Eleven years ago, I was a nervous wreck.

I had just been laid off from my newspaper job, one where I had spent seven years covering Louisburg. Like so many others in this profession, I suddenly found myself staring at an uncertain future as newspapers continued to disappear. Jobs were scarce. Stability was gone. And I had a family to support.

I knew I was probably going to have to take a job I didn’t want — something far from journalism — just to make ends meet.

Then an idea hit me.

With news media shifting more and more online, I wondered: Would Louisburg support something like this? Would the community care enough about local sports to follow an independent site dedicated solely to their athletes?

As it turned out, the answer was an overwhelming yes.

Because of the relationships I had built during my first seven years here, there was an appetite from local businesses to support the idea — and many of them never wavered. Eleven years later, a lot of those same businesses were still standing beside Louisburg Sports Zone, believing it was an important piece of the community.

They were right — and I couldn’t agree more.

This past decade-plus has been some of the best years of my life. Through Louisburg Sports Zone, I formed incredible relationships with coaches, athletes, administrators, parents and community members. Even as a graduate of rival Paola, the Louisburg community adopted me as one of their own.

For those of you around my age or older, this might resonate.

I often felt like Norm from Cheers.

Every time I walked into a gym, stadium or field, I’d hear, “Hey Andy!” or “Thanks for coming!” or “We appreciate you.” So many people knew my name — even people I didn’t know — simply because they appreciated what I did.

Instead of an icy cold glass in my hand, I carried a camera. My barstool wasn’t at a counter — it was on the sideline, capturing moments as they happened. And there were plenty of them.

State championships. State tournament appearances. Individual champions and medalists. Record-breaking performances.

I was lucky enough to see it all.

But my favorite part was always watching kids grow — seeing freshmen mature into seniors and leave as confident, capable young adults. That transformation never got old.

My very first event as Louisburg Sports Zone was a home basketball game. I was only a couple months removed from being laid off and still unsure if this idea would work or if anyone would even care.

Those worries disappeared quickly.

As I walked into the gym, Natalie Moore, Kirstin Lowry and Kallie O’Keefe stopped their warmups to smile and wave. Coach Shawn Lowry walked clear across the court to shake my hand and welcome me back.

More than a decade later, I still get those same smiles from athletes and handshakes from coaches and parents alike. Those connections are what made this decision so difficult.

Six months ago, I was offered a position with KSHSAA Covered and the Kansas High School Activities Association. Honestly, I never thought I’d have another writing job outside of Louisburg Sports Zone. I fully intended to keep doing this until the appetite for it simply wasn’t there anymore.

But the opportunity was too good to pass up — and it was the right move for my family.

I knew the connections wouldn’t be the same. Starting over is hard, especially when you know what you’re leaving behind. My favorite part of this job was feeling the appreciation from the community and knowing I was giving people something positive to read.

I wasn’t perfect. I made mistakes along the way. But this community allowed me to grow — as a writer, photographer and a person. I always tried to do the best I could and to cover every sport as fairly and equally as possible.

The last five or six years put me in an interesting position, as my own kids were playing varsity sports. How do you balance being a supportive dad and a journalist at the same time? I hope I did it right.

One of the biggest perks of this job was getting to write about my kids — their first varsity goal, first basket, first shutout or a big volleyball performance. I know how lucky I was to experience that.

None of this would have been possible without my family — especially my wife, Jennifer. I wasn’t home much in the evenings, especially with young kids, and that wasn’t easy. She never stopped supporting me.

To my kids — Jordan, Ally and Carter — thank you for understanding the crazy hours and for supporting me even when I couldn’t be at everything like other parents. I love you more than you know.

