More Players I’d Like to Highlight

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that the Champions Challenge is behind us, I'd like to highlight a few kids I haven't as much as I've wanted to the last few months. We'll probably keep this theme for the rest of the week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='880249' first='Lauren' last='Mester']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mount Horeb backcourt could lead the Vikings to some hardware before it's done. Mester has a great handle and does a solid job creating shots off the dribble, even though she isn't physically imposing. Mester can score from all three levels. Last season, Mount Horeb was a streaky group trying to figure out their identity. However, next season, they should be a much better group because the ball will move quicker, and they should create easier shots because of Mester and another guard we'll talk about in a second.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Toria Devoe</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sneakily, Belleville has amassed a talented core of kids over the last three seasons, and they'll be a battle-tested group of upperclassmen who could make some noise in D4. Devoe has been the consistent scoring threat for the Wildcats the last few seasons and has been one of the best perimeter shooters in the state. Her ability to generate clean looks at the rim could be the difference in games that happen in February and March. Keep an eye out for Devoe and Belleville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='915005' first='Courtney' last='Monroe']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other Mount Horeb guard I love is [player_tooltip player_id='915005' first='Courtney' last='Monroe']. The Viking seemed to make good decisions with the ball whenever she had opportunities to create and was their most consistent offense, whether that meant her scoring or creating for others. I'd imagine the Mount Horeb coaching staff leans into her initiating the team's offense and allowing her the leeway to make things happen with the ball in her hands, which will probably lead to more team success for the Vikings in the 25-26 season. I'd also guess she'll earn herself a spot as a first-team all-conference performer in the Badger-Small to drive home the point that I believe Monroe will have an excellent junior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='764907' first='Ellyana' last='Petersen']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arrowhead is in a weird spot heading into the 25-26 season. The Warhawks are loaded again but are coming off a season where they went to a state tournament, but I'm sure they would tell you they left something on the table in the Classic Eight and at the State Tournament. Petersen is a kid who I can see helping in a role to balance things next season. Knock on wood, everyone will be healthy for them, but it could be Petersen's time to make a name for herself. Her ability to shoot will open the floor for teammates, and her ability to make some things happen on the defensive end earned some trust from her coaches when they needed to fill minutes. She played more prominent minutes than you may think last season, and I think she'll earn more next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->