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Sectional 1

#1 Rib Lake (14-9, 5-1 Marawood North) vs. #3 Shell Lake (13-11, 5-7 Lakeland Central)
7 pm at Shell Lake

The northwestern sectional can also be tabbed as the Sectional of Lakes, as two of three will clash in the upper sectional semifinal. Shell Lake may have finished fourth in the Lakeland Central with a sub-.500 record, but its strength of schedule and ability to host might play a role in the Lakers’ upset bid—as despite earning just the regional’s #3-seed, it breezed through the mostly Indianhead Conference competition. The Redmen meanwhile, beat No. 8 ranked and Lakeland East champion Winter in the regional final but whichever team manages a victory in this semifinals will get quite a challenge in the sectional final.

#1 Turtle Lake (22-6, 10-2 Lakeland Central) vs. #1 Owen-Withee (34-1, 9-0 Cloverbelt East)
7 pm at Turtle Lake

The third Lake in the sectional has likely the toughest draw, as No. 9 Turtle Lake hosts Cloverbelt East champ and No. 5 Owen-Withee in the lower half of the sectional. The Lakers, which won the Division 4 state championship three consecutive seasons from 1993-95, will rely on the play of its strong senior class—namely setter Ashley Lahti and Victoria Westlund—to make its first trip back to the state tournament since 2000. Owen-Withee won its second consecutive undefeated Cloverbelt East title and sailed past two-time defending sectional champion McDonell in the regional final. The likely sectional favorite Blackhawks team, led by Aleyna Goerlitz, Alyssa Gordon and Kenadi Batchelor must overcome a hostile Laker crowd in a true road match in order to earn its first state tourney berth in school history.

Semifinal winners play Saturday, 7 pm at Clayton

Sectional 2

#2 Newman Catholic (17-13, 3-3 Marawood South) vs. #1 Assumption (11-13, 1-5 Marawood South)
7 pm at Assumption

Marawood South Conference rivals will meet for the third time this season, as the Fighting Cardinals won both meetings in sweeping fashion. In a sectional incredibly wide-open it will likely come down to who gets hottest this weekend and Newman has the most recent playoff experience of any remaining four teams from the northeast, having earned state tournament berths in 2008 and 2009. Newman knocked off No. 3 Tigerton in the regional final in four sets—three of which were decided by the minimum two points. Assumption meanwhile was actually the top-seeded team in its regional, despite a sub-.500 overall record. In fact, the 11 wins this season are ten-fold improved from the last two years’ combined 3-44 overall record. The Royals beat #2-seed and defending sectional champion Valley Christian in the regional final and will look to keep the momentum alive.

#2 Wabeno (30-4, 8-1 Northern Lakes) vs. #1 Green Bay NEW Lutheran (11-36, 4-6 Packerland)
7 pm at Florence

The Logrollers’ overall record is one of the best in the state, and because of it they have seen a ranking in three of the four WVCA coaches’ polls this season. Wabeno is running on all cylinders this time of year behind impressive play from Ashley Baugnet and Brielle Bodoh. As mentioned above, this sectional is full of question marks, including whether Wabeno enters Thursday’s semifinals as the favorite to advance—after all Wabeno’s trip to Florence is less than half of that of NEW Lutheran, and the Logrollers have experience winning in Florence’s home gym after knocking off the Bobcats in a five-set thriller last Saturday evening. NEW Lutheran enters the matchup fully enjoying the drop-down effect, as the Blazers’s 4-6 record in the generally larger Packerland Conference usually stands up strongly against Division 4 competition.

Semifinal winners play Saturday, 7 pm at Ashwaubenon

Sectional 3

#1 Cochrane-Fountain City (24-4, 9-0 Dairyland) vs. #1 Hillsboro (27-1, 14-0 Scenic Bluffs)
7 pm at Brookwood

Cochrane-Fountain City has definitely lived up to its lengthy name, winning the Dairyland Conference three years straight. Yet this season the Pirates finally shook off the rest, taking the title outright after an early five-set win over second-place Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran. Led by outsides Becca Bagniewski and Kate Willadsen, C-FC held off a pesky Plum City squad in the regional final. Hillsboro’s sole dual loss of the season came to the host Beavers at the Reedsburg Invite in early October, otherwise the Tigers have dropped just three total sets all season. Head coach Rob Schroeder has built quite a program, as either the Tigers or Royall has seemingly won every Scenic Bluffs Conference title since the dawn of time. This season, Hillsboro added another trophy to the case and its second straight in undefeated fashion, and beat rival Royall 3-0 again in the regional final.

#1 River Ridge (21-1, 11-1 Six Rivers West) vs. #1 Wonewoc-Center (20-7, 11-3 Scenic Bluffs)
7 pm at Boscobel

River Ridge, which earned the top seed in the regional, actually did so before beating #2-seed Potosi in the Six Rivers West season finale. Yet the prognosticators in the regional seeding meetings were correct, as the Timberwolves in fact did beat then-league-leading Potosi, and again in a very hard-fought regional final. River Ridge, whose athletes got a taste of a state tournament berth in basketball last season, will look to attain similar results as they hope to take out a pair of tough sectional foes. Wonewoc-Center ended Highland’s high-hopes of repeating as Division 4 state champions with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-23 sweep of the Cardinals in the regional final. The Wolves finished runner-up to Hillsboro in Scenic Bluffs play, and its other five season losses came to the likes of Lodi, Sparta, Platteville and Royall—all very strong programs. Earning a sectional berth is one thing, but Wonewoc would sure love a third chance at tackling Hillsboro for an even greater prize.

Semifinal winners play Saturday, 7 pm at Luther in Onalaska.

Sectional 4

#1 Sheboygan Lutheran (24-8, 5-3 Central Lakeshore) vs. #1 Living Word Lutheran (34-1, 8-0 Midwest Classic North)
7 pm at Sheboygan Lutheran

Sheboygan Lutheran battled all season in a very tough Central Lakeshore Conference, earning a fourth-place finish with a 5-3 mark. The Crusaders breezed past crosstown rival Sheboygan Christian with an easy sweep in the regional final, but will host very game Living Word Lutheran in the sectional semifinal.  Led by the tandem of Katelynn Kempf and Lauren Van Seters, Lutheran is hoping home court advantage could make the difference. Living Word won the Midwest Classic North for the second straight season, thanks in large part to the play of Taylor Luce and Jenn Schleg—likely all-conference First Team nominees. The Timberwolves have been ranked No. 2 throughout the season consistently and are fighting for the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup against Catholic Central in the sectional final.

#2 Central Wisconsin Christian (19-12, 6-3 Trailways North) vs. #1 Catholic Central (32-10, 7-1 Midwest Classic South)
7 pm at Williams Bay

The Crusaders finished fourth in a historically strong Trailways division and was consistently led by the attack of seniors Laney Kemink and Joeli Heuver. Central Wisconsin Christian finally broke through, earning its first sectional berth after falling in the regional finals the past two seasons. Yet CWC will face a very tough Catholic Central squad with its eyes on the prize after finishing runner-up last season. The top-ranked Hilltoppers are overwhelming favorites to take the D4 crown. Catholic Central returned all but one player from last year’s roster that includes Britte Schneider, Ali Hocking, Maggie Smith, Ali Wiemer, Amanda Koenen and the like. This team has battled against and beaten some of the best Division 1 and 2 competition in the state; needless to say the Hilltoppers will be a very tough opponent for anyone else in Division 4.

Semifinal winners play Saturday, 7 pm at Lake Country Lutheran in Hartland