Sports

After home games at Otto Breitenbach Stadium, most of Middleton’s football team heads down University Avenue to Middleton Sport Bowl to relax, chill, gobble down pizza and scroll through their social media feeds.

After giving up a program-record 61 points in a setback to rival Verona two weeks ago, senior defensive lineman Jake Wuebben and his friends were a little shell-shocked — as if a 61-35 drubbing wasn’t bad enough — when a tweet rolled through that they had just surrendered 734 yards in a program record for futility.

“I was sick in the stomach until Monday when we got back onto the field,” Wuebben said. “After that we just needed to get better and we did. We worked hard in practice and got a lot better.”

The Cardinals did get better — and we’re assuming the pizza tasted better, too — after they defeated visiting Madison West 23-12 in a Big Eight Conference game last Friday.

Many of the state’s top teams — and runners — were at the Verona Invite last Saturday.

So as Alexa Richardson and her band of Middleton runners headed home after the meet, they felt extremely good about the season that awaits.

Middleton finished third overall at the 23-team invite. Madison West won the meet with 64 points, while Onalaska (65), Middleton (81), New Lenox (Ill.) Lincoln-Way Central (140) and Madison Memorial (144) rounded out the top five.

“We were pleased with third place,” Richardson said. “There was a lot of good competition at this invitational this year. In my opinion, at least four of the top seven teams in the state were there, so third place was a great start.”

Middleton sophomore Lauren Pansegrau finished third individually, completing the 5,000-meter race in 18 minutes, 39.8 seconds.

Middleton’s girls swimming and diving coach Lauren Cabalka tried to spin a negative into a positive.

She did her best to turn disappointment into opportunity.

But there’s no doubt, this one stung.

The Cardinals fell to Madison West, 89-81, in a dual meet last Friday night. That marked the first time in seven years that Middleton has lost a Big Eight Conference dual meet.

“Look, this was bound to happen at some point and it’s probably a good thing that it happened now,” Cabalka said. “The girls came back and crushed their practice on Saturday morning and I know they will have a new mindset moving forward. I have seen this team work through adversity many times — and they always, always come out stronger because of it.”

Middleton, which has won three straight WIAA Division 1 state championships, faced plenty of adversity from the upstart Regents.

West finished first in six of the 11 events and was also second in seven of the 11 races.

Middleton played its first football game in 1919 and went 0-2-1 that season.

In the 100 years since, the Cardinals have seen more good than bad, highlighted by a pair of state championships in the 1980s and a current run of 23 straight playoff appearances.

Last Friday, though, was one of the most humbling nights in program history.

Verona came to Otto Breitenbach Stadium and routed the host Cardinals, 61-35.

The 61 points is believed to be the most ever allowed by a Middleton team. In addition, Verona chalked up 734 yards of total offense, which is also believed to be the most the Cardinals have ever allowed.

The Wildcats improved to 2-0 overall and in the Big Eight Conference, while Middleton fell to 1-1, 1-1.

“Our defense my senior year gave up 35 points on the whole year,” said Middleton first-year coach Jason Pertzborn, who graduated from MHS in 1989. “This was ridiculous.”

The Meadow Valleys course at Blackwolf Run was listed at No. 57 in Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s Greatest Public Golf Courses in 2019.

Last Wednesday, Middleton’s girls golf team was able to play one of the country’s top courses — and excel on it.

On a wild, windy day, Middleton posted a 355-team score and won the 15-team Blackwolf Run Invite. Bay Port was second at 357, while Brookfield Central (359), Sheboygan (365) and DePere (373) rounded out the top five.

One result of the win is Middleton jumped to No. 1 in the latest Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin poll. The Cardinals moved from No. 2 to No. 1, followed by Brookfield Central, Kettle Moraine, Arrowhead, Bay Port, Waunakee, Cedarburg, Sheboygan North/South, Green Bay Notre Dame and Milton.

“We are so happy to come away with the win,” Middleton coach Becky Halverson said. “The course provides so many challenges to young female golfers.”

Brian Finnel is in the process of building Middleton’s boys cross country program into a dynasty.

Finnel led the Cardinals to the 2017 WIAA Division 1 state championship. Middleton followed that up with a second place showing at state in 2018.

And Finnel expects nothing less than another run at a state title this season. Middleton begins its season Saturday at the Verona Invitational.

“Yes, absolutely,” said Finnel, who has a school-record 82 kids in the program. “We have some big-time experience on our side, arguably the most veteran group in the state at this level. 

“I think it will help temper the emotions compared to having a younger squad. These guys know what to expect in all facets of our season. They have a group sense of what they can do if they work together and are a confident group.”

With good reason.

Lauren Pansegrau experienced first hand what the state cross country meet is like last season.

This year, she’d like to bring some friends along. 

Pansegrau, a senior for Middleton’s girls cross, finished 31st individually at last year’s WIAA Division 1 state meet. Pansegrau then finished second in the 3,200-meter run at the state track and field meet.

Now, with the cross country season set to begin, Pansegrau’s dreams are large — and so are Middleton’s.

“This group of gals definitely has potential, more than they know they have actually,” said Middleton coach Alexa Richardson, whose team begins its new season Saturday at the Verona Invitational. “The girls know they have a chance to have a big breakthrough this year, which has really fired them up.”

Middleton finished fourth at sectionals last year and brings the majority of those runners back.

MADISON — The moment he plucked the short screen pass from the sky and spun around last Friday night, Middleton senior tailback Kallion Buckner had a pretty good idea six points were about to be added to the scoreboard — even though he was standing just inside midfield.

Three of his giant offensive linemen were already picking up steam ready to devour blockers in front of him. He had a fresh pair of cleats attached to his speedy feet. And there was plenty of open field to show off his skills.

“If they’re there it’s a touchdown every time,” Buckner said of his highly-touted linemen, who on this play were Billy Johnson, Clay Craker and Taylor Simmons. “Whenever I see them, I feel so protected. Untouchable.”

Two years ago, few people in the volleyball world knew the name Parker Van Buren.

A Middleton sophomore at the time, Van Buren was a bit player for the 2017 Cardinals. He was green as grass. And at 6-foot-3, he hadn’t finished growing.

Today, Van Buren just might be the frontrunner to win Player of the Year honors in the state. And he’s the No. 1 reason why Middleton stands a terrific chance to win its first state tournament match since 2008.

The Cardinals opened their new season Tuesday at the Muskego Quadrangular. And the growth of Van Buren, now a 6-foot-7 senior outside hitter, has everyone in the program buzzing.

“He has the chance to be the most dominant player we've had at Middleton,” said Cardinals coach Ben White. “His size and the position he plays — outside — make him such a tough match-up.

Overlooked.

Disregarded.

Unnoticed.

Middleton’s boys soccer coach Ben Kollasch believes that all of those could apply to his team — at least early on this season. The Cardinals went just 10-8-2 a year ago, then lost four all-conference players to graduation.

But after watching tryouts, Kollasch believes his Cardinals could be one of the surprise teams in the area this fall.

Middleton takes aim at that goal beginning Thursday, when it opens the year against New Berlin Eisenhower at the Brookfield East Invite.

“The challenge of this team is not the talent,” Kollasch said. “This team has as much talent as any Middleton team in memory.