I also want to thank all of my advertisers, past and present. Louisburg Sports Zone doesn’t exist without you. Craig Holtzen and Edward Jones, Dixon Contracting Services, White’s Automotive, Prime Accounting Services, Amborn Stone, Wildcat Vet Clinic, Dr. Andy Hill, Destination Fun Travel, Vance Brothers, Go Brolly, First National Bank, First Option Bank, Landmark Bank, Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics, IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, Louisburg Family Dental, Vohs Pharmacy, Elliott Insurance, Magnum Equipment, Louisburg Athletic Club, Louisburg Library, Tri-County Pest, Midwest Collision — and so many others along the way.

I also wanted to give a big shoutout to a Louisburg graduate – Kenneth Sweeney. He has been my “web guy” this whole time. He helped design the site and has also been there to help me troubleshoot what problems have come up since then. I couldn’t have done it without him.

Thank you to every coach I’ve worked with. Getting to know you and promote your programs has truly been an honor. I appreciate you enduring my countless emails that I send out every week. You have helped make Louisburg Sports Zone what it is as well. I will miss you all.

And finally, the student-athletes — you are the reason this worked. Thank you for letting me into your lives and giving me so many incredible stories to tell. And consider this a long-overdue apology to anyone I ever did “dirty” with an unfortunate action photo.

So here I am, 11 years later, feeling some of those same nerves as I move into something new. The last six months with KSHSAA Covered have been great, and I’ve been welcomed with open arms.

Still, walking away from something I built was not easy.

I only hope that Louisburg Sports Zone has been as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me. These have been some of the best times of my life — and I will treasure them always.

Thank you, Louisburg.

Louisburg boys basketball endured a tough week at home, dropping a pair of close, hard-fought contests to Leavenworth and Ottawa.

The Wildcats were edged by Leavenworth, 51-48, last Friday despite building a double-digit second-half lead. Louisburg got off to a strong start and led 30-17 midway through the third quarter, but struggled to handle the Pioneers’ pressure defense down the stretch. Leavenworth forced 23 Louisburg turnovers and converted them into 16 points while catching fire offensively in the second half.

Louisburg still held a 35-33 lead entering the fourth quarter, but Leavenworth outscored the Wildcats 18-13 in the final frame to complete the comeback.

Lance Callahan led Louisburg with 12 points, while Herschel Strumberger added 10 points and eight rebounds. Parker Stanfield also pulled down eight rebounds, and Owen Marsh finished with eight points and five steals. Louisburg hit four 3-pointers in the game but was limited by the Pioneers’ defensive pressure after halftime.

Louisburg (2-2) followed that loss with a 67-53 setback to Ottawa last Tuesday, facing one of the top teams in the Frontier League. The Wildcats stayed competitive in the first half, trailing just 28-28 at the break, but Ottawa took control in the third quarter by outscoring Louisburg 27-7.

Despite the lopsided third quarter, Louisburg continued to battle behind a strong perimeter shooting effort, knocking down 10 3-pointers.

Callahan connected on five from beyond the arc and finished with a team-high 19 points, while Derek Frederick was perfect from deep at 4-for-4 and scored 15 points. John Guetterman chipped in eight points, and Strumberger led the Wildcats on the boards with 10 rebounds.

Louisburg outscored Ottawa 18-12 in the fourth quarter but could not overcome the decisive third-quarter run.

LOU                         14            11            10            13 – 48

LV                              2               12            19            18 – 51

LOUISBURG (2-2): Lance Callahan 5-15 0-0 12; Herschel Strumberger 5-6 0-0 10; Owen Marsh 3-11 2-3 8; John Guetterman 3-5 0-0 7; Derek Frederick 1-6 3-4 6; Parker Stanfield 1-1 1-4 3; Fletcher Viterna 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 19-47 6-11 48. 3-point field goals: 4, (Callahan 2, Frederick, Guetterman)

LOU                         10            18            7               18 – 53

OTT                          16            12            27            12 – 67

LOUISBURG: Lance Callahan 6-13 2-2 19; Derek Frederick 5-7 1-2 15; John Guetterman 2-5 4-5 8; Fletcher Viterna 2-4 0-1 5; Owen Marsh 1-10 1-2 3; Herschel Strumberger 0-3 2-4 2; Parker Stanfield 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 16-43 11-18 53. 3-point field goals: 10, (Callahan 5, Frederick 4, Viterna)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week one of the winter sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

