2024-25 Season Preview: Class 2A, Sectionals 43 & 44

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='883082' first='Sawyor' last='Murdick'] (2028) of Triton Central High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we wrap up Thanksgiving week, I wanted to take the time to continue previewing the season Sectional by Sectional. In the past, I have typically started in Class 1A and moved up, but this season I started with Class 4A instead. Additionally, during the Spring, the IHSAA moved to a traditional enrollment-based format, realigning all classes with hard enrollment cutoff lines per class instead of taking nearly 400 schools and simply dividing them into four equal classes. With that said, each class should be more competitive, but the bigger classes will have fewer teams than the smaller classes. This article serves as the 22nd of 32, previewing each Sectional in the state. In this specific article, I will take a look at Class 2A, Sectional #43 and Sectional #44. Below is a look at the teams in each of those Sectionals, along with some general comments and analysis.<br><small>(<em>SAG = Final 2023-2024 Multiclass Sagarin Rating (394 teams); SOS = Final 2023-2024 Strength of Schedule</em>)</small></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #43 at Triton Central</font></strong><br>Eastern Hancock (25-2), SAG 49, SOS 215<br>Heritage Christian (15-11), SAG 90, SOS 135<br>Triton Central (17-7), SAG 113, SOS 242<br>Scecina Memorial (8-17), SAG 344, SOS 359<br>Christel House (7-9), SAG 362, SOS 387<br>KIPP Legacy (1-5), SAG 388, SOS 394<br>Irvington Prep (2-13), SAG 393, SOS 389</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong> Eastern Hancock graduated five of their top six players from last season, however, they returned one of the best Sophomores in the state, regardless of school classification. 5-9 point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='750766' first='McKenzie' last='Koch']</strong> (<em>18.4p, 4.6r, 2.9a, 2.8s</em>) is back after an outstanding Freshman season, and she should only continue to grow as a player. She is extremely skilled with the ball, and she's a multilevel scorer who can create for herself or others. 5-11 Senior wing <strong>Ellie Meyer</strong> (<em>2.7p, 2.8r</em>), 5-7 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496006' first='Camryn' last='Andrus']</strong> (<em>2.5p</em>), 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137341' first='Bella' last='Sotelo']</strong> (<em>1.6p</em>), 5-10 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='832671' first='Kiersten' last='Judd']</strong> (<em>1.5p</em>), and 5-11 Senior forward <strong>Lainee Parker</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>) all saw Varsity action last season and are the first candidates to step into bigger roles. Look for Sotelo to make the biggest jump, as she is a skillful point guard who can potentially alleviate some pressure from Koch. 5-9 Junior wing <strong>Addisyn Trackwell</strong> moves up from JV and could find her way into the rotation as well. Koch will be enough of a star most nights, but if she struggles for offense at any point, the Royals will need others to find ways to contribute as well. Heritage Christian is in an interesting spot. They graduated their best player but return everyone else of note, and they welcome in one of the most talented Freshmen in Central Indiana. 5-9 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324078' first='Joslyn' last='Marshall']</strong> (<em>12.8p, 3.9r, 2.2a, 2.1s</em>) tops the list of returnees, and she had an outstanding Spring &amp; Summer on the grassroots circuit. She is creative off the dribble, she has touch outside, plus she was feisty defensively all Summer long. 5-10 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324071' first='Casey' last='Frost']</strong> (<em>10.9p, 5.0r, 2.7a</em>) is skilled in the mid-post, she can play around the perimeter as well, and she has a good feel for the game. 5-11 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773844' first='Trinity' last='Taylor']</strong> (<em>5.5p, 10.2r</em>) is an active and athletic defender/rebounder type who has gotten progressively better skillfully. I'd expect her to approach double-double averages this season. Junior forward <strong>Isabelle Papineau</strong> (<em>1.4p in 17 games</em>) and 6-0 Sophomore post <strong>Sophie Gullion</strong> (<em>1.2p in 10 games</em>) offer more size and a little experience as well. The big addition, however, is that of 5-9 Freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999405' first='Riley' last='Johnson']</strong>. Her ability to score it at all levels already, plus the fact that she's extremely long, fluid, and likely still growing, make her a candidate to be a problem for opponents the next four years. The Eagles play a tough schedule and will look to win their first Sectional in three years when February rolls around. Triton Central knows something about Sectional titles, having won eight in the last 13 years. This season, however, they must overcome the graduation of three Seniors who accounted for 21.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486559' first='Maryrose' last='Felling']</strong> (<em>17.6p, 4.7r, 2.8a, 2.3s</em>) is back, and she is one of the most accurate perimeter shooters in the state, not to mention she has a quick release and competes on every possession. 