Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week ten of the fall sports season, sponsored by Louisburg Family Dental.
TRESTON CARLSON, SENIOR, BOYS SOCCER
Louisburg senior Treston Carlson was a big part of the Wildcat soccer team’s success this past weekend in Wichita. Carlson scored a goal in the team’s 3-0 win over Rose Hill in the Class 4-1A third-place match Saturday and put together five shots on goal for the tournament.
On the season, Carlson scored a team-high 16 goals on the year to go along with five assists. He also added eight game-winning goals as the Wildcats finished the season with a 16-2 record and recorded the best finish in school history.
The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.
Wildcats down Baldwin to advance to state semis; sets up match with Bishop Miege
The Louisburg boys soccer team celebrates its 3-0 win over Baldwin on Tuesday in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinal game.
For the first time since 2016, the Louisburg boys soccer team will be playing on the season’s final weekend.
Louisburg used a big second half to defeat Baldwin, 3-0, in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals on Tuesday at Wildcat Stadium. That win propelled Louisburg to the state final four and are guaranteed a state placing come Saturday.
“They earned this,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They work hard every practice, every game and every summer. They 100 percent earned this.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our group. They had a goal to go undefeated and go to state. We had one blemish. They are undefeated Frontier League champions, regional champions and now they are going to get a banner for going to state. It is up to them to see what we put on it.”
The win, which improved their record to 15-1 on the season, gave the Wildcats the No. 1 seed at the Class 4-1A state tournament and will face off with four-time defending state champion, Bishop Miege, at 4 p.m. on Friday in Wichita.
Still, getting to this point in the season wasn’t easy for the Wildcats and Baldwin made things difficult on Louisburg. It was the third time the two teams had squared off, with Louisburg winning the first one in overtime and won the second by a 2-0 result in Baldwin.
This match was scoreless at halftime, but the Wildcats got some good looks and started to convert on them in the second half. Sophomore Cade Gassman scored three times to record the hat trick in the second half and helped the Wildcats advance to the next round.
“We knew coming in that Baldwin was a tough opponent, but very beatable as we beat them twice in the regular season,” Gassman said. “The first half was back and forth, but when the second half started the opportunities came and I capitalized off their mistakes finding the back of the net.
“It means a lot to me and the team to make it to the final four, to see all that hard work in the off season pay off and reaching our goals that we made at the beginning of the season. It feels incredible.”
Louisburg sophomore Cade Gassman celebrates his first of three goals Tuesday in the second half against Baldwin.
Gassman scored his first goal with 33 minutes left in the match as he took a loose ball in the box and found the back of the net. Four minutes later, Gassman struck again as he took the ball down the right side and finished with a shot to the left corner.
Then, with seven minutes remaining, Gassman sealed the victory with his final goal and help send the Wildcats to the state final four.
In the first half, the Wildcats had their looks, but couldn’t find the back of the net. When they converted the first one in the second half, things started to change.
“It was a very competitive and intense game,” Louisburg junior captain Braden Yows said. “Both teams played hard in every position on the field. I think our depth wore them down in the second half, but they made us play for 80 minutes. It is always nice when you can play with a lead, and having one let us play with more confidence.”
Defense also provided the Wildcats with a spark as sophomore goalie Mack Newell earned another shutout and had seven saves on the night.
Louisburg also got strong play from its back line, especially junior Michael Seuferling, who caused Baldwin fits from his outside back position. Toby-Espina Roca, Luke Faulkner, Ethan Showalter, Hunter Rogers and Isaac Guetterman also made big plays throughout the night.
Junior Isaac Guetterman sends the ball up field during Tuesday’s state quarterfinal match.
“Michael Seuferling is the best outside back in the league,” Conley said. “No one goes at him because he is the best. If someone wants to go ahead and come at him, that is fine. That works out great for us.”
The Wildcats put 13 shots on goal against the Baldwin defense, including five from Yows, who also had an assist on one of Gassman’s goals. Gassman and Colin McManigal each had three shots, while Treston Carlson and Ethan Ptacek each had one.
Now, the Wildcats begin to prepare for their toughest test of the season – Bishop Miege. Louisburg will go up against the 4-time defending state champion at 4 p.m. Friday at Stryker Soccer Complex in Wichita.
