Stories to Follow After the Christmas Break

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We wrapped up our first month of the season, and plenty has happened in the first 30 days. Today, we'll highlight some takeaways from the past month.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Race for the Bay</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bay has been competitive for the past few seasons. Xavier and West De Pere have each had their time atop the standings, but with an early upset Xavier pulled against the Phantoms, the Bay is up for grabs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Phantoms still likely have the edge because of the talent in their backcourt. However, Shawano has always played the Phantoms closely, and the Hawks have the best player in the conference in [player_tooltip player_id='474774' first='Leah' last='Nordin']. Xavier has also tested themselves against the best teams they could've played early, and as the season goes on, [player_tooltip player_id='766628' first='Brynn' last='Krull'] will continue to find her footing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Classic 8</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A conference I didn't expect to be uber competitive has become intriguing in a hurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muskego and Catholic Memorial each earned wins over Arrowhead on their home courts, putting the Warhawks behind the eight-ball early. However, they'll improve as their new players gel and get used to playing together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't think anyone thought the Crusaders and Warriors would control their destiny in the Classic 8, but here we are with both teams at 4-0 in conference play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Battle of the Co-ops in the Six Rivers-East</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barneveld is a team that feels like a distinct No. 3 in the Six Rivers-East, but it feels like a two-horse race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Argyle/Pecatonica and Albany/Monticello have built possibly the most intriguing rivalry in Wisconsin this season. A/P took both regular season contests last season and earned a No. 1 seed into the D5 state tournament a year ago. A/M had the last laugh a season ago, winning the State Semifinal matchup between the two, and won the D5 state title after some late-game heroics from [player_tooltip player_id='448295' first='Abby' last='Hollis'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The two teams have a history of playing against each other at the highest level, and although A/P is in D4 now, it doesn't change the competitive matchups we'll see in the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The top half of the Badger-Large</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beaver Dam has historically dominated the Badger-Large in its many iterations since the Golden Beavers left the Little Ten. However, the race is far from over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oregon played The Golden Beavers to the wire, which feels like every Oregon game, but they have the talent to return the favor in their home game against Beaver Dam.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waunakee lost an odd one to Milton, who'll only improve as the second half of the season arrives. The Warriors will also be difficult to beat with their defensive pressure and athleticism at all positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->