October 2013

Their once comfortable 21-point lead had been trimmed to a single score. The once exuberant Cardinal Nation was quiet had begun to sweat on this cold and extremely blustery night.

But with Middleton’s WIAA Division 1 playoff opener on the line last Friday, the Cardinals turned to their offensive line and dynamic senior running back Charles Braxton.

That was a winning formula as Middleton held off hard-charging Madison Memorial, 28-14, and won their first playoff game since 2010. The Cardinals also avenged a Week 1 loss to the Spartans, a defeat that fueled Middleton all season long.

Middleton (8-2) advanced to a Level 2 playoff game at Oconomowoc (10-0) Friday night at 7.

“It feels great,” said Braxton, the star of the night with 32 carries for 208 yards and three touchdowns. “It was getting a little tense there.”

It sure was.

This certainly wasn’t a surprise.

But that didn’t make it any less exhilarating.

Middleton’s girls cross country team was the consensus favorite at last Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 DeForest Sectional. And the Cardinals lived up to their billing by winning the sectional.

Middleton finished with 51 points to edge runner-up Sun Prairie (54). Madison Memorial was third with 87 points, while Madison West (92) and Beaver Dam (124) rounded out the top-five at the 12-team sectional.

Middleton qualified for Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 state meet, which will be held at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids beginning at 12:40 p.m.

“We knew it wasn't going to be easy to make it to state as a team,” Middleton sophomore Sam Valentine said. “But our goal was to go into the race with confidence, knowing we've beaten Sun Prairie and Madison West this season, and maybe that would shake off some of our nerves.”

Last year is just that.

Revenge isn’t a factor.

Instead, Middleton’s girls volleyball team is focusing on the here and now.

At least that’s what Cardinals head coach Franco Marcos is saying publicly.

Middleton stormed through regional play last week, with impressive wins over Holmen and La Crosse Central.

Now, the third-seeded Cardinals travel to second-seeded Waunakee Thursday for a sectional semifinal at 8 p.m. A year ago, the Warriors defeated Middleton in this same gym and at the same point in the postseason.

Marcos insists, though, that the past is the past.

“We have a different team this year and so do they,” Marcos said. “We will be at their place and we need to not beat ourselves. We just need to be the best team on Thursday night.”

Middleton certainly was the best team in its regional victories.

The Cardinals toppled 14^th-seeded Holmen, 25-18, 25-10, 21-12 last Thursday.

It’s become old hat for Middleton’s boys volleyball team to win the Big Eight Conference championship.

But that doesn’t make it any less rewarding.

The Cardinals continued their domination of the league last week, rolling past Fort Atkinson and Madison La Follette.

Middleton finished the conference season a perfect 10-0 and won the league for the seventh time in eight years. The Cardinals are also 20-0 in conference matches the past two years and 82-4 in the league over the past eight years.

“Those are big numbers,” Middleton coach Ben White said.

That’s for sure. And the Cardinals added to those glowing totals with two more wins last week.

First, the Cardinals bested Fort Atkinson, 25-16, 25-15, 25-19, last Tuesday.

Andy Keeler led Middleton with 13 kills and 10 digs, while Connor Zimmick had seven kills,17 assists and three blocks. Robbie Drachenberg had 18 assists and James Caldwell added 11 digs.