“Obviously Miege is the gold standard having won four consecutive state championships, and nine overall,” Yows said. “We are going to have to come out and play with the same effort we have been playing with all season. There are four great teams down there who have had really good seasons. We just need to play unselfish soccer and convert our chances when we get them. We are all very excited and hope to do well, but of course the state title is our goal.”
Sophomore midfielder Ethan Ptacek races down the sideline against Baldwin on Tuesday.
It will also be a rematch of the state quarterfinal game a year ago, in which Stags defeated Louisburg, 3-0, and from that day the Wildcats set a goal to reach the state semifinals.
Now the objective is to win a state championship, and once again, the Wildcats will have to go through Bishop Miege to get there.
“The boys have been focused and prepared each and every day,” Conley said. “Everything we have gone through has prepared us for this moment. I am so honored to be able to coach these boys and watch them grow throughout the season. This is a special group.
“Miege is Miege. They are one of the best teams in 4A-1A every year regardless of what their record is. They are well coached and their history speaks for them. Bishop Miege has won 20 regionals titles, 6 of the last 8 state titles including the last 4 state titles in 4A-1A. Everyone knows how good they are and how rich their history is. This year’s team has two of the most dynamic forwards we will see and overall a team packed with speed and talent. They are organized and play soccer the way it’s meant to be played. This will be an incredible challenge for the boys and we are looking forward to it.”
No. 2 Rose Hill and No 3. Wichita-Trinity will play in the other semifinal game Friday. On Saturday, the third place game will take place at noon and the championship match will follow at 3 p.m.
REGIONAL CHAMPS: Wildcats edge Ottawa to move on to state quarters
The Louisburg soccer team was all smiles Thursday after the Wildcats won the Class 4-1A regional title following a 1-0 victory over Ottawa.
Last week’s regional championship has become a common occurrence for the Louisburg boys soccer team.
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Wildcats captured a regional title following a 1-0 victory over Ottawa at Wildcat Stadium. It has been a dominating two years for Louisburg as the Wildcats have put together a combined record of 31-3-1 and are currently 14-1 on the season.
With all that, the celebration was a little muted from the Wildcat sideline. They are more than happy to advance, but they know there is a lot of work to be done to get to where they want to go – a state championship.
Even with all those great numbers, this group has never advanced to the state final four and they will get that opportunity at 5 p.m. tonight when it hosts Baldwin at Wildcat Stadium.
“To win back-to-back regional titles is amazing and exciting,” senior captain Logan Faulkner said. “But I am super excited for this game coming up. This is the game that can get us to the state final four and I feel our team is good enough to beat them if we play our game and each player does their job.”
Immediately following their win at Ottawa on Thursday, every player realized they were able to get a win without playing their best match and they know it will have to change if they want to advance past Baldwin.
“I had two kids tell me that is the worse game we have played all year and they know they have to get better,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “Sometimes you have win an ugly game and that is what the kids did. They kept grinding and they kept fighting. They played hard and I am really happy for them to be able to move on. These boys deserve it”
Hunter Rogers heads the ball in for the game’s only goal Thursday against Ottawa.
Louisburg got out to a quick start and scored the game’s lone goal just minutes into the match. Braden Yows sent a corner kick into the box, and found the head of junior Hunter Rogers, who knocked it past the Ottawa keeper.
Opportunities continued to pile up for the Wildcats throughout the contest as Louisburg had several shots from Yows, Cade Gassman, Treston Carlson, Colin McManigal, Faulkner and Gavin York. They were either turned away by the Cyclone goalie or said just wide of the goal.
“No one ever said it would be easy,” Conley said. “Both teams played with a massive amount of energy and heart. Ottawa played very determined soccer and we had a lot of chances, but struggled to finish and frustration started to set in. As it happens in playoffs, when you let a team stick around and they start believing, anything can happen.
“I am happy how the boys held their ground and how we dominated the game. It was also frustrating when our opponents park the bus in front of their goal playing a 5-4-1 formation, but it’s part of it and we need to do a better job of executing and finishing. This time of year though, a win is a win. Hats off to Ottawa for how determined they played.”
Centerback Luke Faulkner heads the ball away from an Ottawa player last Thursdsay.
Ottawa made a couple of attempts to tie the match in the final few minutes as the Cyclones put pressure on the Wildcat back line, but they held strong, including a couple saves from goalie Mack Newell. Outside back Michael Seuferling was also a factor in making things difficult for Ottawa.
