Sports

The second season is here for boys swimming teams across the state.

The recently concluded first season couldn’t have gone any better for Middleton.

The Cardinals capped their terrific regular season last week, winning the Middleton Invite on Jan. 31 and cruising past Madison West, 125-43, on Jan. 30.

In addition, Middleton’s JV team won the Big Eight Conference title on Jan. 29.

“It was an important week for the majority of our team,” Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen said. “Almost 32 of our 50 athletes finished their season at one of these meets. Proud to say we were successful and saw lots of improvement in their racing over the three days.

“There are only the conference, sectional and state meets left in the season. We’re happy with what we have already accomplished and looking forward to what we still have to come.”

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

Middleton’s girls gymnastics team has been hit with some late-season injuries.

And that slowed the Cardinals down during what proved to be a tough week.

Middleton finished in ninth place at the 10-team Madison Memorial Invite last Saturday. The Cardinals were also edged by Janesville Craig, 131.30-128.45, in a Big Eight Conference dual meet on Jan. 29.

“This week's meets were not our best performances,” Middleton coach Desiree Peterson said. “We have a couple varsity gymnasts injured, so that never helps.

“For the gymnasts that stepped up and competed in their spots they did very well. I am proud of them for stepping up and competing with confidence.”

Here’s how the Cardinals fared in their two meets.

MADISON MEMORIAL INVITE

Verona/Madison Edgewood won the team title with a score of 141.30. Middleton was ninth with a 130.900.

Middleton’s hockey team skated to a 1-1 tie with Madison West on Jan. 29.

The Cardinals also fell to University School, 9-1, on Jan. 27.

Middleton is now 5-3-1 in the Big Eight Conference and 5-12-2 overall.

In the Cardinals’ tie with West, the Regents took a 1-0 lead just 3 minutes into the game. It stayed that way until Middleton’s Everett Lamp scored on assists from Patrick Passini and Christian Schuster at the 3:38 mark of the third period to tie the game, 1-1.

Neither team could score in overtime.

Middleton finished with a 47-32 edge in shots, while goalie Caiden Fletcher had 31 saves and a .969 save percentage.

In the Cardinals’ loss to University School, Schuster had a goal on an assist from Passini.

• On deck: Middleton was at Oregon Tuesday, is at Sun Prairie Friday at 7:30 p.m. and at Madison Memorial Friday at 7:30 p.m.

A win’s a win.

That’s how Middleton’s boys basketball team looked at their 57-47 victory at visiting Stoughton last Friday. The Cardinals were far from their best, but did enough to defeat the Vikings.

"57-47 isn't what we're used to in terms of pace, and our conversion rate on turnovers wasn't what it normally was,” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said. “We played a lot of zone defense in the second half, and the pressure out of it for us was really good on the ball.”

Sophomore forward Carter Parks led the Cardinals with 17 points and six rebounds, while senior guard Jackson Guerrero added 11 points, three steals and three assists. Senior guard John Grimes had 11 points, while senior guard Andrew Qastin had 10 points and five steals.

Senior post Luke Sheehan also added four steals and four rebounds. In all, Middleton forced 22 turnovers and had 18 steals.

Stoughton was without standout guard Jacob Hibner, but the Vikings hung tough throughout.

TOWN OF MERTON — In the blink of an eye, Middleton’s 10-point lead at mighty Arrowhead last Saturday had trickled to six.

Then four, and suddenly one with just 55 seconds remaining.

Just like that, the Cardinals’ breathing room was gone.

“That was rough,” senior forward Luke Sheehan said. “But one thing about this team is we know how to finish.”

Boy, do they ever.

The Cardinals have been magnificent in tight contests this season, and that didn't change against the powerful Warhawks. Middleton came up with three huge defensive stops in the final minute — two that resulted in fast break lay-ups — to hold off host Arrowhead, 81-76, in a thrilling game between two teams more that capable of making a run to state.

