Sports

When it comes to quarterback play, the Green Bay Packers are the envy of the NFL.

From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, the Packers are poised for four decades — or more — of elite quarterbacking play.

In many ways, Middleton is the Packers’ parallel when it comes to prep girls golf.

When Jill Reis left, Heidi Hinners took over. When Hinners graduated, Lindsey Solberg grabbed the reigns.

The list is endless, too, from Allison Van Hueklem, Loren Skibba, Alexis Thomas, Kate Maier, Ellie Frisch and Vivian Cressman, the Cardinals have had someone ready to lead their next group of standouts for more than a quarter century now.

MHS coach Becky Halverson isn’t sure who that player will be this fall. But history tells her someone will emerge, and odds are, the Cardinals will find themselves where they always do — among a handful of teams vying for a state title.

Jochen Hylbert has taught at Middleton High School for 18 years now.

He knows the students, the families and the ins-and-outs of the district.

Most importantly, though, Hylbert knows hockey.

Add it all up and you can see why Hylbert was chosen as Middleton’s next boys hockey coach. Hylbert replaces Dan Truehl, who stepped down following the 2024 season after his responsibilities intensified at his day job.

“I have worked at Middleton High School going on 18 years and I know most of the players from having them in my elective classes and I just have always really enjoyed supporting our hockey program,” said Hylbert, a Physical Education and Health teacher at MHS. “I am very honored to continue this tradition of MHS hockey and explained that … when I was selected as head coach.”

ASHTON – There are plenty of reasons to attend a Home Talent League baseball game in Ashton.

The cornfield behind the left field fence provides a ‘Field of Dreams’ like atmosphere.

There are plenty of brats hot off the grill and cold beverages available along with a 50-50 raffle that is second to none in the HTL.

But nothing beats the main event, watching the home team A’s playing a solid brand of baseball that keeps the fans coming back.

First baseman Luke Ballweg did just that Sunday afternoon, lining a two-run single that helped second-seeded Ashton rally from a late two-run deficit and edge third-seeded Middleton, 5-4, in the second round of the Northern Section playoffs.

The victory sent the A’s (11-3) into the Northern Section championship at Sauk Prairie (13-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. The top-seeded Twins rallied for an 11-8 victory over fifth-seeded Reedsburg.

The Midleton Gators finished in second place at the All-City Swim Meet held  at Shorewood Hills from Aug. 1-3.

Ridgewood won the 13-team meet with 2,637.0 points, while Middleton was second at 2,236.50. Parkcrest (1,856.50), Seminole (1,795.50) and High Point (1,726.50) rounded out the top five.

Here’s a list of the Gators that had top-eight finishes:

FIRST PLACE

• Boys 11-12 200-yard medley relay — Eric Kim, Dmitriy Pronin, Aaron Dopp, Cameron Dula

• Girls 13-14 200-yard medley relay — Taetem Martin, Gianna Gabert, Abigail Frommelt, Jane Garlock

• Boys 15-19 200-yard medley relay — Max Carter, Sam Wolf, Ben Cutlet Heiderschelt, Jackson Esteves

• Boys 11-12 50-yard freestyle — Cameron Dula

• Girls 13-14 100-yard freestyle — Jane Garlock

• Boys 15-19 100-yard freestyle — Sam Wolf

• Girls 13-14 100-yard backstroke — Taetem Martin

• Boys 15-19 100-yard backstroke — Max Carter

Brady Schmitt was stellar on the mound.

The offense pounded out 12 hits.

And the defense was flawless.

Add it all up and you can see why Middleton’s Home Talent League team was dominant in its biggest game of the year, rolling to a 12-2 win over visiting Waunakee in the opening round of the Northern Section playoffs Sunday afternoon. The game was stopped after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Third-seeded Middleton improved to 10-3 and will travel to second-seeded Ashton (10-3) for a second round game Sunday at 1 p.m.

