The Louisburg High School boys soccer team celebrates following its state quarterfinal victory Tuesday over Trinity Academy in Louisburg. 

Late in Tuesday’s state quarterfinal game against Trinity Academy, Louisburg senior Herman Knipp was laying on the ground in pain.

His legs were taken out from under him by a Trinity player, who was later given a red card for the incident. He got up, walked it off and moved on.

Three minutes later, Knipp was on the top of the world – and so were the rest of the Louisburg soccer faithful. His goal in the 75^th minute gave the Wildcats a 1-0 win over Trinity and their first state quarterfinal victory.

Knipp’s goal not only put his team in the state semifinals, but alleviated years of pain past Wildcat players have endured with his one shot. Prior to this season, Louisburg had advanced to the state quarterfinals six times only to see its season come to an end.

Several alumni from the program were on hand to witness history under the lights Tuesday at the Wildcat Sports Complex. Some were just as excited as the players.

“It is unbelievable,” said Louisburg coach Kyle Conley, who is in his first year with the program. “All the stuff that coach (Ben) York and the previous players did prior to this year was great. There were some really good teams that came through here, but they always got stuck in this round. We are always talking about let’s take the program on our shoulders and see where we can go and do something different.

“All the pressure was on (Trinity), not us. They had been in this spot 15 of the last 16 years and the pressure is on them. This is our field and we don’t lose at home. We are undefeated here and this is what we do. I mean, how hard did these kids play? It was just awesome. I couldn’t be prouder of a group of kids.”

Louisburg head coach Kyle Conley is doused with cold water thanks to Herman Knipp and Eric Vazquez (14) following Tuesday’s win.

In fact, one could even say Knipp’s goal might be the most important in Wildcat soccer history –depending on your point of view. There have been many vital goals, or plays, in the last 14 years, but Knipp’s might stand out more than most.

There is no one else that could say their shot put their team in the state semifinals – which speaks volumes.

At the same time, I am not saying this one goal was the lone reason for the Wildcats’ success. It absolutely wasn’t. This was a team effort and it started on the other end of the field.

Louisburg’s defense has carried the Wildcats in the postseason as they have given up just one goal in three games. Goalie Ambrose Stefan has earned back-to-back shutouts of Field Kindley and Trinity, and he has racked up several very large saves in the process.

When teams have found cracks in the Wildcat defense, Stefan has been there to protect the net. The Wildcat back line of junior Kristopher Light, along with seniors Kolten Ragan, Curran Conklin and Jacob Benne, have provided a solid front.

It has been fun to watch them grow as many of those players didn’t see significant varsity minutes last season and have come together as a unit. Benne and Conklin have made it tough on the opposition as the team’s outside backs.

Senior Jacob Benne clears the ball away during Tuesday’s state quarterfinal game.

“Teams go after those two and I don’t get it,” Conley said. “I am not sure if they aren’t scouting us or what, but if you are going after our outside backs, you are not going to win that battle many times. All year, teams go after them. They might be bigger and faster than our guys, but those two keeping grinding and do their job. They keep it simple and they are fantastic.

“They are a huge anchor on the outside and that gives us a little freedom to stay compacted to take away the middle. It is a credit to them because they work so hard and do all the ugly stuff. They are coachable and they listen. Their progression from June 1 to now has been unbelieveable.”

The Wildcats also have a solid midfield with one of the best players in Class 4-1A in Noah Juarez. The Louisburg senior leads the Wildcats in scoring and will no doubt make the all-league team for a fourth straight season.

Juniors Grant Ryals, Scott Murphy and Raistlin Brewer, freshman Landon Johnson and seniors Calvin Cassida and Ty Martin have all come up big from the midfield spot at one time or another this season. Sophomore Jonathan Ventre is the same way from the forward position.

Conley has brought this team together and has them believing that they have nothing to lose – which quite honestly – they don’t. No one, including me, thought this group was going to be one of four teams left standing.

“We are playing with house money right now,” Conley said. “We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. All those teams have everything to lose. We are just going to ride it out and see what happens.”

That is what makes this story even more special. In the nine years I have covered Louisburg athletics, I have seen more talented teams take the field and watch as their season has come up short. This group, though, has overcome a lot and they are stronger for it.

These Wildcats have won the hearts of a lot of soccer fans in this town and it was evident Tuesday night following the win. I don’t get goosebumps often, but it was hard not to after watching fans line up the length of the field to congratulate the team.

