Large School Programs Exceeding Expectations

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tomorrow I'll have the Week Four polls posted, with a fresh look after a fun week of games, and results that will generate change at the top of a few divisions. Today, we'll look at a few teams that have exceeded expectations in the large and small-school divisions and discuss how they've been able to get to where they are heading into the holidays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wauwatosa East</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I thought the Red Raiders were a top-five team heading into the 25-26 season. However, they have had the best start of any team in Division 1 this season. They have been an elite offensive unit, led by DePaul commit [player_tooltip player_id='400915' first='Mikaia' last='Litza']. Her ability to get downhill and draw defenders in allows her to make plays in the paint and kick out to shooters like [player_tooltip player_id='509696' first='Emma' last='Close'], [player_tooltip player_id='454966' first='Ellie' last='Deprey'], and [player_tooltip player_id='992492' first='Ellie' last='Pudelko'], who will make some shots this season. Pairing all that talent along with a 5'11 mismatch hunter in [player_tooltip player_id='766594' first='Audrey' last='Sellinger'] has helped the Red Raiders jump out to an undefeated start and beat Kimberly this afternoon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Appleton East</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched the Patriots beat Oshkosh West convincingly on the road, and they also earned a statement FVA win on their home floor against Kimberly on Friday. [player_tooltip player_id='749048' first='Ella' last='Sweeney'] has always been a reliable offensive threat who can score in bunches and isn't shy about letting shots fly in high-pressure situations. [player_tooltip player_id='904623' first='Emilia' last='MontMarquette'] remains an elite glue player who can find ways to help her team win in more than just scoring, and having a veteran shooter like [player_tooltip player_id='813295' first='Jenna' last='Ott'] also helps. However, the emergence of lead guard [player_tooltip player_id='992484' first='Ambria' last='Fischer'] could be crucial once the snow starts to melt in March.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pius XI</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lady Popes were a team I had as the third-best unit in their sectional behind Whitefish Bay and Wisconsin Lutheran. However, this Pius XI team is different than recent seasons. [player_tooltip player_id='1319432' first='Chelinda' last='Spector'] and Marciella Rivera have been an excellent backcourt pairing who have made plays on both ends of the floor, and [player_tooltip player_id='917718' first='Vonna' last='Shill'] has been an excellent guard off the bench. [player_tooltip player_id='1173638' first='Lizzie' last='Jackson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1173652' first='Lillee' last='Jackson'] are also more comfortable with their roles in their sophomore seasons, and their ability in the frontcourt is not matched by all, but maybe one D2 team in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grafton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Black Hawks have had a solid start to the season and have been one of the ten-best teams in D2 thus far, in my opinion. [player_tooltip player_id='769179' first='Cali' last='Tagliapietra'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1099058' first='Ava' last='Dotson'] have been two creative kids who can defend and get downhill. [player_tooltip player_id='751272' first='Melanie' last='Morgan'] has continued to provide a reliable perimeter threat and has been more effective in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id='883074' first='Liliana' last='Verplancke'] has also provided an interior threat for a guard-oriented team. Other players like [player_tooltip player_id='1226502' first='Emily' last='Sewell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='751249' first='Brynlee' last='Hildebrand'] have also had their moments in the early portions of the 25-26 campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->