Sports

When game-planning for Middleton’s boys basketball team, containing senior reserve forward Owen Ostreng certainly hasn’t been on anyone’s ‘to do’ list.

Ostreng earned playing time early in the season when 7-foot senior forward Will Garlock was recovering from a foot injury.

With Garlock back in the lineup, though, Ostreng — who was averaging one point and one rebound per game — bided his time, picking up a few minutes of playing time here and there.

When starters Drew Cooney and John Grimes were unavailable on Saturday, though, Ostreng didn’t squander his opportunity to provide a spark against traditional powerhouse Arrowhead, which advanced to the WIAA Division 1 state championship game each of the past two seasons.

 Ostreng proved to be the X-factor off the bench, scoring all seven of his points in the first half and finishing with four rebounds to help Middleton hold off Arrowhead 63-57 in a non-conference game.

VERONA — Turn the page.

Really, that’s all Middleton’s boys basketball team could do after a painful, agonizing, heartbreaking 67-66 loss at Verona on Jan. 30.

The Cardinals let a 15-point first half lead slip away, then had just one field goal in the final 3 minutes, 15 seconds as the host Wildcats closed the game on a 7-3 run to prevail.

Middleton, which desperately needed a win to stay in the hunt for a Big Eight Conference championship, saw those dreams vanish with the loss. The Cardinals fell to 8-7 overall and 7-5 in the conference, which left them three games behind first place Verona (10-2, 14-4) in the league.

Sun Prairie East (9-2, 12-4), Madison Memorial (9-3, 12-4) and Janesville Craig (8-3, 11-6) were also ahead of the fifth-place Cardinals in the ultra-competitive Big Eight.

Middleton was hoping it wouldn't have to share.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that’s not going to happen.

Middleton went to Verona last Friday with a chance to win the outright Big Eight Conference title. Instead, the Wildcats built an early 4-1 lead and held on for a 6-5 win.

Verona improved to 11-1 in the Big Eight Conference, is 13-8 overall, and earned at least a share of the conference title.

Middleton, which also defeated Beloit Memorial, 8-5, on Jan. 28, fell to 10-1 in the league and 13-9 overall after its loss to the Wildcats. The Cardinals could still claim a share of the league title with a win at Sun Prairie on Feb. 4.

Middleton trailed Verona, 4-1, after the first period and was swimming upstream the rest of the night. But the Cardinals made a terrific comeback.

Standout senior forward Wyatt Ehrhardt scored a pair of shorthanded goals in the second period to pull the Cardinals within 4-3.

Middleton’s wrestlers captured a pair of dual meets last week.

The Cardinals defeated Madison La Folette 65, 15, and downed Verona, 47-32, on Jan. 29.

Here’s how Middleton’s wrestlers fared.

MIDDLETON 65, MADISON LA FOLLETTE 15

138: Aiden Bell (MIDD) over (MLAF) (For.)

144: Pavil Jones (MIDD) over (MLAF) (For.)

150: Alborz Dehnavi (MIDD) over (MLAF) (For.)

157: Sam Zanton (MIDD) over Likita Hodges (MLAF) (Fall 0:28)

165: Finn Grauwels (MIDD) over Jabari Sparks (MLAF) (Fall 0:22)

175: Reese Miller (MIDD) over Andres Albino (MLAF) (Fall 0:33)

190: Reed Falk (MIDD) over James Massie (MLAF) (TF 19-3 3:32)

215: Isa Touray (MLAF) over (MIDD) (For.)

285: Leianna Chavez (MLAF) over (MIDD) (For.)

106: Maximus Schultz (MIDD) over (MLAF) (For.)

113: Emy Martinez (MLAF) over Kyle Mock (MIDD) (SV-1 9-6)

120: Lucian Borseth (MIDD) over (MLAF) (For.)

First came a nailbiter.

Then came a breather.

For Middleton’s girls basketball team, both had a happy ending.

The Cardinals nipped visiting Janesville Craig, 61-60, on Jan. 28. Middleton followed that with a 68-9 rout of Madison West on Jan. 31.

The Cardinals improved to 7-12 overall and are 6-8 in the Big Eight Conference with just five games left in the regular season.

Middleton trailed Craig, 33-23, at halftime but rallied back in the second half.

Junior guard Brooke Michelotti scored 20 points and led four Cardinals in double figures. Michelotti added two rebounds and two steals.

