MHS faces stiff test with Bay Port
Resiliency.
Toughness.
Grit.
Middleton might have lost its 2025 season opener at Bay Port, 39-36, last season. But the Cardinals showed all three qualities in defeat.
Middleton trailed the mighty Pirates, 39-14, midway through the fourth quarter, but battled back within a field goal and fell, 39-36. Bay Port went on to play in the WIAA Division 1 state championship game, while the Cardinals eventually won the Big Eight Conference for the first time in a decade and went 9-2 overall.
Middleton’s refusal to throw in the towel and make things interesting against a championship-level program like Bay Port was key to its eventual success last season.
“When you’re playing them, you know there are very few teams in the state that are going to play you harder and play you better than they will,” Middleton senior center Braden Poehls said. “So that’s like a gut check right there if you can hang with them. So the way we battled back last year and made that game competitive was big.”
Middleton hosts Bay Port Thursday at 7 p.m. in the season opener for both teams. And this year, the Cardinals want to be much more than competitive.
They want to be victorious.
“It’s going to be tough,” senior right tackle Madden Cleary said. “But my excitement is 10 out of 10. I’m just excited to see what we can do.”
The Cardinals and Pirates began a home-and-home series in 2021, and Middleton is just 1-4 in those contests. The Cardinals’ lone win was a 35-29 victory at Bay Port in 2023 when MHS running back Bryce Falk had four rushing touchdowns and defensive end Sam Pilof had 13 tackles.
Of course, there’s no shame in losing to a perennial power like Bay Port. The Pirates have been to back-to-back state championship games, won the state title in 2024 and are 53-11 since the start of the 2021 season (.828).
While facing the Pirates is a daunting challenge, it certainly toughens teams up for what’s next. Last year, Middleton went on a nine-game winning streak after falling to Bay Port.
“It’s good to play them because that might be the toughest game of the year,” Cleary said. “That’s just setting you up for success for all the other games. It’s going to make every other game seem that much easier for us, so we can feel like we have total control.”
Middleton senior Reed Falk, the Big Eight’s reigning Defensive End of the Year, agreed with Cleary.
“That game is always super fun, super intense,” said Falk, who is recovering from a broken ankle and is expected to be sidelined until Week 3. “It’s going to be great to have them back at home. It’s a great game, but no matter what happens, it’s just going to help us grow as a whole team.”
Bay Port, which fell to Arrowhead, 18-15, in a thrilling state championship game last season, brings back six starters on each side of the ball. The Pirates also have 65 upperclassmen (28 seniors, 37 juniors) in the program, meaning experience and depth will be strengths.
Bay Port faces the tall task of replacing running back Brady Moon and quarterback Matt Stevens. Moon ran for 2,198 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, and also caught 33 passes for 435 yards and nine TDs. Stevens threw for more than 2,000 yards and 23 TDs, and also ran for 1,002 yards and 13 TDs.
Bay Port always seems to have its next group of standouts ready, though, which is what Middleton is expecting Thursday.
“They’ve always got great talent,” Middleton co-coach Joe Poehls said of the Pirates. “It’s a great challenge, but I’m always cautiously optimistic. I always like the challenge.”
Middleton would love nothing more than to notch a signature win early in the season.
Since 2021, the Cardinals are just 4-6 in the non-conference. Part of that is due to the fact Bay Port has been on the schedule all five seasons. But if the Cardinals want to make a statement, knocking off the Pirates is the perfect way to do just that.
“We have a really good group of guys that are seniors, and I don't think a lot of people know how many good juniors we have,” Falk said. “We have tons of athletes. It’s a really good junior class. We have at least four or five juniors that are studs on offense that will be starting. I’m excited to see them break in.”
Braden Poehls agreed.
“I’m really excited and hoping to build off of what we did last year,” he said. “We had a successful season last year and I think expectations are high for us to try to top that.
“We’re bringing in some guys that are going to be pretty green at the start, but we’ve got to work with what we’ve got and I think we have something special.”
The Cardinals will certainly find out Thursday.
• Good times: Middleton spent Aug. 6-7 practicing on the University of Wisconsin campus.
The Cardinals spent two days and one night at Cole Residence Hall on the shores of Lake Mendota and held three practices at nearby fields.
In between practicing, film study, eating and rest, the Cardinals did several team bonding events, including trivia, board games and card games.
“The past couple years, when we’ve had our super camp and our team camps, we always stay at the high school,” Cleary said. “So after lunch or dinner or practice, everybody’s going home. Now, we’re all staying in the same spot, just a couple doors, a couple feet apart.
“So I think it’s a great way to meet people you haven't met or connect with guys you don't always get to see. It’s a good chance to get to talk to guys instead of just going home after practice.”
• This and that: Middleton’s three captains are senior offensive lineman Madden Cleary, senior linebacker Roman Blaha and senior defensive back Seth Reber. … The Cardinals travel to Kenosha Indian Trail on Aug. 28 for their Week 2 game.
