Fox River Classic Conference Preview 

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025-26 Standings:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Notre Dame 16-0 (24-5); 2. Bay Port 13-3 (20-6); 2. De Pere 13-3 (22-5); 4. West De Pere 10-6 (14-13); 5. Green Bay Preble 7-9 (11-14); 6. Manitowoc Lincoln 5-11 (11-14); 6. Sheboygan North 5-11 (13-12); 8. Pulaski 3-13 (9-17); 9. Ashwaubenon 0-16 (2-23)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. <strong>Bay Port</strong>---The Pirates, my pick to win the conference last season, finally get it done this winter. While last season was highly successful, with 13 conference wins, and 20 overall, they could not get over the hump finishing second behind Notre Dame making it to the Regional Final before losing to Kimberly 62-45. The Pirates are in prime shape to take over the conference despite losing leading scorer and Conference POY Melia Lemorande and her 18.7 ppg to graduation. Senior and 1st Team All-Conference selection [player_tooltip player_id='874380' first='Olivia' last='Williams'] leads a group with a good balance of size and scoring punch. Williams finished second on the team with a 16.2 ppg average while adding 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 41% from deep. 6-1 Junior [player_tooltip player_id='874389' first='Kailynn' last='Thompson'] (11.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.7 bpg) provides an inside/out presence and will be tasked with picking up some of the outside scoring punch that Lemorande provided. Rounding out the key returning players are juniors Ava Nagel (5-9, 6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg) and [player_tooltip player_id='874391' first='Madeline' last='Lewitzke'] (5-8, 4.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg). They'll look to avenge an early season 64-34 loss, to FVA favorite Appleton East, as they host the Patriots to open the season on November 17th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. <strong>Notre Dame</strong>---The Tritons are a team that it is hard to bet against as I found out when I picked them for second last season. While I thought they had a shot at the crown, I certainly was not expecting them to run the table, going 16-0, 24-5 overall, and making it all the way to the Resch Center where they lost 62-58 to Wauwatosa East in the State semifinal. Hit hard by graduation, Notre Dame will look to replace their top three scorers and 37 points of offense. Leading a solid returning core is 6-0 senior [player_tooltip player_id='874383' first='Brianna' last='Breese'] (9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.5 bpg). She is joined by sophomore playmaker, 5-8 [player_tooltip player_id='874404' first='Ava' last='Cumicek'] (8.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 82.8% FT). Cumicek is a legit gamechanger and is already getting D1 attention. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='874386' first='Maisie' last='Hinz'] (6.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.0 spg) rounds out the Tritons "Big 3". They will know a lot about their team as they open the season playing at Pewaukee, at Xavier and then home against FVA defending champion Kimberly who will be looking for revenge after Notre Dame knocked them out in the Sectional last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. <strong>De Pere</strong>---The Redbirds, the FRCC's 2025 champion took a bit of a step back, going 13-3 in conference and finishing in a second place tie. I expect De Pere to stay in the title hunt as they only graduated 2, including leading scorer Abby Tassoul, from a 22 win season that ended with a 67-51 loss, to Stevens Point, in the Sectional semifinal. 1st Team All-Conference senior [player_tooltip player_id='874379' first='Aubree' last='Fischer'] leads the group coming off a season where she averaged 13.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.9 spg, and 1.0 bpg. She is joined by junior [player_tooltip player_id='992482' first='Allie' last='Neuenfeldt'] (11.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.5 apg, 2.1 spg), senior [player_tooltip player_id='874376' first='Adeline' last='Dwyer'] (9.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.8 spg) and sophomore Addison Styles who has impressed on the AAU circuit and looks like a star in the making. Circle December 23rd on the Calendar when Notre Dame comes in for an early season battle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. <strong>Green Bay Preble</strong>---The Hornets are my wildcard pick for 2027 as they return their top 3 scorers from a team that went 7-9 in conference last season. Speaking of last season, the Hornets were knocked out, of the Regional semifinal, by conference rival Bay Port 68-44 but only graduated three players and have a ton of productivity returning. Senior Brooklyn Lucassen (12.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.8 spg) was a 2nd Team All-Conference selection. She is joined by two junior Honorable Mention selections in [player_tooltip player_id='874399' first='Camille' last='Konkol'] (11.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg) and [player_tooltip player_id='1225981' first='Gracie' last='Day'] (9.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.4 spg). They along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1224213' first='Teonna' last='Thompson'] (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.8 spg) will be a problem for other teams to deal with night in and night out this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. <strong>Manitowoc Lincoln</strong>---Lincoln, my upset special team last season, finished a bit below where I thought ending up in 6th place, losing 62-48 to DHSA in the Regional semifinal. While they did graduate two of their top three scorers, I still believe in the Ships and can see them finishing in the 4/5 range. They are led by Minnesota Crookston commit, senior [player_tooltip player_id='750262' first='Kendall' last='Schmitz']. The 2nd Team All-Conference selection had a great junior season averaging 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 steals while shooting 81% from the line. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='867885' first='Lila' last='Spaeth'] (5-8, 5.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.0 bpg) and Calla Eichmann (4.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.5 spg) provide good size and veteran leadership for new coach Jamie Vandermeuse. We will know more about how they look after their December 10th home matchup against De Pere.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. <strong>West De Pere</strong>---The Phantoms proved that it does not matter what conference you have them in. A good program is a good program and they proved that finishing in 4th place going 10-6 and making it to the Sectional semifinal where they were ousted by old Bay Conference rival Xavier 42-39. I see them dipping to 6th this season as they look to overcome the graduation of 3 of their top 5 players. Returning are 5-8 senior [player_tooltip player_id='879987' first='Molly' last='Walder'] (15.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 agp, 1.5 spg), senior [player_tooltip player_id='874377' first='Cassidy' last='Baciak'] (6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg) and 5-5 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1237561' first='Khloe' last='Hannula'] (3.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.1 bpg).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. <strong>Ashwaubenon</strong>---The Jaguars struggled last season going winless in the conference and 2-23 overall. With that being said, I can see them improving a few spots as they return most of their top scorers from a team that had their season ended, by Xavier 59-33, in the Regional semifinal. Senior, Honorable Mention selection [player_tooltip player_id='894508' first='Lauren' last='Seeling'] (5-11, 9.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.0 bpg) leads a veteran group that also includes Aubrey House (5.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.7 spg).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. <strong>Pulaski</strong>---The Red Raiders, winners of just three conference games a season ago, stay entrenched in the 8th spot this season. Last season, which ended with a 42-27 loss to Rhinelander in the Regional semifinal, saw the graduation of two of their top three scorers. One thing that Pulaski has going for them is a nice blend of youth and experience in 5-3 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='874402' first='Josey' last='Shaw'] (7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.6 spg), 5-6 junior [player_tooltip player_id='891343' first='Anya' last='Hasser'] (5.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.8 spg) and 5-10 senior Linde Lemerond (3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.6 apg). They will be tested early as they host Notre Dame December 4th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. <strong>Sheboygan North</strong>---Sheboygan North will have a tough time this season, in my opinion, cracking the top half of the conference finishing near the bottom. They just lost too much to graduation including 5 of their top 6 scorers. Top returning players are juniors Anna Revelis (5-6, 7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 2.2 spg), Ava Brashaw (5-9, 2.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.4 spg) and senior Elise Trimberger (2.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.4 bpg).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. <strong>Green Bay Southwest</strong>---The Trojans return to varsity play, after a season without basketball, as Lance Arnold takes over the program and brings a fresh wave of optimism this winter. They will be an interesting team to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->