January 2023

Goal No. 1 is in the books.

And this novel seemingly has several terrific chapters remaining.

Middleton’s boys swimming and diving team won the Big Eight Conference regular season title last Friday by cruising to a win at its own triangular. Middleton defeated Janesville Craig, 133-24, and toppled Sun Prairie East, 118-52.

Those wins helped Middleton win the conference’s regular season title with a 9-0 dual meet record.

“The meet went well,” Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen said. “Having some of our boys finish up their season at the meet, it was great to see them end on a high note. Lots of best times and fun races. The energy was high and the pool was full of spectators.”

Middleton’s foursome of Jack Madoch, Sam Wolf, Theo Wolf and Nick Chirafisi won the 200-yard medley relay, while the Cardinals’ quartet of Max Carter, Ban Cutler Heiderscheit, Caden Van Buren and Jack Madigan was second.

Middleton’s hockey team took a body blow last Friday.

But the Cardinals rebounded a delivered a few haymakers of their own last Saturday.

Middleton fell to Verona, 6-2, on Jan. 20. But the Cardinals bounced back with a 6-2 win over Madison West on Jan. 21.

Middleton improved to 13-7 overall and stayed in second place in the Big Eight Conference at 7-3.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Verona 6, Middleton 2 — Brady Engelkes and Eli Covey had goals for the Cardinals, but it wasn’t nearly enough against the conference-leading Wildcats.

Verona scored late in the first period and midway through the second to take a 2-0 lead. Covey had a power play goal on an assist from Drew Sjowall at the 14:25 mark of the second period to pull the Cardinals within 2-1.

But Middleton failed to take advantage of several other penalty play opportunities.

The Roman Candle Pizza restaurant owner Brewer Stouffer says, “I am hanging up my apron.” Serving pizza in the Madison area for 18 years and for a time at four different locations, Stouffer says the business was hit with the perfect storm of challenges that led him to make the tough decision to walk away. 

The Roman Candle Pizza will close its last remaining location in Middleton on Feb. 4. The restaurant once had locations on Monroe Street and Williamson Street in Madison and in Fitchburg. Stouffer says the business, like many others, has been impacted by several factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid changes in technology and consumer trends. 

“It was a perfect storm for a lot of local businesses, you had the labor crisis that pre-existed COVID, then you had food costs go up exponentially in some cases, and then you had people’s dining habits change,” Stouffer says.

Will Garlock wasn’t quiet in the first half last Thursday night against Madison Memorial. But the big man on the Middleton boys basketball team wasn’t loud, either, mustering five points on a free throw and a pair of field goals.

He left a much bigger imprint on the game in the second half.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore scored on the very first possession after halftime to stretch the Cardinals’ lead to seven points, and he would add a dozen more points over the final 17 minutes, 50 seconds to finish with 19 on the night and leading Middleton to a 60-51, Big Eight Conference victory over the rival Spartans.

“Coming out of the break they drew up a little ‘shake’ action for me and I got that lay-up, and then from there it built momentum for the whole team and for me to get stops and score on the other end,” Garlock said of the play that gave MHS a 32-25 lead.