HERSCHEL STRUMBERGER, SOPHOMORE, BASKETBALL

The Louisburg boys basketball team opened the season with a pair of wins and sophomore forward Herschel Strumberger was a big reason why. During the Wildcats’ season opener on Dec. 2 against Wellsville, Strumberger hit the game-winning shot with 10 seconds left. It capped a big day for him as he finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds in the 59-57 win.

Then last Friday on the road at Tonganoxie, Strumberger put together his second double-double of the season in a win over the Chieftains. He scored a team-high 21 points and pulled down 16 rebounds as the Wildcats were able to hold on for a 63-60 victory.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

TONGANOXIE — Louisburg boys basketball put together its best half of the young season Friday night, storming back from a halftime deficit to edge Tonganoxie, 63–60, in a Frontier League road battle.

The Wildcats (2-0) trailed 27–24 at the break but erupted for 39 second-half points, leaning on a trio of double-double performances and some timely shooting to fend off a strong effort from the Chieftains.

Herschel Strumberger continued his dominant start to the season with a massive 21-point, 16-rebound night, controlling the paint on both ends. Lance Callahan gave Louisburg a huge outside spark, knocking down three 3-pointers as part of a 16-point performance, while Owen Marsh added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Louisburg won the third quarter 22–17 to grab momentum, then held on late thanks to free throws and a clutch perimeter bucket.

“It is big,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “League road wins are hard to come by because this league is so good. We haven’t played a great game yet, and we are working toward that. Lost the lead, kept coming back, and to hold on was huge. We made our free throws and hit a few big shots.”

Strumberger’s activity on the glass again proved critical.

“Herschel has a long way to go and that is great,” Doll said. “He is going to keep getting better. He worked a lot in the offseason and it is showing now. He is relentless at going for the ball, cleaning up the boards and giving us a real post presence to work around. He gives us extra possessions and we need that.”

They needed every one of them to survive a standout effort from Tonganoxie star Lachlan McRae. The all-Frontier League guard poured in 24 points and dished six assists, continually pressuring the Louisburg defense.

“Lachlan is hard to stop,” Doll said. “He can shoot and drive, he is a good passer and puts pressure on the defense. Glad to see our guys make the plays we needed down the stretch.”

Callahan delivered one of the biggest, drilling a late 3-pointer to break open a tie game with 1:20 left to help the Wildcats stay in front.

“Lance hit a late 3 there for us that was big,” Doll said. “He also plays a lot in the offseason and it is paying off and showing. Good to see him have success and hit a lot of big shots.”

LOU                         10            14            22            17 – 63

TON                         12            15            17            16 – 60

LOUISBURG (2-0): Herschel Strumberger 7-12 6-8 21; Lance Callahan 6-8 1-2 16; Owen Marsh 5-16 2-4 12; Derek Frederick 1-5 4-4 6; John Guetterman 1-6 2-6 5; Parker Stanfield 1-5 1-2 3. Totals: 21-55 16-26 63. 3-point field goals: 5, (Callahan 3, Strumberger, Guetterman)

STRUMBERGER’S GAME-WINNER LIFTS LOUISBURG IN OPENER

Louisburg opened its season Dec. 2 with a nail-biter, surviving multiple Wellsville rallies before Herschel Strumberger delivered the game-winner in a 59–57 victory at home.

The Wildcats raced ahead by double digits early, only to watch the Eagles claw back before halftime. Louisburg again stretched the lead after the break, then saw Wellsville surge once more in the fourth.

With the game tied in the final seconds, Strumberger sealed it, scoring inside with 10 seconds left to put Louisburg ahead for good.

The senior forward was dominant throughout, finishing with 18 points and 18 rebounds as the Wildcats controlled the glass.

