EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial

Zach Hermsen, Jr., F, Lancaster boys basketball
LANCASTER — Junior Zach Hermsen and the Lancaster boys basketball team are making a statement early this year. Hermsen finished with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor, and a career-high 19 rebounds to lead the undefeated Flying Arrows (4–0) to a stunning 67–65 non-conference victory over Division 4 #8 Darlington last Tuesday night. 

The Redbirds finished 24–3 overall and 13–1 in the SWAL a year ago to share last year's conference title with eventual Division 4 state champion Mineral Point. Darlington, which is a perennial SWAL contender under coach Tom Uppena, was just one of two teams to beat the Pointers (28–2) a year ago. 

Meanwhile, Lancaster hasn't won a conference championship in boys basketball since 1987–88, also the last season the Flying Arrows won a regional title. In fact, Lancaster has only played in five regional final games — including last year's regional final loss at Mineral Point — since that magical 23–1 season 37 years ago. Perhaps, Hermsen and fellow juniors Dayne Kauffman (18.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Taylor Williams (11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3 apg) company will change the Flying Arrows' fortunes in the near future. 

Hermsen posted a season-high 23 points (9 of 14) with 9 rebounds and four steals in Tuesday's 69–52 non-conference win over Belleville. He also scored a team-high 16 points, to lead five players in double figures, and added seven rebounds, five assists and four steals in last Thursday's 83–62 win over Shullsburg.

The 6-foot-4 Hermsen is now averaging 18.5 points (50.9% FG, 85% FT), 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.2 assists through four games. He was a key contributor to a Lancaster squad that went 14-13 last year when he averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2 assists to earn All-SWC honorable mention as a sophomore.

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Ireland Cejka, 138 pounds, Prairie du Chien girls wrestling
Cejka went 4–0 and won the 138-pound title at last Saturday's GET/Melrose–Mindoro Girls Invitational with a 4–3 win over Milton's Jessie Demarasse in the finals. Cejka was one of four individual champions for the PDC girls team, which finished third out of 18 teams with just five wrestlers in the program's first competition as an official stand-alone program.

Jake Kretschman, So., F, Fennimore boys basketball
Kreschman posted his first career double–double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and snagged three steals in his first varsity start to help the improving Golden Eagles score a 61–49 SWAL road win at Boscobel last Thursday night.

Avery Richard, So., PG, Platteville girls basketball
Richard scored a team-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 51–42 win over visiting La Crosse Aquinas last Tuesday night. She then 18 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in a dominating 62–37 SWC win over Lancaster Friday night. Richard opened this week with another stellar all-around game of 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and just 1 turnover in a 62–30 blowout win over La Crosse Logan. Richard is averaging a team-high 14.6 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 3 steals per game for the undefeated Hillmen (7–0, 2–0 SWC).

Brooklyn Ritchie, So., G/F, Fennimore girls basketball
Ritchie used her speed and athleticism to score a career-high 31 points on 12 of 18 shooting (most of which were breakaway layups after steals), and had eight rebounds and six steals to lead the young Golden Eagles to their first win of the season, a 44–39 win at previously unbeaten Highland (5–1) Monday night. Ritchie then posted 21 points (9 of 13 FG), six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 59–54 SWAL win at Boscobel as the Fennimore girls (2–6, 1–2 SWAL) are now on a winning streak.

Aidan Uppena, Sr., F, Potosi boys basketball
Uppena scored 15 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and had three assists and three steals in Potosi's 68–41 season-opening win over Belmont last Friday morning in a Six Rivers West boys basketball game played at the Milwaukee Bucks' Fiserv Forum.

Zeke Zuberbuehler, Sr., G, Darlington boys basketball
Zuberbuehler pumped in a career-high 28 points on 11 of 19 from the field and 4 of 10 from 3-point range to lead Darlington (2–1, 2–0 SWAL) to a 59–43 SWAL win at Fennimore Tuesday night. He added five rebounds and three assists in the win. Last Thursday, he posted 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals in a 77–58 win over Cuba City in the SWAL opener for both teams.