“The student section was great and the atmosphere was just fantastic,” Conley said. “You can’t ask for a better group of kids who just scream, yell and have fun. The kids feed off that and was great.”

The fans joined the players in the ‘Icelandic Thunder Clap’ following their victory and the party was on. It lasted for several minutes as several hugs were given and countless pictures were taken to document what was an historic night for Louisburg soccer.

A night many Wildcat fans won’t soon forget.

Louisburg senior Herman Knipp celebrates his goal that gave the Wildcats a 1-0 win over Trinity Academy in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals Tuesday in Louisburg. The Wildcats advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in program history.

The state quarterfinal round has been nothing but heartbreak for the Louisburg High School boys soccer team.

In their previous six appearances, the Wildcats have seen their season come to an end and those players were left only to dream what playing in the state final four would be like.

There will be no imagining this time around.

Louisburg got a goal in the 75^th minute from senior Herman Knipp to give the Wildcats a 1-0 victory over Trinity Academy on Tuesday in the state quarterfinals in Louisburg. The curse of the state quarterfinal round was finally lifted.

“It is exhilarating,” Knipp said. “It is a feeling that you can’t get anywhere else. It was amazing. This is opportunity that no one else has had. I just want to make the best out of going to state because we are the first to do it from Louisburg. To see all the people and alumni from Louisburg who had smiles on their faces, it is just indescribable.”

It was a quarterfinal game that featured its fair share of drama, but none more than in the final eight minutes – and Knipp was right in the middle of it all.

The Louisburg forward was taken out from behind, near midfield with eight minutes left in the second half. The referee awarded the Trinity player a red card and the Knights were forced to play a man down the rest of the match.

Three minutes later, the mistake came back to haunt the Knights. A Trinity defender had possession at the top of the box, but Knipp sprinted from the sideline to put pressure on the play.

Knipp knocked the ball away from the defender the ball flipped into the air in the box and Knipp had a one-on-one with the goalie and put the shot away.

“They had to put a forward back in their defense and I don’t think he really knew what he was doing,” Knipp said. “He just held the ball for too long. I knew if I could put pressure on him I could get the ball and that is what really caused the goal was the pressure.”

Louisburg senior Noah Juarez slides into keep the ball away from three Trinity players Tuesday in Louisburg.

The goal sent the Louisburg sideline and fans into a frenzy as it was five minutes away from reaching its first state semifinal game.

“We were looking to counter the whole time,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We knew they were going to push hard and play that big ball. We just wanted to play our feet and try and counter and go at them. We kept getting chances and were getting close. I knew we were going to get one eventually.

“Trinity wasn’t tracking back near as much in the second half. I am not sure if they were fatigued or not, but we had way more run of play. Then the red card was just icing on the cake.”

However, had it not been for the Wildcat defense, Knipp’s goal wouldn’t have mattered as much. Trinity put pressure on the Louisburg back line early and often in the first half.

Trinity had four shots on goal in the first 20 minutes of action and had a good look at the goal with five minutes left before halftime. Junior goalie Ambrose Stefan turned away the shot with a diving save and also had a sliding stop to knock the ball away earlier in the half.

Louisburg goalie Ambrose Stefan slides in for one of his many saves Tuesday in the state quarterfinals in Louisburg.

Stefan had another diving save early in the second half to turn away another Trinity opportunity.

“I am really excited,” Stefan said. “I don’t usually show my emotions, but they are showing a lot right now. They had some good shots on us, but I just saw the ball and went and saved it.”

The Louisburg head coach certainly liked what he saw from his defense, especially from his goalie.

“The first half they had such high pressure on us,” Conley said. “The game plan going in was to bend but don’t break and hold your ground. Ambrose made three unbelievable saves. One of them was point blank and he just extended out and knocked it away. That was probably the save of the year for him.”

Louisburg’s defense tightened up its play in the second half and limited the Knights’ chances on goal. Seniors Jacob Benne and Curran Conklin shut down the Trinity attack on the outside, while junior Kris Light and senior Kolten Ragan cleaned up the middle of the field.

“Kris cleaned up a bunch of messes and all four of those guys played unbelievable,” Conley said. “The outside backs Jacob and Curran just shut it down and Kolten in the second half came up huge. We changed the formation a little bit and moved him up so he could clean up their best player. That adjustment really seemed to get us going.”

