December 2015

Middleton’s boys basketball team has a banner hanging in the north corner of the field house where it lists conference championships.

That banner has been lonely for a while, as the Cardinals haven’t claimed a Big Eight Conference title since the 2000-‘01 season.

It’s early, but that 15-year drought could be ending soon.

Middleton notched the biggest win of its season last Saturday, topping 12-time defending conference champion Madison Memorial, 71-63. Junior guard Storm Murphy scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half, while junior forward Tyree Eady had 12 of his 14 points after halftime.

The Cardinals improved to 6-0 both overall and in the league and lead second-place Sun Prairie (4-1, 5-1) by 1.5 games. Madison Memorial fell to 4-2, 4-2.

“I think this was a huge statement win for us, not just for the Big Eight, but the state,” Eady said. “It shows we can play with anybody and we’re up there with the top teams in the state.”

The process started more than a year ago.

Videos sent to schools throughout the country. Talks with coaches from all corners. Making campus visits whenever possible.

Last week, Middleton softball standout Rachel Everson finally saw all of her hard work — both on the field and on the recruiting trail — pay off.

Everson accepted a full scholarship to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Everson, a junior at MHS, will be a freshman at IPFW in the fall of 2017.

“The recruitment process didn’t come easy,” Everson said. “I started a year ago having my hitting coach email my skills video to schools throughout the country. We got a fair amount of interest, and from that some coaches came to watch me play on my travel team and/or I attended their camp.

Their start has turned heads across the Big Eight Conference — and the state, for that matter.

Now, Middleton’s boys basketball team gets a pair of big-time tests this week.

The Cardinals improved to 4-0 overall and in the league last Friday with an 81-39 destruction of Madison La Follette. Now, things intensify this week when Middleton hosts Sun Prairie (3-0, 4-0) Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Madison Memorial (3-1, 3-1) Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

“Sun Prairie and Madison Memorial were my top preseason picks in the Big Eight Conference, along with Madison East,” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said.

Middleton has entered that discussion now, thanks to its impressive start. And the Cardinals continued to roll with a strong showing against the Lancers.

Junior forward Tyree Eady, the Big Eight’s leading scorer at 25.2 points per game, led the Cardinals with 23 points and six steals. Junior guard Storm Murphy added 19 points and six assists.

Sam Niesen is quick to admit he had some doubts.

Niesen, Middleton’s boys swimming coach, watched his team struggle in their season-opener two weeks ago.

Since then, though, the Cardinals have made immense strides. And Middleton continued its upward trend last week.

Middleton bested Sun Prairie, 111.50-58.50, and toppled Janesville Parker, 130-40 at its own triangular. The Cardinals also finished second to Madison West at the Janesville Parker Relays last Saturday.

“We had a rough start in our first meet,” Niesen said. “But it has been a solid uphill climb ever since.

“A lot of the boys that don’t swim year-round are starting to get into shape, and they're really starting to impress me with how quickly they’re dropping time. We've got a good group of talent to work with, and I can tell that they're getting excited about their capabilities in the pool.”