Sports

Middleton’s football team had a terrific year, going 9-2 overall and finishing second in the Big Eight Conference behind Verona.

The Cardinals were properly recognized for their achievements, as the Cardinals gobbled up 19 places on the all-Big Eight Conference team.

Senior quarterback Gabe Passini was named first-team all-conference as well as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Senior inside linebacker Sam Pilof, a Rutgers recruit, was also named first-team all-Big Eight and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Senior left tackle K.J. Peterson was a first-team all-conference selection and the league’s Offensive Lineman of the Year, while senior Dom Frost earned first-team all-league honors and was the conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Senior offensive linemen Hudson Cleary and Carter Kadow, along with junior defensive linemen Torin Pettaway and Quone Burks were named first-team all-conference, as well.

MADISON — There’s a time and place for sugarcoating things.

Thursday night, in the hallways outside the fieldhouse at Madison Memorial High School, was not it — not for Middleton boys basketball coach Kevin Bavery, anyway.

Not after his team, ranked ninth in Division 1 in the first WisSports.net coaches poll of the 2023-24 season, suffered its first loss of the young campaign, a 50-34, Big Eight Conference defeat at the hands of the rival Spartans.

“It was just ugly,” Middleton’s veteran coach said. “It was just ugly all night long.”

It was especially so in the second half.

Middleton (1-1, 0-1 Big Eight) trailed just 21-19 at the break following an acrobatic tip-in basket by Marquis Walker with 7 seconds to go in the opening stanza.

But Memorial (1-1, 1-0) went on a 15-0 run after halftime — holding the Cardinals scoreless for the first 9-plus minutes of the half — to take command.

Bryce Falk battled his way to the podium at the WIAA Division 1 state championships at 170 pounds a year ago.

An even more determined Falk admits he will be competing with a chip on his shoulder when he takes to the mat for his final high school wrestling season this winter.

“Obviously, we didn’t get the best result we wanted from football,” said Falk, a two-time co-captain in wrestling and an All-Big Eight Conference running back in football. “But I want to keep pushing my limits and see how far I can go.”

Falk placed sixth at the individual state meet last year, posting a career-best 45-12 record.

But a pair of football losses to conference rival Verona — in the regular season and in the second round of the playoffs — capped what was a disappointing football season for Falk, who was hampered by a hamstring injury.

Falk, though, is healthy and eager to turn the page, and put all that behind him.

Middleton’s hockey team split its two games last week.

The Cardinals edged host Madison West, 4-3, on Nov. 28. Middleton then fell at Waunakee, 4-2, last Saturday.

The Cardinals are now 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Eight Conference.

Wyatt Ehrhardt had two goals and two assists in the Cardinals’ win over West. Cam Semrad added a goal and an assist, while Thomas Sutcliffe had a goal and Eli Covey and Charlie Jambor both had assists.

Ehrhardt and Semrad had first period goals as Middleton jumped to a 2-0 lead. West scored early in the second period, but Sutcliffe and Ehrhardt answered with goals as the Cardinals pushed their lead to 4-1.

West made a late charge, scoring twice in the first four minutes of the second half. But Middleton held on and notched a big win.

Ian Eberle had 33 saves and a .917 save percentage and earned the win for Middleton.

Middleton’s boys swimming team kicked off the new season by winning the 10-team Nicolet Invite last Saturday.,

The Cardinals finished with 555 points, while Verona was second with 474. Whitefish Bay (252), Shorewood (212.5) and Nicolet (202) rounded out the top five.

Middleton, the defending WIAA Division 1 state champs, won nine of 12 events and set meet records in three of those events.

“In every race we had at least two of the top-five swimmers,” Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen said. “To finally see our athletes race and build our ‘To Do’ list helps our coaching staff build a ‘To Do’ list and I look forward to working on those things in the practices to come.”

Middleton’s 400-yard medley relay team of Max Carter, Anton Peters, Sam Wolf and Colin Gabert finished first.

Middleton’s wrestlers finished in sixth place at the 19-team Watertown Scramble last Saturday.

DC Everest won the event with 447.0 points, while Hartford (443), Watertown (419), Mineral Point (417) and New London (351) rounded out the top five.

Middleton finished with 335 points.

Sam Zanton was Middleton’s top finisher, winning his bracket at 150 pounds. Both Bryce Falk (190) and Reese Miller (144) notched second place finishes.

Zanton received a first round bye, then pinned Pewaukee’s Tyler Majeskie in 1:18. Zanton pinned New London’s Anakin Abel in 30 seconds and defeated Verona’s Jackson Guenzler-Soda, 9-0. Zanton then finished his day with a 4-1 win over Carson Kempf of DC Everest.

Joe Miller said he felt like he hit the lottery when he was named Middleton High School’s boys and girls wrestling coach in the summer of 2021.

Due to a string of self-inflicted wounds, though, and the inability to find middle ground with the school district, Miller’s time is over.

Miller was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Sept. 23 following an incident outside of Silk Exotic Gentleman’s Club in the Town of Middleton. Those charges were later dropped when Miller reached a plea deal agreement in which he pled guilty to an outstanding Operating While Intoxicated charge.

Miller said he was told by the district that if he settled his September incident, he could keep his position as Middleton’s wrestling coach — a claim the district disputes.

When you saw them last, they were celebrating in the Waukesha South pool, hoisting a championship trophy.

That was nine months ago, when Middleton’s boys swimming and diving team captured the WIAA Division 1 state championship.

As the Cardinals left Waukesha South that February day, Middleton standout Jack Madoch — who’s swimming at Virginia today — issued the following proclamation.

“I think (Middleton) should be the team to beat going into next year,” Madoch saxid.

Well, next year is here. And the Cardinals will once again be among the favorites to win a state title.

Middleton is coming off a magical season in which it won every dual meet and invite it competed in. The Cardinals then had the largest margin of victory at state since 2016.

In many ways, Saturday provided the perfect start for Middleton boys basketball coach Kevin Bavery.

Bavery’s Cardinals pulled away in the second half and posted a 78-63 win over visiting DeForest in the season-opener for both teams. Middleton also made plenty of mistakes, meaning there will be plenty for Bavery to correct this week in practice.

“Always great to start out the season with a win,” Bavery said. “From a coaching lens we saw a lot of areas that need work during the game and then of course watching film the next morning. But we also saw a lot of great effort.

“DeForest was a great season opening opponent. They played hard, ran the floor, and gave us all we could handle in most phases of the game. The more games like that we can get on our non-conference schedule the better.”

Middleton’s hockey team has raced to a 2-0 start.

The Cardinals rolled past Madison Memorial, 4-1, on Nov. 21. Middleton then blanked Hartland Arrowhead, 1-0, last Saturday.

I was very pleased at how we played against both Memorial and Arrowhead,” Middleton coach Dan Truehl said. “We leaned heavily on our returners, and they put together six good periods of hockey. The defensemen played extremely well and limited most grade A opportunities. We still need to produce some more offense, but I’m confident that will come as these line combinations get more comfortable with each other.”

Four different Cardinals scored in Middleton’s win over Madison Memorial, while goalie Ian Eberle was terrific in net.

Gabe Passini gave Middleton a 1-0 lead at the 11 minute, 52-second mark of the second period. Ethan Glimme and Alexander Moreau assisted on the play.