Sports

Unfinished business.

Change of heart.

Those were the terms Jamie Sims used most often when discussing why he would be staying on as the athletic director at Middleton High School.

Sims accepted the principal job at Sun Prairie High West High School in February. But in late March, Sims went to Middleton superintendent Dana Monogue and principal Peg Shoemaker and told them both he’d like to remain in his current role.

All parties quickly agreed that Sims staying on was best for the district.

“I have 100% peace of mind,” Sims said. “And what’s been great is 100% of the coaches, 100% of the community members that I’ve heard from have told me they’re happy I’m staying.

“There was a lot of work we had started here that we just weren’t done with. I just didn't have the peace of mind to leave right now. It was not the right time for my tenure to come to an end.”

When you saw them last, they were bucking the odds, producing memorable comebacks and taking their fan base on a sensational joyride.

Middleton’s baseball team had an extraordinary postseason run last year in which they rallied for wins in the regional finals and the sectional semifinals. That magical journey came to an end, though, in the sectional finals when Onalaska edged the Cardinals, 2-1.

Now, with several key cogs from that team back, Middleton could be poised to reach its first state tournament since 2016.

The 2021 season was an unforgettable one for Middleton’s girls softball team.

The Cardinals won 20 games for the first time in more than a decade. They chased a Big Eight Conference championship until the final week of the season.

And even though the Cardinals were ousted in the regional finals, Middleton laid the groundwork for future success.

Now, the Cardinals hope to add to those successes.

Middleton begins its new season Saturday when it hosts Stevens Point at noon. And the Cardinals hope they can build on what they started last year.

“As a coaching staff, we have to expect the perennial powerhouses to compete for the top two or three Big Eight spots,” Middleton third-year coach Brittany Carl said. “But like last year, we 100% expect to be in that mix and in those conversations. We have some young talent that complements our veteran leadership extremely well and we look forward to seeing how it all comes together.”

The season had been over for maybe 20 minutes.

And already, Middleton boys basketball coach Kevin Bavery and his returnees were thinking about 2022-23.

And why not?

The Cardinals had a terrific year in 2021-22, going 17-10 overall, finishing second in the Big Eight Conference at 13-5, and reaching sectionals for the first time since 2017. With several key cogs from this year’s team back — and a gifted group expected to join them — Middleton could field its best team in several years next winter.

“We're very excited for next season,” Bavery said. “But like any 'next', there is a lot of unknown and many things that can't be controlled. Most importantly is what each individual player does for themselves in terms of individual improvement.

It was a memorable season for Middleton’s boys basketball team.

The Cardinals went 17-10 overall, finished in second place in the Big Eight Conference and reached the WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinals.

Middleton capped that big year by having a pair of players earn all-Big Eight Conference honors.

Junior guard Gavyn Hurley was the Big Eight’s Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. Senior guard Logan Raffel was a second-team all-conference selection.

Hurley led the Cardinals in scoring at 15.7 points per game and in rebounding (6.9). Hurley was also first on the team in assists (3.0) and steals (1.9), shot 42% from the floor and 64% from the free throw line.

Hurley scored a season-high 31 points against Verona and had 30 points against Janesville Craig. Hurley also had 15 rebounds against Madison West, 14 boards against Janesville Craig and finished the year with four double-doubles.

OCONOMOWOC — Contain Andrew Rohde.

Beat Brookfield Central.

That’s been the plan of attack by foes all season when they face the Lancers’ boys basketball team. After last Thursday night, that scouting report might have changed.

Middleton got exactly what it wanted and held Rohde to 15 points, his second-lowest output of the season. But the Lancers’ complimentary pieces came up huge and powered Central to a 57-39 win over the Cardinals in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal held at Oconomowoc High School.

Lancers senior forward Bennett Murray had the second half of his life, scoring all 16 of his points after intermission. Sophomore forward Jack Daugherty knocked down four 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 14 points. And junior point guard Drew Edmond played a terrific floor game, doling out five assists.

Middleton got 13 points from junior forward Kaden Fosdick, but it wasn’t enough.

Middleton’s hockey team had a tremendous season, going 16-8 overall and finishing in a tie for second place in the Big Eight Conference.

So when it came time for all-conference voting, a handful of Cardinals were honored.

Sophomore forward Brady Engelkes and senior defenseman Ryan Inman were named first-team all-conference. Junior goalie Cam Haynes was named second-team all-league, while sophomore forward Vince Kalscheur was named honorable-mention all-conference.,

“All-conference is a great way to celebrate some great individual seasons, but I'm incredibly proud of the representation that our entire team had on this list,” Middleton coach Dan Truehl said. “No one can have success by themselves in hockey.”

Engelkes had a remarkable amount of success.

His 28 goals led the Cardinals and were fourth in the conference. He also added 18 assists and finished as Middleton’s leading scorer with 46 points.

Middleton’s girls basketball team didn’t have the season it hoped for.

But the Cardinals still fared awfully well when it came to all-Big Eight Conference voting.

Junior wing Audrey Deptula was named first-team all-Big Eight Conference. Senior guard McKenna Monogue was named second-team all-conference.

“These two led us in most of our statistical categories,” Middleton coach Jeff Kind said of the duo. “They were our main scoring threats and, as such, the main focus of opponents’ defenses.

“I was happy they were both recognized among a very strong group of individual players in the conference this year.”

Deptula led the Cardinals in both scoring at 15.8 points per game and rebounding (7.6). Deptula added 1.1 assist per game, shot 33.2% from the field and from 3-point range, and 75.3% from the free throw line.

When Storm Murphy was a seventh grader, his family traveled to Hilton Head, S.C., for spring break.

On the way, the Murphy’s stopped off at the University of North Carolina and later Duke. And young Storm — all 5-feet-nothing and 100 pounds of him — delivered this message.

“I told my Mom and Dad I was going to play here one day,” Murphy said.

That didn't happen.

But Murphy might have done something even more impressive last weekend.

Murphy, one of the finest basketball players in Middleton history and now a senior guard at Virginia Tech, helped lead the Hokies past both of those basketball powers in a 24-hour window.

During the ACC Tournament held in New York, Murphy and the Hokies defeated North Carolina, 72-59, in the semifinals last Friday. One night later, Virginia Tech hammered Duke, 82-67, to win the conference championship and deny Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski a league title in his final season.