The Wildcats had more chances on goal in the second half as freshman Landon Johnson had a shot save in the opening minutes. A few moments later, Conklin sent the ball into the box for Johnson, who hit it off the side of his foot, but was robbed of a goal by a diving save from the Trinity goalie.

Wildcat senior Calvin Cassida breaks away from the Trinity defense Tuesday.

Louisburg continued to put the pressure on the Knights, which eventually led to the red card late in the second half that sent Knipp to the ground.

“I was going after him and the ball, and I came in a little late, but not a whole lot,” Knipp said. “Then I was running back and he kicked my leg out from under me and the ball was way gone. Luckily the AR saw it on my side and it was red card worthy.”

The Wildcats will travel to Topeka on Friday for the Class 4-1A state tournament at Hummer Sports Park and the challenges get even more difficult from here on out.

Louisburg will face off with Bishop Miege at 7 p.m. Friday and will play again on Saturday. The championship match is set for 2 p.m., and the third place game is scheduled for noon.

The Wildcats obviously hope they are playing in the former.

“Hopefully when we come back to Louisburg, we can get some T-shirts that say we are state champions,” Stefan said.

Louisburg freshman Trinity Moore rounds a turn during the Kansas Class 4A State Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Wamego Country Club. Moore earned a state medal with a 19th place finish.

WAMEGO – A day before the biggest race in her life, Trinity Moore limped her way from practice with a foot injury.

It wasn’t anything serious, but it was the last thing Moore needed to deal with on the brink of the Kansas Class 4A State Cross Country Championships. The pain was still there before the race started Saturday at the Wamego Country Club, but she wasn’t going to let it stop her.

In fact, it made her push even harder.

The Louisburg High School freshman didn’t look like a first-year varsity runner as she finished 19^th overall with a time of 20 minutes and 54 seconds – just 10 seconds off her personal best time. That finish was good enough to earn a state medal.

“I just wanted to come down here and try my hardest and see what the competition was like,” Moore said. “I really didn’t know what to expect since this is my first year. Being able to medal my first year is really exciting and I hope next year I get a chance to do even better.”

This season was a special one for Moore, who set the school record and led the Lady Cat runners all season as a freshman. She was also the first female runner to medal in Louisburg history and the first runner to medal since Jason Rose took fifth in 2006.

Trinity Moore leads a pack of runners toward the finish line Saturday at the Class 4A state cross country meet.

“Trinity did an awesome job,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “For a freshman, getting a school record earlier in the year, coming to state and medaling was just icing on the cake. She just had a fantastic season

“She definitely exceeded my expectations. She almost ran her best of the season here and that is outstanding. She is a competitor. She runs hard, works hard and ran the best race she could. She started off steady, moved through the pack and then when she had to she made moves on all the downhills and put herself in a better and better position.”

Wamego’s course featured several different obstacles for Moore, but maybe the biggest were the numerous hills she had to make her way through.

“It was probably the hardest course in terms of competition and try to pass people up the hills,” Moore said. “Ottawa’s course was pretty hard earlier in the year, but this might have been a little tougher. The toughest part was running up the hill and trying to beat people as I was running up them.”

Louisburg junior Wyatt Reece runs with a large group of runners downhill Saturday in Wamego.

Louisburg juniors Wyatt Reece and Tim Smith also had goals of picking up a medal at state, but both fell victims to what was a very fast start to the Class 4A boys race. Wyatt finished 48^th in 18:32 and Smith was 68^th in 19:07.

For Wyatt, it was a big improvement from his state meet appearance a year ago. Last season, he finished 71^st overall at the Wamego course.

“The boys race was different,” coach Reece said. “It went out very fast and a lot of boys paid for it. Wyatt was in a great position to start with, but as the race played out, his legs just went away from him and it just wasn’t there. He wanted it really bad. He went for it and it just didn’t work out. That is the nature of the beast.

“Tim did a great job with this being his first time here. He moved through the pack a little bit there at the end. I was pleased with those two and how they ran this year. They used each other well and hopefully we can find a few other kids to help them out next year.”

Junior Tim Smith (right) picks up the pace for final leg of the race at the Wamego Country Club.

As for Moore, she is excited for what the future holds as she looks to improve on what was an historic freshman season.

