Sports

The second season is here.

But before Middleton’s girls volleyball team heads to the postseason, the Cardinals had to finish up the regular season.

Middleton went to the Big Eight Conference tournament last Saturday and finished fourth overall. The Cardinals were just 2-4 overall on the day.

“It was not the finish that we expected,” Middleton coach Franco Marcos said. “We had Homecoming on our minds.”

Middleton opened with a 25-22, 25-18 win over Janesville Parker. KateLyn Robson had four aces, while Cole Jordee had two aces, three blocks and five assists. 

Middleton then downed Madison East, 25-6, 25-9.

Robson had three aces and seven assists, while Morgan Roberts had four aces. Audrey Hinshaw had five kills, Amber Karn had three aces and nine digs, and Jordee had two aces, three blocks and four assists. 

Sun Prairie then defeated Middleton, 25-23, 25-12. Logan Welti had six kills and Karn had seven digs. 

They danced and sang as “Build Me Up Buttercup” blasted throughout Breitenbach Stadium.

They hugged and high fived as Usher’s “Take That and Rewind It Back” roared through the air.

And they paused to soak it all in when “We Are the Champions” came on.

Yes, Friday night was party night for Middleton’s football team. That’s what undisputed Big Eight Conference championships can do for people.

The Cardinals hammered visiting Janesville Craig, 41-0, on Homecoming and claimed their first outright Big Eight title since 2004.

The Cardinals finished the regular season 8-1 and edged Madison La Follette (7-2) for the league title. Janesville Craig, which was trying to forge a tie atop the league, finished the regular season 6-3.

“This is just amazing,” Middleton senior tight end Mitchell Herl said. “I’ve played with most of these guys since the fourth grade and we just have amazing team chemistry. This is just a great moment.”

They’ve waited all season for this moment.

For many, they’ve waited their whole lives.

Middleton’s football team is in position to win the Big Eight Conference championship for the first time since 2010. And the Cardinals can make that a reality Friday.

Middleton improved to 7-1 in the league last Friday following a 63-7 destruction of Beloit Memorial. The Cardinals lead Janesville Craig and Madison La Follette (both 6-2) by one game heading into the regular season finale.

The Cardinals now host the Cougars Friday at 7 p.m. with a conference title on the line. And if Middleton prevails, it will give the Cardinals the outright conference championship for the first time since 2004, which was Tim Simon’s first year as head coach.

VERONA — She finished 15th at state her freshman season, then she leapt 10 spots a year ago.

But for some reason, Middleton standout junior Loren Skibba didn’t fully believe greatness was in her future.

“There was always a mental hurdle,” Skibba said.

Not anymore. Not after Skibba hurdled the rest of the state.

At the WIAA Division 1 state girls golf meet held Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge, Skibba gave a memorable performance.

Skibba conquered the rain, wind and plummeting temperatures and won the state title. Skibba posted a two-day score of 3-over par, 147 which was good for a four-shot win over Anika Hitt.

Skibba joined Lindsey Solberg (2006) as just the second individual champion in school history. And Skibba’s score was the eighth-best in Division 1 history, an amazing achievement considering veteran observers all agreed this was the worst two days of weather the tournament ever had.

Loren Skibba has spent her life going low.

That’s what happens when you’re one of the state’s elite high school golfers.

But Monday was different for Middleton's standout junior. Historically different.

Skibba shot a 3-under par, 69 on the first day of the WIAA Division 1 state meet held at University Ridge. Skibba — who matched her career-low — leads Verona’s Jessica Reinecke and Homestead’s Anika Hitt by five shots heading into Tuesday’s final round.

Skibba’s 69 was also just one shot off the Division 1 record set by Milton’s Ashton Stair in 2010.

“Loren's round was stellar,” Middleton coach Becky Halverson said. “She stayed focused and confident and showed everyone her ability. I would say this is a career round for her.”

Skibba’s big day has the Cardinals knocking on the door of a state team championship, as well.

