Sports

The 2025 WIAA Division 1 boys state golf tournament had just ended.

Middleton enjoyed a terrific two days, finishing third overall with a score of 609, which was the third-best total in school history.

As champion Marquette and runner-up Hudson received their first- and second place trophies, the Cardinals looked around knowing even better days might be coming.

Middleton didn't have a single senior in its 2025 lineup. Meanwhile, five of Marquette’s top six players were seniors, Hudson had three seniors among its top five and fourth place Oconomowoc had five seniors in its lineup.

“We don’t lose a single person,” MHS standout Reis Von Ruden said last June. “This year was fun. But I think it could be even more fun next year.”

Sammy Forslund agreed with his MHS teammate.

“The team’s going to improve,” Forslund said that day. “I think we’ll be back here next year even better and hoping to contend even more.

They won the Big Eight Conference — one of the state’s elite leagues — in 2025.

They’ve won regional titles each of the last two seasons, highlighted by a trip to the sectional finals in 2024.

Yes, Middleton’s girls soccer team continues to knock on the door of its first state tournament appearance since 2013.

This year, the Cardinals believe they can bust that door down.

Middleton returns six players that received all-Big Eight Conference honors last season. And when the Cardinals open their new season Saturday against traditional state power Whitefish Bay, they’ll do so with extremely high hopes and great expectations.

“Our goals are always the same — state,” Middleton coach Mary Duffy said. “Winning the Big Eight is always on the list, but I can tell they are hungry for a state.” 

Welcome back
Your dreams were your ticket out
Welcome back
To that same old place that you laughed about

Well, the names have all changed
Since you hung around
But those dreams have remained
And they've turned around

Who'd have thought they'd lead you
Back here where we need you?

... Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

This theme song from the 1970s classic “Welcome Back Kotter” remains one of the signature tunes in television history. (If you’ve never heard it, it’s worth Googling).

In many ways, those lyrics perfectly describe how McKenzie Johns feels today.

Johns, a 2021 Middleton High School graduate, never saw herself returning to coach volleyball at her alma mater. But when the job opened up earlier this year, there Johns was filling out an application.

Not everyone enjoys puzzles.

They can be tedious, frustrating and often difficult.

Middleton baseball manager Brent Jorgensen is currently constructing a puzzle, though, that he believes could be blast — and an absolute gem when it’s finished.

“This will be a fun puzzle to put together,” Jorgensen said of his baseball team. “Once we find the right pieces, I think we are going to be a very solid team.”

Middleton might be much more than that.

The Cardinals return three all-conference players from a team that finished second in the Big Eight Conference last year and reached the sectional semifinals. Middleton also brings back several other gifted individuals, and welcomes a group that seems poised to contribute immediately.

Add it up and the Cardinals could make a run at their first state tournament appearance since 2023.

The late, great Lou Holtz was legendary for downplaying just how good his Notre Dame football teams were.

Holtz would complain about the Fighting Irish’s shortcoming. He’d tell you Notre Dame’s next opponent — no matter how big or small — seemed invincible.

Then his Fighting Irish would win the overwhelming majority of their games and challenge for a national championship every few years.

Ted Severson is the exact opposite of Holtz.

Severson, Wisconsin Heights’ baseball manager, has no problem sharing his true feelings and raising expectations along the way. That’s just what Severson did recently when talking about his 2026 Vanguards.

“This will be the best Vanguard baseball team in years and it will be a pleasure to coach such a group of great young men with exceptional work ethic and top notch positive attitudes,” said Severson, whose team began its new season Tuesday against Fennimore. “Energy is real and this team has it.”

Jackson Guerrero had a memorable career for Middleton’s boys basketball team.

And the Cardinals’ senior guard put a bow on his four years at MHS last week when he was named to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association’s Division 1 honorable-mention all-state team.

Manchester was one of 10 players named honorable-mention all-state. Ten players were named first team all-state.

Guerrero, who was named the Big Eight Conference’s Player of the Year, led the Cardinals in virtually every major category.

Guerrero was first in scoring at 16.7 points per game, first in steals (2.8), assists (3.5) and blocked shots (0.6). Guerrero also finished third on the team in rebounds (4.4).

Guerrero also set the school record for career steals with 217, breaking the previous mark held by 2017 graduate Tyree Eady (178). Guerrero also finished seventh in school history in career points (865) and third in career assists (208).

Middleton’s boys basketball season had just ended with a difficult loss to rival Madison Memorial.

A memorable 22-5 campaign — one that included a share of the Big Eight Conference title and a regional championship — was in the books. And as MHS senior forward Luke Sheehan reflected on the Cardinals’ outstanding season, he also knew Middleton’s future might be even brighter.

“I would tell everybody they should be scared,” Sheehan said of next season. “Everybody should be nervous. We're good hands with the underclassmen we’ve got right now.”

That certainly seems to be the case.

Middleton will graduate a gifted senior class led by Big Eight Conference Player of the Year Jackson Guerrero. Sheehan was arguably the league’s most improved player, while senior guards Andrew Qastin and John Grimes both received all-conference honors.

Middleton’s boys basketball team enjoyed a memorable season, winning a share of the Big Eight Conference title and capturing a WIAA Division 1 regional title.

So it was no surprise the Cardinals were highly regarded when it came to all-conference honors.

MHS senior guard Jackson Guerrero was named first-team all-conference and was the league’s Player of the Year. Senior guard John Grimes and sophomore post Carter Parks were named second-team all-conference, while senior guard Andrew Qastin was named honorable mention all-league.

In addition, Middleton’s Kevin Bavery was named the league’s Coach of the Year.

Guerrero led the Cardinals in virtually every major category.

Guerrero was first in scoring at 16.7 points per game, first in steals (2.8), assists (3.5) and blocked shots (0.6). Guerrero also finished third on the team in rebounds (4.4).

Middleton’s girls basketball team landed three players on the all-Big Eight Conference team.

Senior guard Brooke Michelotti was named first-team all-Big Eight, while senior guard Rowan Borne and freshman guard Anna Reinhard were both named honorable mention all-conference.

Michelotti led the Cardinals in scoring with 13.2 points per game and made 33.3% of her 3-point attempts. Michelotti also tied for third on the team with 1.5 steals per game and was fifth with 1.5 assists per game.

Michelotti earned second-team honors as both a junior and a sophomore, then made the jump to first-team all-conference her senior year.

Borne, who was also named honorable-mention all-conference as a junior, was second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game. She led Middleton with 2.6 steals per game, was second in assists (1.8) and tied for fourth in rebounding (3.8).

Middleton’s boys hockey team had two players named to the all-Big Eight Conference team.

Senior forward Patrick Passini was named second-team all-conference, while sophomore forward Christian Schuster was named honorable-mention all-conference.

Passini led the Cardinals with 17 goals and tied for the team-lead with 27 points. Passini was also third on the team with 10 assists and tied for the team lead with 1.12 points per game.

Passini had three goals in an early season, 3-2 win over Verona. He also had three goal games against Eau Claire and Beloit Memorial, and had two goals in another meeting with Beloit.

Passini also had two assists in games against Madison Memorial and Oregon.

Schuster was second on the team in goals with 12 and second in assists (15). Schuster also tied for the team-lead in total points (27) and points per game (1.12).