Season Preview: Blue River to Brown County

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='1814569' first='Skylee' last='Feathers'] (2028) from Bremen High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026-2027 Indiana High School girls' basketball season is set to tip off on Monday, November 2nd, with Daleville visiting Alexandria-Monroe, and Perry Central headed to Cannelton. With that said, it's time to begin our annual season previews. In the past, I've typically grouped them by the Sectional/Regional format and gone from one classification to the next. This year, however, I wanted to try something different. Each article to come will feature 8 to 10 different programs from around the state, arranged alphabetically, so people are more "aware" of all the teams throughout the state and don't simply look at only their own Sectional/Regional. There are a number of talented players, and each should get their due, not just locally, but throughout the state as well. With that said, below is a look at Blue River Valley to Brown County.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Blue River Valley H.S. (Mount Summit, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings of Blue River Valley managed just 23.6 points per game last year on their way to a 3-19 finish. Now, they must replace their 2nd and 4th leading scorers, respectively, in <strong>Taylor Shelton</strong> (<em>5.4p, 4.3r</em>) and <strong>Sydney Crisp</strong> (<em>4.4p, 5.2r, 2.5a, 1.6s</em>). At the same time, the Vikings do return three starters, including their leading scorer, plus they will have five girls in total who gained experience last season and can play together this year and next, helping to form some consistency in their lineup. 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Gwen Beavers</strong> (<em>6.4p, 3.9r, 1.2a, 1.0s</em>) is their most dynamic scorer, but this year she might have to handle some of the point guard duties with Crisp gone. 5-10 Junior wing <strong>Daisy Souther</strong> (<em>4.7p, 5.6r, 1.4s</em>) can play in the mid-post or around the perimeter, plus she's a good rebounder. Junior wing <strong>Lindsey Jester</strong> (<em>2.4p, 2.4r, 1.1s</em>) rounded out the lineup last year, but she'll be leaned on for more production this year. 5-7 Junior front-liner <strong>McKinley Bell</strong> (<em>0.8p, 1.6r</em>) provided an interior presence off the bench but could start, as could Sophomore forward <strong>Jessika Kernel</strong> (<em>0.4p</em>). Blue River Valley will need to get defensive until their offense comes around, but at least they have a solid nucleus that can continue to grow together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Bluffton H.S. (Bluffton, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bluffton Tigers had a nice 18-6 campaign in 2025-2026, but for the second year in a row, they feel at the hands of a very good Whitko program in the Sectional. This season, they must do without the services of talented graduate <strong>Konley Ault</strong> (<em>21.1p, 5.0r, 3.3a, 3.8s</em>). Ault was their do-everything performer who could score or distribute, plus she was tough and would defend with effort. At the same time, the Tigers can still push toward 20 wins once again, as pretty much everyone else returns. 5-9 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1225041' first='Khloe' last='Dick']</strong> (<em>15.6p, 4.5r, 1.7a, 2.8s</em>) had a fantastic Sophomore year, and she could approach 20 points per game because of her athleticism and ability to shoot the ball with a little range. She is smooth off the dribble, plus she's long and can defend multiple positions. 5-2 Senior guard <strong>Carlee Strunk</strong> (<em>10.9p, 1.9r, 2.1a, 2.0s</em>) is a candidate to handle the ball more with Ault gone, plus she's an excellent shooter at 40% from 3-point range. 5-11 Senior post <strong>Sophie Eisenhut</strong> (<em>5.2p, 10.0r, 1.4a, 1.7s, 3.3b</em>) and 5-8 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992530' first='Eden' last='Nash']</strong> (<em>3.5p, 4.8r, 2.2a, 2.3s</em>) do a lot of the work inside the arc. Eisenhut has a lot of length and a little strength, and she likes to create space and protect the paint. Nash is a nonstop energy-giver who makes hustle play after hustle play. She is tough, strong, and a well-rounded athlete. After those four, it gets a little dicey, but 5-6 Senior wing <strong>Isla Gibson</strong> (<em>1.0p, 1.3r</em>), 5-2 Senior guard <strong>Madelyn Funk</strong> (<em>0.7p</em>), and 5-2 Junior guard <strong>Grace Fry</strong> (<em>0.8p in 10 games</em>) have all seen at least some Varsity action. Unfortunately for the Tigers, with Whitko now out of their Sectional, they must now deal with the defending Class 3A State Champs...Bellmont.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Boone Grove H.S. (Valparaiso, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 4-15 record might not seem like much on the surface, but the Wolves of Boone Grove did double their win total from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026. With that said, they also graduated three of their top six players, but their top two scorers do return. 