Previewing Sectional 2 in Division 4

<!-- 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>St. Mary Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Zephyrs are looking to make their third consecutive trip to the state tournament, and they will be the heavy favorites in this sectional again. [player_tooltip player_id='751240' first='Autumn' last='Crowe'] has come into her own over the past year and is one of the most productive players in small-school basketball. There may not be a player with her physicality and athleticism in D4. The retention of other players like Luci Nackers, [player_tooltip player_id='890590' first='Gabby' last='Guerrero'], and [player_tooltip player_id='892088' first='Lucy' last='Norville'], among others, makes this group one of the favorites to take home a gold ball this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contenders</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stratford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Stratford Tigers were one of the top teams in the Marawood-South, which has produced small-school state champions. Plenty of rotational players graduated, but they do have their leading scorer back from last season. [player_tooltip player_id='1305060' first='Carly' last='Pankratz'] will need to take another step forward in her senior season to get this group over the hump. I will also be curious to see what this team's rotation looks like this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marathon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marathon has a handful of players back from their group who had an excellent 25-26 campaign. Emma Love has moved on and graduated, but there will be experienced players who could step up for the Red Raiders this winter. Kate Love, Rehgan Martin, and Mayven Schneider all played a role for this group a season ago, and will likely be crucial parts of this program this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dark Horses</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Crivitz</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolverines have had one of the most productive players in small-school basketball over the past few seasons. She's been an elite scorer who has excelled at scoring around the basket. She has also done a little of everything for this program, like most small-school players of her caliber tend to do. Crivitz also has plenty of returners who know their roles and understand how to help this team win on the margins. They won't be a team people expect to get out of this sectional, but they have the experience to make things challenging for anyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->