By,
Rob Reischel
Middleton Times-Tribune
Janesville — Paul Tagliabue would love
the Big Eight Conference.
The NFL commissioner, whose endless
quest for parity has sent dynasties the
way of the dinosaur, would undoubtedly
revel in what's taking place in this
nine-team league. Heading into last
Friday's action, no team stood unbeaten,
five clubs shared the league-lead at 2-1
and every league school was within 1 1/2
games of the top spot.
''It's wide open,'' Middleton coach Kurt
Gundlach said beforehand.
Until Friday, that is.
That's when Gundlach's Cardinals went
into Janesville Craig's Monterey Stadium
and made it be known that when the Big
Eight's rubble is sorted out, they may be
standing. Behind a pair of big plays from
junior tailback Kyle Brodd and one from
senior fullback Matt Meinholz, Middleton
toppled the Cougars on a night when it
was outgained, 233-207 and had the ball
just more than 16 minutes.
''It wasn't pretty, I'll say that,'' said
Gundlach, whose team is the defending
league champions. ''But we went on the
road and got a win. And we're still in the
hunt.''
Halfway through the conference season,
plenty of others can say the same thing. Middleton, Sun Prairie and Janesville Parker all
sit at 3-1 in the league, while Madison La Follette and Madison Memorial are 2-1. And if
people didn't fully understand how jumbled the league race was before Friday, consider
Craig went from a first-place tie to sixth in one evening.
''Boy, we sure had our chances,'' Craig coach Bill O'Leary said. ''We just didn't
capitalize.''
No they didn't.
In the first half alone, Craig had eight first downs to Middleton's one and held the ball for
more than 18 minutes. The Cougars' average starting point was their own 46-yard-line
and three times they drove inside the Middleton 20-yard-line, but came away with just
three points.
''Our guys weren't starting from the best spots,'' said Middleton defensive coordinator
Tom Cabalka, whose unit has given up just 25 points in four games. ''And they bent a
little bit, but they never broke.''
It wasn't often Craig broke, but when it did, it was extremely costly.
With four minutes left in the first half, and Middleton still without a first down, a screen
pass from quarterback Jeremy Ziegler to Meinholz covered 50 yards to the Craig 9. On
the next play, Brodd ran off left tackle Ryan Steele for a 9-yard score that gave the
Cardinals a 6-3 intermission advantage.
Then early in the third quarter, from Middleton's 34-yard-line, Brodd ran off the right
side and followed the blocking of guard Andy Reuter and tackle Dan Rockwell. Brodd
got to the corner and reached the Craig 40, where he cut back against the grain, left the
Cougars safety in his wake and covered 66 yards for a 13-3 Middleton lead.
''Actually the first play of that drive, the blocking was perfect but I slipped,'' said Brodd,
who had 107 of his 121 yards after halftime. ''On the score, our guards pulled and
(fullback) Matt Meinholz had a big block and then there was nobody there.''
Craig didn't die quietly, getting a three-yard TD from fullback Jim Scalissi (26 carries,
118 yards) with 9:37 remaining. But the Cougars got the ball back just one more time
and couldn't penetrate past midfield.
And once again, it was Middleton's defense coming up large, getting heavy pressure on
Craig quarterback Adam Duerr and forcing him to throw incomplete on a
fourth-and-four play.
''A lot of hard work went into film last week and that led to a lot of big plays,'' said
defensive end Jake Criscione, who had two of Middleton's three sacks. ''Our whole
defense pulled together and did a great job.''