“We have given up like nine goals in the 14 games we have played and we have nine shutouts,” Conley said of his defense. “We have a pretty stout group back there. They bent a little bit, but they didn’t break. Ottawa put on a lot of pressure there toward the end and I think they only had one or two shots on goal. They did a good job standing them up or forcing bad shots.”
Now, the Wildcats have their eyes set on Baldwin as they will try to beat the Bulldogs for the first time this season. Louisburg defeated Baldwin 1-0 in overtime early in the year and the Wildcats put together a 2-0 win in Baldwin.
Goalie Mack Newell punches the ball away to deny an Ottawa scoring opportunity.
Win or lose, Louisburg has already put together a memorable season – one that they didn’t think might happen with all the uncertainty of the spread of COVID-19.
“We just step to the next thing,” Conley said. “To be honest, nobody knew what was going to happen with this COVID thing. You see football teams and others getting shut down around the state due to COVID, and it is frustrating because you don’t know. You can be as prepped as you want to be for your opponent, but you also have to prep against a virus you can’t see and don’t know when it is going to come. Still, I am happy for the boys and we are looking forward to the challenge of making it even further.”
Wildcats roll Chanute to advance to regional semis
To get to the regional championship, Louisburg had to first get past Chanute last Thursday at Wildcat Stadium and the Wildcats had no issues in a 9-0 win.
The Wildcats scored five times in the first half and never looked back.
Senior Treston Carlson, junior Jaden Vohs and sophomore Cade Gassman each scored two goals for Louisburg, while Colin McManigal and Braden Yows also found the back of the net.
Logan Faulkner (13) battles a Chanute player for the ball last Tuesday at Wildcat Stadium.
Goalies Mack Newell and Matthew Sword combined for the shutout.
“I felt the boys did a great job of spreading the field out and making Chanute move defensively,” Conley said. “We had plenty of runs down the side and also cut them down the middle. Other than the first 5-10 minutes, we absolutely dominated the game. We did a nice job of finding our marks and taking them away. I did feel that we needed to play with more energy than we did in the first half and the boys really responded in the second half and showed some passion.”
Week 8 Athlete of the Week: Braden Yows
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the fall sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.
BRADEN YOWS, JUNIOR, BOYS SOCCER
Louisburg’s Braden Yows has facilitated a lot of the Wildcat offense this season for the boys soccer team and that continued last Thursday. Yows, a junior midfielder and team captain, finished the game with a team-high two assists and also had a goal in the Wildcats’ 6-0 win over Piper.
The victory gave the Wildcats their second consecutive Frontier League title. Yows leads Louisburg with 15 assists on the season and he also has six goals.
The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.
Wildcats secure back-to-back league titles with win over Piper
The Louisburg boys soccer team celebrated its second consecutive Frontier League title following their 6-0 win over Piper last Thursday.
In a year that has been hard on so many, the Louisburg boys soccer team wanted to make sure to enjoy every moment that came its way.
One of those was on full display Thursday at the Wildcat Sports Complex. Not only did the Wildcats defeat Piper, 6-0, in their final regular season match of the season, but they also secured their second straight Frontier League championship with an undefeated league record.
That league title is just one of several special moments the Wildcats hope to celebrate this season.
“This is fantastic for the team, the school and the community,” Louisburg junior captain Braden Yows said. “It’s a testament to the hard work the coaches and players have put in every day to get better. Coach (Kyle) Conley and coach (Bobby) Bovaird, along with coach (Michael) Pickman previously, have done a great job in building this program.”
It has been a season that has had its trying times. Games have been cancelled, the entire Wildcat team was quarantined for nearly two weeks and they have faced numerous obstacles throughout the year.
Still, the Wildcats have persevered and put together a 12-1 record as they head into the postseason.
“Being back-to-back league champs, and champs 3 of the last 4 years is pretty impressive,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “This group stepped in two years ago when we were 6-11, and it was a frustrating time. A bunch of freshmen and a couple sophomores stepped in and absolutely took over the league and this year it was the same thing. We just stepped on it and went.
“These boys never gave up. They never wavered and the never stopped. They just kept playing for each other. It was great to see these boys come together. With COVID we can’t have a lot of chemistry like we usually do, but I thought they did a good job of keeping it together in a year that is so crazy.”
