2024-25 Season Preview: Class 1A, Sectionals 61 & 62

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='567991' first='Callie' last='Alston'] (2026) of Orleans High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter December, I wanted to take the time to finish 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 31st of 32, previewing each Sectional in the state. In this specific article, I will take a look at Class 1A, Sectional #61 and Sectional #62. 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 #61 at Clay City</font></strong><br>North Central (Farmersburg) (19-11), SAG 161, SOS 256<br>Shakamak (18-7), SAG 189, SOS 319<br>White River Valley (11-12), SAG 226, SOS 243<br>Bloomfield (3-22), SAG 303, SOS 191<br>Clay City (9-15), SAG 304, SOS 324<br>Cloverdale (2-22), SAG 343, SOS 292<br>Lighthouse Christian (14-10), SAG 361, SOS 390<br>Dugger Union (3-19), SAG 375, SOS 377</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong> The Thunderbirds of North Central are not only the best team in Sectional #61 heading into this season, but they are also one of the best teams in all of Class 1A. They return three of their top four players from a year ago, plus they add a key transfer to the lineup as well. 5-10 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='366798' first='Jalyn' last='Davidson']</strong> (<em>17.7p, 3.2r, 6.0a, 3.2s</em>) is an absolute playmaker. She is a slashing driver, she can get to the rim and finish or draw contact, and she can knock down open jumpers outside with consistency. 5-6 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122822' first='Shelby' last='Seay']</strong> (<em>12.3p, 4.2r, 4.4a, 3.6s</em>) is very active at both ends of the floor, she can play with versatility, and she's arguably their best outside shooter. 5-6 Senior forward <strong>Samantha Secrest</strong> (<em>6.9p, 5.4r</em>) is a little undersized for how she plays, but she's also active, aggressive, and she comes up with a lot of hustle plays. There are several other returnees, but none who played in more than 12 games or who averaged more than a point and a half per game. 6-0 Junior <strong>Maycie Drieman</strong> (<em>1.0p in 12 games</em>) could get a look inside, though. The Thunderbirds did add 5-11 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486477' first='Hannah' last='Stepp']</strong> (<em>7.3p, 3.4r</em>) from West Vigo. Stepp is a long, wiry athlete who can play effectively in the mid-post or knock down open jumpers. I'd expect her game to really take off when surrounded by the aforementioned Seniors. North Central won't be terribly deep, but the trio of Davidson, Seay, and Stepp should be able to put up big offensive numbers this season. Shakamak put together a really nice 2023-2024 season, and they were eligible to return nearly their entire roster, but there are a few missing pieces this year. Returning, however, is leading scorer and point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874332' first='Elayni' last='Stone']</strong> (<em>8.8p, 3.6r, 3.4a, 3.4s</em>), a 5-3 Senior. She is quick, feisty, and hard-working, plus she does a nice job of running a team. Junior wing <strong>Madelyn Kennett</strong> (<em>6.9p, 4.9r, 2.6s</em>), Junior guard <strong>Aubree Langford</strong> (<em>6.4p</em>), and 5-0 Senior guard <strong>Chase Hammond</strong> (<em>5.2p, 3.7r</em>) return with valuable experience from big games. Senior guard <strong>Clara Barber</strong> (<em>1.8p in 11 games</em>) and Sophomore post <strong>Mattilyn Hill</strong> look to add to the Varsity depth, as do a pair of Freshmen in point guard <strong>Emmalyn Wolf</strong> and forward <strong>Ava Landry</strong>. If the Lakers can find at least a second scorer early this year and defend with great effort, Stone is solid enough with the ball to keep them efficient offensively. White River Valley could be a wildcard this year, as they return five key players from a team that finished just short of .500 in 2023-2024. 5-9 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1218704' first='Brynna' last='Walton']</strong> (<em>12.0p, 4.6r</em>), 6-0 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1218564' first='Izzy' last='Avila']</strong> (<em>8.2p, 9.3r</em>), 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Reese Graves</strong> (<em>7.6p, 2.7r, 2.0a</em>), 5-8 Sophomore forward <strong>Molly Settles</strong> (<em>6.3p, 5.3r, 2.0a</em>), and 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>Payton LaFever</strong> (<em>5.1p, 3.0r</em>) should make up the core of their rotation this year, and assuming they stay healthy, they should approach 15 wins, if not more. Walton is a strong wing who can score it around the perimeter or in the mid-post. Avila is a powerful interior player who has soft hands and clogs the paint. Graves is solid on the ball much of the time, while Settles and LaFever make a lot of effort plays that impact winning. Don't overlook the Wolverines in their quest to win their first Sectional title since the 2014-2015 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Bloomfield: 5-9 Senior forward <strong>Adalyn Figg</strong>, 5-11 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486498' first='Lani' last='Graves']</strong>, Junior guard <strong>Lexi Oliphant</strong>; Clay City: Sophomore forward <strong>Taylor Rhienhart</strong> (<em>1.7p</em>); Dugger Union: 5-2 Senior guard <strong>Jordyn Smith</strong> (<em>10.5p, 6.2r, 3.2s</em>), 5-11 Junior post <strong>Sage Stahl</strong> (<em>6.2p, 10.1r</em>); Lighthouse Christian: 5-6 Sophomore point guard <strong>Ellie Mae Winders</strong> (<em>10.8p, 2.9r, 3.3a, 2.3s</em>), 5-7 Junior wing <strong>Aleah Winders</strong> (<em>6.2p, 2.4r</em>)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #62 at Barr-Reeve</font></strong><br>Orleans (20-4), SAG 100, SOS 185<br>Barr-Reeve (13-13), SAG 144, SOS 166<br>Vincennes Rivet (13-12), SAG 164, SOS 129<br>Loogootee (8-15), SAG 207, SOS 189<br>North Daviess (6-16), SAG 271, SOS 190<br>Shoals (6-17), SAG 312, SOS 204<br>Washington Catholic (0-21), SAG 384, SOS 253</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong> Sectional #62 is somewhat open for the taking this year. Orleans will be strong, and they return their top five players from 2023-2024, so it takes catching them on the right night to beat them. 5-10 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='567991' first='Callie' last='Alston']</strong> (<em>12.8p, 4.9r, 2.0a, 2.8s</em>) is a long, athletic, somewhat bouncy player who can operate in the mid-post or around the perimeter. 