Regional Preview: Class 1A South

Everything about the Sectional round last week was eventful…the team play, the individual play, the upsets, and even the weather. 64 total teams escaped to play another day…in the Regional round this Saturday, February 9th. Below is a look at the eight teams who represent the eight Sectionals in Class 1A in the Southern half of the bracket, along with some general comments and analysis. By the end of the day Saturday, only two of these eight teams will remain. I will continue previewing the other Regional sites throughout today and tomorrow, with eight articles posting in total.   SAG = Current 2018-2019 Multiclass Sagarin Rating; SOS = Current 2018-2019 Strength of Schedule *All Game Times Are Eastern Time*   SOUTHWESTERN-SHELBYVILLE REGIONAL University (22-2) SAG 61; SOS 345 Jac-Cen-Del (21-5) SAG 123; SOS 202 North Central-Farmersburg (16-8) SAG 192; SOS 233 Greenwood Christian (16-10) SAG 209; SOS 310 10:00a – North Central-Farmersburg vs. Greenwood Christian 12:00p – University vs. Jac-Cen-Del 8:00p – Championship Game University has had an outstanding season, and they are about as talented and deep as anyone in Class 1A. They get good guard play from Brooke Andrus (2019), Lily Snyder (2019), Haley Tomlinson (2019), and Maddi Sears (2020), but they also have a pretty imposing frontline led by 6-2 Lindsey Syrek (2020), Jhordan McGuire (2019), and Jenna Blakley (2019). They will be a favorite in this Regional, but their first matchup will be a tough one. The Trailblazers combination of size, skill, and versatility should favor them throughout the day, but there are no pushovers in this Regional. Jac-Cen-Del has history and tournament experience on their side, as they have advanced to the Regional Championship game (or farther) each of the last five seasons, including winning a Class 1A State Championship in 2016. Mariah Day (2019) is a tremendous athlete and versatile inside-out forward who can cause mismatches everywhere. Paige Ledford (2021) is a strong, physical, but skilled post who can score around the block with ease. Those two won’t be intimidated at all, but they’ll need help from Annabelle Williams (2022), Kadee Kuhn (2021), Anna Hubbard (2021), Regan Carroll (2020), and Jalee Rider (2022) in order to knock off the Trailblazers at noon. The second game should actually be quite entertaining. North Central is leaning heavily on a pair of Sophomore guards in Courtney Williams and Averi Davidson. They have been as advertised, but the improvement and contributions of front-liner Jocelyn Cox (2021) have also been well-received. The Thunderbirds aren’t very deep, so it will be important for Brinley Stone (2020) and Emma Baker (2019) to be consistent throughout the day as well. Greenwood Christian has also had a nice season, and they could give North Central problems in their matchup. Their own trio of Isabella Reed (2021), Alexis Mead (2020), and Savannah Frye (2021) have combined to average nearly 50 points, 25 rebounds, 12 assists, and 8 steals per game. They too will need help from their other players to survive the day, so Katie Potter (2021) and Ellie Bigelow (2022) need to come up huge for them Saturday. Championship Game Prediction: University over North Central-Farmersburg   SPRINGS VALLEY REGIONAL Vincennes Rivet (26-0) SAG 33; SOS 148 Tecumseh (18-5) SAG 152; SOS 255 West Washington (17-9) SAG 196; SOS 304 Lanesville (18-6) SAG 204; SOS 359 10:00a – Vincennes Rivet vs. Lanesville 12:00p – Tecumseh vs. West Washington 7:30p – Championship Game Vincennes Rivet is as much of a favorite in the South as Marquette Catholic is in the North. Rivet finished as the State Runner-Up in Class 1A last season, and they’re well on their way to returning to Bankers Life Fieldhouse later this month. The trio of Senior wing Grace Waggoner, Junior wing Tia Tolbert, and Freshman forward Meredith Weiss are a tough matchup for any team in this Regional. Those three can likely carry them through the Regional, but they could use consistent contributions from Molly Niehaus (2019), Macee Hamilton (2020), Caroline Herman (2020), and Lauren Carie (2021). Lanesville is very young right now, as they have played five Sophomores and two Freshmen in their regular rotation. They in fact only have one Senior and one Junior on their entire roster, so the future looks incredibly bright for the Eagles. Rivet should be a good measuring stick for them, and star player Gracie Adams (2021) will need to have a big game. Danielle Haire (2021), Georgia Brumley (2021), Elizabeth Turner (2021), and Austin Crosier (2022) round out the lineup, with solid bench play from Kennedy Gordon (2022) and Mackenzie Pavey (2021). If they can play fearless and aggressive, they will have a good chance to compete with Rivet. I think Tecumseh caught a few people off-guard with the season they’ve put together, especially after finishing last season just 11-12. A lot of that can be credited to the outstanding play of Freshman front-liner Kaybree Oxley. Chloe Holder (2020) and Delina Meyer (2019) are really nice players as well, and they have been Varsity fixtures, so their experience should help. Kaitlyn Helfert (2019) and Gracee Sullivan (2021) round out their lineup. I think they should be fine in their opening game against West Washington, but the Senators have proven they can play with anyone. West Washington has had its ups and downs this season, as they’ve beaten the likes of Lanesville and Trinity Lutheran, while also falling to Crothersville and Mitchell. When they’re on, they can cause problems for anyone in this Regional, so opponents beware. A lot of their potential success will come down to how Maddie Bowsman (2019), Hattie Griffitts (2019), and Rian Russell (2020) come out and play from the jump. Championship Game Prediction: Vincennes Rivet over Tecumseh   Header photo of Jac-Cen-Del High School at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the 2016 Class 1A State Championship game; photo courtesy of IHSAA.org.