In its final regular season contest of the season, the Wildcat put together one of their best offensive showings of the season as six different players scored goals for Louisburg, while goalies Mack Newell and Matthew Sword combined for the shutout.
Yows, who led Louisburg with two assists on the night, opened the scoring in the first half on penalty kick after sophomore Gavin York was fouled in the box.
Senior Treston Carlson and junior Jaden Vohs added scores of their own, then late in the first half, York found the back of the net to make it 4-0 at halftime.
Sophomore Cade Gassman puts a shot on goal Thursday during the first half of the Wildcats’ win over Piper.
Just minutes into the second half, senior Logan Faulkner put the Wildcats up by five after his goal and sophomore Colin McManigal sealed the win with a score later on in the half.
“It was nice to see a bunch of guys get involved,” Conley said. “Piper gave us a bunch of different looks. When they pinched middle, we attacked the outside. When they flattened out, then we would come down the middle. The boys did a good job of seeing that and taking what they gave us. We did a lot of work with that at practice. It was good to see them execute and put one to sleep quick and do our job.
“I’m just really proud of how the kids worked and how hard they played. At the same time, this is over now. We are focused on the playoffs and no it is lose or go home time. We have to make sure we are prepped and ready to go.”
The postseason begins today for Louisburg as the No. 1 seed Wildcats host No. 4 Chanute in the regional semifinals at 5 p.m. Should the Wildcats advance, they will host the regional championship on Thursday.
Junior Hunter Rogers celebrates with Gavin York (19) after York scored late in the first half against Piper.
“We are very excited to compete for another regional championship and we have a goal of getting to state and to win a championship for the school,” Yows said. “We are going to face some quality teams that are well-coached, so it’s important for us to be focused and to play with effort and passion.”
The path to get to that state final four will go through Louisburg should the Wildcats advance to the state tournament next week in Wichita.
“We have earned the right to be able to host every postseason game until the final four if we can keep winning and we are pretty dang good at home,” Conley said. “We control our own destiny, and the boys wanted that and they got it.”
Wildcats atop Frontier League with wins over Spring Hill, Topeka
Louisburg senior Treston Carlson reacts to scoring the golden goal in overtime last Tuesday during the Wildcats’ win over Spring Hill. The Wildcats lead the league with one match to go.
Last week was important for the Louisburg soccer team, especially when it came to one of their goals – a league title.
Tuesday’s match with Spring Hill was going to tell which team was going to have the upper-hand when it came to the Frontier League crown as both Louisburg and Spring Hill were tied atop the standings.
Louisburg got a pair of dramatic goals from senior Treston Carlson as the Wildcats rallied to force overtime and get a 2-1 victory over the Broncos at Spring Hill High School. That gave the Wildcats a game lead on the Broncos in the league standings and can clinch the title outright with a win over Piper later this week.
The Wildcats (11-1) followed that up with a 3-1 win over Topeka High at home on Thursday as the Louisburg has set itself up for a memorable postseason run.
“Thursday is going to be a tough game against a very scrappy Piper squad,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They play with a lot of energy and passion and it will be important that we match that. It is crazy to think how fast the season has gone and that the playoffs will be here next week.
“We have done our job and set ourselves up nicely from our regular season record to where we will host until we lose or make the state final four. Our boys have earned that right by our record and our play. I am excited to see how this team does and what they can do in the postseason.”
Carlson helped the Wildcats get that top spot with his two goals against the Broncos as they had to rally from a late Spring Hill score to even force overtime.
Less than five minutes into the match, Louisburg caught a break as the Spring Hill goalkeeper was given a red card and the Broncos were forced to play a man down for the rest of the game.
Louisburg wasn’t able to capitalize on that as the match remained scoreless until three minutes left in the match when Spring Hill’s Hunter Williams ran through the Wildcat defense and scored to put the Broncos on top.
“They outworked us with 10 guys,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We just did not play our game. They had to attack us and we let the ball bounce a few times. Spring Hill played with so much energy. They were the better team that night and we were fortunate to come away with a win.”
The Wildcats didn’t waste any time to respond as Carlson tied it up with a goal with 1 minute and 30 seconds left in the match to force overtime. Then in the extra period, junior Braden Yows sent the ball into the box and Carlson was there to tap it in for the game-winner.
