Who's The Darkhorse in Each Division

The High School season tips off later this month! That means we're diving headfirst into preseason content. Today, we're looking at a potential x-factor in each division first, then shifting our focus towards a team in each division that could surprise some people.   Hudson   An unfortunate early season injury to [player_tooltip player_id='751276' first='Olivia' last='LaBlanc'] changed the Raiders' trajectory last season. However, without the talented 2027 wing, Hudson still managed to win a Regional Title and was only eliminated by the D1 runner-up, Neenah, who was red-hot in the postseason.   Hudson lost a few kids, Ella Carstensen and Olivia Grothaus, who've been around for years. However, they have almost every other rotational player back this season.   A strong backcourt is a must, and Hudson has plenty of young talent in their backcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='814306' first='Devin' last='Larson'] showed a burst that opened my eyes last season. [player_tooltip player_id='751276' first='Olivia' last='LaBlanc'] will return and have the ball in her hands, and Jaydn Matczynski will add depth to their backcourt.   Another aspect of their team will be the experience in their frontcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='914300' first='Ella' last='Wolfe'] is a fundamentally sound kid who can make some things happen with her back to the basket and take care of the ball in the post. The 6'0 post may not be flashy, but she makes positive plays whenever the ball is in her hands.   The continuity that Hudson still has players, after losing some of their most productive kids, may help them compete against the favorites in this sectional, Hortonville.   West De Pere   I'll talk about backcourts plenty in the coming months regarding some of the top teams in the state, but that's what separates teams. West De Pere hasn't had their complete stable of guards since the end of the 2022-23 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='329595' first='Ella' last='Francois'] being healthy again opens doors for the Phantoms that were closed a year ago. [player_tooltip player_id='448251' first='Faith' last='Walder'] was their primary ball handler and had some help back there with Ava Van Ess and [player_tooltip player_id='842266' first='Alexa' last='Rattray'], but Francois' takes them to another level.   A backcourt of Walder-Francois-Rattray-Van Ess is as talented as any in the Phantoms sectional, and I'd argue most talented in their sectional.   [player_tooltip player_id='448302' first='Mia' last='Racine'], the Phantoms' 6'1 post, has been out all summer with an injury, but once she gets back rolling, hopefully, later this season, we'll see what the Phantoms are about.   Baldwin-Woodville   The younger talent stole the show in the D3 State Tournament last season, which overshadowed the absurd season Baldwin-Woodville had.   The Blackhawks played 28 games before running into Edgewood in the state tournament. In those 28 games, Baldwin-Woodville allowed more than 50 points on four occasions last season and no more than 52 in any of those games.   That level of defensive excellence is rare and ties into how the Blackhawks play on the offensive end of the floor. They're a slow and grind-it-out team with a 6'0 post player who can control the paint in a 2-3 zone.   In my eyes, Maggie Jensen made what Baldwin-Woodville did work on both ends of the floor. She had over a steal and a block per game last season, which doesn't count how much she altered opposing teams' shot profile, and had over an assist and a half per game, which shows her willingness to pass out of the post when teams send multiple bodies her way.   It also helps that the Blackhawks kept Jensen's fellow seniors, Haley Jordt, who led the team in scoring, and Hailey Cota, the third-leading scorer a season ago.   Argyle/Pecatonica   One of the weirder teams that got moved around divisions is the Argyle/Pecatonica co-op. Combined, both schools likely go over the enrollment threshold, but it's odd to see a school of 77 kids co-oping in D4.   Now that that's out of the way, the A/P group has one of the more intriguing groups in the D4 field this season. The duo of [player_tooltip player_id='767257' first='Kylie' last='Butler'] committed to Milwaukee, and [player_tooltip player_id='874373' first='Brooke' last='Wellnitz'] gave their team an identity on both ends of the floor.   Butler is an excellent passer and can fire passes up the floor in transition for easy baskets. She's also skilled enough with the ball to create off the dribble, which isn't normal for small schools like Argyle.   Wellnitz is an excellent athlete who plays at the top of her team's press, creating chaos for opposing teams in their backcourt. Her energy is palpable, and her teammates feed off it, which helps make their press even more effective.   They do an excellent job at creating easy offense.   Barneveld   After being stuck in Argyle/Pecatonica's sectional last season, the Eagles are free and have a chance to do something special this season.   Barneveld has one of the best guards in D5 in [player_tooltip player_id='533073' first='Izabel' last='Durst'] and will be battle-tested playing teams like Argyle/Pecatonica and Albany/Monticello in their conference twice this season.   The Eagles have a significant amount of players back, but Durst is the one that will determine how successful this team is. Her ability to score and distribute could determine how deep a run this team makes.

The High School season tips off later this month! That means we're diving headfirst into preseason content. Today, we're looking at a potential x-factor in each division first, then shifting our focus towards a team in each division that could surprise some people.