Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

2015-16 Recap: 

Germantown captured the North Shore title with a 12-2 record. Homestead and Cedarburg finished tied for second, both going 11-3. Grafton (9-5) and Whitefish Bay (6-8) rounded out the top five. Germantown defeated Homestead, 66-47, in a D1 regional final before falling to Arrowhead, 68-63, in a sectional semi-final. Cedarburg defeated Grafton, 52-40, in a D2 regional final befoe falling to Beaver Dam in overtime, 55-52, in a sectional semi-final. 

2015-16 Season Information (Standings, Stats, All-Conference)

2016-17 Preview

Predicted Order of Finish:
1) Germantown 
2) Cedarburg  
3) Homestead
4) Grafton 
5) Whitefish Bay 
6) Port Washington 
7) Nicolet 
8) Milwaukee Lutheran 

Players to Watch: 

Amanda Baierl, sr., Port Washington -- Baierl was named first team all-North Shore after finishing fourth in the league in scoring with 16.8 points per game as a junior. 

Hannah Belanger, soph., Grafton -- As just a freshman, Belanger received first team all-league honors after finishing third in the conference in scoring with 18.2 points per contest. She connected on 50 three-pointers last season. 

Ellie Clements, soph., Whitefish Bay -- Clements will move into a more prominent role after posting just under 4 points per game as a freshman. 

Chloe Doring, sr., Grafton -- Doring earned honorable mention all-North Shore as a junior, averaging 9.3 points per contest. 

Taylor Kerwin, sr., Whitefish Bay -- Kerwin will move into a leading role after averaging 6.8 points, 5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game as a junior. 

Chloe Marotta, jr., Homestead -- Marotta, a Marquette recruit, was named first team all-North Shore as a sophomore, averaging 13.8 points and 10 rebounds per contest. 

Kalli Murphy, jr., Cedarburg -- Murphy averaged 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game en route to earning second team all-North Shore laurels for the Bulldogs as a sophomore. 

Emily Polk, sr., Homestead -- Polk will move into a larger role after scoring 3.1 points per game as a junior for the Highlanders. 

Kennedy Ross, sr., Cedarburg -- Averaging 7 points and 3.2 assists per game, Ross was chosen honorable mention all-league as a junior. 

Kenzie Schmitz, sr., Germantown -- Schmitz, a Miami-Ohio recruit, was named North Shore Player of the Year as a junior; averaging a conference-high 20.6 points to go along with 10 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. 

Olivia Verdin, sr., Germantown -- Verdin took home second team all-league after posting 9.3 points, 2 assists and 2 steals per game as a junior. 

2016-17 Team Previews: 

1) Germantown has won the past three North Shore titles and the Warhawks are the team to beat once again this season. Coach Matthew Stuve told WSN that they will have a strong and athletic team. "Our guard depth should be good and allow us to pressure and play uptempo." Coach Stuve went on to say that overall team size/height is an area of concern. "We'll have to rebound and defend as a team." Miami-Ohio recruit Kenzie Schmitz highlights the squad, leading the conference in scoring and leading the team in all the major stats as a junior. Other key returners include Olivia Verdin (Sr., 9.3 PPG), Megan Ische (Jr.., 6.8 PPG), Taylor Weitermann (Sr., 4.2 PPG). Germantown will also get an immediate impact from freshman point guard Natalie McNeal. The Warhawks open the year ranked No. 8 in the Division 1 WisSports.net Preseason Top 10. 

2) Cedarburg will contend for the league title with the return of four starters from their 2015-16 squad that finished tied for second. The Bulldogs will need to fill the void left with the graduation of leading scorer and rebounder Allie Barber. Coach David Ross told WisSports.net that they will have strong guard play. Leading the way for the Bulldogs is Kalli Murphy, who finished second in scoring and rebounding, and led the team in assists and steals as a sophomore. Seniors Kennedy Ross, Morgan Wallace (4.9 PPG) and Shannyn Block (5.5 PPG) are also back as starters. Additional players that will contribute include Allison Jessup (Sr.), Kendra Murphy (Jr.) and Lauren Driscoll (Sr.). 

3) Homestead will be in the mix for the North Shore title after finishing tied for second last season. The Highlanders will need to fill the void left with the graduation of three of their top four scorers, but have a good piece to build around in Marquette recruit Chloe Marotta who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season. Seniors Emily Polk and Olivia Wasserman should see their production increase this season as they move into larger roles. Additional players who will contribute this season include seniors Brionna McLeod, Sarah Severson and Holly Dooge. Homestead opens North Shore play at Grafton on December 2. 

4) Grafton returns four starters from last year's team that finished fourth in the North Shore with a 9-5 record. The Black Hawks will need to adjust to a new coach with Mike Grzesiak taking over head coaching duties. Sophomore guard Hannah Belanger leads the way for the Black Hawks, she finished third in the conference in scoring as a freshman. Fellow seniors Chloe Doring, Gillian Waskiewicz (5 PPG) and Madison Tomashek (4 PPG) also return as starters. Three other letterwinners return and they will also get production from sophomore Hailey Block. 

5) Whitefish Bay will look to compete for a spot in the top half of the standings with the return of three starters from their 2015-16 team that finished with a 6-8 record. The Blue Dukes will need players to step into larger scoring roles with the graduation of their top two scorers. Coach Jon Schneider told WisSports.net that athleticism, size, depth and defense are strengths. Returning to the starting lineup for the Blue Dukes are Sam Loyda (Sr., 5.2 PPG), Ali Menard (Jr., 5 PPG) and Ellie Clements (Soph., 3.8 PPG). Six other letterwinners also return, including juniors Grace James and Dora Stasiak. Whitefish Bay will also welcome in players from last year's JV squad that went 20-2 last season. 

6) Port Washington returns their top three scorers from last year's squad that went 4-10 in the North Shore. Amanda Baierl leads the way for the Pirates, she finished fourth in the conference in scoring last season. Seniors Karly Lehtikangas (6 PPG), Haley Erlandson (5 PPG) and Ann Nuedling (7 PPG) also return as key players for the Pirates. There additional seniors in Meghan Vandeboom, Lilly Cook and Kendra Strohm will also contribute for Port Washington. 

7) Nicolet will be in rebuilding mode this season after graduating six of their top seven scorers from their 2015-16 squad that finished with a 2-12 record in the league. The Knights will also have a new coach this season with Megan Lund taking over the program. Lund played collegiately at UW-Oshkosh and was an assistant at Nicolet the past three seasons. Sophomore Jayla Williams and senior Laura Keyser are their top returners. 

8) Milwaukee Lutheran went 1-13 in the North Shore and 3-20 overall last season. The Red Knights graduated four of their top six scorers; seniors Maddy Jeninga (7.3 PPG) and Ashley Folker (5.6 PPG) are their top returners.