Junior guard Rowan Borne added 13 points, seven steals and three assists, senior guard Emily Utter had 11 points, three assists and two steals, and senior post Macey Blazek had 10 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four blocks.

Against Madison West, Middleton raced to a 37-6 halftime lead, then allowed just three second half points.

The gift was wrapped and the ribbon was tied. All that was left was the bow on top.

Riley Kann and Marquise Walker took care of that.

The senior guards on Middleton’s boys basketball team delivered the highlight of the night last Friday, an alley-oop from Kann to Walker off the backboard with a minute-and-a-half left that punctuated the Cardinals’ 86-66, Big Eight Conference victory over visiting Madison La Follette in grand fashion.

“We were coming up the court and I looked at him, he looked at me and he threw it up,” said Walker, who admitted he wasn’t expecting it off the glass.

Kann said he went glass with it because it was a two-on-one and the La Follette defender was far enough into the passing lane that a traditional lob was going to be more difficult.

MADISON — At 7-foot tall with the wingspan of a pterodactyl, Middleton senior forward Will Garlock is an imposing figure on the basketball court and during postgame interviews.

Garlock is arguably the best player on the floor most nights, which was the case last Wednesday when Madison Memorial hosted Middleton in a Big Eight Conference matchup.

While Garlock — a University of Wisconsin recruit — was limited to 75% of his normal minutes as he continues to recover from a foot injury he suffered last spring, Garlock showed off his versatility by finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two blocked shots.

“Garlock is so good. He gets the ball inside, and he’s going to score every time,” Madison Memorial coach Steve Collins said with a sigh. “It’s like playing Nerf basketball for him. It’s not fair. He’s a legit 7-flooter, not partially, he’s legit.”

Goliath was knocked down — for at least one night anyhow.

Now, Middleton’s boys swimming team will try recovering in its quest for a third straight WIAA Division 1 state championship.

Verona edged the Cardinals, 94-91, last Friday in a Big Eight Conference dual meet that will likely determine the league’s regular season champion.

It marked the first time Middleton has lost a dual meet during coach Wes Lagerhausen’s three years at the helm, although the Cardinals were without standout junior Sam Wolf.

“We swam well, but well does not cut it against a Verona team with their kind of depth,” Lagerhausen said. “We won a fair amount of the events, however we needed to capitalize more on winning the second and even third races that were taking place in the pool. This is a perfect example of how swimming is a team sport and every race, swimmer and detail matters.”

Middleton’s boys hockey team stayed on track for a Big Eight Conference last week.

The Cardinals rolled past Janesville, 6-1, on Jan. 22, and improved to 9-0 in the conference. The Cardinals lead Verona (8-1) by one game, while Sun Prairie (5-4) is a distant third.

Middleton is also 12-8 overall.

Wyatt Ehrhardt had three goals and an assist for Middleton, while Everett Lamp had two goals. Luke Strasia had one goal, while Eli Covey had three assists.

Thomas Sutcliffe added two assists, while Patrick Passini, Ethan Glimme and Matt Sanger both had one assist.

Lamp scored just 1:22 into the game on assists from Ehrhardt and Glimme, then Lamp scored again at 10:53 on an assist from Sutcliffe to give Middleton a 2-0 lead. Ehrhardt then scored with 17 seconds left in the first period on assists from Covey and Sutcliffe to make it 3-0.

Ehrhardt scored at 15:29 in the second period on assists by Sanger and Covey to give MHS a 4-0 lead.

It’s been nearly five years since Middleton’s girls basketball team defeated Verona.

The Cardinals’ fortunes didn’t change on Jan. 23 either.

The Big Eight Conference leading Wildcats won their eighth straight game against Middleton, cruising to a 52-30 victory.

The Wildcats improved to 15-1 overall and 12-0 in the Big Eight, while Middleton fell to 5-12, 4-8.

Verona took a 23-12 halftime lead, then began the second half on a 19-6 run to push its lead to 42-18. The Wildcats extended their lead to as many as 25 and cruised home.

The Cardinals shot just 13-of-37 from the field (35.1%) and 4-of-11 from the free throw line (36.3%).

Emily Utter led Middleton with six points and two steals, while Teagan Kadow added five points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Hailey Stroede added four points and five rebounds, while Brooke Michelotti had four points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist.