Sports

Terrific defense.

An improving offense.

And chemistry that seems to be improving by the week.

Middleton’s boys basketball team checks all the boxes right now, and displayed them in a 73-48 win over Janesville Parker last Saturday during the Martin Luther King Big Eight Conference Showcase at Sun Prairie East High School.

Middleton won its seventh straight game and improved to 7-5 overall, 6-3 in the conference. Parker fell to 2-13, 0-9.

Senior center Will Garlock led four Cardinals in double figures with 16 points and added nine rebounds. Junior guard Jackson Guerrero added 14 points and 10 deflections, senior wing Marquise Walker — who missed the previous six games due to suspension — added 12 points and eight rebounds, while senior forward Drew Cooney had 10 points and eight assists.

Jackson Guerrero isn’t one to toot his own horn.

But Middleton’s terrific two-way guard, who is one of the state’s elite defenders, admits facing a player like him would be a pain in the backside.

“I don’t think I’d be able to score on myself,” said Guerrero, who’s also the Cardinals’ point guard. “I think it’d be pretty annoying.”

Sun Prairie West found Guerrero’s defense downright maddening on Jan. 16.

Guerrero tied a school record with eight steals — many leading to fast break points the other way — and powered Middleton to a 64-55 win over the visiting Wolves. Guerrero was also the primary defender on West standout Tyler Haney, and limited him to 12 points — nearly 11 below his average of 22.7.

The Cardinals won their sixth straight game, improved to 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Eight Conference. West, which defeated league-leading Sun Prairie East just 48 hours later, is 6-6, 4-5.

Middleton’s wrestlers finished in third place at the eight-team Markesan Invitational last Saturday.

Markesan won the team title with 166.0 points, while La Crosse-Hokah (159.0) and Middleton (151.5) rounded out the three.

The Cardinals received first place finishes from Tavish Frank at 126 pounds, Pavil Jones (144), Sam Zanton (157), Finn Grauwels (165) and Reed Falk (190).

Here’s how the Cardinals fared at each weight class.

106 — Maximus Schultz (6-3) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.

Round 1 - Malachi Kasuboski (Berlin) 24-8 won by tech fall over Schultz  (TF-1.5 2:46 (15-0)

Round 2 - Sam Rislov (La Crescent-Hokah) 5-12 won by tech fall over Schultz (TF-1.5 2:33 (16-0)

Round 3 - Schultz won by fall over Ayden Wustrack (Markesan) 8-22 (Fall 0:43)

Round 4 - Isaac Kelnhofer (North Fond du Lac/St. Mary`s Sp.) 18-4 won by fall over Schultz (Fall 1:17)

Middleton’s boys swimming and diving team had another terrific week, winning a pair of meets.

The Cardinals defeated Madison Memorial, 111-74, last Friday to remain unbeaten in the Big Eight Conference. Middleton then won the 10-team Cardinal Relays last Saturday.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

CARDINAL RELAYS

Middleton rolled past a talented field at its own invite.

The Cardinals finished with 243 points to easily outdistance runner-up Verona (154). Madison West (151), Madison Memorial (147) and McFarland (108) rounded out the top five.

“This one is a fun meet with different types of relays than you would see in the normal meet lineup,” Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen said. “The boys really enjoy it and it is a great break from the regular schedule that will take over the rest of the season.”

Middleton’s hockey team split a pair of games last week.

The Cardinals defeated Madison West, 3-1, on Jan. 14. Middleton also fell to University School, 5-4, on Jan. 17.

Middleton leads the Big Eight Conference with an 8-0 record and is 11-8 overall.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

• Middleton 3, Madison West 1 — The Cardinals stayed atop the Big Eight Conference with a win over the Regents.

Wyatt Ehrhardt had two goals and an assist to lead MHS, while Eli Covey had a goal, as well. Michael Garbuz and Everett Lamp also had assists.

