Sports

Middleton’s boys basketball team received the No. 3 seed in its regional. The Cardinals (11-9 overall, 9-8 in the Big Eight) will open the postseason Feb. 28 when they host sixth-seeded Madison La Follette (10-11, 7-10) in a regional semifinal.

Madison Memorial (18-3, 16-1), which clinched its 11^th straight Big Eight Conference title earlier this week, is the regional’s No. 1 seed. Sun Prairie (13-8, 11-6) is the No. 2 seed, followed by Middleton, Madison West (10-10, 8-8), Verona (11-10, 8-9), Madison La Follette, Oconomowoc (8-12, 5-8 in the Little Ten), Madison East (6-15, 4-13) and Watertown (6-14, 4-9 Little Ten).

The regional finals will be held March 1. The sectional semifinals are March 6 in Verona and the sectional finals are March 8 in Burlington.

Their year has been filled with chaos and craziness.

There’s been enough drama for their own reality television show.

But with the postseason nearing, things inside Middleton’s hockey program have settled down nicely.

And now, the Cardinals have one overriding thought: Why not us?

“They always say, ‘Beware of the wounded animal,’ ” Middleton interim coach Steffon Walby said. “Well, that could be the Cardinal this year.”

Middleton won a pair of games last week, marking its first two-game winning streak since Dec. 7.

The Cardinals rolled past Madison La Follette/East, 16-1, last Tuesday. Middleton followed that with a 5-4 overtime win over Waunakee last Saturday, which was one of its most impressive victories of the season.

Middleton improved to 10-10-2 overall and moved into a third-place tie in the Big Eight Conference at 7-4-2.

Luke Schafer’s timing couldn’t have been better.

In a span of just 30 seconds, the senior guard converted a three-point play and then drilled a long-range three-pointer at the third quarter buzzer.

Schafer’s standout plays gave Middleton’s boys basketball team a six-point cushion and the Cardinals went on to notch a 67-59 victory over rival Madison West in a Big Eight Conference contest last Friday night.

Schafer’s buzzer-beater came after West’s Malik Clements missed a wild shot that went out of bounds with 3.8 seconds remaining.  Schafer took the inbounds pass and dribbled downcourt before pulling up several feet behind the 3-point line, leaning toward the basket and drilling the shot while being fouled by Ari Davis as the buzzer sounded.

Schafer missed the free throw, but Middleton took a 48-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

Middleton’s girls basketball team has won several games this year with an up-tempo attack and plenty of style points.

On Saturday night, the Cardinals showed they’re also capable of grabbing a hard hat.

Middleton notched a grind-it-out 52-27 win over host Sun Prairie. The 27 points Middleton allowed was a season low.

Middleton improved to 17-2 overall and 15-0 in the Big Eight Conference.

Middleton is now just one win from clinching at least a share of its seventh league title in eight years, and two wins away from capturing the outright title.

“Kind of a workmanlike,” Middleton coach Jeff Kind said of the Sun Prairie win. “Totally different atmosphere and I thought we did a good job of remaining focused and preventing an emotional letdown. 

Aryn Skibba realizes she probably won’t be 100% this season.

But Middleton’s standout gymnast has discovered she can still perform at a remarkably high level.

Last Saturday’s Middleton Invitational was certainly proof of that.

Skibba, who has battled a back injury all year, posted a 37.70 score in the all-around competition and ran away with that title. Skibba’s huge day helped the Cardinals score a season-high 140.05 points and capture the nine-team Invite.

Skibba, who was sixth at state in the all-around last year, posted the best score of her stellar Middleton career.

“I was very surprised with my performance,” Skibba said. “I was spot on with everything and stuck everything.

“I’ve been working really hard and I’m glad I can see it pay off. I’m happy with everything that happened at that meet, not just my personal scores but the team score as well.”

Madison Memorial, which has won four of the last five state championships, appears to be in a league of its own again this winter.

Madison West might be a notch above, as well.

But Middleton’s swimmers also appear capable of doing great things this championship season. And last Saturday was proof of that.

The Cardinals finished third at the Big Eight Conference meet — arguably the state’s toughest league — and seem ready to make a splash over the next two weeks.

“The guys really were ready to go and were fired up with a ton of energy,” Middleton coach Luke Lengfeld said. “It was a great start to the championship season.”

Madison Memorial ran away with the meet, totaling 652 points. West was second at 482.5, while Middleton (430.5), Verona (239) and Sun Prairie (216) rounded out the top five.

Lars Haskins had Middleton’s top finish of the day, placing second in the 50 freestyle.

This was not what anyone expected.

It certainly wasn’t what anyone wanted.

Now, the challenge for Middleton’s wrestlers will be to rebound as soon as possible.

The Cardinals went to the Big Eight Conference tournament in Verona as the consensus favorite last Saturday. But Sun Prairie edged Middleton, 258.0-253.5 and stole the crown.

Janesville Craig was third (228.5), while Verona (203.5) and Beloit Memorial (176.5) rounded out the top five.

Middleton led by 29.5 points heading to the championship flights, but couldn’t hold on.

“We can’t dwell on it,” Middleton coach Kent Weiler said. “We have more important things to focus on. The kids were kind of shocked. It was a little bit of a meltdown.

“In all my years of coaching, I had never seen anything like that. Disappointing.”

Middleton reached the championship match at seven weight classes, but settled for second place in all seven.

VERONA — The magnitude of the night could be felt in countless ways.

The jam-packed parking lot. The overflow crowd. Student sections — and even adults — that never rested.

But Middleton girls basketball standout Liz McMahon knew the Cardinals’ game against Verona Thursday was really big-time midway through the first quarter. That’s when Verona officials lifted a large curtain so folks that had filled an auxiliary gym could also watch the game.

“It felt like a sectional final,” McMahon said. “It was great.”

The result — from Middleton’s perspective — was even better.

The Cardinals put four players in double figures, dominated the glass in the second half and toppled the Wildcats, 65-60, before a raucous crowd.

Middleton improved to 16-2 overall, 14-0 in the Big Eight Conference and took a major step towards winning the league for the seventh time in eight years. Verona fell to 16-2, 12-2.

Middleton’s baseball program has become a pipeline to Division 1 colleges in recent seasons.

And Cardinals senior Luke Schafer will continue that movement.

Schafer, a two-time all-Big Eight Conference selection, will play at Iowa next season. Schafer gave a verbal commitment to the Hawkeyes last week after visiting the school Jan. 27-28.

Schafer will be a preferred walk-on with the Hawkeyes, with the hope that scholarship money will become available later.

“It’s a tight roster right now, so it was extremely competitive,” Schafer said. “But next year, they’ll lose 17 seniors. Obviously, it would have been great to get a full scholarship. But hopefully the scholarship will work itself out if I can go in there and prove myself.”

Schafer has certainly proved himself during his time at Middleton.