Sophomore goalie Mack Newell punches a shot away during overtime of the Wildcats’ match with Spring Hill.
It was the fifth game-winning goal for Carlson on the season and he has provided the Wildcats with some big moments throughout the year.
“He has done a great job of being consistent for us up top and he is obviously a player that other teams need to pay attention too,” Conley said of Carlson. “He has developed his game so much the past two years and it is paying off for him. I think he is one of the best goal scorers, if not the best goal scorer in our league. He has handled the pressure the other teams are throwing at him and he has excelled.”
Louisburg also got same big saves from its defense as goalie Mack Newell turned away several shots before Williams’ goal to keep the Wildcats in it.
Unlike the slow start against Spring Hill, the Wildcats didn’t take long to get going against Topeka at home on Thursday.
The Wildcats got some help on the attack from its back line as defenders Michael Seuferling and Toby Espina-Roca both got involved in the offense.
To open the match, Carlson scored his third goal of the week, but was able to get it thanks to an assist from Espina-Roca to put the Wildcats up one. It was Seuferling’s turn next as he took a free kick and found the back of the net to put Louisburg up 2-0 at halftime over the Trojans.
Senior Ethan Showalter passes the ball over to a teammate Thursday during the Wildcats’ win over Topeka High.
“It was nice to see the defense getting into the attack a little more,” Conley said. “We changed how our defensive coverage normally would be and it allowed those boys to push a little bit further. Toby played a great ball in that allowed Treston to go get it with his head.
“As for Michael’s goal, he is usually our left footed option when we line up for our free kick. To be honest, his number hasn’t been called much because of where the ball is located on the free kick, but this one gave us the chance to let him have a shot and he didn’t disappoint.”
Sophomore Gavin York all but sealed the win for the Wildcats as he recorded his first varsity goal with a shot near the net and gave Louisburg its second victory on the week.
“I think the boys played well and did a nice job limiting Topeka High’s chances for a majority of the game,” Conley said. “They were a talented team and the majority of the game was played in the midfield, but I thought we did a nice job of controlling the tempo and keeping the game in front of us. We expended a massive amount of energy and did a nice job of executing our game plan.”
Week 6 Athlete of the Week: Cade Gassman
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week six of the fall sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.
CADE GASSMAN, SOPHOMORE, BOYS SOCCER
Louisburg sophomore Cade Gassman helped the Wildcats to a big road win at Eudora last week. Gassman scored two of the team’s four goals, and also added an assist. The Wildcat forward also had four shots on goal against Eudora and Spring Hill earlier in the week, and took 10 shots overall. On the season, Gassman has seven goals to go along with four assists.
The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.
Louisburg soccer bounces back from first loss to beat Eudora
Louisburg defender Michael Seuferling clears a ball out of the back during the Wildcats’ game last week against Spring Hill at the Wildcat Sports Complex.
The Louisburg boys soccer team was forced to do something that it hadn’t faced all season.
The Wildcats had to respond from a loss.
Louisburg suffered its first setback of the season last Tuesday when it hosted Spring Hill and fell in a close match, 2-1. It was a heartbreaking result in what was a back-and-forth match, but the Wildcats didn’t have time to sulk.
Eudora was next on the Wildcats’ schedule Thursday and they had to hit the road for that one. Louisburg found itself down in the opening minutes, but the Wildcats responded with four unanswered goals and left Eudora with a 4-1 victory.
“We wanted the Eudora match to be a statement game,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We wanted to come out and show what type of team that we were and I think we did that. We played really well for about 77 minutes in that game. They boys moved the ball well and took what Eudora gave us. I was really excited how we performed and how the game went. I felt that the boys were able to set the tone and control the game from the start.
“We had one moment where we turned it off and their forward absolutely blasted a shot from 28 yards out. After that moment I think that we did really well and set the tempo. The boys did a great job.”
Following Eudora’s goal to start the match, the Wildcats went on a tear and it started with Hunter Rogers. The Louisburg junior scored to tie up the match and the Wildcats were able to control possession the rest of the way.
Sophomore Cade Gassman scored a pair of first half goals, including one on an assist from senior Treston Carlson to put the Wildcats up 2-1. Then shortly before halftime, Gassman scored again, this time on an assist from junior Braden Yows.
