Sectional Preview: Class 3A South

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='177315' first='Creedance' last='Chittenden'] (2024) of Cascade High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The regular season has concluded, and the state tournament begins soon. While brief, below is a look at the eight Sectionals in Class 3A in the Southern half of the state. All statistics provided here have been pulled from each school's MaxPreps page, so if your stats are not represented here, your team's MaxPreps page has not been updated by your coach/school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #25 - Cascade</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorite:</strong> Danville<br><strong>Contender:</strong> Tri-West<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Cascade<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Lebanon, Monrovia, Western Boone, Crawfordsville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Danville (20-3) has been dominant overall this year, with a 7-0 record against the Sectional #25 field. I wouldn't expect for them to slow down now, but it's state tournament time, so anything can happen. The Warriors lean on Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295784' first='Emma' last='Ancelet']</strong> (<em>14.3p, 6.0r, 6.5a, 3.1s</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='626931' first='Addison' last='Davis']</strong> (<em>13.0p, 7.1r, 2.7s</em>). They get support from Sophomore <strong>Maddy Wethington</strong> (<em>9.6p</em>). They can also go as far as ten deep and wear opponents out, if need be. Tri-West is always competitive, and they have an experienced group who could pull the upset. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496043' first='Lauren' last='Bear']</strong> (<em>15.9p, 2.2r, 3.1s</em>), Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884487' first='Aniyah' last='Anthony']</strong> (<em>8.8p, 4.0r, 2.3a, 2.5s</em>), and Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='455939' first='Atta' last='Garnett']</strong> (<em>7.9p, 5.8r, 2.2a</em>) are the top performers for the Bruins. If Seniors <strong>Liviair Campbell</strong> (<em>10.2p, 4.1r</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177315' first='Creedance' last='Chittenden']</strong> (<em>10.0p, 3.2r, 2.6a, 2.6s</em>) can get hot for Cascade, they are liable to pull off an upset here and there as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Danville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #26 - Owen Valley</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorite:</strong> Indian Creek<br><strong>Contender:</strong> Northview<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Brown County<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Edgewood, Owen Valley, West Vigo, South Vermillion</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Indian Creek (18-4) is set up for another deep tournament run this season. Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='201885' first='Faith' last='Wiseman']</strong> (<em>19.0p, 11.9r, 4.8a, 2.0s, 3.6b</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239346' first='Lauren' last='Foster']</strong> (<em>16.8p, 4.8r, 5.4a, 2.4s</em>) pair up with Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='506021' first='Ayla' last='Lollar']</strong> (<em>11.3p, 2.9a, 2.6s</em>) to form a nearly unstoppable trio. The one team who could potentially give the Braves trouble is Northview, but Indian Creek beat them 50-34 just a couple of days ago. Still, though, Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570371' first='Brynlee' last='Clarke']</strong> (<em>17.7p, 5.8r</em>) has had a fantastic season, plus Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834965' first='Carlee' last='Schrader']</strong> (<em>10.0p, 4.3r, 2.8a, 3.1s</em>) and Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486472' first='Reagin' last='White']</strong> (<em>9.8p, 3.8r, 4.8a, 2.0s</em>) look to make up a formidable backcourt the next couple of seasons. Keep an eye out for Brown County as well. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122858' first='Ava' last='Stogsdill']</strong> is a young star for them, while Seniors <strong>Madelyne Huff</strong> and <strong>Lexie Austin</strong> bring a great deal of experience to the lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Indian Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #27 - </font></strong>Bishop Chatard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorite:</strong> Bishop Chatard<br><strong>Contender:</strong> Heritage Christian<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Brebeuf Jesuit<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Guerin Catholic, Shortridge, Herron</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Five of the teams in Sectional #27 have winning records, but not all of them are playing the same quality of opponents on a nightly basis. Bishop Chatard has been very strong over the past couple of seasons, and I'd expect for them to lead the way again this year. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='692233' first='Anna' last='Caskey']</strong> (<em>11.5p, 10.9r</em>), along with Sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='832685' first='Olivia' last='Berzai']</strong> (<em>12.0p, 5.7r, 2.5a, 2.3s</em>), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486530' first='Alyx' last='Kendall']</strong> (<em>6.5p, 4.1r</em>), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486534' first='Betsy' last='Tragesser']</strong> (<em>5.7p, 3.8r, 4.0a</em>) have really clicked, along with a number of nice role players for the Trojans. Heritage Christian has a strong trio of their own they can turn to in Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496064' first='Mya' last='Davis']</strong> (<em>17.0p, 3.7r, 3.0a, 4.8s</em>), plus Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324078' first='Joslyn' last='Marshall']</strong> (<em>13.0p, 3.9r, 2.1s</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324071' first='Casey' last='Frost']</strong> (<em>10.8p, 5.1r, 2.9a</em>). They have played Chatard tight this year, but they'll need just a bit more to get over the proverbial hump and knock off the Trojans. Brebeuf Jesuit is a young team who has steadily improved year to year of late. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1131983' first='Robyn' last='Pate']</strong> (<em>10.5p, 3.1r</em>), Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751073' first='Jailen' last='Bowling']</strong> (<em>9.8p, 5.1r</em>), and Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='761173' first='Audra' last='Kendall']</strong> (<em>9.3p, 3.7r, 2.4a</em>) form a nice, young nucleus that will only continue to improve together the next couple of seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Bishop Chatard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #28 - Beech Grove</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorite:</strong> Speedway<br><strong>Contender:</strong> Purdue Polytechnic<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Beech Grove<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Cardinal Ritter, George Washington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Speedway and Purdue Polytechnic share two things...they are both 3-0 against Sectional #28 competition, though they haven't faced each other, and both have beaten Beech Grove already this season. The Sparkplugs lean on Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='572819' first='Alex' last='DeLisle']</strong> (<em>12.5p, 8.8r, 2.1s</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='825947' first='Daniella' last='Galvez']</strong> (<em>11.0p, 6.9r, 2.9a, 2.8s</em>). They have size, balance, and depth as well. Purdue Polytechnic dealt with some injuries early in the year, but when at full strength, the Techies have explosive potential. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773766' first='Madison' last='Jobe']</strong> is a talented shooter who can score it in bunches. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1044749' first='Tayler' last='Denton']</strong> and Senior <strong>Lanyia Smith</strong> are additional threats who can step up for the Techies. Don't sleep on Beech Grove either. Despite falling to the previously mentioned teams, the Hornets have the potential to knock off anyone in this field. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='923145' first='Mylee' last='Boling']</strong> (<em>14.7p, 11.0r, 3.1s</em>) and Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834957' first='Harper' last='Moore']</strong> (<em>12.8p, 5.5r, 3.1a, 2.9s</em>) are their standouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Speedway</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #29 - Lawrenceburg</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Heavy Favorite:</strong> Greensburg<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Batesville<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Connersville, Franklin County, Lawrenceburg, Rushville Consolidated, South Dearborn</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Greensburg (18-4) has been a dominant force this year and has a 7-0 record against Sectional #29 competition. The Pirates lean heavily on Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295778' first='Leah' last='West']</strong> (<em>17.7p, 6.8r</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295779' first='Mylie' last='Wilkison']</strong> (<em>15.0p, 4.8r, 2.7s</em>), and who wouldn't? But the Pirates also have a great deal of depth. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='479613' first='Alyson' last='Powers']</strong> (<em>12.1p, 3.6r, 4.0a</em>), Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751051' first='Claire' last='Larrison']</strong> (<em>9.5p, 6.9r, 3.0a, 2.3s</em>), Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='825958' first='Carlee' last='Adams']</strong> (<em>7.4p, 3.0r</em>), and Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486506' first='Mary' last='Harmon']</strong> (<em>5.4p, 4.3r, 2.9a</em>) are all capable of standing out on any given night. Batesville is a team who has the talent to potentially match up with Greensburg, but it's a tough chore to ask. Still, keep an eye on Bulldog Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570377' first='Alyson' last='Peters']</strong> (<em>9.9p, 6.0r, 2.1a</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='727108' first='Sophie' last='Gesell']</strong> (<em>8.9p, 4.9r, 3.3a, 2.4s</em>).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Greensburg</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #30 - Charlestown</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorite:</strong> Scottsburg<br><strong>Contender:</strong> Charlestown<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Corydon Central, Madison Consolidated<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> North Harrison, Salem</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Last year, Corydon Central made it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but they have dealt with graduations and injuries since last February. Now, it looks like it's Scottsburg's turn to make a deep run. The Warriors (19-4) are a matchup problem for most teams, as they tend to shoot the ball extremely well from the perimeter. Junior guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295802' first='Ellie' last='Richardson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496047' first='Lola' last='Fouts']</strong>, plus Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='298262' first='Carrie' last='Hiler']</strong> absolutely fill it up from outside, and with range. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='626930' first='Katrina' last='Cooper']</strong> plus Senior <strong>Taneisha Griffin</strong> rebound and defend inside the paint. Charlestown gets strong play from Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177348' first='Maddie' last='Nipper']</strong>. Sophomore <strong>Natalie Gagnon</strong>, plus a talented Freshmen group help the Pirates compete. Corydon and Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324096' first='Josie' last='Vaughn']</strong> (<em>15.3p, 3.5r, 3.6a, 2.8s</em>), as well as Madison and Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624877' first='Juliana' last='Davis']</strong> (<em>19.5p, 5.1r, 2.4a, 4.2s</em>), look to put their teams in positions to create an upset and advance in Sectional #30.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Scottsburg</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #31 - Southridge</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorite:</strong> Washington<br><strong>Contenders:</strong> Princeton<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Heritage Hills<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Vincennes Lincoln, Southridge, Pike Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> Washington (20-4) and Princeton (19-4) have had fantastic seasons, as has Heritage Hills (17-6). The Washington Hatchets have a great combination of size, skill, and depth. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486519' first='Katie' last='Reed']</strong> (<em>13.6p, 6.3r</em>) has improved a great deal over the last 9-12 months. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1122709' first='Kenna' last='Garland']</strong> (<em>9.7p</em>), Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486476' first='Shaylyn' last='Hawk']</strong> (<em>8.2p, 3.6r</em>), Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324075' first='Olivia' last='Gilley']</strong> (<em>7.2p, 5.1r</em>), and Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='767081' first='Aubrey' last='Frank']</strong> (<em>7.0p, 2.8r, 3.2a</em>) lend support for Washington. Princeton is quite the opposite, as they lean on speed and quickness, playing a number of smaller guards big minutes. Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='825965' first='Lexi' last='Smith']</strong> (<em>11.0p, 2.5r</em>) and <strong>Azaryon Wesley</strong> (<em>10.0p, 5.1r, 2.3a</em>), plus Sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486492' first='Ailie' last='Taylor']</strong> (<em>9.8p, 4.7r</em>) and <strong>Mallory Watt</strong> (<em>8.3p, 2.4r</em>), lead the way for the Tigers. Heritage Hills has enough talent to potentially upset some either of these teams. Juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295813' first='Carlie' last='Still']</strong> (<em>11.2p, 3.9r, 2.1s</em>), <strong>Hadley Leibering</strong> (<em>10.3p, 6.8r</em>), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1218643' first='Mayci' last='Litherland']</strong> (<em>9.0p, 3.6r, 2.8a</em>), plus Sophomore <strong>Rylie Schipp</strong> (<em>9.1p, 2.6r</em>) and Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137294' first='Mia' last='Becher']</strong> (<em>8.0p, 3.6r</em>) provide balance, skill, and talent across the board for the Patriots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Washington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #32 - Gibson Southern</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Favorites:</strong> Gibson Southern, Evansville Memorial<br><strong>Sleeper:</strong> Boonville<br><strong>Longshots:</strong> Evansville Mater Dei, Mt. Vernon (Posey), Evansville Bosse</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preview:</strong> The last two years, Evansville Memorial (20-3) has beaten Gibson Southern (20-4) during the regular season, only to lose to the Titans in the Sectional. This year, they are on a collision course to face off in a Semi-Final game on Friday. Evansville Memorial again won the regular season matchup, but this year they'll try to double up and win the Sectional as well. Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='556017' first='Avery' last='Kelley']</strong> (<em>14.7p, 6.2r, 3.8a, 2.2s</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177332' first='Sophie' last='Johnson']</strong> (<em>13.0p, 4.8r, 2.4a</em>) are in their fourth year as starters for the Tigers, and they look to cap off their career with a nice tournament run. They get help from Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='610126' first='Rylee' last='Canaan']</strong> (<em>10.7p, 5.3r</em>) and Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295756' first='Myla' last='Browning']</strong> (<em>9.1p, 3.3r, 4.0a</em>). Gibson Southern counters with Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177324' first='Chloey' last='Graham']</strong> (<em>17.2p, 3.7r, 2.3s</em>), Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295774' first='Gabby' last='Spink']</strong> (<em>20.0p, 5.1r, 5.9a, 2.2s</em>), and Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756247' first='Paige' last='Schnaus']</strong> (<em>8.7p, 5.5r</em>). The Titans are even deeper than that and look to wear down opponents. If anyone can compete with those two teams, look for it to possibly be Boonville. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486484' first='Emily' last='Parker']</strong> is a versatile wing who can score it in bunches from all three levels. Junior <strong>Alison Ward</strong> and Sophomore <strong>Kristy Mockobee</strong> provide support for Parker and the Pioneers, but they'll need to step it up to another level if they want to knock off Memorial or Gibson Southern.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Our Pick:</strong> Gibson Southern</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->