It wasn’t the bracket they wanted to wind up in.

But Middleton’s boys volleyball team made the most of it.

The Cardinals couldn’t escape pool play and wound up in the consolation bracket at the power packed Whitefish Bay Invite last Saturday. But Middleton made the most of its lot in life and won the consolation bracket.

“A very good way for us to end the day,” Middleton coach Ben White said.

Middleton was placed in an extremely difficult pool, but opened with an 18-21, 23-22, 18-16 win over Burlington. Cardinals senior Andrew Gardner had a huge kill late in the deciding game to propel Middleton.

“The great thing about Andrew is that pressure doesn’t really bother him,” White said. “He delivered a huge kill and that was a big win for us – our first win this year in a deciding set. And honestly, it was only our second match that went to a deciding set.”

Nicolet then toppled Middleton, 21-19, 15-21, 15-9.

It took a while for their partnership to find a groove.

Middleton senior tennis standout Allison Ragsdale had spent two years with Darcy Hogendorn, and the two had a special bond.

Cardinals junior Abbey Webber had been paired with Baylie Gold, and the two had great chemistry.

But after working out the kinks and establishing their own harmony, the Ragsdale-Webber duo has reached great heights this fall. And even loftier altitudes could be coming.

Ragsdale and Webber received the No. 2 seed at the WIAA Division 1 girls state tennis tournament, which opens Thursday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Webber and Ragsdale, who have a 28-1 record, have an opening round bye and won’t play their first match until Friday at 10:15 a.m.

If the Middleton duo plays to their seed, they would play in the finals Saturday afternoon.

Becky Halverson had every intention of aging gracefully.

Tuesday may have changed that plan for Middleton’s girls golf coach.

“I think that took 12 years off of my life,” Halverson joked.

She most certainly had company.

The WIAA Division 1 Middleton Sectional produced more drama than ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’ — combined.

Middleton, Madison Memorial and Stoughton all tied for the second and final state qualifying spot. Those three teams then went to a playoff, and after Middleton and Memorial advanced on the first hole, the Cardinals finally vanquished the Spartans on the second hole.

After a nearly nine-hour day at Pleasant View, the Cardinals were headed back to state.

“It was exciting, but mostly stressful,” said Middleton junior standout Loren Skibba. “I was stressed the whole time.”

It will take their best performances of the season.

It will take better showings than they’ve had the past few weeks.

But Middleton’s boys soccer team is still heading to the postseason optimistic about their chances.

The Cardinals received the No. 3 seed in their sectional and open the playoffs Tuesday by hosting 14^th-seeded West Allis Hale in a regional semifinal at 7 p.m. If the Cardinals win their opener, they would host either No. 6 Beloit Memorial or No. 11 Janesville Craig in a regional final Oct. 16.

The sectional semifinal is Oct. 23 and the sectional final is Oct. 25. Middleton will most likely have to knock off top-seeded Madison West and No. 2 Madison Memorial to reach state.

“West and Memorial are definitely seen around the sectional as the teams to beat,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “We may need to beat both along the way to get to state.”

Ben White wasn’t messing around.

Middleton’s boys volleyball coach hosted one of the state’s elite tournaments last Saturday. And White wasn’t giving his team any breaks at the Cardinal Invite.

“I told the guys I was going to put us in the toughest pool to give us more competition and see how we stack up against the best,” White said.

The results were mixed.

Middleton won three of its five matches on the day and escaped pool play. But the Cardinals’ day ended in the quarterfinals when they fell to Kaukauna.

“I wish we had more fight and spunk in us and fought back a little harder,” White said. “When we are on, we are on and tough to beat. We just need that switch to be flipped more often.”

The Cardinal Invite featured seven of the top 10 teams in state and 12 of the top 20.

Middleton opened with a 21-16, 21-11 win over Greenfield. The Cardinals then toppled Franklin, 21-10, 21-11.