Division 3, Sectional 4: First Look

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schools in Sectional 4 likely are not sad to wave goodbye to Milwaukee Academy of Science, which is moving from Division 3 to Division 2 due to the WIAA's success formula. Academy of Science won this sectional in three of the past four seasons and last March parlayed its sectional crown into a state championship. The team that beat Academy of Science in a sectional semifinal two years ago -- Saint Thomas More -- returns to Sectional 4 after one season in Division 2. And although the Cavaliers may not be among the favorites to win this grouping of teams, they could very well be a factor. Brown Deer, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Lake Country Lutheran and Oostburg in the top half of the bracket along with Messmer, Racine Lutheran and Racine St. Catherine's in the bottom half figure to be among the teams to beat in this 25-team sectional.<br><br>Following is a look at the top players and top teams in Sectional 4:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Five Players in Sectional 4</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1970502' first='Cade' last='Dirkse'], 6-2, Sr., PG, Oostburg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2117025' first='JJ' last='Zavatchin'], 6-3, Sr., F, Oostburg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2224532' first='Sam' last='Pitrof'], 6-4, Sr., G, Racine Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'], 6-0, Sr., PG, Racine St. Catherine's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2391076' first='Codie' last='Jones'], 6-3, Sr., G, Brown Deer<br><br><strong>Five Breakout Performers in Sectional 4</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508293' first='Delvito' last='Velazquez'], 5-10, Jr., G, Messmer<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508205' first='Weston' last='Zavatchin'], 6-5, Soph., G/F, Oostburg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'], 6-2, Jr., G, Racine Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140975' first='Pavle' last='Djilas'], 6-6, Jr., G, Brookfield Academy<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1753977' first='Jayden' last='Ragland'], 5-10, Sr., PG, Brown Deer<br><br><strong>Top Five Teams in Sectional 4</strong><br><br><strong>1. Racine Lutheran</strong> -- The Crusaders won 24 games a year ago and welcome back two of the better players in the Metro Classic Conference in Pitrof and Austin. Pitrof is a dynamic player due to his athleticism, activity and production. He can hurt opponents in so many different ways on both ends of the court. Austin is a steady lead guard who can score and set up his gifted teammates. Honorable mention all-league picks [player_tooltip player_id='2429738' first='Isaiah' last='Cosey'] (6-0) and [player_tooltip player_id='2833117' first='Deeon' last='Brumby'] (6-1) also return for coach Justin Hullum. <br><br><strong>2. Oostburg</strong> -- Any team with one of the smartest and toughest lead guards in the state is going to have some success. Oostburg has just that in Dirkse, a NCAA Division II recruit for Hillsdale College and a pass-first point guard who knows when to deliver the ball. Dirkse has a scoring wing to give the ball to as well in [player_tooltip player_id='2117025' first='JJ' last='Zavatchin'], a rugged and highly productive player who can hurt you inside and outside. And look for sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2508205' first='Weston' last='Zavatchin'] to have a huge season as well for coach Kevin Bruggink's Big East South outfit. <br><br><strong>3. Racine St. Catherine's</strong> -- The Angels lost just five games last season, but two of those setbacks came at the hands of rival Racine Lutheran. Coach Ryan Thompson has a roster loaded with experience and the best player in the sectional in the electric Hamilton, a four-year varsity player who can can out and get you 30 points on any given night. [player_tooltip player_id='2391089' first='Eddie' last='Vinson Jr.'] (5-11), [player_tooltip player_id='2432733' first='Antoine' last='Ozier'] (5-11), [player_tooltip player_id='2399573' first='Richard' last='Watson'] (5-11), A.C. Ward (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2140934' first='Jayden' last='Phillips'] (5-10) also return for coach Ryan Thompson. <br><br><strong>4. Lake Country Lutheran </strong>-- There is a new sheriff in town as Zach Jahns takes over the head coaching duties from Mark Newman and Lake Country Lutheran. But expect the beat to roll on for the perennial Midwest Classic Conference title contenders as the roster is loaded with talent, size, skill and toughness. The varsity team went 22-4 a year ago while the JV1 squad finished 20-1 and the JV2 team went 21-0. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2610583' first='Jake' last='Burow'] (6-3) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2402768' first='Ethan' last='Hans'] (6-2) are returning double-figure scorers while seniors Connor Lubbers (6-3) and Obidiah Mueller (6-2) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2841010' first='Simon' last='Duston'] (6-6) also figure to play key roles for the Lightning. <br><br><strong>5. Brown Deer</strong> -- The Falcons compete in the highly competitive Woodland East Conference and welcome back five starters from a club that went 9-16. Jones and Ragland are the big names here, but coach Darryl Longley also looks for big seasons from seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2637286' first='Jordan' last='Reed'] (6-2), Mike Essoka (5-11) and [player_tooltip player_id='2821803' first='Jaiden' last='Reed'] (6-4). Jones led the team in scoring at 23.5 ppg and can knock down perimeter shots at a very high rate while Ragland is a quick, athleticism and productive point guard who netted 18.5 ppg. <br><br><strong>Sleeper Team</strong><br><br><strong>Saint Thomas More</strong> -- The Cavaliers could well finish behind any number of teams in the final standings in the Metro Classic Conference. But coach Tony Mane's squad figures to get better as the season progresses. A solid group of seniors -- led by returning regulars [player_tooltip player_id='2500051' first='Omar' last='Fofana'] (6-0), Quin Buscher (6-7), Brandon Andrzewjewski (6-3), [player_tooltip player_id='2398478' first='Sebastian' last='Cruz'] (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='2641950' first='Brayden' last='Alivo'] (6-0) -- will lead the way for Saint Thomas More. But freshman Jacobe Cruz (5-9) could become a big factor the second half of the season along with junior Brody Alivo (5-10). Quickness and shooting are strengths for a team that will be battle tested once the playoffs roll around.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->