Can football Cards turn the corner?
Middleton has the largest high school in the state.
Otto Breitenbach Stadium inside Borden Athletic Complex is one of the finest facilities you’ll find. The youth programs are tremendous. The participation at the high school level is impressive. And the community’s passion for their Cardinals is notable.
By all accounts, Middleton has everything necessary to be one of the state’s elite programs year in and year out.
It hasn’t been that way for some time, though — something the 2025 Cardinals will aim to change this fall.
Middleton opens its 2025 season with a trip to defending WIAA Division 1 state champion Bay Port on Aug. 21. And if ever there was a time for the MHS program to make a statement, this would be it.
“I think it’s a great thing,” Middleton standout senior linebacker Tyler Vogt said of starting against Bay Port. “I think that we’re all going to be pumped up for that game. It’s going to be a great game and we’ve just got to see who comes out on top. I personally think it's going to be us, but we’ve just got to trust the process and keep working.”
Middleton has been a postseason staple for three decades now, qualifying for the playoffs every year since 1996. The Cardinals’ last trip to the state semifinals, though, came in 2008.
Middleton is also 14-15 in the postseason since 2008 and has reached Level 3 of the playoffs three times — in 2010, 2016 and 2021. The Cardinals also enter the new season looking for their first Big Eight Conference title since 2015.
“I think they’re hungry,” MHS co-head coach Joe Poehls said. “And I’ll tell you, I love the group. The camaraderie, that’s kind of what makes it electric. They’re good to each other and they’re picking each other up and there’s a selflessness with these guys.”
Middleton will bring back a team that went 7-4 overall last season and finished third in the Big Eight Conference at 5-2. The Cardinals edged Chippewa Falls in their playoff opener, then were shutout by Waunakee, 17-0, in round two of the postseason.
The Cardinals will be led by senior quarterback Joey Passaglia, who threw for 32 touchdowns and nearly 2,500 yards last fall. Wideouts Chase Rogers (47 catches, 703 yards, six TDs) and Jackson Guerrero (41-443-2) are extremely dangerous, while running back Elijah Jackson is a threat in both the run and pass game.
“There’s some firepower there,” Poehls said of the offense.
There’s star power on defense, as well, where Vogt, end Reed Falk, and defensive backs Oliver Wenning and Patrick Passini all return. Vogt and Wenning were both named second-team all-conference last year, while Falk was honorable-mention all-conference.
While Middleton seemingly has plenty of pieces for a big season, the Cardinals will certainly have their hands full against Bay Port. The Pirates have been to the playoffs every year since 2001 and have reached the state semifinals three times in the last six years.
“They’re one of the best programs in the state, year in and year out” Middleton co-coach Tim Simon said of Bay Port.
The Pirates will be led by senior dual threat quarterback Matt Stevens, who threw for 27 touchdowns and 2,148 yards year. Stevens also ran for 775 yards and six TDs.
Standout Brady Moon, who ran for 1,479 yards and 25 TDs last year, is one of the top returning running backs in the state. And senior linebacker Brock Gauthier, who had 131 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2024, is one of the state’s top returning defensive players.
“I just think about it as another game we’ve got to compete and win,” Middleton senior quarterback Joey Passaglia said. “We don’t need to think it’s the biggest game on earth. It just has to be the next game for us. Do our thing and not have to worry. Be smart, trust what we’ve been doing all week and trust all our practices going up to that.”
Middleton and Bay Port have played each season since 2021 and the Pirates are 3-1 in that time.
A year ago, the Cardinals led, 28-21, heading to the fourth quarter, but Bay Port scored the final 16 points of the game to prevail.
Middleton, which brings back 27 letterwinners and nine starters, believes it had the type of offseason that will allow it to catch powers like Bay Port. And the Cardinals are anxious to show it on Aug. 21.
“I think it's definitely how we push each other in the offseason,” Vogt said. “Like, we held each other very accountable and getting on each other in the sense of love.
“So, we’ve held each other very accountable and if we keep working hard, day in and day out, every single time we step on that field, I think that’s the next step to go from a Week 2 playoff exit to the semifinals and finals.”
Passaglia agreed.
“I think it just comes down to us trusting the coaches, the coaches trusting us and the leadership throughout the whole team and our communication,” Passaglia said. “Like I feel this year we’re more connected as a team than any team I’ve ever been part of. The brotherhood is great.”
• Odds and ends: Middleton will host Marquette in a scrimmage Friday at 5 p.m. … The Cardinals’ players elected the captains for the 2025 season. They are Vogt, Passaglia, Wenning and senior offensive linemen Jaxon Hodges.
