After making a run to the WIAA state semifinals last season, the Fall Creek girls basketball team will look to close in further on another trip to Madison during Thursday's Division 3 sectional semifinal against Hurley.

Unlike last year's ride, the Crickets now find themselves playing the role of favorite in the Altoona sectional. Fall Creek's season resume can back their status up, as the Crickets handed Osseo-Fairchild their only loss of the regular season.

As they prepare for their final two game stretch, Fall Creek knows past success won't get them back to state. However, the Crickets don't mind carrying the team-to-beat label for a few more games.

"Last year we were kind of the underdogs and came up and nobody expected it," said Crickets junior guard Katelynne Folkers. "Now, we're being picked to win and it's way different than last year, because I think, after like our first two games of regionals last year, we weren't picked to win at all. It's good, but it's kind of like pressure, too."

Fall Creek head coach Jason Martzke also isn't touting the Crickets run last year, but he does feel this year's team is comparable to the 2009 squad.

A lot of people talked to us about being defending champions of this and that, of the sectional." Martzke said. "We said, 'You know what, that's last year.' You can't take it away from us. We're fighting for it just like everybody else, but you kind of see a little similarities between these teams."