Sports

If it wasn’t for bad luck, it doesn’t appear Middleton’s football team would have any luck whatsoever.

The 2017 season hasn’t even arrived, and Middleton has already lost four players expected to play vital roles.

During last Friday’s scrimmage with Watertown and Mount Horeb/Barneveld, the Cardinals lost two players with potential season-ending injuries.

Senior wideout Brogan Brunker suffered broken bones in his hand and stands a slim chance to return late in the year. Junior right guard Dylan Kalscheur suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire season.

Earlier this summer, junior Max Schlicht — a likely starter at tight end — suffered a torn ACL while playing basketball that ended his year before it even began. And during the first week of practice, senior left tackle Jarrett Horst suffered a Jones fracture in his foot and will likely miss most of the regular season.

The names and the faces have changed.

Big time.

But that’s just business as usual inside Middleton’s girls golf program.

What never changes are expectations. And those certainly won’t be altered this fall.

The Cardinals have finished in the top-three at the WIAA Division 1 state meet for four consecutive years. Now, after losing three of its top golfers — including state Co-Player of the year Alexis Thomas — Middleton could be hard-pressed to match that success level again.

But if history has taught us anything, it’s that doubting the Cardinals is a foolish endeavor. So when Middleton begins its new season Thursday at the New Glarus Invite, expect it to once again field a gifted and dangerous team.

“Our end goals will always be the same,” Middleton coach Becky Halverson said. “But it's our daily goals that will probably be a little different than in the past.”

The high school football season is still more than a week away, and Middleton has already suffered a big loss.

No, make that immense.

Senior offensive tackle Jarrett Horst, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 295 pounds, suffered a Jones fracture in his foot during practice last week. Horst underwent surgery Monday and is expected to miss eight weeks.

If Horst’s recovery goes well, he could return late in the regular season. If not, he could miss the entire year.

Middleton opens its 2017 campaign Aug. 18 against Madison Memorial.

“It’s a huge loss,” Middleton offensive coordinator Jason Pertzborn said. “I’m a little worried until we can get some answers up front.”

The Middleton 29ers have enjoyed a memorable Home Talent League season, to date.

Middleton went 14-2 during the regular season. The 29ers won the Northern Section’s Eastern Division. And Middleton was a No. 1 seed in the postseason.

But midway through the 29ers’ first round playoff game with Waunakee Sunday, they held a tenuous 2-1 lead. And Middleton manager Brandon Hellenbrand had a simple message for his team.

“It doesn’t matter what happened the last 16 games,” Hellenbrand said. “Now, its win or go home.”

Middleton wasn’t ready to have its season stopped.

The 29ers erupted for five runs in the sixth inning and seven more in the seventh and drilled visiting Waunakee, 14-2. Middleton improved to 15-2 overall and will host Black Earth (9-8) in the second round of the postseason Sunday at 1 p.m.

“Our bats came alive and we rolled the rest of the game,” Hellenbrand said.

Boy did they ever.

Tom Schmitt took over as Middleton’s baseball manager in 2003.

In that time, Schmitt and the Cardinals have won a state championship, have reached the state tournament seven times, and have been a consistent force in the Big Eight Conference.

So when Schmitt utters the following statement, you take notice.

“When I think of Alan Roden and the top kids we’ve ever had, he’s in the top-five,” Schmitt said of his junior catcher. “He’s been very fun to have.”

Roden, a University of Creighton recruit, just finished a tremendous season and was named first-team all-Big Eight Conference. Senior outfielder Liam Belleveau joined Roden on the first team, while junior pitcher Brady Schmitt was named second-team all-league and junior utility player Zach Shipley was named honorable mention all-conference.

In baseball, “ace” is used to describe a team’s number one starting pitcher, someone who can lead his team to victory with his arm.  

Middleton starting pitcher Drew Farrell looked every bit the part of an ace on Sunday, going the distance and leading the 29ers to a 7-0 win over Ashton.

Middleton improved to 10-0 in the Northern Section’s East Division and leads second place Black Earth by four games. Ashton fell to 5-5 and will need to fight for its postseason lives over the final month of the regular season.

Farrell dazzled while hurling a complete game. Farrell threw just 99 pitches and limited Ashton to four hits while striking out four.

Farrell rarely faced adversity in the game, dancing around two Ashton rallies in the fourth and sixth innings.

To the victors go the spoils.

Middleton’s girls soccer team had a tremendous season and captured the Big Eight Conference championship. Not surprisingly, the Cardinals dominated when it came to all-conference voting.

Senior forward Maya Shea, senior midfielder Kalli Acker and junior defender Emily Duecker were all named first-team all-conference. Freshman midfielder Tyler Wilson received second-team all-league honors, while senior forwards Payton Houden and Tessa Grywalsky, sophomore midfielder Charlotte Dunn, senior defender Lexey Grapentine, sophomore defender Emily Raisleger and junior Lexi Schultz were all named honorable-mention all-conference.

Shea led the Cardinals with 16 goals and ranked third with six assists. Shea received the most votes among forwards in the Big Eight, which put her in the running for Conference Player of the Year honors, as well.

MADISON — Andy Zucker grew accustomed to leading a group of golfers this season.

Monday and Tuesday, Middleton’s standout junior golfer was forced into a ‘Lone Ranger’ type role.

But Zucker showed he can thrive under any scenario.

Zucker posted a two-day total of 157 at the WIAA Division 1 boys golf tournament held at University Ridge and finished in a tie for 28^th place.

Middleton failed to qualify as a team for the first time since 2013. But Zucker advanced through sectionals and turned in an extremely solid two-day performance.

“I had a lot of fun,” said Zucker, who moved into the role of Middleton’s No. 1 player midway through the season. “Playing as an individual is a lot different.

“My mindset was to be more aggressive. I like being under pressure and I like a lot of people watching.”

Zucker certainly handled the pressure well, something Middleton coach Tom Cabalka took note of.

LACROSSE — Sitori Tanin finished her freshman basketball season as a reserve on Middleton’s varsity squad.

But Tanin capped her debut with the Cardinals’ track and field program this spring as the leader of the pack.

Tanin placed seventh in the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 37 feet, 2 ¼ inches at the WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet at UW-La Crosse’s Veterans Memorial Stadium last Friday evening.

While Tanin narrowly missed a spot on the podium, trailing sixth-place finisher Armoni Brown of Waukesha South by ¾ of an inch, Tanin exceeded her expectations.

“I was really excited to qualify for state,” Tanin said. “It’s my first year doing track. I didn’t think I’d get this far. It was a great experience just getting here. My initial goal when I actually qualified for state was to make the finals because I was seeded ninth.”

No one saw this coming.

Middleton’s girls soccer team seemed poised for a deep postseason run. The Cardinals seemed ready to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2013.

But that dream died last Saturday when ninth-seeded Verona stunned the top-seeded Cardinals, 1-0, in a WIAA Division 1 regional final.

“The season ended too quickly,” Middleton coach Mary Duffy said. “And looking back at it, it seems to have flown by and I am not sure where it all went. 

“Games came and went, goals for and against, slide tackles, headers, tears, sweat, hard work. It all seems like a blur in my head, and I wish I could slow down the fast paced picture flying through my head of all that this team went through this season.”

Most of what Middleton went through was certainly memorable.

The Cardinals won the Big Eight Conference title. They had lost just once since May. And they earned the No. 1 seed in their sectional.