Sports

If anyone needed Monday off, it was Middleton’s boys volleyball team.

The Cardinals had seven matches last week, winning six and proving they can be one of the top teams in the state this season.

“Not a bad week at all,” Middleton coach Rob Kleinschmidt said.

That’s for sure.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Middleton 3, Waukesha West 0 — The Cardinals defeated the visiting Wolverines — a traditional state power — 25-21, 25-20, 25-23, on Aug. 29.

Kaden Fosdick had seven kills and Ben Heise added six kills. Ambrose Engling had five kills and four blocks, while Brody Stuttgen added 26 assists and Alex Heuer had 13 digs and four aces.

“Monday was a very fun night,” Kleinschmidt said. “The atmosphere in varsity gym was electric — great crowd, good opponent, and lots of good volleyball.

Middleton’s girls golf team is ranked No. 4 in the latest Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin Rankings. And the Cardinals continued to show why last week.

Middleton rolled past Verona, 324-294, in a Big Eight Conference dual meet held at Edelweiss Country Club. The Cardinals improved to 6-0 in conference meets.

Vivian Cressman led Middleton with a 75, while Amanda Beckman carded an 80. Ellen Close shot an 81 and Abby Schroeder fired an 88.

• On deck: Middleton competed in a 12-team event at University Tuesday, then hosted Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker in a triangular at Pleasant View Wednesday.

Middleton then hosts its own invite Saturday at Pleasant View beginning at 9:30 a.m.

• TENNIS: Middleton’s girls tennis team rolled to a pair of wins last week.

The Cardinals cruised past Sun Prairie West, 7-0, on Aug. 30. Middleton also toppled Janesville Parker, 7-0, on Sept. 1.

Middleton’s boys soccer team has things figured out defensively.

When the Cardinals get rolling on offense, good luck trying to stop them.

Middleton played a brutal schedule last week and went 1-0-3 overall. The Cardinals allowed just two goals in the four games.

Middleton is now 2-0-3 overall this season.

“To end the week with one win and three ties is not exactly what we would've liked,” Middleton coach Kevin Pauls said. “But to hold those four opponents to just two goals shows how tough our defense is.”

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ busy week:

• Middleton 1, Muskego 0 — The Cardinals edged the Warriors on Aug. 30.

Cal Avery scored Middleton’s lone goal midway through the second half on his own corner kick.

Middleton’s girls swimming team rolled past Madison East, 140-29, last Friday.

The Cardinals’ 200-yard medley relay team of senior Emma Kleine, senior Natalie Charles, senior Eva Anagnostopolous and junior Lily Mair was first, while the quartet of senior Lainie Laszewski, sophomore Sophia Walker, junior Annika Diny and sophomore Izzy Ensenberger was second.

Middleton’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of senior Sophie Benson, freshman Sulia Miller, senior Abby Ensenberger and junior Piper Garcia-Hall was first, while the foursome of freshman Clara Kiehl, sophomore Audrey Alexander, senior Taylor Carbon and Izzy Ensenberger was second. The quartet of sophomore Chloe Weimer, junior Robin Schleusner, freshman Anna Dart and junior Ellie Eisele was third.

Middleton also had the top three finishers in the 400-yard freestyle.

Rashard Griffith never pictured himself as a basketball coach.

The former University of Wisconsin men’s basketball standout watched the daily toll it took on his former Badger coaches — Stu Jackson and Stan Van Gundy. Griffith, who returned to the UW in 2017 and earned a degree in community and non-profit leadership, saw Greg Gard grinding day after day.

“I didn’t want to be a coach in the beginning,” Griffith said. “But as I matured over the years, I saw it as a tremendous way to give back.”

Now, Middleton High School could be the beneficiary.

Griffith was named the new girls basketball coach at Middleton on Friday. Griffith replaces the legendary Jeff Kind, who stepped down last month when he and his wife moved out of the area.

It took longer than they hoped.

But Middleton’s football team broke into the win column Friday night.

The Cardinals dominated on both sides of the ball and routed visiting Madison La Follette, 55-14, in the Big Eight Conference opener for both teams. Middleton junior running back Bryce Falk — who had six touchdowns all of last season — had five against the Lancers.

Middleton improved to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Lancers fell to 0-3, 0-1. The Cardinals had lost their first two games to state powers Bay Port and Waunakee.

Middleton struck for touchdowns on its first three offensive plays — thanks largely to tremendous play from its defense and special teams — and was never challenged.

When Mackenzie Sloan was diagnosed with Leukemia nearly two years ago, her prep golf career took a backseat to focus on her recovery.

Fast-forward to the current season and the Middleton senior is not only back on the course, but Sloan is also helping raise awareness for the fight against cancer.

On Monday, the Middleton and Waunakee girls golf programs hosted the first inaugural Coaches vs. Cancer high school golf fundraiser at the Maple Bluff Country Club benefiting the American Cancer Society. And amazingly, the participating golfers raised approximately $44,000 in the first year of the new event.

Sloan, who had to sit out her sophomore year while undergoing chemotherapy, was excited to be able to participate in the new event.

TOWN OF MERTON — Middleton’s girls cross country team — the defending WIAA Division 1 state champions — look as strong as ever.

The Cardinals boys — a staple at the state meet — appear stacked with talent once again.

And it was all on display last Saturday night.

Middleton’s boys and girls went to the Hartland Arrowhead Prime Time Timing Night Race and won a pair of championships.

Middleton’s boys finished with 51 points and easily outdistanced runner-up Mukwonago (84). Muskego (109), Arrowhead (113) and Pewaukee (124) rounded out the top five at the 12-team event.

“I talked to other coaches during and after the meet and many were surprised by us,” Middleton boys coach Brian Finnel said. “But, our squad worked really hard all summer and hats off to them.

Several of the state’s elite girls volleyball programs descended on Appleton East High School last Friday and Saturday for the Beasts of the Northeast tournament.

And Middleton showed it was the biggest beast of all.

The Cardinals went 6-1 overall at the two-day tournament and defeated Freedom in the championship match.

“I was extremely happy with how the girls played this weekend, especially considering it was our first tournament,” Middleton coach Maddie Vogel said. “Overall it was a fun and successful weekend.”

Middleton went 3-0 during pool play on Friday. Then after falling to Hortonville early on Saturday, the Cardinals rallied back with wins over Fox Valley Lutheran and Freedom to capture gold.

“We went 3-0 on day one, finishing all of our matches in two sets,” Vogel said. “We have talked a lot about taking care of business quickly, and we definitely accomplished that on day one.

WAUNAKEE — Call it a gut punch. Call it a splash of cold water to the face. Call it a wake-up call.

Call it what you want, Robert Booker’s 2-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-goal with 2 seconds remaining before halftime certainly got the attention of Middleton’s football team.

Now trailing Waunakee by 10 points, the Cardinals responded to open the second half, methodically orchestrating a promising drive that, if fruitful, would flip momentum back in their favor.

But after chewing up nearly 8 minutes, the Cardinals turned it over on downs, with Gabe Passini’s pass attempt on 4th-and-12 from Waunakee’s 30-yard-line falling incomplete.

As a result, momentum remained with the Warriors, who would ride it out for a 17-14 victory Friday night in a non-conference match-up between two of the premier prep football programs in the Madison area.