Junior Jaden Vohs wrapped up the Louisburg scoring in the second half with goal after an assist from Gassman.
Despite the early goal, the Wildcat defense held up strong and limited the Cardinals to just eight shots on the night.
As for Louisburg (9-1), the Wildcats put pressure on the Eudora defense all night as they took 23 shots – including six from Gassman. Sophomores Colin McManigal and Gavin York had four and three shots, respectively.
It was the performance the Wildcats were looking for after a difficult loss to Spring Hill, in what was a non-league matchup.
Despite controlling possession for much of the match and outshooting the Broncos 18-8, Spring Hill was able to top Louisburg with a goal in the final minutes.
With under two minutes remaining, the Wildcats were called for a foul just outside box, which led to a free kick and header that found the back of the net.
Louisburg’s Logan Faulkner goes up for a header with the Spring Hill goalie last week against Broncos.
“The first half we barely let them past midfield and we were just controlling play,” Conley said. “After halftime, I told the boys to keep pressing and then after while we just sat in and then we started kicking the ball around and not playing feet. We let them play their game and they are obviously better at playing their game than we are and they just got us.
“It was kind of on us. We had two mental breakdowns and they got two goals off of it and that was it. We outshot them, out possessed them and missed some easy looks near the goal. It is frustrating, but this gives us things that we need to improve on and get better.”
Going into the match, the Wildcats had 468 minutes of scoreless soccer and had five consecutive shutouts – which was a school record. They also set a school record with an eight game win streak to start the season.
Spring Hill broke both of those streaks after a scoreless first half. The Broncos found the back of the net early in the second half, but the Wildcats were able to respond just minutes later.
The Broncos were called for a foul in the box and Yows drove home the penalty kick to tie the match. From there, it was tied at 1-all until 1:47 left in the game when the Wildcats were called for a foul outside the box.
Spring Hill then sent the ball toward the goal and the Broncos were able to head it in for the game-winner.
“The boys were just executing so well the first 50 or 60 minutes of the game and they were executing the scouting report perfectly,” Conley said. “Both Spring Hill outside backs had yellow cards and I wanted them to attack the outside, but we stopped doing that. Spring Hill is probably the best team that we will see on our schedule.”
The Wildcats will try and get revenge tonight when they travel to Spring Hill in what is a Frontier League matchup and could determine who wins the league title. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m.
Wildcats remain perfect with wins over Baldwin, Tonganoxie
Louisburg sophomore Toby Espina-Roca holds off a Tonganoxie player last Tuesday during the Wildcats match at Tonganoxie High School.
The Louisburg boys soccer team hasn’t had to venture out on the road much so far this season, that was until this past week when the Wildcats had to travel to Baldwin and Tonganoxie.
Being away from home didn’t seem to bother the Wildcats. All they did was pick up a pair of victories that helped them stay undefeated on the season.
Last Tuesday, Louisburg earned a 2-0 result at Tonganoxie High School, and then two days later, did the same at Baldwin as the Wildcats shut out the Bulldogs, 2-0. The Wildcats are now 8-0 on the season as they continue to rack up wins in the Frontier League.
“It was good to get a couple road wins,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “Going to Tonganoxie and playing on the turf was interesting for us. We did really well, but some of the passes we get on grass, rolled out on turf. I do think we settled in nicely in the game and had some fantastic chances. Tonganoxie did do a very nice job in the midfield. Our backline played really well and made some key plays.
“As for Baldwin, I felt the boys played much better and controlled the majority of the game. We did a very nice job of setting the pace of the game and moving the ball.”
The Wildcats got out to a quick start against Tonganoxie as Louisburg got on the scoreboard in the first 10 minutes. Junior midfielder Braden Yows sent a pass toward the goal and senior forward Treston Carlson headed the ball to give the Wildcats an early lead.
“It was nice to see those two connect,” Conley said. “We have done a nice job with our service to the forwards and inside the 18. For the most part, we have done a very nice job finishing and capitalizing on our chances. That also set the tone and forced the game to change on how it was played.”
Junior Jaden Vohs doubled the score late in the first half with a goal of his own after he rebounded a Carlson shot off the post to give the Wildcats a 2-0 advantage at halftime.
It was all the Wildcats needed as the back-third took care of the rest.