“There were a lot of teaching moments,” Doll said of the opener. “It was nerve-racking at times and we had a ton of turnovers. Wellsville wanted to turn it into a track meet, and the key with that is to not get into it — and we did. It hurt us at times. Glad we survived, and that is a team I would not want to see on a regular basis.”

Marsh added 13 points for the Wildcats, while Derek Frederick and Callahan each chipped in nine.

LOU                         17            11            16            15 – 59

WEL                         13            12            16            16 – 57

LOUISBURG: Herschel Strumberger 9-16 0-3 18; Owen Marsh 5-12 3-4 13; Derek Frederick 3-11 2-2 9; Lance Callahan 3-10 2-3 9; John Guetterman 1-5 3-4 5; Parker Stanfield 1-5 1-2 3; Fletcher Viterna 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 23-61 11-18 59. 3-point field goals: 2, (Frederick, Callahan)

After a difficult season a year ago, the Louisburg boys basketball team opens tonight with a renewed sense of confidence — and a roster eager to seize larger roles.

The Wildcats finished 3-17 last winter and graduated six seniors who logged heavy minutes, leaving plenty of opportunity for new contributors. But head coach Ben Doll says the growth he saw over the summer has the group feeling energized.

“The guys have been working really hard in practice and they are excited for the season for sure,” Doll said. “We won’t be young in age, necessarily, but we will be young experience-wise. We return a few guys from last year, but we will also be relying on a lot of other guys to play bigger roles who really didn’t see much varsity time last year. Everyone will have bigger roles to play and I am excited to see what they do with this opportunity.”

Louisburg returns three seniors — guards Derek Frederick and Owen Marsh, along with forward Parker Stanfield. Frederick and Marsh started at different points last season and are the team’s top returning scorers after each averaged around four points per game.

Doll is counting on both guards to take steps forward offensively.

“Derek had a little bit of down year shooting for him, but I really expect him to bounce back and he has a really good shot,” Doll said. “Owen can also shoot from the outside, especially in the mid-range, and is a good ball handler for us as well.”

Sophomore forward Herschel Strumberger, who played significant varsity minutes as a freshman, returns as a key presence inside alongside Stanfield.

“Parker is a kid who started out on junior varsity, but got a varsity opportunity during the season and got more minutes as the season went along,” Doll said. “Herschel was thrown in there as a freshman, but was a good post player for us last year and has gotten better as well. Those two guys along with some others like Eli Roth and Jack Flaming will play those post spots for us this year.”

On the perimeter, junior Lance Callahan returns after averaging just under four points per game and stands as the Wildcats’ top outside threat. Doll said Callahan could be poised for a bigger breakout.

“Lance is a shooter who works so much on his shot and I think he can take another step forward as well,” he said.

Sophomore guard John Guetterman is expected to log major minutes as well, part of a backcourt group that Doll believes will be the catalyst for Louisburg’s style of play.

“We have a lot of guards that are quick and can shoot the ball,” Doll said. “We don’t necessarily have a true point guard, but we have a lot of guys who can bring the ball up the floor and just push it, which is what we want to do. We want to go fast and play up tempo.”

While the Wildcats struggled last season, Doll believes momentum began shifting this summer.

“We really needed to get some positive experiences after a tough year last year and I thought we did a lot of great things over the summer,” he said. “We won the KAMO tournament and had a winning record in the Baldwin tournament we played in, and we played without Herschel who was injured. Those were great experiences for our guys and it is something we can build on going into the season.”

The challenge now is translating that progress into wins in what may be one of the deepest Frontier League fields in years. Ottawa returns from a state third-place finish with just one loss on the year. Baldwin enters ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, and Bonner Springs reached the Class 5A state tournament last season. Nearly every league opponent brings back veteran talent.