5-3 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='882903' first='Elana' last='Hylek']</strong> (<em>6.7p, 3.5r, 1.1a, 1.9s</em>) and 5-3 Senior guard <strong>Lauren Voudrie</strong> (<em>6.6p, 2.7r, 1.2a, 1.6s</em>) both return. They are active, athletic, and they like to put pressure on opponents by attacking offensively and scrambling around to create turnovers defensively. Voudrie could handle the ball a lot more due to graduation losses. 5-5 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1941047' first='Paige' last='Jones']</strong> (<em>4.4p, 2.8r, 1.3a, 1.3s</em>) and 5-9 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821862' first='Leah' last='Carrera']</strong> (<em>3.3p, 4.7r, 1.7b</em>) are two additional Wolves who return with significant Varsity experience. Jones can play on the ball or on the wing, while Carrera plays mostly around the basket and offers them a defensive presence in the paint. Junior wing <strong>Quinn Gilmartin</strong> (<em>2.2p, 2.5r in 6 games</em>) showed flashes early in the season before missing significant time after November. Boone Grove should focus on doubling their win total once again, and that's within the realm of possibilities for the Wolves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Boonville H.S. (Boonville, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is sort of a good news/bad news situation for Boonville heading into 2026-2027. The Pioneers finished 10-13 last season and graduated <strong>Emily Parker</strong> (<em>27.9p, 10.5r, 3.6a, 2.1s</em>) plus <strong>Kristy Mockobee</strong> (<em>1.8p, 3.4r</em>). That's the bad news, especially with how good of a shooter, ball-handler, and facilitator Parker was for them over the years. The good news is, six other players from their core return, and all were Sophomores or Freshmen in 2025-2026. The best of the bunch, and a budding star, is 5-8 Sophomore point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1690470' first='Carlie' last='Kuebler']</strong> (<em>12.7p, 5.7r, 2.8a, 2.3s</em>). She is a strong, athletic youngster who could potentially step into Parker's shoes. Kuebler can shoot/score it from all three levels, she can create off the dribble, plus she is a versatile defender. 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Gracey Franz</strong> (<em>4.7p, 4.7r, 1.8a, 1.2s</em>), Sophomore forward <strong>Kiera Mockobee</strong> (<em>4.0p, 3.8r, 1.5a, 1.5s</em>), plus 6-0 Junior forward <strong>Jemma Pullum-Kapp</strong> (<em>2.7p, 2.6r</em>) should all fill starting spots once again. Pullum-Kapp is intriguing, because, at her height, she has the potential to stretch the floor as she continues to get stronger. From there, look for 5-9 Junior forward <strong>Emma Lacer</strong> (<em>0.9p, 1.5r</em>), and 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Marissa Ward</strong> (<em>0.8p, 2.1r</em>) to get a first look at playing regular rotation minutes. The Pioneers might fall short of 10 wins this season, but don't expect them to fall far, and they could surprise some people come Sectional time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Borden H.S. (Borden, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is a very new year for the Borden Lady Braves, and when I say that, nearly everything is new. After winning the 2025 and 2026 Class 1A State titles, the Braves graduated their entire starting lineup, plus key substitute <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='973276' first='Saylor' last='Schleicher']</strong> (<em>3.7p, 2.0r, 1.4a</em>) transferred to Silver Creek. Graduates now missing are <strong>Riley Rarick</strong> (<em>16.4p, 4.3r, 4.7a, 1.3s, 1.0b</em>), <strong>Ava Wheeler</strong> (<em>9.7p, 6.6r, 3.3a, 1.0s, 1.2b in 11 games</em>), <strong>A.J. Mallad</strong> (<em>11.5p, 3.0r, 2.9a, 2.0s</em>), <strong>Emma Hart</strong> (<em>10.6p, 9.8r, 2.5a, 1.6s</em>), and <strong>McKenna Mullen</strong> (<em>6.8p, 3.5r, 1.3s</em>). Not only that, but because of the IHSAA's success factor, the Braves have climbed up into Sectional #45 and Class 2A for at least the next two seasons. From what I can tell, they won't be very tall or experienced, but to follow are a few ladies who do have a little Varsity experience under their belts. 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Paityn Fisk</strong> (<em>1.0p, 0.7r in 26 games</em>), 5-7 Junior wing <strong>Harper Martin</strong> (<em>0.7p, 1.0r in 22 games</em>), 5-7 Senior guard <strong>Anna Jablonski</strong> (<em>0.5p in 19 games</em>), 5-7 Senior forward <strong>Shelbi Thornbury</strong> (<em>0.5p in 17 games</em>), 5-0 Senior point guard <strong>Chelbi Condon</strong> (<em>0.3p in 16 games</em>), and 5-5 Senior wing <strong>Haylee Blanton</strong> (<em>0.7p in 15 games</em>) bring back the most experience, primarily playing in games that were well in-hand. However, I wouldn't put it past the Braves to win 10 to 12 games this year, as these ladies have at least come through a successful, disciplined system and should reflect some of those same characteristics.