5-4 Sophomore guard <strong>Quinn King</strong> (<em>6.0p, 3.4r, 5.4a</em>) played on the ball a lot as a rookie and gained a great deal of experience from it. 5-6 Sophomore forward <strong>Sophia Burbrink</strong> (<em>2.3p</em>), 5-5 Sophomore guard <strong>Kate Collier</strong> (<em>2.2p</em>), and 5-8 Junior forward <strong>Cheyenne Allen</strong> (<em>1.8p in 18 games</em>) are the next most experienced returnees, but luckily, they have seen plenty of action already. Also look for 5-5 Freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='883082' first='Sawyor' last='Murdick']</strong> to potentially step in and start right away. She was tremendous in a couple of Fall showcase events. The Tigers are young and don't have a Senior in any crucial spots, so look for them to learn and grow this year but also remain competitive come Sectional time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Christel House: 5-11 Senior post <strong>Alexys Turner</strong> (<em>11.2p, 11.7r, 2.6b</em>), 5-9 Sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='909687' first='Maleah' last='Jackson']</strong> (<em>10.5p, 2.9r</em>); Scecina Memorial: 5-6 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='891958' first='Ainsley' last='Brown']</strong> (<em>12.1p, 3.2r</em>)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #44 at Hagerstown</font></strong><br>Northeastern (19-7), SAG 85, SOS 278<br>Union County (12-13), SAG 230, SOS 271<br>Shenandoah (12-11), SAG 235, SOS 258<br>Winchester (11-14), SAG 261, SOS 276<br>Centerville (4-19), SAG 349, SOS 336<br>Hagerstown (0-21), SAG 371, SOS 345</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong> Northeastern has posted 16 or more wins in five of the last six seasons, and that trend should continue this year. The Lady Knights graduated a big presence in the post, but they return most of the rest of their production, including a talented backcourt that will cause opponents problems. 5-4 Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='404112' first='Ava' last='Mikesell']</strong> (<em>10.6p, 2.7r, 4.4a, 4.1s</em>) and 5-6 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486539' first='Adysson' last='Kircher']</strong> (<em>15.4p, 3.5r, 3.8s</em>) are both quick and shifty playmakers able to take over a game. In most cases, Mikesell is more of a traditional point guard who can make shots, while Kircher has point guard skill but looks to be a much more aggressive scorer for the Knights. Both are feisty and problematic defenders who turn people over. 5-5 Senior guard <strong>Ariel Shuler</strong> (<em>3.5p</em>) and 5-6 Junior guard <strong>Gracie Green</strong> (<em>2.9p, 3.0r</em>) lend a hand with regard to backcourt depth. 5-9 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1218559' first='Camille' last='Angi']</strong> (<em>6.3p, 7.3r</em>) returns a great deal of experience playing in the mid-post, so she can help on the boards and with defending the interior. 6-1 Sophomore post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751083' first='Karri' last='Gammon']</strong> (<em>2.2p, 2.1r</em>) played a handful of minutes each game a season ago, but now she looks to fill the starting pivot spot and could post a few double-doubles this year. 5-8 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773829' first='Brooklynne' last='Adams']</strong> (<em>0.9p</em>) and 5-11 Sophomore forward <strong>Mackenzie Johnson</strong> (<em>0.3p in 11 games</em>) can also help with depth along the frontline. Make no mistake, the offense this year now runs through Mikesell and Kircher, but if they can get additional support, Northeastern will be tough to stop. Shenandoah was the only other team in the Sectional #44 field to have a winning record, and they did so without a Senior last year. Now, the Lady Raiders look at a large number of returnees to help make a big jump this season. 5-9 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992532' first='Grace' last='Lee']</strong> (<em>10.8p, 4.9r, 3.3s</em>) had a strong rookie campaign and will look to be even more impactful in her second year. 5-4 Senior guard <strong>Rory McKnight</strong> (<em>8.6p, 2.6s</em>) and 5-7 Junior guard <strong>Gabbi Patrick</strong> (<em>7.8p, 7.3r, 2.7s</em>) are seasoned veterans who take care of backcourt duties. 5-4 Senior guard <strong>Lilliana Lynch</strong> (<em>3.5p, 3.6r, 2.4a, 2.2s</em>) joins them as a primary ball-handler and distributor. 6-0 Senior post <strong>Haley Hughes</strong> (<em>5.4p, 6.9r, 2.1s</em>) and 5-7 Senior forward <strong>Kim Farmer</strong> (<em>3.8p, 3.0r</em>) help along the frontline as rebounders and defenders, plus they add more Senior leadership. The Raiders will play a lot of kids, but look for 5-8 Sophomore forward <strong>Khloe Goble</strong> (<em>0.5p in 8 games</em>) and 5-6 Freshman forward <strong>Reid Helman</strong> to get first crack at available minutes. If Shenandoah can take care of the basketball and find a second, and possibly a third, double-digit scorer, they could very well challenge Northeastern for the Sectional crown when February rolls around.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Keep an Eye On:</strong> Centerville: 5-10 Senior wing <strong>Taelynn Swartz</strong>, 5-8 Sophomore guard <strong>Kendall Nelson</strong>; Hagerstown: Freshman guard <strong>Mackenzie Johnson</strong>; Union County: Senior guard <strong>Katie McCashland</strong> (<em>13.2p, 2.2r, 3.4s</em>); Winchester: 6-1 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122768' first='Alivia' last='McCoy']</strong>, 6-0 Senior forward <strong>Madyson Hummel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->