“Our league is very tough this year and there are no easy games,” Doll said. “You can just look at the all-league list from last season and there was maybe one or two seniors on the first and second teams. All of the teams in the league have experienced players coming back and it will be tough. We are an improved team that works hard and gets after it. We know it will be a tough schedule, but I know the guys are looking forward to the challenge.”

Louisburg opens its season tonight at home against Wellsville. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

Press Release from the Kansas High School Activities Association

TOPEKA, Kan. – The KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament format and sites have been selected for the next two seasons. In 2026, the 1A Division I semifinals and finals will be played at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City. The 2A and 1A Division II semifinals and finals will be played at White Auditorium in Emporia while 3A and 4A semifinals and finals will be played at The Hutchinson Sports Arena at Hutchinson Community College.

In the largest school classifications, 5A and 6A semifinals and finals will be played at Koch Arena at Wichita State University. This will mark the first time since 1953 when state championship games of multiple classes were played at the same place. 

In 2027, both Divisions of 1A semifinals and finals will be played at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina. Class 2A and Class 4A semifinals and finals will be played at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. The 3A semifinals and finals will be played at The Sports Arena at Hutchinson Community College. The 5A and 6A semifinals will be played at White Auditorium in Emporia.   

“The KSHSAA is an association of member schools, and the school leaders have asked for class consolidation of championships.” said KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick. “This new format will achieve that result and provide a greater focus on the student athletes competing at the highest level with four state title games being played consecutively on championship Saturday. This modification allows basketball to follow the recently implemented format for championship soccer and football championship games.  With more titles being determined at one location, the atmosphere in the championship arenas will be at an all-time high.”   

The state tournament begins with the quarterfinal round which will be hosted at seven venues in five cities. To advance to the semifinals and finals sites, teams will need to win the state quarterfinal round games which will be played at United Wireless Arena, Tony’s Pizza Events  Center in Salina, Mabee Arena at Kansas Wesleyan University, Koch Arena, Garvey Center at Friends University, White Auditorium, and the Kansas City Kansas Community College Fieldhouse in Kansas City.  

2026 State Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal Schedule: 

6A, 4A, 2A Girls, 5A, 3A, 1A Boys Quarterfinals – March 10 (United Wireless Arena, Koch Arena, Friends University, Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Kansas Wesleyan University, White Auditorium, KCKCC Fieldhouse) 

5A, 3A, 1A Girls, 6A, 4A, 2A Boys Quarterfinals – March 11 (United Wireless Arena, Koch Arena, Friends University, Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Kansas Wesleyan University, White Auditorium, KCKCC Fieldhouse) 

The quarterfinal round games are determined by proximity to the higher seed, not class. The highest four seeds of the state tournament will be placed as close to home as possible in the 28 quarterfinal round games across the state.  If the distance from the lower seed is greater than 250 miles from where the game would be played near the higher seed, that game will be played at one of the quarterfinal sites centrally located. State brackets will not be reseeded after the state quarterfinals. 

“With the top four seeds earning the right to play close to home, the quarterfinal rounds will provide a better environment and experience allowing more friends and family to attend the quarterfinal round,” said KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director and Basketball Administrator Kyle Doperalski.  “This new format is a win for teams and school communities with an incredible atmosphere of four state championship games in the same venue on the same day.  Fans and media along with non-advancing teams and coaches will have less decisions to make about what site to go to and watch the teams and players they want to see at the state tournament.”   

The dates of the quarterfinal games are March 10-11, 2026 and March 9-10, 2027.  The dates of the semifinals and finals are March 12-14, 2026 and March 11-13, 2027.  

Two years ago, the membership expressed desire through the October Regional Administrator Meetings to combine classes at the state basketball tournament. Each class individually supported this concept. Working with the host sites to ensure top level tournament management, it was determined that the best course of action is the final four in each class advance to the site of the semifinals and finals with state quarterfinal games being played in proximity to the higher seed at neutral/college sites. 

For the eighth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. Then I sent the nominations back to the coaches and they voted for their top 3 male and female athletes. The recipient will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the three finalists for the Male Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name.

