2025-26 Season Preview: Class 2A, Sectional 46

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='999504' first='Jayda' last='Kempf'] (2027) from Our Lady of Providence High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are now into the Southern Sectionals for Class 2A. With official IHSAA games beginning next week, I wanted to continue offering you a glimpse at what the 2025-26 season could hold with a preview of each of the state's 64 Sectionals once again. During the Spring of 2024, 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 has been more competitive, but the bigger classes have fewer teams than the smaller classes. This article serves as one of 64 previewing each Sectional in the state. In this specific article, I will take a look at Class 2A, Sectional #46. Below is a look at the teams in that Sectional, along with some general comments and analysis.<br><small>(<em>SAG = Final 2024-2025 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (398 teams); SOS = Final 2024-2025 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 #46 at Eastern (Pekin)</font></strong><br>Lanesville (20-4), SAG 48, SOS 130<br>Eastern (Pekin) (14-12), SAG 119, SOS 119<br>Providence (9-15), SAG 138, SOS 76<br>Crawford County (10-14), SAG 174, SOS 128<br>Paoli (8-15), SAG 239, SOS 178<br>Clarksville (7-16), SAG 302, SOS 196<br>Salem (1-19), SAG 337, SOS 90<br>Mitchell (4-19), SAG 339, SOS 267</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following a streak of seven consecutive Sectional titles, the Lanesville Eagles have graduated/lost a great deal of talent and will likely fall back to the pack. That leaves Eastern (Pekin) and Providence to battle it out. Both return quite a bit of productivity, with the Musketeers of Eastern (Pekin) eligible to play their top seven players from a season ago. 5-7 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624882' first='Addison' last='Smith']</strong> (<em>13.0p, 3.1r, 4.0a, 4.1s</em>) and 5-8 twin <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885219' first='Avery' last='Smith']</strong> (<em>7.2p, 8.0r, 2.2a, 2.5s, 1.0b</em>) transferred in last year from Providence, while 5-10 senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1131931' first='Sidney' last='Burton']</strong> (<em>9.1p, 5.8r, 1.1a, 1.7s</em>) entered after playing two years at Salem. The trio made an instant impact and helped them win 11 more games than they did in 2023-2024. 5-10 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834938' first='Katie' last='Hauner']</strong> (<em>7.3p, 1.8r, 1.3s</em>) is another skilled scoring option, while 5-7 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1241466' first='Bailee' last='Robbins']</strong> (<em>5.4p, 1.7r, 1.2a, 1.4s</em>) was able to play immediately and find quality reps against Varsity competition. Look for 5-3 Junior guard <strong>Bailey Trainor</strong> (<em>3.9p, 1.9r, 1.4a, 1.7s</em>) and 6-0 Junior post <strong>Emma Brawner</strong> (<em>2.1p, 2.4r</em>) to continue serving as experienced, veteran role players off the bench. The Musketeers certainly have the firepower to not only win Sectional #46, but to also advance deep into the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoping to make their mark as well are the Pioneers of Providence High School. Double-digit scorers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999504' first='Jayda' last='Kempf']</strong> (<em>14.1p, 4.7r, 2.5a, 2.5s</em>), a 5-8 Junior guard, and <strong>Kamden Pierce</strong> (<em>12.3p, 2.6r, 2.7a, 4.1s</em>), a 5-5 Senior guard, both return and can match up with any other duo in Sectional #46 this season. Kempf is a playmaker, whether she is looking to score or facilitate, while Pierce is an excellent defender. 5-10 Sophomore forward <strong>Jamila Carrilo</strong> (<em>5.4p, 5.4r</em>) saw action as the top frontcourt option during her rookie season, and I'd expect for her to approach double-double type numbers in her second season for the Pioneers. Providence did see a pair of contributors leave via the diploma, so they will need someone like 5-8 Junior forward <strong>Baileigh Schneider</strong> (<em>2.9p, 3.3r</em>) and/or 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>Addy Magruder</strong> (<em>1.5p, 1.8r</em>) to continue making strides developmentally, if they are to keep pace with Eastern (Pekin). Providence will win its share of games but taking that next step toward a Sectional #46 title should be on the short list of goals during the 2025-2026 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Additional Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Clarksville: 5-6 Junior guard <strong>Tiarra Lewis</strong> (<em>10.8p, 3.4r, 1.6a, 3.1s</em>) and 5-10 Sophomore post <strong>Kendra White</strong> (<em>6.1p, 5.2r</em>); Crawford County: 6-1 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885178' first='Emery' last='Stroud']</strong> (<em>16.8p, 9.9r, 2.8a, 2.2s, 1.4b</em>); Lanesville: 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Madelyn Magner</strong> (<em>3.5p, 3.1r, 2.2a, 1.6s</em>) and Senior forward <strong>Libby Saier</strong> (<em>3.3p, 3.9r, 1.5s</em>); Paoli: 5-2 Sophomore guard <strong>Kalyn Hannon</strong> (<em>5.4p, 3.4r, 2.4a, 1.8s</em>)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->