2025-26 Season Preview: Class 2A, Sectional 48

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='486525' first='Elle' last='Jo Johnson'] (2026) from North Posey 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 #48. 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 #48 at Tell City</font></strong><br>North Posey (19-7), SAG 79, SOS 91<br>Evansville Mater Dei (8-12), SAG 102, SOS 73<br>Forest Park (8-15), SAG 162, SOS 135<br>South Spencer (11-13), SAG 179, SOS 140<br>Perry Central (14-9), SAG 198, SOS 202<br>Tell City (10-13), SAG 202, SOS 146<br>Pike Central (3-20), SAG 315, SOS 153</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Once again, Sectional #48 could be a wide-open race in 2025-2026, however, I would look for either North Posey or Mater Dei as the likely candidates to be standing toward the end of Sectional week. North Posey did graduate their most productive interior player; however, they return basically everyone else, including a deep group of Seniors. 6-0 Senior forward <strong>Kyleigh Bender</strong> (<em>7.0p, 2.9r, 1.2a, 1.4s</em>) now anchors the interior, along with 5-9 Senior forward <strong>Ella Weatherholt</strong> (<em>7.0p, 3.9r, 1.4a, 1.1s</em>), 5-9 Senior forward <strong>Jazalyn Ward</strong> (<em>6.2p, 2.9r</em>), and 5-9 Senior wing <strong>Addie Murphy</strong> (<em>3.1p, 2.0r, 1.5a</em>). They have a lot of balance throughout that frontcourt group, and they have the depth to avoid foul trouble as well. In the backcourt, 5-5 Senior <strong>Mallory Luigs</strong> (<em>7.0p, 1.9r, 2.8a, 1.2s</em>) and 5-4 Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486525' first='Elle' last='Jo Johnson']</strong> (<em>6.6p, 2.2r, 1.9a, 2.0s</em>) hold it down together. Both can play on the ball as primary ball-handlers and distributors, but both can also make open shots when left alone. From there, look for a solid 2028 class to possibly provide some bench depth or potentially a starter for the Vikings, as they look to claim the 2026 Sectional #48 trophy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the years, the Wildcats of Mater Dei have always posted a deceiving record, because they essentially play a Class 4A/3A schedule as a Class 2A school. By Sectional time, they are typically battle-tested, and they are ready for whatever comes their way in the state tournament. This year's version should be led onto the floor by 5-5 Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751070' first='Izzy' last='Like']</strong>. The dynamic playmaker was tremendous when I was able to see her in July, and she looks like she could take over games at times this year, whether that means scoring it, finding open teammates, or locking up defensively. The Senior group of 5-6 guard <strong>Addison Collins</strong>, 5-10 wing <strong>Addison Boots</strong>, 5-7 forward <strong>Macy Lankford</strong>, 5-10 post <strong>Katelyn Devers</strong>, and 6-0 post <strong>Halle Dickerson</strong> possess some size and a lot of experience, but the Wildcats have some young talent to mix with them as well. No matter what, opponents must be wary of their record come Sectional time, and if Mater Dei enters the tournament with a winning record, watch out!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A team who could step up and surprise some people this season are the Rebels of South Spencer. They graduated just one player from their starting lineup, and they return two of the better playmakers in the Sectional in 5-6 Junior point guard <strong>Alexis Harris</strong> (<em>12.3p, 2.6r, 4.7a 2.3s</em>) and 5-5 Junior point guard <strong>Jaci Meece</strong> (<em>11.5p, 2.8r, 4.1a, 2.2s</em>). Both are capable of running the offense and finding open teammates, but both also shoot/score the ball well. Meece transferred in last year from Evansville Memorial, so she could make another jump statistically this season, now that she's comfortable in the South Spencer system. 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Caidence Crane</strong> (<em>5.0p, 2.5r, 1.2a, 1.1s</em>), 5-4 Senior guard <strong>Kali Wink</strong> (<em>4.7p, 1.2r, 1.0s</em>), and 5-11 Senior forward <strong>Kylea Donoho</strong> (<em>3.4p, 6.1r, 1.4a</em>) have all seen plenty of big-game minutes, and they should each complement Harris and Reece well in the lineup. They will need some depth, especially up front, so Junior front-liner <strong>Ella Newton</strong> could see her name called sooner rather than later this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Additional Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Forest Park: 5-7 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874337' first='Jenna' last='Berg']</strong> and 6-2 Junior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756235' first='Avery' last='Hill']</strong>; Perry Central: 5-7 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1351133' first='Masen' last='Labhart']</strong> (<em>14.8p, 5.8r, 2.5a, 3.1s</em>) and 5-10 Junior forward <strong>Bryn Yeager</strong> (<em>9.2p, 7.6r, 1.9s</em>); Pike Central: 5-6 Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='890882' first='Alyssa' last='McCutchan']</strong> and Junior guard <strong>Ava Miller</strong>; Tell City: 5-9 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='828948' first='Reese' last='Ford']</strong> (<em>12.2p, 3.9r, 1.1a, 1.8s</em>) and 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Ollie Toothman</strong> (<em>10.2p, 3.8r, 1.3a, 2.0s</em>)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->