Ashton Moore – Senior – Football, Wrestling

Ashton was a letterwinner for both the Louisburg football and wrestling teams this past season. On the football field, Moore was a first-team All-Frontier League and All-State selection at running back and linebacker for the Wildcats as he led Louisburg to a 7-2 record.

On defense, he became the Wildcats’ all-time leading tackler with 324 stops and he is second in program history with 26.5 tackles for a loss. He also earned the Bobby Bell Award this past season as the Kansas City area’s top small class linebacker/defensive lineman. At running back, he led the Wildcats with 611 yards on the ground to go along with 12 total touchdowns. He was also selected to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Moore was also the Class 4A state runner-up in wrestling at 215 pounds. Moore is a 4-time state qualifier for the Wildcats and a 2-time state medalist. He finished the 2025 season with a 41-3 record and has 128 career wins for the Wildcat program. Moore was also a team captain for both the football and wrestling teams.

Myles Vohs – Senior – Football, Basketball, Track

Myles was a 3-time letterwinner this season for the football, basketball and track and field teams. On the football field, Vohs was the Wildcats’ favorite target at wide receiver as he had 41 catches for 852 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also averaged more than 20 yards per catch. He was an All-Frontier League first team selection and honorable mention all-state.

On defense, Vohs was an honorable mention all-league selection at cornerback with 20 tackles, 7 pass break-ups and he also had an interception for a touchdown. For his efforts, Vohs was also named to the All-Simone Team and was selected to play in the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association all-star game.

On the basketball court, Vohs was the team’s starting point guard and was one of the top scorers on the team with nearly nine points a game to go along with a team-best 56 assists and 32 steals.

On the track, Vohs earned three state medals this past season, including two in a pair of relays. He ran on the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relay teams and both earned a sixth place finish at the state meet. Vohs also placed at state in the long jump as he was fifth with a jump of 21-6.5.

Brayden Yoder – Football, Wrestling, Track

Brayden was a 3-time letterwinner for Louisburg this past season in football, wrestling and track and field. In football, Yoder was a first-team All-Frontier League selection on defense and was a fixture on the Wildcat defensive line. He was second on the team with 68 tackles, including 6 for a loss and a team-high 5.5 sacks.

He was also a second team all-league selection on offense as a lineman. Yoder was one of the leaders on the offensive line that amassed nearly 3,000 yards of total offense. He also earned honorable mention all-state honors.

On the wrestling mat, Yoder was a state qualifier for the Wildcats and finished the season with a 35-12 record at 190 pounds. He was also a regional champion and finished one win shy of a medal during the Class 4A state tournament.

On the track, Yoder was one of the Wildcats’ top javelin throwers on the season and his best throw was just under 150 feet.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 11 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones and Craig Holtzen.

LUKE SCHULTZ, SENIOR, BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Luke Schultz had a strong season for the Wildcat boys basketball team. Schultz led the team in scoring and rebounding for the 2024-25 campaign as one of the Wildcat post players. He averaged more than 10 points a game to go along with more than seven rebounds a contest. Schultz also scored 27 points during the Wildcats’ 3-game week to end their season.

During the season, Schultz recorded a 30-point performance in a win in January and also pulled down a team-high 18 rebounds in another contest. He shot 37 percent from the floor for the year.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Gavin Lohse

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Jay McCaskill

Week 4: Brayden Yoder

Week 5: Andrew Jamison

Week 6: Ashlyn Kuhlman

Week 7: Ashton Moore

Week 8: Brooklyn DeWeese

Week 9: Leola Eslinger

Week 10: Colton Prettyman

The emotions were all over the place Friday for the Louisburg boys basketball team.

Not only was it Senior Night against one of their rivals in Paola, but the Wildcats were coming off a buzzer-beating loss two days earlier that all but ended their hopes of making the state playoffs.