“This is going to give me a lot of motivation going into next year,” Moore said. “I am going to do so much better knowing the competition and the courses so well. I am really looking forward to it.”

Here is your Louisburg High School Athlete of the Week for week nine. The award is sponsored by Dixon Contracting Services.

AUSTIN MOORE, SOPHOMORE, FOOTBALL

The athlete of the week winner will be announced every Wednesday morning throughout the fall season. The winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous week winners are:

Week 1: Korbin Hankinson

Week 2: Trinity Moore 

Week 3: Noah Juarez

Week 4: Wyatt Reece

Week 5: Herman Knipp

Week 6: Anna Dixon

Week 7: Thomas San Agustin

Week 8: Tim Smith

Louisburg sophomore Austin Moore gets a block from his offensive line and breaks free for a long gain Friday in Paola. Moore rushed for 122 yards and four touchdowns in the 35-7 over Paola.

PAOLA – It had been five years since the Louisburg football team walked off the field and had anything to celebrate following a game with Paola.

The last five meetings with the Panthers, the Wildcats found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard. All that came to an end on Friday.

Louisburg had a lot to celebrate as it rolled Paola 35-7 at Panther Stadium in Paola. Not only did the Wildcats snap the losing streak to the Panthers, but they also earned a spot in the Class 4A, Division I playoffs.

After a loss to Ottawa the week before, the Wildcats had to win Friday to keep their season alive and they didn’t leave much doubt from the opening kickoff.

“You beat Paola and make the playoffs in the same night – that is really big,” Louisburg co-head coach Gary Griffin said. “These kids don’t want to be done. They have more football in them and they are good bunch of kids. The coaches really like being around them.”

Although the Wildcats had to win to get into the playoffs, the contest with Paola was considered a must-win before the season started. Former head coach Kyle Littrell stressed the importance of this game to his players throughout the summer and in practice.

Then when Littrell resigned his post shortly prior to the season, his players wanted to make sure they honored him on the field.

“It feels awesome,” senior lineman Mason Koechner said of the win. “Coach Littrell told us before the season started that even if we didn’t win a single game all year that he wanted us to win this game. I think we went out there and played the best game we could and we did it for him.”

Quarterback Grant Harding waits for a block from teammate Jake Hill to get a few extra yards Friday in Paola.

Louisburg had it going in all phases of the game. The Wildcats racked up 429 yards of total offense and had five rushing touchdowns.

The Wildcat defense also held Paola to 227 yards, had two interceptions and had a shutout going until the final two minutes of the contest. Louisburg also converted on all five of its extra points from Nick Hull on special teams.

“This win feels really good for a lot of reasons,” Griffin said. “That is the best game we have played for four quarters – offensively, defensively and on special teams. We stiffened and made some plays on the goal line and picked off a couple passes. That is what we have been waiting for this team to do this year. Offensively we were pretty efficient as well.”

On a team dominated by seniors, it was sophomore Austin Moore who came through with the biggest performance of the night. Moore carried the ball 15 times for 122 yards and had four touchdowns.

Moore was also all over the field defensively as he led the Wildcats with eight tackles, including two for a loss and had an interception.

“Austin is a gamer,” Griffin said. “He knows he didn’t play very good against Ottawa and he wanted to come out and atone for it. You have to give those touchdowns to the offensive line. They opened some holes for him; he is a hard runner and he made some plays.”

Seniors Dustyn Rizzo (left) and Mason Koechner team up for a tackle.

The offensive line of Koechner, Dustyn Rizzo, Dalton Frazier, T.J. Dover and Garrett Lowry paved the way for 283 yards on the ground and gave quarterback Grant Harding a lot of time to make some big pass plays down the field.

“The offensive line just made some really big holes, I read the blocks and it was all thanks to them,” Moore said. “I am thankful that I get another week with these seniors. I really enjoy playing with them all and happy that we can keep it going.”

Louisburg (7-2 overall, 2-1 district) made a statement early as the Wildcats drove down the field on the game’s first possession for a touchdown. The Wildcats faced a fourth-down-and-1 near midifield, they went for it and Moore broke free for a 29-yard run that set up a 4-yard touchdown run from Thomas San Agustin.

Right before the end of the first quarter, Harding found Korbin Hankinson for a 65-yard pass that put Louisburg inside the 10-yard line. Moore then scored on a 4-yard touchdown to put Louisburg up 14-0.

