MIDDLETON — Jamey Vorlander is well aware of the reputation fashioned by his prep boys tennis team: The Purgolders are strong in singles but average in doubles.

So forgive the Madison East coach for putting his team's four straight-set singles victories, which provided ample margin of error, on the back burner Monday at the Park Lawn Tennis Courts.

Vorlander chose instead to volley credit to his No. 3 doubles duo of Julian Irwin and Chris Kappel. They defeated Adam Desouky and Ian Markson 7-5, 6-4 to help boost East to a 5-2 win and a Big Eight Conference dual-meet championship over three-time defending champion Middleton.

"We've been known for the last three years as a strong singles lineup," Vorlander said after his Purgolders dropped a mere seven games in eight sets in singles competition. "We kind of used that as motivation (for the meet)."

Irwin was glad he and Kappel could contribute to the conference-winning effort.

"It's really great to show that this year we have some depth and we're strong top to bottom. I'm going to be happy to go to school (Tuesday) knowing that we (won the dual-meet championship)," Irwin said.

Entering the meet, Vorlander and Middleton coach Greg Isermann agreed East (8-0 in the Big Eight) was favored at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 singles and Middleton (7-1) at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 doubles.

The coaches thought the No. 4 singles match between East's Yohan Garcia and Ryan Thompson of Middleton might offer the tipping point.

True to form, East's Jonathan Schwerin, Connor Gilmore and Stratton Gilmore all cruised at Nos. 1, 2, and 3 singles, respectively.

Garcia put the exclamation point on East's singles sweep with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Thompson.

"Their singles are tough (and) they're real consistent," Isermann said. "They weren't doing anything really to win the points, (but) they were hitting a lot of balls in the middle of the court and making my guys play a lot. We had a ton of unforced errors."

Garcia's win, coupled with East's surprising win at No. 3 doubles, meant the Purgolders reached a season-long goal.

"The boys said right from the start of the season, 'We need to beat Middleton.' To know that last year they kind of owned us, and to beat them the first time we played them this year is great," said Vorlander, whose team earned an additional title Monday.

East was expected to play Middleton at last month's Madison Memorial Spartan Invitational but was unable to do so because of a rain-altered format.

Middleton went 3-0 at the invite and East 2-0 with a bye — but officials decided to withhold crowning a champion at the invite, choosing to await the outcome of Monday's dual meet.

MADISON EAST 5 MIDDLETON 2

Singles: Schwerin, ME, def. Kutchin, 6-2, 6-2; C. Gilmore, ME, def. Bender, 6-1, 6-1; S. Gilmore, ME, def. Finet, 6-0, 6-1; Garcia, ME, def. Thompson, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: Mahvi-Szulczewski, Mid, def. Goodwin-Pomplun, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Strunce-Gilbertson, Mid, def. Kroencke- Skinner, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Kappel-Irwin, ME, def. Desouky-Markson, 7-5, 6-4. JV: Mid 7, ME 0. At: Middleton.