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory (Indianapolis, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brebeuf has strung together four consecutive winning seasons, to go along with a 2026 Sectional Championship and a 14-12 record. The Lady Braves did graduate leading scorer <strong>Reganne Pate</strong> (<em>13.4p, 3.0r, 1.3s</em>), along with backcourt 'mate <strong>Audra Kendall</strong> (<em>4.5p, 2.9r, 2.6a, 1.8s</em>), so those will be a couple of key spots to fill this year. At the same time, Brebeuf welcomes back a healthy <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751073' first='Jailen' last='Bowling']</strong> (<em>12.5p, 6.6r, 1.6s, 1.0b</em>), and really started to play well at the end of the grassroots season. The 5-11 Senior wing has nice length, fluid athleticism, and touch beyond the 3-point line. She has drawn some Division I interest/offers and is looking toward an explosive Senior season. 5-5 Sophomore guard <strong>Leah Soloria</strong> (<em>6.4p, 2.3r, 1.0a, 1.4s</em>) had a nice rookie year and looks to potentially step into one of the roles vacated by the graduates. 5-8 Senior forward <strong>Chloe Williams</strong> (<em>3.6p, 7.6r, 1.0a, 1.2s</em>) provides an interior presence, especially defensively and on the boards, while 5-10 Senior forward <strong>Jenna McNair</strong> (<em>0.6p, 1.5r</em>) has some skillful versatility and can play all over the floor at either end. Freshmen guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1449788' first='Molly' last='Popp']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1609880' first='Laila' last='Blackmon']</strong> look to potentially help early this season, and at least one could find her way into the lineup. All in all, there is enough talent here for Brebeuf to repeat as Sectional Champions, especially with Bowling playing at her best. This year, though, their Sectional has shifted and they must deal with Cathedral and Chatard, among others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Bremen H.S. (Bremen, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bremen Lions are definitely in a state of unrest. Following a 24-3 season that saw them advance to the Semi-State Finale/Class 2A Final Four, they now must deal with the graduation losses of their top three players...four graduates in total. Missing this year are <strong>Eliana Grubbs</strong> (<em>14.6p, 5.3r, 4.2a, 2.8s</em>), <strong>Emma Kincaid</strong> (<em>14.3p, 4.0r, 3.5a, 2.1s</em>), <strong>Emma Lawmaster</strong> (<em>10.3p, 3.7r, 2.6a, 2.5s</em>), and <strong>Natalie Harmon</strong> (<em>2.9p, 3.7r, 1.0a, 1.1s</em>). That's a lot to replace, especially considering Grubbs (<em>Cornerstone University</em>) and Kincaid (<em>Indiana Wesleyan University</em>) are now on college rosters. The good news for the Lions, though, is that they do have some size returning. 6-2 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1657595' first='Teagan' last='Feathers']</strong> (<em>6.1p, 7.3r, 1.1s, 2.5b</em>) is a long, bouncy rim-protector who does a nice job of making opponents think twice before entering the paint. 6-0 Junior sister <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1814569' first='Skylee' last='Feathers']</strong> (<em>6.3p, 5.6r, 1.0a, 1.3s</em>) is the more well-rounded of the two offensively, and she can score it in the mid-post plus attack from the perimeter a little. She put together a nice Summer season. 5-7 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1234694' first='Lola' last='Bender']</strong> (<em>1.0p, 1.2r in 25 games</em>) saw a little action behind the veteran backcourt a season ago, and she looks to make a much bigger impact this Winter. 5-6 Senior guard <strong>Alyssia Lopez</strong> (<em>0.3p in 19 games</em>) adds at least some veteran experience to the 2026-2027 backcourt. 5-6 Junior guard <strong>Kate Kincaid</strong> (<em>0.6p in 14 games</em>) and 5-3 Junior guard <strong>Allison Klingerman</strong> (<em>0.3p in 11 games</em>) also look to help at guard spots, while 5-8 Junior forward <strong>Peyton Johnson</strong> (<em>0.5p, 1.1r in 15 games</em>) can potentially help the Feathers girls with some interior defense and rebounding. Also keep an eye on 5-3 Freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1231780' first='Blakeleigh' last='Soliz']</strong>. She could step in early and play right away. Bremen probably isn't Semi-State bound this year, but don't expect them to fall into a pit of despair, as the Lions are always competitive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">Brown County H.S. (Nashville, IN)</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The last couple of seasons have been tough ones for the Eagles, going a combined 5-39 in 2024-2026. The one thing going for them this season is that they are eligible to return nearly everyone who played last year. The continuity should be better, and I'd look for them to approach 6 or more wins this season. 5-5 Senior guard <strong>Zoe Jackson</strong> brings back the most experience and should be their leading scorer this season. 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Allison Blee</strong>, 5-5 Junior guard <strong>Piper Silbaugh</strong>, and 5-7 Sophomore wing <strong>Olivia Sawyer</strong> also gained some quality Varsity looks last year and should start to step into much more prominent roles moving forward. If they can improve defensively, it will definitely help, as they were outscored by 21.5 points per game on average in 2025-2026. A lack of size could hinder that, though.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->