Paola took its next possession down the field to try and answer. The Panthers faced a fourth down on the Louisburg 14-yard line, but Moore intercepted the Paola pass to stall the drive.

Moore then responded with a 43-yard run, Harding scrambled for 21 yards and eventually Moore scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to put Louisburg up 21-0 right before halftime.

Harding was a big part of the offense for the Wildcats as he tallied 146 yards through the air and 79 yards on the ground. Hankinson was other end of some of those passes as he caught five balls for 108 yards.

“It is awesome,” Koechner said of the win. “We knew we were one and done and that we had to win this game. We had the best week of practice that we had all year. We were focused and came out and did it.”

The Panthers used a little trickery to try and get back in the game to start the second half as they went for a fake punt near midfield and converted. Then as Paola looked toward the endzone with a long pass, Hankinson intercepted it to thwart another Panther drive.

Louisburg scored late in the third as Moore scored on a 4-yard run and then scored again on a 6-yard scamper to the endzone to put the Wildcats up 35-0 midway through the fourth quarter.

Now the Wildcats will focus their sights on the playoffs as they hit the road to face Independence at 7 p.m. Friday. Should the Wildcats advance, they will meet the winner between Bishop Miege and Piper.

“If we improve as much next week as we did this week, then we will play a few games,” Griffin said. “We just have to take them one game at a time.”

LOU    7          14        7          7 – 35

PAO    0          0          0          7 – 7

First quarter

L: Thomas San Agustin 4 run (Nick Hull kick)

Second quarter

L: Austin Moore 4 run (Hull kick)

L: Moore 3 run (Hull kick)

Third quarter

L: Moore 4 run (Hull kick)

Fourth quarter

L: Moore 6 run (Hull kick)

P: Donovan Sutti 10 pass from Bryce Huber (kick good)

STATISTICS

OFFENSE

RUSHING – Austin Moore 15-122; Grant Harding 9-79; Thomas San Agustin 10-54; Jake Hill 4-16; Korbin Hankinson 2-8; Will Ridley 2-2; Owen Staver 1-2.

PASSING – Grant Harding 7-11-146

RECEIVING – Korbin Hankinson 5-108, Thomas San Agustin 2-38

DEFENSE

TACKLES – Austin Moore 8, Mason Koechner 6, Matt Rison 5, Thomas San Agustin 4, Dustyn Rizzo 4, Lyndon Smith 3, Connor Green 3, Jake Hill 3, T.J. Dover 3, Grant Harding 2, Nick Hull 2, Ben Hupp 2, Kiefer Tucker 2, Dalton Ribordy 2, Brayden Gage 1, Korbin Hankinson 1, Tommy Dalton 1.

SACKS – Matt Rison 1

INTERCEPTIONS – Austin Moore, Korbin Hankinson

Louisburg sophomore Anna Dixon (left) and junior Sophie McMullen recently earned all-Frontier League honors.

The All-Frontier League volleyball team was recently released following Saturday’s state tournament and Louisburg earned two spots on the team. Sophomore Anna Dixon and junior Sophie McMullen were both recognized with first team honors. Below is the all-league list and a full story will follow later.

All-Frontier League Volleyball

First Team

Maya Bascom, De Soto, sophomore

Kaitlyn Bell, De Soto, sophomore

Anna Dixon, Louisburg, sophomore

Chandler Karr, Paola, senior

Sophie McMullen, Louisburg, junior

Matti Morgan, Paola, senior

Second Team

Hayley Cuba, De Soto, sophomore

Jordan Johnson, Paola, junior

Jackie Kennard, De Soto, senior

Kayla Maples, Eudora, senior

Megan Milroy, Spring Hill, senior

Kamryn Shaffer, Ottawa, junior

Honorable Mention

Sydney Bergan, Baldwin, junior

Alex Garcia, Eudora, sophomore

Kayla Kurtz, Baldwin, sophomore

Jasmine Thevarajoo, Eudora, senior

Skyler Williams, Paola, junior

The Louisburg High School boys soccer team celebrates in the huddle after being presented with the Class 4-1A regional championship trophy Wednesday in Coffeyville. The Wildcats defeated Field Kindley 2-0.

COFFEYVILLE – In a little more than 24 hours, the Louisburg High School boys soccer team played two matches – one that went into double overtime and had to board a bus for a 280-mile round trip for the other.

