February 2024

Three people are dead, including two young children, following a Sunday tragedy that has shaken the Good Neighbor City to its core. 

The sand was just about all the way through the hourglass when Cam Semrad, Charlie Jambor and Wyatt Ehrhardt came to the rescue.

New life. The Middleton boys hockey team’s season was resuscitated.

Not only that, Patrick Passini’s heroics in the third overtime of Tuesday night’s thrilling WIAA Division 1 regional championship game at Capitol Ice Arena meant the Cardinals’ postseason dreams didn’t die.

Ehrhardt’s goal with a minute remaining in the third period — on a frenzied sequence started by Semrad and Jambor — helped Middleton stave off elimination. Then Passini’s highlight-reel winner with 63 seconds to go in the third overtime delivered a 3-2 victory for the third-seeded Cardinals over sixth-seeded La Crosse Aquinas co-op, sending Middleton into Tuesday’s sectional semifinals against rival Verona.

“This is a game that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” said Passini, a sophomore forward.

Indeed, it was a dandy.

WAUNAKEE – After months of preparation, Middleton’s young wrestling team entered the postseason with high hopes.

But the Cardinals were dealt a serious blow when two-time senior co-captain and returning state place-winner Bryce Falk, who was ranked ninth at 175 pounds by Wisconsin Grappler, was scratched from the starting lineup.

Falk suffered an ankle injury during practice early last week while working out with his younger brother, Reed, who has been his practice partner all season.

“I felt really bad about my brother’s injury because he was predicted to go far at state,” said Reed Falk, a freshman, who was ranked eighth at 190 pounds. “So, I’m trying to make it to state for him and obviously for me, too.

“After what happened in practice, and it was kind of my fault that he got injured, I just really need to make it to state for him.”

MADISON — In the 1982 NCAA men’s basketball championship game, North Carolina led Georgetown, 63-62, in the final seconds.

Hoyas guard Fred Brown dribbled across half court, thought he spotted an open teammate on the right, but instead threw the ball to Tar Heels’ star James Worthy.

Moments later, UNC was the national champion.

On Feb. 8, Middleton senior wing Avery Houden played the role of Worthy in the Cardinals’ dramatic 76-73 win at Madison East.

With Middleton clinging to a three-point lead in the closing seconds, East’s Ebrahim Jarjue stole an inbound pass near the three-point line on the Purgolders’ end of the court. Jarjue thought about launching a 3-pointer, but Middleton’s 7-foot center Will Garlock came flying in his direction.

Jarjue thought he had an open teammate in the right corner and flipped the ball in that direction. Instead, he threw it to an open Houden.