We kick off our previews of area boys basketball Sectional play today in Class 1A. Nobody comes in with a winning record, but its fair to point out that someone has a nice win recently that pushes them to the head of the pile.
THE FAVORITE
FREMONT
Coming off being the only team in the NECC to top Westview makes this a no brainer. Fremont’s record may not adequately reflect that high level of player they have, especially for Class 1A, where they are 2-0 on the season. Kamron Colclasure is a dynamic scorer and Westview just learned that but he is far from the only weapon on this team. They are scrappy and fight well on the defensive end as well as on the glass. Logan Brace, Gabel Pentecost, Ethan Bock and Ethan Bontrager can all step up into huge roles and nobody else in this Sectional really has that kind of top end depth.
THE CONTENDER
BETHANY CHRISTIAN
With fans leaking back into games at a steady rate, home court is going to start mattering. That could be a nice help for Bethany Christian as they are a good team in this Sectional. So being at home and having some home fans will certainly help them contend and get near a favorite. Beck Willems makes really good decisions with the ball and is one of the better scorers and distributors in this Sectional.
THE OTHERS
LAKEWOOD PARK
The Panthers have struggled since losing Caedmon Bontrager, as they did before he left but they also now have had to find a new leader on both ends of the court. When Aiden Fetters has been able to be in the lineup, he has done well for them but that has been sparse due to a variety of factors. Lately, Levi Hindle has had some really strong games and Carter Harman is always a threat on both ends of the floor. Don’t look past the Panthers here just yet.
ELKHART CHRISTIAN
They have some wins that are pretty decent, including a big one over Lakewood Park. A win against Bremen is also decent, as is taking LaVille to overtime in a losing effort. Noah Hunt will look to control around the basket while Bryce Schrock is a good pace setter and distributor.
HAMILTON
To no surprise, Hamilton isn’t ready to contend in this Sectional and their draw means that contending even for a win is going to be hard. They lost by 62 to Fremont to start the season and the Eagles are much better now.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Carter Harman, Lakewood Park: He is a ball of energy up and down the court and for Lakewood to contend, they need to feed off some raw emotion. Averaging 8.6 points per game, Harman is a solid outside shooter but doesn’t mind attacking the rim either.
Logan Brace, Fremont: He is coming off just an excellent game in a win over Westview. He wants the ball and when he gets going on a streak, he is as consistent as anyone in this Sectional. It seems like he has a great ability to step up in clutch moments so to get to a Sectional title he may just do so again.
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