Covey scored just 2:20 into the game to give Middleton a 1-0 lead. Ehrhardt then had a second period goal as the Cardinals’ lead grew to 2-0.

West scored just 25 seconds into the third period and closed within 2-1. Middleton’s Ehrhardt then had an empty net goal with just 8 seconds left to account for the final score.

Middleton’s girls basketball team dropped a pair of games last week.

Madison Memorial rolled past the Cardinals, 76-53, on Jan. 14. Middleton then fell to Madison La Follette, 48-42, on Jan. 18.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Madison Memorial 76, Middleton 53 — The visiting Cardinals led, 32-27, at halftime, but the Spartans outscored them, 49-21, in the second half.

Brooke Michelotti led MHS with 18 points and four rebounds. Rowan Borne added 12 points and three rebounds, while Hailey Stroede had eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Emily Utter had seven points and four rebounds, while Teagan Kadow had six rebounds and both Hailey Roepsch and Izzy Enenberger had five rebounds.

Sitori Tanin and Parker Van Buren — both former Middleton High School standouts and current Loyola athletes and graduate students — have released a new Name, Image and Likeness merchandise line in which donates all proceeds to Crohn’s disease research.

The recently engaged couple was initially planning on creating a fundraiser for a different organization, but their plans changed in Oct., 2022 when Tanin’s family found out her brother, Elliot, had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. 

Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease which results in swelling of the digestive tract, and can cause abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, severe diarrhea and malnutrition, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

More than half a million Americans are affected by Crohn’s disease, with it becoming more common in people aged between 20 and 29-years-old, according to the National Institute of Health.

Less than a month ago, Middleton’s boys basketball team was winless.

Five games, five losses.

The Cardinals were playing without star 7-footer Will Garlock, though, who was sidelined with an ankle injury he suffered last spring.

Despite the slow start, MHS’ confidence remained unaffected. They knew once Garlock returned, they could get on a roll.

Fast forward to Jan. 9 and the Cardinals showed they are on that roll.

Garlock, playing in his third game since returning on Jan. 4, scored 19 points, but four others chipped in with double figures. The result was an 88-74 Middleton win over Sun Prairie East, the fifth-ranked team in Division 1 according to the WisSports.net coaches poll.

The only thing Middleton’s boys basketball team found attractive was the scoreboard.

But that was absolutely fine for the Cardinals.

Middleton struggled offensively, but shined on defense and downed host Janesville Craig, 48-36, on Jan. 7.

Middleton won its fourth straight game, improving to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big Eight Conference.

“Coach Jerry Raffel used to always say. ‘if you go to Beloit or Janesville on a school night and come back with a win it's a good night,’ ” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said of former assistant coach Jerry Raffel. “I have always agreed.”

Junior guard Jackson Guerrero led the Cardinals with 11 points, while senior forward Drew Cooney added nine points and five rebounds. Junior guards John Grimes and Andrew Qastin both had seven points, while senior forward Riley Kann had four steals.

Senior post Will Garlock, who was limited to 18 minutes in his return from an ankle injury, had two points.

Middleton’s boys wrestling team finished in seventh place at the 22-team Sauk Prairie Invite last Saturday.

Seymour won the event with 275.0 points, while Oconomowoc was second (185.0). Mauston (162.0), Beaver Dam (161.0) and Sparta (153.5) rounded out the top five.

Middleton finished with 132.0 points.

Sam Zanton finished first at 157 points for Middleton, while Reed Falk (190) and Finn Grauwels (165) were both third.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ day.

120 — Lucian Borseth (4-10) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 - Pearce Mathison (Sparta) 20-10 won by fall over Borseth (Fall 1:12)
• Cons. Round 1 - Borseth received a bye
• Cons. Round 2 - Ben Reis (River Valley) 15-12 won by fall over Borseth  (Fall 2:07)

132 — Grady Hargrove (16-7) placed 6th and scored 14.0 team points.