Players were exhausted. Their legs were weak. But when it was all over, it didn’t really matter.

The Wildcats didn’t feel any pain. The only thing they felt was pride.

Louisburg captured its second consecutive regional title as it defeated Field Kindley 2-0 on Wednesday in Coffeyville’s Veterans Memorial Stadium just hours after defeating Baldwin in double overtime in the regional semifinal.

“To be a part of back-to-back regional titles, it is something that not a lot of people can say happened to them,” senior defender Curran Conklin said. “This is something that I am going to carry with me for the rest of my life, and to me that is important.”

Senior Noah Juarez (right) looks up into the stands with teammate Ty Martin after one of his two second half goals Wednesday in Coffeyville.

It is the seventh regional title in Louisburg history as it now advances to the state quarterfinals. Louisburg will host Wichita-Trinity Academy at 5 p.m. Tuesday as it tries to make program history. In its six previous state quarterfinal appearances, the Wildcats have always ended with a loss and they hope to change it this time around.

“It is a great feeling to win a regional title again,” midfielder Noah Juarez said. “It is my senior year and I definitely didn’t want to stop early. I wanted to go as far as I could. Every Louisburg program has stopped at the state quarterfinal and I want to go as far as I can.”

Juarez did his part to help make sure the Wildcats (13-4-1) advanced onto the next round as he scored both goals in the second half. The Louisburg senior broke open a scoreless game with a free kick opportunity from close to 30 yards out.

His shot made its way through several Field Kindley defenders and past the outstretched arms of the goalie to put the Wildcats up with 34 minutes left in the contest.

Although the Wildcats did have shots on goal, the Golden Tornado defense made it difficult as they put several guys back to prevent breakaway opportunities.

“With seven guys behind the ball all the time, it made it tough for us to score,” Conley said. “Then Noah got the opportunity and we wanted him to just shoot it. So we put everyone in front of him and created a lot of traffic for the goalie to see where the ball was coming. Noah just put it on frame and the rest is history. We were just looking to get shots on goal on see what happens and that benefited us tremendously.”

Seven minutes later, Juarez added more breathing room for Louisburg when he put another shot past the Field Kindley goalie to all but seal the win.

“It was a great relief,” Juarez said of the first goal. “I have been struggling with shooting lately, so it was a like a weight was lifted off shoulder a little bit. It was nice to see that go in for mine, and the team’s sake.”

Louisburg was also able to survive a few scares from the Field Kindley attack and the Wildcat defense of Conklin, Kris Light, Kolten Ragan and Jacob Benne, along with midfielder Scott Murphy, tightened things up in the second half and limited its scoring chances.

Field Kindley nearly scored a couple goals in the first half as throw-ins from the sideline into the box found the heads of Golden Tornado players, but the headers were either saved or were just wide of the net.

“It was just tough to get into the flow there for a while,” Conley said. “It was back and forth and they would play five to seven guys behind the ball and they were just packing it in. It got really tough and made it frustrating early. We did get some good chances, we just didn’t finish them.

“Defensively, we covered up tight, but they had a player who could just chuck the ball and that was dangerous for us. It went a long way and it was effective. That was their best opportunity. The second half we were more aggressive defensively and much more direct.”

The LHS boys soccer team poses with its regional championship trophy following its shutout of Field Kindley. The Wildcats will play Trinity Academy on Tuesday in Louisburg in the state quarterfinals.

Now the Wildcats are preparing to reach the Class 4-1A state tournament for the first time in program history. The team standing in Louisburg’s way is Trinity Academy.

Trinity (9-8-1) finished third in the state tournament last season and have won 15 regional titles since 2000. The Wildcats are hoping their home field advantage can help push them onto the next round.

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to host,” Conley said. “We will have our work cut out for us. Trinity is a very talented team that is going to be very direct and has an aggressive style of play. We need to pack the house and make it an incredible atmosphere. It is going to be an intense game.”

Sophomore Anna Dixon sends the ball over the net for Louisburg on Saturday during the Class 4A substate tournament at Louisburg High School. The Lady Cats earned a spot in the title game before falling to Paola in two sets. 

Louisburg left it all out on the floor.

The Lady Cats chased down and dug up every loose ball they could get their hands on, hit the ball as hard as possible and played it out to the final point. The problem was, when that final point came, Louisburg had to sit and watch as another team celebrated on its home court.

