North Eastern Conference Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025-26 Standings:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Denmark 13-3 (20-5) 2. Little Chute 12-4 (19-6) 3. Luxemburg-Casco 10-6 (13-13) 3. Freedom 10-6 (14-13) 5. Wrightstown 8-8 (10-15) 6. Oconto Falls 7-9 (12-15) 7. Marinette 6-10 (13-12) 7. 8. Waupaca 5-11 (10-15) 9. Clintonville 1-15 (3-21)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. <strong>Little Chute</strong>---The Mustangs took everyone by surprise going from a winless team, in 2025 to 12 conference wins finishing just a game out of first place. Little Chute's outstanding season was ended when they were upset by conference rival Oconto Falls 45-38 in the Regional Semifinal. Leading last season's resurgence are a trio of outstanding (now) sophomores in 5-5 [player_tooltip player_id='879591' first='Lauren' last='Vosters'] (15.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.6 spg, 3.5 spg), 5-6 [player_tooltip player_id='879596' first='Hattie' last='Grishaber'] (14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.4 spg) and 5-8 [player_tooltip player_id='879916' first='Adalyn' last='Engle'] (7.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.6 spg). Vosters was a 1st Team All-Conference and All-Defensive team selection while Grishaber was a 2nd Team All-Conference selection. The Mustangs return the most firepower and should be in the drivers seat for a conference title in March. A good test for the Mustangs will be with road games against Marinette on December 10th and Denmark on December 15th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. <strong>Denmark</strong>---The Vikings, last season's conference champion, slips to #2 this season. After winning 13 conference games (and 20 overall), Denmark has just lost too much to graduation losing 3 of their top 4 scorers and about 28 points of productivity. Head coach Garett Vander Loop will lean heavily on 5-7 seniors [player_tooltip player_id='878990' first='Allie' last='VanVonderen'] (14.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.8 spg) and Shaelyn Kraschnewski (4.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.6 spg) along with 5-5 junior Alison Lindsley (4.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.3 spg) to shoulder the load and provide leadership. They open conference play December 1st at Freedom.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. <strong>Freedom</strong>---Last season's # 3 team is firmly entrenched in that spot again this season as the will be tasked with replacing 3 including their leading scorer Breana Dickrell. Outside of Little Chute and Marinette, no team has as much offensive production returning as the Irish do and they return a nice blend of size, youth, and scoring punch in 5-8 junior [player_tooltip player_id='884601' first='Ava' last='Calhoon'] (11.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.7 spg), 5-3 senior [player_tooltip player_id='879082' first='Callie' last='Anderson'] (8.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.0 spg) and 5-10 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='874412' first='Teagan' last='Brown'] (6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.7 spg). They open up conference play on December 1st and will be tested as they host the defending champion Denmark Vikings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. <strong>Marinette</strong>---Marinette, disappointed a bit a season ago finishing in 7th place. As they turn the page, I can see the Marines finishing as high as 2nd if things break for them this winter and they return a ton of experience, having graduated no players, from a season that ended with a 47-43 loss to Rhinelander in the Regional Final. Returning is 5-8 senior [player_tooltip player_id='833976' first='Elizabeth' last='Wade']. Wade was a 1st Team All-Conference and All-Defensive team selection as she averaged 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 4.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. She is joined by a couple of Honorable Mention All-Conference selections in juniors [player_tooltip player_id='889659' first='Bianca' last='Furton'] (11.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 3.3 spg) and [player_tooltip player_id='1816139' first='Sophia' last='Baron'] (6.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.0 spg). The Marines open their conference slate with a couple of winnable games at Clintonville and home against Oconto Falls before being tested against Little Chute on December 10th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. <strong>Luxemburg-Casco</strong>---The Spartans, in my opinion, overachieved last season, finishing in third place with 10 conference wins. Their season ended with a 67-46 loss to Xavier in the Regional Final and to make matters worse, graduated 4 of their top 5 scorers and about 31 points per game of production. Top returning players are 5-4 senior [player_tooltip player_id='1214571' first='Sienna' last='Blohowiak'] (8.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.6 spg) and 5-8 sophomore Karsyn Walczyk (3.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.5 spg). The Spartans will be tested early as the open conference play at Little Chute on December 1st.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. <strong>Wrightstown</strong>---The Tigers, my pick to finish second last season, slumped a bit finishing fifth with an 8-8 conference record with a 82-37 loss in the Regional semifinal to Winneconne. One thing that Wrightstown has going for them is they return probably the most size in the conference in a trio of 5-10 juniors in Ashlyn Cavanaugh (7.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.7 spg), Lydia Ducat (3.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.6 spg), and Audrey Zirbel (3.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.8 bpg). 5-8 senior Madelyn DeCleene (6.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.4 spg) along with 5-8 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1225980' first='Eliney' last='Welhouse'] (3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.2 spg) round out a group with a nice blend of size and experience for coach Eric Bombinski.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. <strong>Oconto Falls</strong>---The Panthers had a bit of an up-and-down season, finishing 7-9 in the conference but had some nice upset wins in the process with wins over Lux-Casco, Freedom, and Wrightstown. Season ended with a 69-33 loss to Winneconne in the Regional final and they graduated 2 of their top 3 scorers. Top returning players are 2nd Team All-Conference selection, 5-10 [player_tooltip player_id='1224982' first='Ella' last='Jahnke'] (12.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 0.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg), 5-5 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1810089' first='Neala' last='Horkman'] (3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.6 apg, 1.2 spg) and 5-6 senior Izzy Otto (3.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 2.9 spg).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. <strong>Clintonville</strong>---The Truckers, winners of one conference game, will sneak their way out of the basement and into 8th this season. Last season, ended with a 57-42 loss to Seymour, and Clintonville will need to replace the loss of their top 2 scorers and 5 players overall. Top candidates are 5-4 senior [player_tooltip player_id='1225004' first='Morgan' last='Retzlaff'] (4.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.7 spg), 5-9 sophomore Brynleigh Birling (4.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.6 spg) and 5-6 Haleigh Durand (2.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.3 spg). Clintonville will be tested early opening up conference play hosting Marinette and then three straight road games against Denmark, Wrightstown, and Freedom.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. <strong>Waupaca</strong>---No North Eastern team was hit has hard, by graduation, as the Comets were losing their top 4 scorers, from a team who's season ended with a 70-41 loss to New London in the Regional semifinal. I had high hopes for Waupaca, last season, picking them to finish 5th but I see them struggling to stay out of 9th this winter unless their veterans step up and they get an infusion of freshmen talent. Returning are a trio of juniors in 5-9 Allie Landre (2.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.8 spg), 5-8 Callie Guyette (1.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.8 spg) and 5-5 Jocelyn Simon (1.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.8 spg).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->