MIDDLETOWN — Preble Shawnee High School boys basketball coach Roger Ellis is having a lot of fun coaching this season.

After losing four starters from last year’s Division III district runners-up squad, not many felt the Arrows would be as strong, but they have they have posted a 14-2 record with 11 straight wins.

They earned the No. 3 seed on Sunday at the Dayton sectional tournament draw meeting at Wright State University.

Even more surprising to Ellis was the top two seeds — Miami East and Greeneview — jumping in the same bracket with each other.

“I was thinking I had won the lottery,” Ellis said. “Typically, when you have three brackets to choose from, the top seed goes into one, the two seed into another and the three seed into the other one, but we like our chances with where we’re at.”

The Arrows will face Anna, the team that knocked them out in the district championship last year, at 5 p.m. Feb. 26 at Tecumseh.

“Anna is a well-coached team and they play in that Shelby County League,” Ellis said. “But I think our league has shown it has some quality teams too.”

Madison’s stock dropped a bit because of its recent struggles. The Mohawks (11-7), last year’s No. 1 seed, earned the seventh seed Sunday and will play West Liberty-Salem at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Bellbrook.

“I think a lot of teams look at us as a wounded animal,” Madison coach Jeff Smith said. “We were 11-3 before Joe (Adleta) got hurt and we’ve lost four straight. We’re just trying to find our way without him right now.”

Adleta, the Mohawks’ third leading scorer, will miss the rest of the season with a broken hand.

“We were the hunted team last year,” Smith said. “Now we are doing the hunting, but I think this group will bounce back and turn it around.”

Also in D-III, Carlisle (6-11) will play Greeneview at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Tippecanoe.

In D-II, Fenwick (10-8) earned the fifth seed and will play fourth-seeded Bellbrook at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 at Lebanon.

“We thought this bracket was our best bet,” Falcons coach Pat Kreke said. “Bellbrook passed, so we chose a spot and they came on at us. They are a nice team, and there is no easy path, but with our strength of schedule I just like where we are at.”

In D-II at Lebanon, Valley View (11-6) will play Chaminade Julienne at 6 p.m. Feb. 25, while the winner plays Franklin (11-6) at 6 p.m. on March 1. Monroe (1-17) will face Dunbar at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25.

In D-IV at Oak Hills, No. 4 seed Middletown Christian (8-9) will play the Cincinnati Christian/Fayetteville-Perry winner at 6 p.m. March 2.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.