Wildcats blank Fort Scott to win season opener
Sophomore Braden Yows heads the ball down the field Tuesday during the the team’s season opener against Fort Scott. Yows finished with four goals and an assist in the Wildcats’ 10-0 win over Fort Scott.
Losing to Fort Scott to begin its
season a year ago was something that has stuck in the back of the minds of the
Louisburg boys soccer team.
The setback was the start of a
difficult 2018 campaign for the Wildcats, and one they have tried to learn
from.
Consider it a lesson learned.
The Wildcats opened their 2019
season Tuesday when they hosted Fort Scott at Wildcat Stadium and they made
sure not to let the same thing happen twice.
Louisburg scored six first half
goals on its way to a 10-0 victory over the Tigers and put together the start
it was looking for.
“It was nice to finally be done with preseason,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The boys were hungry and ready. We talked about how we needed to come ready to go to avoid the upset we had last year. They boys were both mentally and physically ready to ensure that didn’t happen again. I love the energy the boys played with and how hard we played from start to finish.”
Newcomer Braden Yows provided the
Wildcats with a boost right from the start. Yows, a sophomore, scored four
goals – all in the first half – and added an assist in his first game for
Louisburg.
Yows had a hat trick in the first 25
minutes of the match from the midfield spot and set the tone for the Louisburg.
“Braden is going to a really special
player,” Conley said. “He played really well and has been a leader for us on
and off the field. His vision is fantastic. I love how he is playing for his
teammates, and of course, how hard he works day in and day out. He had a
fantastic first game.”
Yows wasn’t the only Wildcat to have a
strong first game. Freshman Cade Gassman got going in the second half with two
goals and also had two assists in his Wildcat debut.
Junior Treston Carlson scored his first
of two goals late in the first half and added another late in the second half.
Junior Logan Faulkner headed in a goal in the first half on a Yows throw-in
from the side and sophomore Jaden Vohs invoked the mercy rule with the team’s
10th goal late in the match.
Senior Colin Cook led the team, along
with Gassman, with two assists on the night. Sophomores Hunter Rogers and Isaac
Guetterman also finished with an assist.
Louisburg dominated possession for much
of the contest, but when the Tigers got looks, goalie Garrett Rolofson turned
them away as the Louisburg senior had four saves in the shutout. The defensive
back line of Toby Espina Roca, Luke Faulkner and Michael Seuferling were also
vital in the shutout.
The win was, what the Wildcats hope, is
the start of many more to come.
“There are a lot of new players and I
think that is something that we need to keep in mind,” Conley said. “This team
is going to be a lot of fun to watch grow. It is important to keep in mind that
a lot of these kids are new to high school soccer or have very limited
experience. It was great watching them come ready to play and perform so well.”
Louisburg will try to make it two in a
row Thursday when it travels to Paola for its Frontier League opener. The match
is set to begin at 6 p.m.