Sports

There are still three weeks left in the Big Eight Conference’s girls swimming season.

But in all likelihood, the league championship was decided last Friday.

Middleton and Verona/Mount Horeb — the league’s last two undefeated teams — took part in a conference showdown. The Cardinals then proceeded to capture first place in eight of 11 events and notched a 99-71 win.

Middleton improved to 6-0, while V/MH slipped to 5-1.

“This was by far our toughest dual meet of the season,” Middleton coach Lauren Cabalka said. “We knew we would have to be on top of our game if we wanted to win this meet.  

“Verona is an incredibly talented team with a lot more depth than they have had in the past. They are able to come at you from many different angles, so a lot of strategy went into our line up.

Job one is officially over.

Now come the greatest challenges — and perhaps the biggest rewards.

Middleton’s girls tennis wrapped up the Big Eight Conference championship last week. The Cardinals defeated league foes Sun Prairie, Janesville Craig and Madison La Follette all by 7-0 scores.

That helped Middleton cap a perfect 9-0 regular season in the conference. The Cardinals will now take part in the Big Eight meet Thursday and Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

“Although this is a small stepping stone of many, it gives us confidence that we can go even farther than what we have,” Middleton senior and top singles player Bridget Bellissimo said. “We have many steps to go: the conference tournament, sectionals, and finally, state. 

Adversity will happen.

When it comes to athletics, there’s no way to escape occasional difficulties.

But how teams deal with adversity eventually determines their fate. Last week, Middleton’s boys soccer team showed it’s perfectly equipped to handle trouble.

Middleton had a player red-carded in its game at Sun Prairie last Thursday. Middleton played the final 30 minutes short a man, but hung on a for a 2-1 win.

Middleton improved to 7-5-1 on the year and 5-1 in the Big Eight Conference.

“Sun Prairie was a wild win,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “We responded to the adversity with grit and determination. I would say we played better with one less man because suddenly we were more focused and determined than ever.”

Middleton’s Jack Hagstrom scored a penalty kick goal in the first half. Then, with Sun Prairie playing with a one-man advantage, it tied the game in the 48^th minute.

Win the Big Eight Conference.

That’s always the first goal for Middleton’s girls volleyball team. And the Cardinals took a big step toward that objective last Thursday.

Middleton won a thrilling five-set match against visiting Verona, 25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 15-9, and stayed unbeaten in the league. The Cardinals also defeated Madison West, 25-13, 25-18, 25-15, last Tuesday.

Those wins set up a Big Eight showdown that was held Tuesday night between Middleton and Sun Prairie that will determine the league champion.

“Beating Verona meant that we are one step closer to repeating as Big Eight champions,” Middleton coach Franco Marcos said. “They have a great setter and we were able to keep them out of system most of the match.”

Middleton raced to a 2-0 lead over Verona, only to see the Wildcats storm back. In the decisive fifth game, though, the Cardinals prevailed.

Middleton’s boys volleyball team had a myriad of goals at last Saturday’s Kaukauna Invite.

• Stick around for most of the day. Check.

• Play at a high level against some of the state’s elite. Check.

• Prove that they can be a force come the postseason. Check.

The Cardinals played extremely well all day, reached the tournament semifinals, and fell to eventual champion New Berlin United.

“Here’s what I keep telling my team – take care of the ball, play defense and win the long rally and not a lot of teams in state can beat you,” Middleton coach Ben White said. “Saturday was the first day where we truly played defense. 

“Our blockers did a great job funneling the opponents’ hits. If we can do that and keep in system, we’re going to be a tough out once we get to the postseason.”

Middleton opened with a 21-6, 21-8 win over Appleton West.

Middleton’s girls cross country team won’t relax. They can’t.

And if there was ever a desire to do so, last Saturday told the Cardinals there can’t be an slippage. Only improvement.

Middleton finished fourth at the star-studded 33-team Midwest Invite held last Saturday in Janesville.

Defending state champion Arrowhead won the event with 90 points, while Neenah (92), Sun Prairie (123), Middleton (165) and Madison West (188) rounded out the top five.

While the Cardinals were relatively pleased with their showing, they fully understand the perils that lie ahead. Both Sun Prairie and Madison West are in Middleton’s sectional later this month, and only two of those three teams will advance to state.

“We need to stay focused on improving,” Middleton co-coach Isaac Mezera said. “We aren't that far from Sun Prairie and West isn't too far behind us.  

Middleton’s football team knows all about the high-flying, basketball-on-grass offense being played in certain parts of the state. And the Cardinals certainly have the ability and personnel to unleash their own aerial circus when necessary.

But late Friday night, Middleton went old school before a packed house at Breitenbach Stadium. And it paid off in spades as the Cardinals toppled arch-rival Verona, 35-28.

With the score tied at 28 midway through the fourth quarter, Middleton handed the ball to senior standout running back Charles Braxton seven straight times. Braxton, operating behind a dominant offensive line, ran for 65 yards, including the game-winning 1-yard touchdown with 4 minutes, 21 seconds left.

That capped a glorious night for Braxton, who ran for a season-high 222 yards on 29 carries.

“The guys up front blocked so well,” Braxton said. “It didn’t even matter if Verona knew what was coming. We wanted to run it every play.”

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

And from all spots in the lineup.

Middleton senior golfer Meggie Acker is proof of that.

Acker, the Cardinals’ No. 5 golfer, was the No. 1 player at the Big Eight Conference meet Thursday at Evansville Country Club. And that helped the Cardinals win the league title for the first time since 2009.

Acker shot a 2-over-par 74 to share the day’s low score with Verona’s Jessica Reinecke, the defending WIAA Division 1 state champion. Then on the first playoff hole, Acker drilled a 15-foot birdie putt to capture medalist honors.

Acker’s memorable performance helped Middleton — the state’s No. 1 ranked team — shoot a 323 team score and win the league title. Verona was second at 326, while Madison Memorial was a distant third at 348.

“To be honest, I didn't think that I would be able to shoot under 75,” said Acker, whose previous low was 79. “Anytime I shot 81 or lower, I was thrilled.

Kasey Miller usually makes all of his big plays at quarterback for the Middleton football team.

However, Miller made his biggest play as a punter for the Cardinals last Friday.

The senior made perhaps the biggest play of the game when he completed a pass off a fake punt that kept a drive alive and led to the decisive score as the Cardinals pulled away from Madison West for a 28-14 Big Eight Conference victory at Mansfield Stadium.

With the game tied at 14 late in the third quarter, and Middleton facing a fourth-and-10 from its own 38-yard line, the Cardinals lined up in punt formation. Miller, who is also Middleton’s punter, took the snap and tossed a pass to a wide-open Alex Wood, who scooted down the sideline for a 27-yard gain. 

The Cardinals eventually scored and never looked back.

“It’s a play we just put in this week,” Middleton coach Tim Simon said. “It’s something we’ve done in the past and it’s really just a read that the punter has.

The defense is already in postseason form.

If and when the offense gets there, look out.

Middleton’s boys soccer team had a thrilling week, going 2-0-1 overall and pitching three straight shutouts.

The Cardinals defeated Madison West, 1-0, in overtime last Tuesday.

Middleton then edged Mukwonago, 1-0, at the Muskego Invite last Friday. The Cardinals also played Muskego to a scoreless tie last Saturday, but lost a shootout, 3-2.

“This team has a camaraderie that is rarely seen and that can be the first step towards a great team if they use that to hold each other accountable on the field,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “I am optimistic that, especially with the quality of the senior class this year, they will find that groove when it counts.”

Middleton notched a huge Big Eight Conference win against the Regents.