Previewing Sectional 1 in Division 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The grassroots season for me is over, and I'm shifting my attention towards the 2026-27 WIAA Girls Basketball Season. I haven't had much time to look at the new sectionals over the past month, so as I start previewing sectionals, I will be taking a deep dive into each field for the first time. That said, let's look at the fields in each division and sectional for this upcoming season. After we finish up previewing each sectional, I'll make my predictions in each division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Favorites</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notre Dame</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is never a good idea to bet against the Notre Dame Tritons, to say the least, and this year will be no different now that the Tritons are back in D2 after a few years in Division 1. The Tritons have a talented young core, mixed with some players who've gained experience playing high-pressure basketball. [player_tooltip player_id='874404' first='Ava' last='Cumicek'] had an excellent spring and summer and was among the standouts in the 3SSB 15U league. [player_tooltip player_id='874383' first='Brianna' last='Breese'] has also come into her own since transferring in a few years ago. There is also a handful of talented youngsters entering the high school ranks this coming winter who could play a role for the Tritons early on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contenders</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fox Valley Lutheran</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Foxes are an incredibly young group who have the potential to become one of the better D2 programs in the next few years, and could make a run out to sectionals this coming winter. [player_tooltip player_id='1264437' first='Kinley' last='Peterson'] is a talented guard who can get to her spots and make things happen for herself or her teammates. There will also be numerous young players who will come through the ranks this year and be productive high school players. They had a solid season last winter, but could take another step forward this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hawks have traditionally developed talent in the past half-decade who can help this team play winning basketball in their conference and beyond. Xavier has players who know how to win close games in the postseason. Having experienced players like Hailey Hafner and [player_tooltip player_id='751258' first='Elle' last='Krull'], who will hopefully get back to full health this season, is enough to make this team one that could hoist yet another regional plaque as they compete in D2 for the second year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dark Horses</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rhinelander</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='874375' first='Aubryn' last='Clark'], when healthy, has been one of the better scorers in the state and helped the Hodags reach a Sectional Semifinal this past winter. The addition of her younger sister, Teagan, adds another offensive threat who can help the Hodags compete in the Great Northern Conference and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West De Pere</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Phantoms reached the State Tournament a few years ago and had a solid run with a new core of players this last winter. West De Pere has done an excellent job at getting the most out of its players, and I expect that to be the case again this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->