October 2014

Excellence.

Consistency.

Brilliance.

This has been the norm inside Middleton’s boys volleyball program for years now. And the 2014 Cardinals certainly did their part in continuing the tradition.

Middleton won a pair of Big Eight Conference matches last week and finished the league season a perfect 10-0. The Cardinals won their third straight conference championship and eighth in nine years. During that stretch, Middleton is an amazing 92-4 in Big Eight matches, a .958 winning percentage.

“Impressive work by all the past and current players we have in the program,” Middleton coach Ben White said. “We are blessed to have athletes who have fallen in love with the game of volleyball and we have great alumni and seniors this year who instill what it means to play for Middleton and the tradition.”

The Cardinals made sure that tradition continued last week.

Editor's Note: Middleton hosts Sun Prairie in a WIAA Division 1 first round playoff game Friday at 7 p.m.

The last time the two schools met in the postseason was Oct. 30, 1999.

That night, Middleton senior wide receiver Ryan Oliversen won the game with a dramatic touchdown catch with just three seconds left. Interestingly, Oliversen is Middleton's wide receivers coach today.

Here's a recap of that memorable game.

Sun Prairie — Ryan Oliversen paused in mid-sentence.

He hunched his exhausted body forward, wiped his eyes momentarily, then decided not to fight the emotion and wept.

After regaining his composure, Oliversen turned apologetic.

“Sorry about that,” he said.

Believe this, Oliversen owed no one an apology.

Not after making one of the most dramatic plays in Middleton football history.

It will be the Battle of the Cardinals — Part II.

Middleton’s football team received the No. 2 seed in Group C of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs. Middleton will open the postseason against seventh-seeded Sun Prairie in a Level 1 game Friday at 7 p.m. at Breitenbach Stadium.

Middleton won the Big Eight Conference championship with an 8-1 record, but suffered its only loss of the season at Sun Prairie (6-3) on Sept. 19.

“The kids are fired up,” Middleton coach Tim Simon said, minutes after leaving his seeding meeting Saturday. “There’s not too many times in life you get a second chance at things.”

Kimberly (9-0) received the No. 1 seed in Group C, followed by Middleton, Fond du Lac (8-1), Madison La Follette (7-2), Verona (6-3), Janesville Craig (6-3), Sun Prairie and Madison West (5-4).

Those eight teams have a combined record of 55-17 (.764), the best winning percentage among the four groupings.

The Big Eight Conference meet didn’t go as well as they planned.

But Saturday provides a chance for redemption.

Middleton’s girls cross country team finished third at the Big Eight meet held at Leeson Park in Beloit.

Now, the Cardinals have to regroup quickly with the WIAA Division 1 DeForest Sectional slated for Saturday at 11:45 a.m.

Middleton has finished fourth at state the last two seasons. And the Cardinals know it will take a huge effort Saturday to return for the state meet in Wisconsin Rapids.

“Our girls are gamers,” Middleton co-coach Isaac Mezera said. “We have four seniors on the sectional team with a wealth of race experience, a junior who is primed for her best race yet, a sophomore who never quits, and a freshman who just found another gear. I think if we keep the right attitude and execute another perfect race, we'll end our season up in Wisconsin Rapids.”