WIAA Division Four Sectional Preview: Sectionals Thre and Four

The first weekend of the postseason is in the books, and in seven days, we will know who will be the final four teams left in each division playing for a Gold Ball in Green Bay. Through Thursday morning, I will be previewing the sectional participants as we inch closer to the State Tournament in a few weeks. We will start with Division One and work our way through Division Five.   Sectional 3   No. 1 Pardeville vs. No. 2 Luther   Pardeeville   The Bulldogs have a senior-led team with players who have been around and grown together over the past three-plus seasons. They have the size and defensive solidity to frustrate any team they see the rest of the way. [player_tooltip player_id='874583' first='Bronte' last='Hulberg'] is a player who will handle the ball a lot as a 5'11 wing who creates her shot and finds ways to get her teammates the ball within the flow of their offense. [player_tooltip player_id='649413' first='Ava' last='Wagner'] gives them an interior presence who can control the area around the rim, and [player_tooltip player_id='874587' first='Lexi' last='Hughes'] sets the tone for Pardeeville defensively at the point of attack. The x-factor for this group will be their talented perimeter shooter, McKinley Becker.   Luther   The Knights are a team that is more than the sum of its parts. Luther has players who can excel within their roles and lead their team to wins on any given night. For instance, [player_tooltip player_id='881302' first='Cara' last='Unke'] made some crucial perimeter jumpers to help the Knights separate from a solid Poynette unit. They only have one player averaging double figures this season, per Bound, and it's [player_tooltip player_id='879279' first='Natalie' last='Hackbarth'] at exactly 10.0 points per game. On any given night, the Knights could have any of their rotational kids step up and be a player who swings a game for Luther, which makes them frustrating to prepare for defensively.   No. 1 Deerfield vs. No. 2 Albany/Monticello   Deerfield   I have been a massive fan of the Demons since before the season started and knew that their multi-year starting point guard wouldn't play her senior season. However, the talent pool is deep for Deerfield, and they could be one of the better defensive units in D4, with the talent to manufacture points in various ways. [player_tooltip player_id='892452' first='Mia' last='Haberkorn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='992515' first='Sydney' last='Loerke'] are physical frontcourt players who can play a high-low game together and overpower opposing frontcourts. Rowan Lasack can use her athleticism to make plays in transition, and the backcourt duo of Breckyn Drobac and [player_tooltip player_id='1752563' first='Tia' last='Anderson'] has been responsible and able to make plays off the dribble, forcing defenses to bend. They are a team that wants to grind games out, and they have enough talent to beat teams on the margins.   Albany/Monticello   Albany/Monticello has had an excellent few seasons as a co-op, winning a D5 State Championship in 2024, reaching a Sectional Final last season, and finishing the season 26-2. Now they've been elevated to D4, and will face stiffer competition to reach the Resch Center, but they still have a team with winning in its DNA. [player_tooltip player_id='595865' first='Molly' last='Olson'] was a sophomore on the state championship team, played significant minutes in that title run, and made winning plays ever since. [player_tooltip player_id='1092830' first='Heidi' last='Olson'] has also been a reliable player for the co-op over the last few seasons and someone they can trust to put the ball in the basket. They will be as tough to beat as they've ever been, but face a challenging opposition with Deerfield tomorrow night.   Sectional 4   No. 1 Kohler vs. No. 3 Lomira   Kohler   The Blue Bombers are led by a talented sophomore named [player_tooltip player_id='1134483' first='Gwenn' last='Elliott']. She is a 6'0 guard/wing who can handle the ball and create for herself and teammates offensively. Her size and athleticism also allow her to be a versatile defender and guard multiple positions on any given possession. She is a challenging player to prep for because she is as selfless as they come and willing to make the right play to get her teammates involved, and if she gets her teammates rolling, they'll be tough to beat. They may not be the favorite in the D4 field, but they could make a name for themselves in the next few days.   Lomira   The Lions are led by a talented sophomore in her own right, [player_tooltip player_id='992499' first='Josie' last='Christian']. The Lomira guard has been one of the top scorers in the Flyway Conference in her two years at the high school level, and the Lions' offense will run through her. As the engine of the offense, expect Christian to draw most of the defensive attention against every team they may play the rest of the way. Her ability to not only generate offense for herself, but for her teammates, too. The Lions are coming off a road win in their Regional Championship against Howards Grove, and have a stable of sophomores who will gain valuable experience the rest of the way.   No. 1 Dominican vs. No. 2 St. Joseph Catholic   Dominican   I've always enjoyed watching the effort the Knights put in over the years, and this season is no different. Their backcourt consists of skilled and hard-nosed guards who can help this Dominican team win on the margins. [player_tooltip player_id='533079' first='Brooklyn' last='Love'] is the player who can bring some flair to their backcourt. Her ability to handle the ball under pressure and confidence to attack off the bounce allow her to operate as a dynamic player in any game she plays in the rest of her career. Laylah Bly is another skilled ball handler who can play off Love and attack defenses off the dribble from the weak side. [player_tooltip player_id='1039225' first='Angelina' last='Reyes'] may have the best motor and rebound better than any other player under 5-8 that I've seen this season. That's not even mentioning some of the younger talent they have in their ranks.   St. Joseph Catholic   I don't know how I felt about the Lancers heading into the year after losing a D1 talent to transfer, but they've responded well after facing some adversity. [player_tooltip player_id='667016' first='Kamryn' last='Lecce'] has had a career year and been as efficent as she's ever been as a player in her four-year career at St. Joe's, and it's been fun to see her grow into this type of player. Outside of Lecce, two underclassmen have played pivotal roles for the Lancers in freshman Grace Kenesie and sophomore Lili Baez. They have earned 20 wins thus far this season, and have an opportunity to play a Dominican who swept them in their season series, but only lost by single digits in both games earlier this year.

The first weekend of the postseason is in the books, and in seven days, we will know who will be the final four teams left in each division playing for a Gold Ball in Green Bay. Through Thursday morning, I will be previewing the sectional participants as we inch closer to the State Tournament in a few weeks. We will start with Division One and work our way through Division Five.