Diving into Division 1 Sectional 4

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a lengthy but needed break, we're back looking at upcoming sectionals and wrapping up D1 with Sectional Four. It may not have the big names the other three have, but it should be unpredictable and fun to follow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Badger</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lake Geneva Badgers earned a trip to the regional finals last season but fell short against a talented Muskego team. Molly Deering was integral to the Badgers' offense and was consistent all season from all levels three levels. Having a first-team all-conference player back is always helpful. The Badgers will have an experienced group with Payton Hayes, Ashlinn Nottestad, Ella Jooss, and Lilly Butinas back this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Franklin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sabers lost experienced talent in the last few seasons, like Taylor Wojcinski, Vanessa Ahmad, Lauren Capstran, Rachel Jepsen, and Natalie Meaux. No matter who comes in, that's a sizeable void to fill with younger kids. However, there is still talent that should keep Franklin competitive. Gabriella Pritchard is a newcomer to this group, but her ability to handle pressure with the ball will be crucial this season. Having some other kids back, like Brenna Nichols, Ella Gromowski, [player_tooltip player_id='893405' first='Brianna' last='Binkowski'], and Maddie Lemke, should also help ease the transition to the new era of basketball at Franklin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenosha Bradford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a season with two scholarship-level kids in their 2023 class, Bradford bounced back with some younger talent. They had their ups and downs throughout the season but showed they could hang with the top teams in their sectional. [player_tooltip player_id='914325' first='Iyanna' last='Green'] did a solid job with an uptick in volume this season, Rhiana Barker's motor generated extra possessions for the Red Devils, and [player_tooltip player_id='1228873' first='Alise' last='Keys'] did an excellent job around the basket. They're the sneaky pick to come out of this sectional.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenosha Indian Trail</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After losing Adrianna Gonzalez, the Hawks have a massive offensive void to fill. No player can do that on their own, but they'll have some newcomers coming through who have an opportunity to step up, and players like [player_tooltip player_id='875007' first='Lily' last='Meo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='875010' first='Gianna' last='Greno'] will be relied on by their coaches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenosha Tremper</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another sneaky talented group from the Southeast Conference is Tremper. The Trojans knocked Oak Creek out of the postseason last February and have everyone back this season. [player_tooltip player_id='914321' first='Josie' last='Tenuta'] and Emily Giese are a proven duo who've elevated the Tremper program these past few seasons. Although those two have been tremendous, Juliette Sigurnajak's graduation will create opportunities for new talent to take a more prominent role.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Milwaukee Arts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'll preface this whenever I talk about Milwaukee City schools. Those programs aren't playing the same game as the rest of the state. Whenever there are 36 high schools in a city, it's almost impossible to rise and compete at a state level. However, never forget if you put all the Milwaukee schools together, they'd dominate. For Tech/Arts, Leandra Baez had a solid first season and has a platform to develop under coach Latham.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Milwaukee Hamilton/Audubon Technology</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats struggled last season, but Jessiah Collins is one of the best younger talents in the City Conference. Whenever you have a player like that in a program, you can work with that. Coach Vance Burnside Jr. has a passion for the game, and I'm pulling for them to take another step this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Milwaukee King</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Generals were among the top programs in the state before the pandemic but have had the struggles of every program that shut down for a season. However, there has always been talent at King. Imani Warren was one of the most underappreciated kids in the 2023 class, and Naomi Wilson had a standout first high school season for the Generals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Milwaukee Pulaski/Carmen South/Carmen Southeast</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The co-op had no games in the 2023-24 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Oak Creek</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nobody has been as consistent as the Knights. Losing in regionals last year isn't the norm for Oak Creek. Over the past decade, they've dominated the Southeast Conference. [player_tooltip player_id='465922' first='Megan' last='Geason'] will have the physical tools to control games. [player_tooltip player_id='815502' first='Savannah' last='Jones'] also has a role to play for the Knights as their primary ball handler. [player_tooltip player_id='883872' first='Ava' last='Heritage'] and Jessica Kuehn will add plenty of size to the Knights' rotation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->