5-8 Sophomore forward <strong>Chelsea Ralph</strong> (<em>9.9p, 5.2r</em>) and 5-8 Junior forward <strong>Mylie Knight</strong> (<em>8.4p, 5.3r, 2.5a, 2.8s</em>) are strong, physical forwards who also have nice touch around 15 to 17 feet. Knight can also make plays for teammates from the perimeter. 5-5 Senior guard <strong>Cambree Cline</strong> (<em>7.6p, 2.8r</em>) and 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Adrian Abel</strong> (<em>5.0p, 2.4r, 3.3s</em>) round out the lineup and give them the same first five for a couple of years in a row now. 5-10 Senior forward <strong>Savannah Russell</strong> (<em>1.4p</em>) and 5-9 Junior post <strong>Izzie Rutherford</strong> (<em>0.9p in 17 games</em>) offer the Bulldogs more interior defense and rebounding if they need to play "bigger". The fact Orleans has the consistency and experience of having the same starting lineup from a 20-win team in 2023-2024 means they will certainly try to better that mark this year and make a strong postseason push. Barr-Reeve graduated seven players last Spring, but they return three of their top five, and they have one of the better "bigs" in Sectional #62. 6-0 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='366796' first='Hannah' last='Bledsoe']</strong> (<em>10.6p, 8.6r, 2.6b</em>) is in her fourth year as a starter and impact player, despite a down year last year she has nearly averaged a double-double for her career, and she is tough to defend because she is extremely long, fairly athletic, she works hard, and she can play on the block or in the mid-post. 5-5 Senior guard <strong>Liv Emmons</strong> (<em>5.3p</em>) has been with Bledsoe much of the way and offers a stable, veteran presence in the backcourt. Junior wing <strong>Josie Knepp</strong> (<em>4.6p in 8 games</em>) has also seen some good Varsity action, but this time she looks to get a full season in. From there, I would expect the Vikings to go younger. Look for Junior guard <strong>Madisyn Wagler</strong>, Sophomore guards <strong>Paighton Parsons</strong> (<em>2.0p in 8 games</em>) and <strong>Lilly Lottes</strong>, Sophomore forward <strong>Cadence Burch</strong>, plus Freshman <strong>Shelby Dobson</strong> to work their way into the rotation in one capacity or another. If the Vikings can mask the loss of those 2024 Seniors, they have a nice frontline prospect to build around and win games with. They've typically been really good defensively over the years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vincennes Rivet has typically been a strong entry each season, and this year they return a pair of impact veterans who could lead them to a Sectional #62 title. 6-3 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='404106' first='Mary' last='Herman']</strong> (<em>11.1p, 6.8r</em>) is a noticeable presence inside. She has some strength, she's a solid athlete, and she can play facing the basket at about 15 feet or post up and score it around the basket. She has committed to play volleyball at Bellarmine University. 5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570382' first='Elexus' last='Frey']</strong> is the other, and she is a strong, skilled small forward who can score the ball at all three levels or even create for teammates when necessary. 5-9 guard <strong>Natalie Earley</strong> and 5-7 forward <strong>Alyssa Hedge</strong>, both Seniors, add veteran experience and leadership as multiyear Varsity performers. 5-5 Junior guard <strong>Ava Benson</strong> also returns a great deal of Varsity experience, while 6-0 Junior forward <strong>Claudia Herman</strong>, 5-10 Junior forward <strong>Kali Klem</strong>, 5-10 Sophomore forward <strong>Alli Stearns</strong>, 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>Piper Lewis</strong>, and 5-7 Sophomore wing <strong>Rachael Jacqmain</strong> build depth and look to increase their roles from a season ago. The Patriots usually play a very strong schedule, so their record can be a bit deceiving at times, but the inside-out combination of the older Herman and Frey make them a tough matchup for most opponents. North Daviess is looking to get to the "plus" side of .500 for the first time in four seasons, and they just might have the team to do so. Everything starts with the play of 5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='723852' first='Delaney' last='Zorman']</strong> (<em>13.3p, 6.6r, 2.1a</em>). She is experienced, strong, physical, and hard-working, plus she is comfortable in the mid-post or around the perimeter, where she can knock down an open jumper or drive it North/South to the rim. 5-6 Senior point guard <strong>Meah Dalrymple</strong> can also bring experience and poise as the primary ball-handler. 5-6 Junior guard <strong>Macy Alderson</strong>, 5-10 Senior post <strong>Alaina Cornelius</strong>, 5-9 Senior front-liner <strong>Gracelyn Byrer</strong>, and 5-7 Senior guard <strong>Kelsye Riggins</strong> also return a great deal of logged minutes over the years and give the Cougars one of the more veteran teams in Southern Indiana. Don't be surprised if a Freshman or two join the mix, like 5-11 rookie forward <strong>Peyton Cates</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Loogootee: 6-3 Sophomore post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='622340' first='Alaina' last='Diamond']</strong> (<em>8.7p, 6.6r, 3.0b</em>); Washington Catholic: 5-5 Freshman guard <strong>Macey McCracken</strong>, 5-4 Freshman guard <strong>Madison McCracken</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->