April 2016

Wed
20
Apr
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Sun Prairie upends Middleton

There’s an old baseball saying that it’s not how hard you hit it, but where you hit it.

That saying proved true and was the difference when Middleton’s baseball team met rival Sun Prairie in a Big Eight Conference battle in Middleton last Saturday afternoon.

With the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game in the sixth inning, Middleton’s Drew Finley Haag drilled a ball to centerfield that was caught. An inning later, Sun Prairie’s Justus Benson reached on an infield blooper, which helped Sun Prairie pull off a hard-fought 4-3 victory.

“Drew hit that one on the screws,” Middleton coach Tom Schmitt said. “We talk about it all the time. That’s baseball when it doesn’t fall when you hit it the best.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s why you have the defense out there. You know if you get that one to fall it’s absolutely a different game, but it didn’t happen for us today in that respect.”

Wed
20
Apr
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Soccer Cards enjoy star-studded Invite

Mary Duffy might not have cared much for the micro.

The macro? That’s something Duffy was loving.

Duffy, Middleton’s girls soccer coach, brought her team to the star-studded Girls High School Invitational just outside of Wisconsin Dells last weekend. The Cardinals tied Germantown, 3-3, last Friday and lost to D.C. Everest, 3-2, last Saturday.

But the results were almost secondary.

Twenty-three elite programs from Wisconsin and one from Illinois took part in the two-day tournament. And afterwards, Duffy & Co. were thrilled to have faced top competition that can help them in the weeks ahead.

“While everyone loves to win, we learned lots this weekend,” Duffy said. “It was a wonderfully productive weekend: challenging, exciting, tough. Every game this weekend led us to more answers to work on solving this year’s puzzle.”

Tue
19
Apr
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Jesus Lunches: Debate about religious lunches errupts

How do you cook up the perfect bubbling stew of controversy in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District?

Just combine religion, public schools, a city park and the First Amendment. Then throw in a smattering of attorneys and social media hyperbole for good measure.

That’s what happened last week when everyone in the community seemed to be staking out a vehement position on “Jesus Lunches,” a series of events at which the mothers of local high school students have been talking about their Christian faith and handing out free food to a growing number of local teens. 

While the lunches have been occurring periodically for a couple years now, it was last week that the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District went public with the details of its ongoing concerns about the events.

Fri
15
Apr
Wed
13
Apr
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Golfers fire out of the gate

It’s a year of great expectations.

A season of tremendous hope.
And Middleton’s boys golf team showed last Saturday it’s ready to live up to the hype.

The Cardinals opened their season with an impressive performance at the 17-team Wisconsin Dells Invitational last Saturday.

Middleton finished in second place at 308, two shots behind White Bear Lake (Minn.). Madison Memorial (311), Forest Lake, Mn. (312) and Waunakee (315) rounded out the top five. The first day of the tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Middleton — like every other team during this brutal spring — had struggled to get in practice rounds. But the Cardinals gave a solid performance on a sunny, 40-degree day that felt almost balmy.

“That was the first time we played 18 (holes) all year,” Middleton coach Tom Cabalka said. “The kids haven’t walked 18 and they haven’t had to concentrate for four-plus hours.

Wed
13
Apr
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Baseball Cards win opener

They received a one-hitter from their ace.

They had a terrific day at the plate, with 12 total hits, including three of the extra base variety.

And their defense was solid throughout.

Middleton’s baseball team kicked off its season in style last Wednesday, rolling past host Janesville Parker, 5-1.

“The guys played well, which was good to see,” Middleton manager Tom Schmitt said. “We were pretty good in all areas.”

The Cardinals had a rough 2015, in which they went just 10-16. So Schmitt and his team wanted nothing more than to start fast in 2016.
Middleton did that by excelling in every area.

Senior Alec Morrison was sensational on the mound, allowing just one run and one hit in six innings. Morrison struck out nine, walked two and faced just 19 batters — one over the minimum.

Wed
13
Apr
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Parents Holding "Jesus Lunches" Clash With School Officials

The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District has released the following message regarding "Jesus Lunches," a controversial series of gathering that have sparked a debate about evangelism in public schools:

Dear families,

We wanted to share the following message that was sent to Middleton High School staff and families earlier today. We believe there is interest from our wider District community, plus we also wanted to provide information in case you see something in the media in the next few days.

We are writing to share with you some background on a topic your student may have come home and shared with you. There is a small group of parents who have been organizing free lunches at Middleton High School over the past year.

Sun
10
Apr
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Girls softball team falls to East

Last Wednesday, Big Eight Conference athletic directors voted that outdoor events wouldn’t be played if the wind chill is 35 degrees, or colder, two hours before the game or up to two hours after the start time.

That rule came 24 hours too late for Middleton’s girls softball team.

The Cardinals dropped their season-opener, 12-1, at Madison East last Tuesday in a game played with wind chills hovering around 25 degrees and with periodic rain and sleet. The game was stopped after five innings due to the 10-run rule.

“No excuses,” said Middleton first-year manager Perry Hibner, who dropped his first game. “East performed well and we didn’t.

“We struggled in every area. We didn't throw many strikes, we weren't clean in the field and we didn't hit the ball well. About the only highlight was no one was injured getting on or off the bus.”

Middleton actually took a 1-0 lead after ½-inning.

Wed
06
Apr
Tue
05
Apr
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Golfers set sights on state title

There’s a long-standing saying that deadlines spur action.

For Brady Thomas, Emmet Herb and Joey Levin, their deadline has arrived. Now, Middleton’s senior golfers are expecting their finest action yet.

The Cardinals’ terrific trio has been part of the varsity lineup since their freshman seasons. In that time, they’ve helped Middleton finish fourth at state in 2014 and fifth in 2015.

Now, with the end in sight, Herb, Levin and Thomas all want to leave on a high note.

“This is our last go at that state championship,” said Thomas, whose team begins its season Friday at the Wisconsin Dells Invite. “We have had our chances the last two years at winning and failed.

“I think this year it’s our turn to really take over because it’s our last year and we all have worked really hard to come out on top in the end. I'm extremely excited to work our way to (University) Ridge and then get the job done there.”

Levin agreed.

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