Schmitt worked five scoreless innings before Waunakee scratched two runs across in the sixth. Schmitt picked up the win after allowing two runs and seven hits in six innings, while striking out three and walking three. Drew Farrell worked a scoreless seventh, striking out one and allowing just one base hit.

CROSS PLAINS –- ‘Baseball is a game of inches.’

You won’t get an argument from the Cross Plains Businessmen.

That saying was never more appropriate than in the opening round of the Home Talent League Northern Section playoffs on Sunday afternoon.

Just when it appeared the host Businessmen were going to erase a four-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning, a page ripped out of a Ripley’s ‘Believe it or Not’ episode suddenly ended their season.

No. 5 seeded Reedsburg converted a strange game-ending double play to stun fourth-seeded Cross Plains, 9-8, in an amateur baseball game that left the hometown fans and players alike wondering what they had just witnessed.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Reedsburg manager Don Molitor said with a smile, while shaking his head. “Today was one of those days.”

CROSS PLAINS — With two weeks left in the regular season, the Cross Plains Businessmen were wondering if they would even qualify for the Northern Section playoffs, let alone host a home game.

But a lot can change in two weeks.

The Businessmen received a strong pitching performance from right-hander Logan Schultz, pounded out 14 hits and rolled past Black Earth, 7-1, in a Home Talent League Northern Section regular season finale on Sunday.

Cross Plains also defeated Waunakee, 6-3, last Saturday and jumped up to the fourth seed in the section. The Businessmen (8-4) will host Reedsburg (8-4) in the opening round of the Northern Section playoffs on Sunday at 1 p.m. Cross Plains won the tiebreaker for fourth place and the right to host a first-round playoff game after defeating Reedsburg, 10-5, on May 17.

The regular season went extremely well.

Now, Middleton’s Home Talent League team is hoping for similar success in the postseason.

The 29ers rolled past Wisconsin Dells, 9-1, last Friday and finished the regular season 9-3 overall. Middleton earned the No. 2 seed in the Northern Section and will open playoff action against seventh-seeded Waunakee Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sauk Prairie is the No. 1 seed in the Northern Section, followed by Middleton, Ashton, Cross Plains, Reedsburg, Mazomanie, Waunakee and Wisconsin Dells.

Middleton’s Drew Farrell threw six scoreless innings to earn the win. Farrell struck out eight, allowed five hits and walked just one.

Easton Zempel gave up one run in the final three innings. Zempel allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one.

The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game will be held July 20 at Titan Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

And former Middleton standouts Dom Frost and KJ Peterson will compete for the South Large All-Stars.

Frost was the Big Eight Conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Year and the Defensive Interior Lineman of the Year after posting 53 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. Frost, who will play collegiately at Bemidji State, also forced a fumble, had one interception, and earned all-Region honors during the 2023 campaign.

“Dom was a good, steady player (in 2022) and became a dominant player this year,” Middleton co-coach Tim Simon said after the 2023 season. “We lined him up on the opposite side of Sam Pilof knowing teams would try to run away from Sam. Opposing teams found out that wasn't going to work. Dom absolutely controlled his gaps with great force and technique and made other teams have to double team him.”

ASHTON — Faced with a depleted roster, the Ashton A’s would have preferred a different day than last Saturday to host league-leading Sauk Prairie Twins in a key Home Talent League Northern Section matchup.

The game that was originally set for May 26 and postponed due to inclement weather, was unfortunately rescheduled for a steamy afternoon in July with several starters missing from both teams.

While Ashton eventually lost a wild 16-10 Sunday League HTL battle to Sauk Prairie, A’s player/manager Logan Ziegler couldn’t have been prouder of how his team persevered.

“I really appreciated my team’s efforts,” said Ziegler, who started in center field and finished 2-for-5, including a double. “We only had 10 guys. They all stepped up, played their hearts out and never gave up. That’s what you love to see as a coach.”