a</em>), <strong>Emma Sappenfield</strong> (<em>7.6p, 2.3r, 2.0a</em>), and <strong>Lauren Klem</strong> (<em>7.6p, 4.7r, 4.9a, 3.1s</em>), plus 5-8 Senior wing <strong>Aubrey Runyon</strong> (<em>6.2p, 2.1r</em>). With that said, the Grizzly Cubs do have some talented younger prospects, and they will likely open the season with seven Sophomores and Freshmen on the Varsity roster. 5-11 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992525' first='Addisyn' last='King']</strong> (<em>2.0p in 11 games</em>), 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751071' first='Izzy' last='Stillabower']</strong> (<em>1.6p in 5 games</em>), and 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Maggie Doty</strong> (<em>2.0p in 5 games</em>) are the only experienced players on the roster. King is a versatile and talented frontline player, and Stillabower is a heady combo guard who can fill it up outside or create offense for others. They should lead this team and see their numbers increase significantly. Doty will bring Senior leadership and be a nice role player for Franklin. 5-10 Sophomore forward <strong>Gracelyn Price</strong> and 5-11 Sophomore forward <strong>Aleah Singleton</strong> offer some size up front and look for an opportunity to help. This is usually the case for the Grizzly Cubs, but...give them a month to get their feet wet, and at that point, I'd expect them to be ultracompetitive in most games this season. They should still claim double-digit wins in 2024-2025. On the other hand, after finishing with 11 wins a year ago, the Columbus North Bull Dogs should find themselves as the team to beat in Sectional #14 this time around. They return a mixture of older and younger prospects, and they have skill &amp; talent at each position. The only two graduates in the Spring were <strong>Olivia Johnson</strong> (<em>3.6p, 2.7r</em>) and <strong>Kaitlin White</strong> (<em>0.7p, 3.3r</em>). 5-7 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992541' first='Kaylie' last='Harmon']</strong> (<em>13.5p, 3.0r, 2.4a</em>) stepped in immediately last season and delivered each night out. She is strong and physical, even-tempered, and she has both great vision plus the ability to make shots consistently from the perimeter. Fellow 5-7 Sophomore guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756241' first='Avery' last='Johnson']</strong> (<em>8.3p, 3.8r</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='750681' first='Ava' last='Wilson']</strong> (<em>4.0p</em>) showed the ability to play comfortably at the Varsity level early and often. Unfortunately, the Bull Dogs have had the injury bug bite them. 5-7 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='828082' first='Hadassah' last='Hurt']</strong> (<em>10.8p, 3.1r</em>) injured her knee last season, but she should be back in action this season. Also, talented 6-1 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='567136' first='Miley' last='McClellan']</strong> (<em>10.3p, 5.1r, 2.2s</em>) also injured her knee, but it was in July, so she will in all likelihood miss the entire high school season. Look for 5-9 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='761160' first='Kenna' last='Conrad']</strong> (<em>3.9p, 3.6r</em>), 5-9 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='506029' first='Sydney' last='Johnson']</strong> (<em>2.8p, 3.0r</em>), and 5-11 Senior forward <strong>Paige Terry</strong> (<em>1.6p, 4.9r</em>) to offer a little size plus rebounding/defensive support to the lineup. Also keep an eye on 6-1 Freshman front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999401' first='Addyson' last='Dean']</strong>. She could provide more support, plus length and athleticism, up front.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whiteland is always kind of a wildcard in this area of the state, and this year is no different. They graduated just <strong>Gwen Higdon</strong> (<em>11.2p, 4.7r</em>) and <strong>Brookelynn Johnson</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>), but 5-10 Junior forward <strong>Carly Vondielingen</strong> (<em>8.8p, 8.1r</em>) has not returned. She was their leading rebounder a season ago. 5-11 Junior forward <strong>Sophia Dyer</strong> (<em>10.4p, 6.3r</em>), 5-6 Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122651' first='Sukhman' last='Bains']</strong> (<em>7.3p, 4.2r, 3.7a, 3.2s</em>), and 5-7 Senior guard <strong>Sam Roadruck</strong> (<em>5.8p</em>) return a great deal of experience. Dyer could be a double-double kid this season, while Bains is a quick/fast playmaker who has a knack for the highlight play. 5-5 Freshman guard <strong>Aurora Lightfoot</strong> and 5-7 Freshman guard <strong>Lilly Boner</strong> should play immediately and could contribute early and often. If Whiteland can get enough from their Juniors and Seniors, they could again win double figure games. Columbus East is a team struck hard by graduation, as they lost their top five scorers and six graduates in total. Missing from the roster are <strong>Madelyn Poe</strong> (<em>10.8p, 4.2r</em>), <strong>Messiah Trapp</strong> (<em>7.7p, 6.8r</em>), <strong>Jenna Guse</strong> (<em>6.7p, 4.2r</em>), <strong>Caroline Frost</strong> (<em>5.3p, 4.6r</em>), <strong>Victoria Cuhadar</strong> (<em>2.7p</em>), and <strong>Savanna Sullivan</strong> (<em>1.8p, 2.0r</em>). That means there is a lot of playing time available for just about anyone in the program to earn. 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884378' first='Brelyn' last='Pool']</strong> (<em>2.3p in 8 games</em>) played sparingly, but she has skill and athleticism, and she should contribute quite a bit this season. She had several nice outings during the grassroots season this Spring &amp; Summer. 5-9 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874334' first='Kimberly' last='Carothers']</strong> (<em>2.0p</em>), 5-5 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1215706' first='Makenzie' last='Cheek']</strong> (<em>2.0p</em>), and 5-3 Sophomore guard <strong>Lola Watkins</strong> (<em>0.8p</em>) are the most experienced of the returnees, and they'll need all three to step up in 2024-2025. Ther remainder of the roster will likely be littered with underclassmen, but no one listed over 5-9. Look for the Olympians to try a few different combinations early on, then start to settle into a rotation after Thanksgiving. For the first time since 2009-2010, the East Central Trojans posted a losing season, and offense (<em>30.5 ppg</em>) stands out as the cause for that. Now, with more experience, nearly everyone eligible to return, plus a couple of nice newcomers, East Central looks to find their way back to a dozen or more wins this season. 5-11 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122835' first='Meredith' last='Sizemore']</strong> (<em>8.2p, 3.8r</em>) was their most productive performer most nights. She is extremely long, active, and can play in the mid-post or a little around the perimeter. 5-8 Senior guard <strong>Anna Black</strong> (<em>4.6p, 3.1r</em>), Sophomore guard <strong>Avery Cable</strong> (<em>3.0p</em>), 5-10 Senior forward <strong>Kylie Kelsey</strong> (<em>2.7p, 3.2r</em>), 5-10 Sophomore post <strong>Teagan Leihgeber</strong> (<em>1.8p, 5.9r</em>), and 5-4 Senior forward <strong>Kylee Ferreira</strong> (<em>1.4p</em>) saw the most minutes of the returnees and look to build on their experiences from last season. Black is a nice, versatile perimeter player who can play three positions. 5-9 Sophomore wing <strong>Kaleigh Meadows</strong> (<em>1.8p</em>) and 5-4 Junior guard <strong>Tatum Johnson</strong> (<em>1.6p</em>) look for expanded roles this year, while 5-8 Freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999426' first='Natalie' last='Stenger']</strong> and 5-4 Freshman guard <strong>Gabby Cleary</strong> could step into key minutes from the outset. Stenger might even be the best prospect/player on the team immediately. Again, look for the Trojans to be much improved in 2024-2025, as they try to get back to their winning ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->