Previewing Sectional 1 in Division 5

<!-- 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>Webster</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers didn't take their first loss until their final game of the season, the Sectional Championship game against Eleva-Strum, who ended up as runner-ups in Division 5. Webster isn't a team who relies on any one individual player, although they do return last season's leading scorer, Avery Hetfeld. Over the past few seasons, this team has relied on the sum of its parts to get the most out of the program, and they've consistently been one of the better small schools in Northwest Wisconsin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contenders</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Solon Springs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the smallest schools in the state, and they have one of the most intriguing small-school prospects in the state in their ranks. [player_tooltip player_id='1267665' first='Kalli' last='Nelson'] is a skilled lead guard who can operate under pressure and attack off the dribble. I'd also venture to guess that the Eagles had one of the youngest rosters in the state last season. There was only one junior on this team last season, and they went undefeated in Northern Lights play. They will have an opportunity to take another step forward this season after bringing back their entire roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Turtle Lake</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lakers and the Webster Tigers both play in the Lakeland-West, which has had success in this sectional. Turtle Lake dug themselves a hole they couldn't get themselves out of in a Regional Championship against Webster, but they do bring all but one player from last season's team back this winter. I also like what Lexi Tarman can bring to this team and think she could be an x-factor in this sectional. There is a chance this group could make a deeper run than people think. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dark Horses</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>South Shore</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals bring back a few players who contributed to last season's run that fell to Webster in a Regional Championship game on the road. They will see Solon Springs twice again this season and will have seen the top programs in this sectional before getting to the postseason in February. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->