Still, they wanted nothing more than to end their season with a win. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Paola pulled away as it scored 21 third quarter points and handed Louisburg a 53-47 loss on Senior Night.

It was also the final game for five Wildcat seniors in Myles Vohs, Luke Schultz, Gavin Lohse, Billy Vohs and Will Goode.

“I thought they did a really good job because it was just so heartbreaking what happened on Wednesday,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “The goal on Friday was to start and play those five seniors a lot and those guys did a really good job playing together. They executed a lot of stuff, hit some shots and we had a lead through a big portion of the game. Billy, who hadn’t played a lot of minutes before Friday, did a really good job and was happy for all them to be able to play together and play well for most of the game.”

The Wildcats (3-17) just couldn’t get much going offensively, but did take a 22-21 lead at halftime. The Panthers caught fire in the third quarter and Louisburg couldn’t recover as they shot just 27 percent for the game.

“It was just the story of our season,” Doll said .”We weren’t the greatest shooting team and we missed a lot of things around the basket and that is a big difference between winning and losing. That was definitely evident in that game. I thought our defense was pretty good. We got into some foul trouble, but still we had some other guys fill in and did a solid job overall, especially at the end.”

Louisburg jumped out strong on Paola as it took at 13-5 lead after one quarter and held on for the 1-point halftime lead. The Panthers outscored Louisburg 21-12 in the third quarter to pull away.

Myles Vohs led the Wildcats on both ends of the floor as he scored a team-high 12 points to go along with six steals. He also had four rebounds and three assists.

Schultz added nine points in the loss, while junior Derek Frederick added eight. Lohse and Goode each had seven points, while Lohse had a team-high nine rebounds and Goode had seven.

It was a senior class that Doll has gotten to know quite a bit in his two years as head coach.

“Gavin, Luke and Myles played a lot of minutes, not just this year, but last year as well,” Doll said. “They provided a lot to our team and I’m definitely going to miss those guys. All those seniors brought important things to our program that we needed. The wins and losses really didn’t go the way we wanted them to this season, but the four seniors that were there with us all season were always ready to go at practice. We lost some close games in the last week of the season, but those guys gave us the opportunity to get us where we needed to go. We just fell short in these last few.”

LOU 13 9 12 13 — 47

PAO 5 16 21 11 — 53

LOUISBURG (3-17): Myles Vohs 5-13 2-5 12; Luke Schultz 1-8 6-10 9; Derek Frederick 2-4 2-2 8; Gavin Lohse 2-6 3-4 7; Will Goode 2-6 2-4 7; Billy Vohs 1-7 0-0 3; Lance Callahan 0-1 1-3 1. Totals: 14-47 16-28 47. 3-point field goals: 5, (Frederick 2, B. Vohs, Goode, Schultz) 

Wildcats fall at the buzzer to Eudora

The Louisburg boys needed a win last Wednesday against Eudora in the worst way.

The Wildcats found themselves on the outside looking when it came to the playoffs and they had to beat the Cardinals to give themselves a reasonable shot.

Louisburg was right where it wanted to be as it held a 2-point lead with less than five seconds left. It turned out to be too much time for Eudora.

The Cardinals passed the ball up the court and Ryan Osburn hit a running 3-pointer that banked off the backboard and went in as Eudora handed Louisburg a tough 47-46 loss at the buzzer.

“It was a big blow and was incredibly deflating for everyone involved,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “We had chances all through the game to give ourselves more of cushion than just a two point game there at the end. Crazy things can happen in that situation and you see it at all levels of basketball.

“You look back and wonder what you could have different at the end of the game, but there were so many other opportunities earlier as well that would have put us in a better spot,” Doll said. 

Louisburg found itself down most of the second half, but made big plays in the fourth quarter to take the lead, including a 3-point play from Luke Schultz and an acrobatic drive by Myles Vohs to put the Wildcats up 37-36.

Eudora came back to take a 40-37 advantage, but Vohs tied it with a 3-pointer. Gavin Lohse and Derek Frederick each hit a pair of free throws to put Louisburg 46-42.

