Class 2A sectionals begin Feb. 3 with schedules, players to watch, predictions

The start of sectional play on Feb. 3 crystallizes the race in Class 2A, where Whitko and Monrovia stand out and dozens of smaller programs aim for breakthrough runs to regionals on Feb. 14 and beyond. The IHSAA’s blind draw announced Jan. 25 set 64 sectional championship paths; admission is $8 per session or $20 for all sessions, and the second team listed in each game is designated the home team.

Whitko arrives as the IGSCA poll No. 1 at 20-1 and carries momentum. “The Wildcats secured the first sectional and regional titles in program history in 2025, and they're built for similar success in 2026,” the preview notes, with Reese and Jayma Stonebraker singled out because they “do a bit of everything for the Cats.” Juniors Ally Brown and former South Bend Washington standout Kyra Lowe deepen a lineup that already includes quality wins over 4A Fort Wayne Northrop.

Monrovia, labeled the “Team to beat,” brings an inside-out threat in 6-foot sophomore forward Zoie Walls, who is averaging 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals while shooting 48% from the field. Junior Grace Deaton supplies secondary scoring at more than 9 points per game on 37% shooting, giving Monrovia a proven one-two punch as it awaits the Park Tudor-Riverside winner in a Sectional 42 bracket that grants Monrovia the first bye.

Park Tudor, 11-10, showed growth down the stretch and opens Sectional 42 against Riverside at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Aaliyah Wilson, Leyla Smiley and Sydney Squires are central to Park Tudor’s late-season form, and University drew the second bye in that sectional to face the Covenant Christian-Cardinal Ritter winner.

North Knox’s 15-5 record is driven by Lexi Primus, whom the preview calls “one of the best small-school talents in the state.” Seniors Jade Richter and Baylee McClure and freshman Caroline Yenne provide supporting fire. Rensselaer Central (18-3) “looks to run it back” with an “excellent 1-2 punch” in Kamri Rowland and Courtney Mathew, and Brodie Radtke has “upped her scoring rate to 11 points per game,” giving the Bombers balanced scoring.

Local sectionals show familiar rivalries and tight paths. Sectional 25 at Lebanon opens with a rematch between Guerin Catholic and Brebeuf Jesuit, with the Golden Eagles-Brebeuf winner slated to play Crawfordsville in Friday’s semifinal. Sectional 39 at Lapel lists Elwood vs Frankton and Lapel vs Sheridan as early games, with Tipton and Taylor projected into Friday semifinals depending on outcomes. The IHSAA document underscores that regionals are one-game championships on Feb. 14 and semi-state is a two-game affair, with winners advancing to the state final.

For fans and programs, the opening week is both scrutiny and opportunity. Keep an eye on Walls’ two-way production, the Stonebraker duo’s all-purpose impact for Whitko, Primus’ small-school dominance, and Rensselaer Central’s depth. With 393 teams entered and sectional champions decided Feb. 7, the next two weeks will reshape the Class 2A pecking order and set plotting for regionals and the semi-state march to the state championship.