Kevin Bavery didn't want to do it.

Bavery, Middleton’s boys basketball coach, likes to let his team play through rough patches. He likes to let them figure things out in the moment.

With the Cardinals trailing visiting Janesville Craig, 13-2, after just 4 minutes, though, on Jan. 28, Bavery called a timeout.

“I still didn't want to,” Bavery said. “But I just kind of had to.”

It paid off.

Middleton immediately went on a 12-0 run to surge ahead, stretched that advantage to 12 by halftime and never looked back on its way to an 83-64 win over the Cougars.

The Cardinals stayed tied atop the Big Eight Conference with Verona and Madison Memorial with 10-1 league marks and improved to 12-2 overall. Craig fell to 7-9, 4-7.

“I don't like to take those (timeouts),” Bavery said. “It's a little out of stubbornness, and then it’s like, let's see what they have.

The mark of all good teams is how they rebound from losses.

Middleton’s boys basketball team has dropped just two games this season, and after both setbacks, the Cardinals bounced back with terrific performances.

The latest came on Jan. 23 when Middleton put four players in double figures and toppled host Sun Prairie West, 85-74.

The Cardinals improved to 11-2 overall and 9-1 in the Big Eight Conference. Middleton, which fell to Madison Memorial three nights earlier, is tied for first place in the league with the Spartans and Verona.

“We had an answer for just about every basket,” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said. “We got good looks, we weren't great but were solid at the free throw line down the stretch, and we took care of the ball and their pressure.”

Middleton had several terrific performances in the win.

The fight and intensity were there from the start.

Unfortunately the shooting wasn’t and it proved costly as Middleton’s boys basketball team dropped a 74-49 decision to rival Madison Memorial in a Big Eight Conference game at Memorial on Jan. 20.

The Cardinals connected on just 6-of-31 (19.4%) first half field goals, fell behind, 32-16, and never recovered.

“I think what we’re doing is right, the how just wasn’t very good,” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said. “We got flustered. It’s the first time we’ve seen a matchup (zone). We haven’t seen hardly any zone out of anybody and we attacked it well early and normally if we get some of those shots, we hit. We didn’t hit and we had some simple things defensively we wanted to do that we just didn’t execute.”

Senior guard Andrew Qastin agreed.

When you have the state’s top boys swimming program, you’re afforded the luxury of resting certain individuals, tinkering with your lineup and allowing many of your athletes the chance to shine.

That’s how Middleton head coach Wes Lagerhausen approached the Cardinals’ triple dual meet with Sun Prairie West and Janesville Craig on Jan. 22.

Middleton — the three-time defending WIAA Division 1 state champs — gave several swimmers the opportunity to excel and many did just that. The Cardinals finished with 82 points, while the Wolves were second with 62 and Craig was third with 26.

The meet had been scheduled for Jan. 23, but was moved up 24 hours in anticipation of the frigid conditions that came the following day.

Middleton wrestlers finished in second place at the 17-team Monroe Invite last Saturday.

Oconomowoc won the team title with 265 points, while the Cardinals were second with 147.5. Belleville/Monticello/New Glarus was third with 144.0, while Dodgeville (139) and Monroe (132.5) rounded out the top five.

Middleton received first place finishes from Sam Zanton at 157 pounds and Reed Falk at 190.  Finn Grauwels added a second place finish at 165.

Here’s how the Cardinals fared at each weight class.

113 — Matthew Francois (0-2) did not place

Champ. Rd of 16: David Arguelles (4-1) Jr., DAR pinned Matthew Francois (10-14) Fr., MIDD, 1:14.

Cons. Quarters: Nester Chagoya (7-12) Sr., MONR pinned Matthew Francois (10-14) Fr., MIDD, 2:01.

132 — Adler Plamann (2-2) placed sixth

Quarters: Mason Lease (14-13) Fr., OCON def. Adler Plamann (18-17) Jr., MIDD, 12-3.