With under 30 seconds left, Eudora scored on a second chance opportunity to make it 46-44. The Cardinals got the ball with another chance to tie or take the lead, but missed two shots and had to foul with 4.9 seconds left.

The Wildcats couldn’t take advantage at the line as they missed both chances, which gave Eudora one last opportunity that it would convert.

The Wildcats played another close game the day before against Blue Valley Southwest, but lost 55-47 to the Class 5A program.

Louisburg used a 13-4 third quarter to get back in the game and take a 40-36 lead,  but Southwest went on a 17-7 run in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Will Goode led the Wildcats with a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds. Luke Schultz and Gavin Lohse each tallied nine points and Schultz had seven rebounds. Myles Vohs had eight points and three assists.

LOU 8 10 12 16 — 46

EUD 7 15 12 13 — 47

LOUISBURG: Myles Vohs 6-12 3-4 16; Gavin Lohse 3-7 5-6 11; Luke Schultz 3-8 2-3 9; Lance Callahan 2-6 0-0 6; Derek Frederick 0-5 2-2 2; Will Goode 1-6 0-2 2. Totals: 15-47 12-17 46. 3-point field goals: 4, (Callahan 2, Vohs, Schultz)

LOU 17 10 13 7 — 47

BVSW 18 16 4 17 — 55

LOUISBURG: Will Goode 7-15 2-2 17; Gavin Lohse 3-9 3-6 9; Luke Schultz 3-7 3-4 9; Myles Vohs 3-14 1-1 8; Derek Frederick 1-4 0-0 2; Lance Callahan 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 18-54 9-13 47. 3-point field goals: 2, (Vohs, Goode)

SPRING HILL — For most of the season, the Louisburg boys basketball team hasn’t been able to put their full team on the floor, whether due to injury or illness.

It has been a tough stretch at times for the Wildcats to battle through and Louisburg was faced with that again on Feb. 14 when they traveled to Spring Hill.

Louisburg was without one of its top scorers and rebounders in senior Gavin Lohse, while another senior, Luke Schultz was limited with an injury himself. 

Still, the Wildcats made the best of a tough situation as they fought the Broncos on their home floor, but fell short in a 57-41 loss. 

“Yes, being without Gavin again put us in a bind,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “He has been our most consistent producer in the games he has played, but just snake bitten with injuries and other stuff all season. Luke wasn’t 100 percent but did a great job with some scoring and on the glass.”

Louisburg got out to a good start as it took a 13-12 lead after one quarter and trailed by just one points at halftime. Unfortunately, the Broncos picked up the pace offensively as they outscored Louisburg 34-19 in the second half, including a 17-7 run in the fourth to pull away.

Wildcat senior point guard Myles Vohs led the way for Louisburg with a team-high 11 points and also had seven rebounds and three assists. Schultz also had 10 points to go along with six rebonds. 

The Wildcats (3-14) did get some reinforcements however as senior Will Goode played his first game for Louisburg as a late season transfer. Goode, a 6-foot-10 forward, will give the Wildcats a boost they need on the inside as he led the team with nine rebounds to go along with seven points.

“Adding Will into the mix really helped that night,” Doll said. “We made things basic and let him try to fit in the best he could. It is unusual to get a transfer that can play right away this late in the season, but we believe he will help us a lot, especially when Gavin is in the lineup.”

Louisburg will try and get back on the winning track Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Blue Valley Southwest. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU 13 9 12 7 — 41

SH 12 11 17 17 — 57

LOUISBURG (3-14): Myles Vohs 3-11 4-4 11; Luke Schultz 4-9 0-0 10; William Goode 3-12 1-1 7; Derek Frederick 2-7 0-0 6; Ethan Kush 2-7 0-0 5; Owen Marsh 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 15-48 5-5 41. 3-point field goals: 6, (Frederick 2, Schultz 2, Vohs, Kush)