Division 3, Sectional 2: First Look

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defending Sectional 2 champion Freedom returns one of the state's most coveted recruits in junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1847792' first='Donovan' last='Davis'], making the Irish an immediate threat to earn a second straight trip to the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament. However, looming in its own backyard in the upper half of the sectional is Seymour, the pre-season favorite to win the Bay Conference crown and a team with enough talent and depth to make things difficult for any team on its schedule. In the lower half of the sectional, traditional powers Little Chute and Xavier immediately pop out, but keep an eye on Winneconne, a team on the uprise and a newcomer to the Bay Conference.<br><br>Following is a look at the top players and top teams in Sectional 2:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Five Players in Sectional 2</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1847792' first='Donovan' last='Davis'], 6-8, Jr., F, Freedom<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'], 6-5, Sr., F, Seymour<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2434543' first='Logan' last='Ramczyk'], 6-2, Jr., G, Xavier<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2496332' first='Dominik' last='Baxter'], 6-5, Sr., G/F, Peshtigo<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2484370' first='Mylo' last='Albrecht'], 6-3, Sr., G, Northland Pines<br><br><strong>Five Breakout Performers in Sectional 2</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2387128' first='Hayden' last='Redington'], 6-5, Sr., F, Berlin<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508494' first='Isaac' last='Feske'], 6-3, Jr., G/F, Seymour<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2632876' first='Jameson' last='Beaman'], 6-3, Sr., G/F, Oconto Falls<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2501117' first='Cooper' last='Effa'], 6-2, Sr., G, Little Chute<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2724372' first='Kaden' last='Vandenberg'], 6-1, Jr., G, Freedom<br><br><strong>Top Five Teams in Sectional 2</strong><br><br><strong>1. Freedom </strong>-- After falling to Milwaukee Academy of Science in the Division 3 state-title game last March, Freedom is looking for more big-time success under coach Andrew Gibbons. Davis immediately propels Freedom into the favorite role as he does so many impactful things on the court. He averaged 22.7 points and 12.0 rebounds as a sophomore while also playing strong interior defense. Replacing standout guard Drew Kortz will be a challenge, but juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2724372' first='Kaden' last='Vandenberg'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2140894' first='Cal' last='Calhoon'] (5-9) join Davis as returning regulars from a team that went 28-2.<br><br><strong>2. Seymour</strong> --Seymour won 19 games a year ago and returns its entire starting lineup, led by Marks, a crafty forward who scores with elusive moves near the basket. While Marks led the squad in scoring at 212 ppg, he got plenty of help from the likes of junior [player_tooltip player_id='2508494' first='Isaac' last='Feske'] (14.5 ppg), senior [player_tooltip player_id='2500851' first='Xavier' last='Salzman'] (9.6 ppg), sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2508496' first='Teage' last='Cornell'] (9.3 ppg) and senior Sam Geyso (6-0). Off the bench, extremely promising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2615539' first='Jordan' last='Krause'] pitched in 11.1 ppg. This team is geared toward a huge season in a revamped Bay that expands to nine teams with the addition of Fox Valley Lutheran and Winneconne.<br><br><strong>3. Little Chute </strong>-- The Mustangs advanced to the sectional final before bowing to North Eastern Conference rival Freedom. A pair of regulars are back from that 21-7 squad in Effa and junior Trevor Verhagen (6-1). Depth is an asset along with quickness and defense for Little Chute, which also welcomes back seniors Noah Faccio (5-10), Cal VanRossum (6-3) and Jack Schultz (6-1) along with junior Reece Joten (5-10).<br><br><strong>4. Xavier </strong>-- The Hawks welcome back the co-Player of the Year in the Bay Conference in Ramczyk, one of the better backcourt prospects in the state's 2027 class. Also back is senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2616479' first='Kyler' last='Bleck'] (5-11), a very good shooter. Veteran coach Matt Klarner figures to surpass 300 career wins in 2025-26 and will look to players like senior Grant Neumann (6-1) and juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2509443' first='Caden' last='Schuler'] (6-2) and Quinn Comerford (6-0) to play big roles alongside Ramczyk and Bleck.<br><br><strong>5. Winneconne </strong>-- The Wolves won just eight games last winter, but this might be the most improved team in the sectional. John Flanigan begins his second season as head coach with tough-minded seniors in Iowa football recruit [player_tooltip player_id='2308750' first='Brody' last='Schaffer'] (6-1), versatile forward [player_tooltip player_id='2523953' first='Gage' last='Bartel'] (6-3) and sharpshooting wing [player_tooltip player_id='2500850' first='Parker' last='Ingles'] (5-11). Look for freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2436991' first='Drew' last='Lenz'] (5-8) to make an immediate impact for Winneconne. <br><br><strong>Sleeper Team</strong><br><br><strong>Berlin </strong>-- Coach Jeremy Mercer's squad moves from the now-defunct East Central Conference to the eight-team South Central with four starters back from a squad that won 17 games. The Indians boast one of the top players in the sectional in Redington, a big, strong and skilled forward who has committed to NCAA Division II Augustana for football. Other returning regulars include seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2913732' first='Carter' last='Hess'] (6-0), [player_tooltip player_id='2913773' first='Blake' last='Metoxen'] (6-0) and James Paskey (6-4).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->