Predicting Division 3 Sectional 3 in September

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Usually, I get to predictions well before this time of year and have something posted around sectionals. However, because they were posted so late due to rule changes, and because of my schedule at the time they were originally posted, I couldn't do this sooner. That said, today, we're starting to predict what the results of this sectional could look like well before the season starts, and we'll see how right or wrong I am come February and March. We'll dive a little deeper into my picks as we move along through the divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Sleeper Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lakeside Lutheran</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors bring back their three leading scorers, including the Murphy girls, [player_tooltip player_id='1230033' first='Nadia' last='Murphy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='615460' first='Paige' last='Murphy']. Those two will be seniors Lakeside Lutheran relies on to make plays, and they have a track record of doing that. However, [player_tooltip player_id='1801730' first='Alex' last='Moore'], a rising sophomore, could be the x-factor this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Regional Champions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lake Country Lutheran</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The trio of sophomores the Lightning could roll out may be enough to get this team into the second weekend of the postseason. Eden Mueller has had a solid first and second year of high school basketball, and has the athletic tools to flip a game at any moment. [player_tooltip player_id='885270' first='Aubri' last='Elmore'] complements Mueller in the backcourt well and has the skill set to operate on the ball. I also thought [player_tooltip player_id='1846054' first='Lydia' last='Wagner'] did a solid job playing around the rim last winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Laconia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='764914' first='Finley' last='Morgan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='889690' first='Mylee' last='Redman'] are a talented backcourt pairing who can play off each other well and had some impressive showings together last winter. Morgan stepped into a primary ball-handling role well and helped her team get open looks each time down the floor. Redman is also a creative player who can get to her spots off the dribble and will force defenses to send an extra defender, which can open the floor for the Laconia offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Edgerton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='914989' first='Claudia' last='Jenny'] is a player who can get the most out of her teammates, and she has the leadership qualities to help her team get through any potential struggles. I also thought that she played a more creative role last season and could surprise people as a scorer this winter. The biggest question will be how players like [player_tooltip player_id='888407' first='Jolia' last='Schlag'] and [player_tooltip player_id='888414' first='Brooke' last='Kahl'] handle more prominent roles for the Crimson Tide this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Platteville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The word on the street is that the Hillmen's rising senior post may not play this coming winter. However, they have a newcomer who may step into that post role and help this team win games. [player_tooltip player_id='1219523' first='Avery' last='Richard'] is the engine of this team on both ends of the floor and will likely be a player who continuously creates open looks for her teammates. They also have a group of returners in [player_tooltip player_id='1223311' first='Quinn' last='Temperly'], [player_tooltip player_id='1220407' first='Soraeya' last='Stone'], and Kinley Bendorf who have experience and could step into larger roles this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Sectional Runner-Up</strong>: Laconia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Sectional Champion</strong>: Platteville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->