Defenders Luke Faulkner, Michael Seuferling, Toby Espina-Roca, Hunter Rogers, Ethan Showalter and goalie Mack Newell provided a solid defense that has been strong all season. Tonganoxie put several shots on goal in an effort to tie the match, but Newell had six saves, while Faulkner cleared a ball just off the line to keep the shutout alive.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Frank Louisburg senior defender Luke Faulkner clears the ball away Thursday against Baldwin.
The Wildcat defense has earned shutouts in six of their eight victories this season and it has become a strength of the team.
“Our defense has done a fantastic job of limiting our opponents’ true goal scoring chances,” Conley said. “We have been very disciplined and organized in the back. Our backline have been ball hunters and Mack has done a great job in the net for us.”
On Thursday, the Wildcats faced Baldwin for the second time this season – the first was a close overtime win for Louisburg.
They didn’t need to play extra minutes this time around as Louisburg scored a goal in each half and left Baldwin with a two-goal win.
Carlson opened the scoring for Louisburg on an assist from sophomore Cade Gassman. Yows iced the game in the second half as he scored on a penalty kick.
“We took the game at them and controlled the pace of the game,” Conley said. “I felt we had the better of play and did a great job of taking advantage of when they gave us. I think we also changed our personnel a little bit and it helped us keep control of the game.
“The boys played with a ton of energy and won a majority of 50/50 balls. This group had a crazy two weeks of seven games in 13 days. That is a lot. We did a nice job to try to protect our boys by playing a lot of players in as many games as we could.”
Louisburg will have another pair of tough games this week as the Wildcats host Spring Hill on Tuesday in their Breast Cancer Awareness Game. They will then travel to Eudora on Thursday.
Wildcats win fourth game in six days after victory over Ottawa
Louisburg senior Treston Carlson takes a shot on goal Thursday during the Wildcats’ win over Ottawa.
For the fourth time in six days, the Louisburg boys soccer team took to the pitch and one might expect that it would be a little worn down.
It was quite the opposite.
The Wildcats jumped on Ottawa in the first half Thursday at Wildcat Sports Complex and never let up as they downed the Cyclones, 4-0, and have won six straight to start their season. It was just the week the Wildcats were hoping for.
“I was worried what our legs were going to be like, as well as, where we would be mentally,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “Four games in six days is an absolute brutal stretch, but it was really nice for us to make it through there with positive results. It was also nice to be able to play almost every player on the varsity roster in a lot of those games. It allowed us to stay as fresh as we could, and also gain a lot of valuable experience for our reserves.”
Louisburg (6-0) took an early lead on the Cyclones on a goal from sophomore Colin McManigal, and then just a few minutes later, junior Braden Yows converted a penalty kick to put the Wildcats up 2-0.
It stayed that way until halftime, and it was then, the Wildcats tacked on to their lead. Senior Treston Carlson scored early in the second half and McManigal found the back of the net for his second goal to seal the win for Louisburg.
“The boys played really well and did a great job of limiting their chances and forcing our style of play on the game,” Conley said. “We played with a massive amount of energy and absolutely controlled the midfield. I was really excited how we played and how much energy we played with. Our boys set the tone from the start of the game.”
During this long stretch, the Wildcat defense has played well as they have posted three straight shutouts and have allowed just two goals in the last four matches.
Louisburg sophomore Gavin York races ahead of two Ottawa defenders Thursday in Louisburg.
Defenders Luke Faulkner, Toby Espina-Roca, Hunter Rogers, Michael Seuferling, Ethan Showalter and goalie Mack Newell made several plays in the last week, as they did Thursday against Ottawa.
“The defense has been playing really well with having four shutouts in our first six games,” Conley said. “The boys are playing hard and building chemistry each and every time out. They are doing really well limiting the opponents’ chances.”
Louisburg will try and keep its undefeated season alive this week as the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie and Baldwin. It was Baldwin that took Louisburg to overtime, before the Wildcats scored a golden goal to win it.
The Wildcats resume play Tuesday at Tonganoxie. Junior varsity will start at 4:30 p.m., and varsity will follow.
“I spoke to the boys about that Friday at practice,” Conley said. “Last week was great, but it was over. We need to focus on Tongie and the rematch with Baldwin. We will be ready and prepared for this week, and next for that matter, as we take on four of the best teams in our league. After these two weeks we will have a great idea where we stand going forward.”