During the Class 4A substate tournament Saturday at Louisburg High School, Paola downed Louisburg 25-22 and 29-27 in the championship game to snap a streak of four straight substate titles for the Lady Cats.

“They are disappointed,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “A lot of girls wanted to keep that streak going and the tradition that has been set. They feel like they let some of their teammates down and they wanted that trip back down to state. For those that have already been, they wanted their teammates that haven’t been down there to experience that. It definitely hurts.”

The teams went back and forth at each other in both sets and created for an intense match between the two rivals. Louisburg jumped out to an early 14-10 lead in the first set behind four kills from sophomore Anna Dixon and a pair of aces from junior Sophie McMullen.

However, Paola went on a mini 6-2 run to grab a 19-18 lead. The Panthers eventually built a 23-20 advantage and pulled away to take the opening set.

Freshman Haley Cain (left) and junior Sophie McMullen team up for a block Saturday during the Class 4A substate tournament.

In the second set, Louisburg again built an early 7-3 lead after three kills from Dixon and an ace from McMullen. The Panthers followed with a 6-1 run to go up 9-8, but the Lady Cats went back on top after a long volley and then McMullen followed with a kill to take a 13-10 lead.

Paola battled back to grab an 18-17 lead late in the match and both squads would trade points the rest of the way. Dixon and McMullen added kills to keep the Lady Cats in it and freshman libero Riley Kallevig added a big dig to tie the match at 25-all.

The Lady Cats faced match point four different times and each time responded to tie it up and eventually went up 27-26 to force a match point of their own.

Senior Ellie Katzer, Kallevig, Dixon, McMullen and sophomore Carson Buffington were all a part of several big volleys late, but with it tied at 27, the Panthers responded with the final two points and the victory.

“The Paola match was a good one,” Compliment said. “Paola played great, but I thought we played really well too. We played some of our best ball today. We were running down so many balls, the girls were fighting for everything and didn’t let the ball drop. They really wanted it and they 100 percent went after it. I think some nerves got us a few times and that comes with the territory. Overall, we played well though.”

Dixon led the Louisburg offense with 15 kills, while McMullen added six kills and three aces. Senior Olivia Bradley also played well at the net with a team-high five blocks.

Dixon also added a team-high 17 digs, while Katzer and Kallevig had 14 and 13, respectively. Buffington ran the Louisburg offense and led the way with 14 assists and McMullen added eight.

Louisburg (23-17) started the day strong with a 25-16 and 25-18 win over Ottawa in the substate semifinals. The Lady Cats were never threatened by the Cyclones as they played with the lead most of the way.

Freshman Riley Kallevig sends a serve over the net Saturday in Louisburg.

McMullen had a big match with a team-high 14 kills. Dixon added nine kills in the win to go along with three aces. Buffington also handed out 21 assists.

Defensively, Dixon also had a team-high 12 digs and four blocks, while freshman Haley Cain added eight digs. Bradley also finished with four blocks.

“Coming out against Ottawa, we had a lot of energy,” Compliment said. “All day we talked about getting that energy and mental game. We played Ottawa really tough, served tough, were aggressive at the net and the girls did a good job of setting the pace.”

For the first time in five years, Louisburg will not be making the trek out to Salina for the state tournament and the Lady Cats will look back on what was an up and down season. It also marked the final time seniors Tayler Lancaster, Katzer and Bradley suited up for Louisburg.

“The season overall was kind of a roller coaster ride for us,” Compliment said. “We had a lot of roller coaster rides out there and we played with some different lineups throughout the year. Throughout it all, I think they learned a lot about each other and they learned a lot about themselves. They grew as a team and overall it was a good season. We have a tough schedule to where we see a lot of good teams and hopefully that just builds experience for us.”

Louisburg High School junior Grant Ryals celebrates his goal in the second overtime to give the Wildcats a 2-1 win over Baldwin on Tuesday in the regional semifinals in Louisburg. The Wildcats will travel to Coffeyville today for the 5 p.m. regional championship game.

Grant Ryals’ face was full of grass and he had trouble breathing as his Louisburg teammates – one by one – dogpiled on him.

The thing was Ryals didn’t care. In fact, he had never felt so good.

Just seconds earlier, Ryals scored the game-winning goal in double overtime as he helped the Wildcats to a 2-1 win over Baldwin on Tuesday in the Class 4A regional semifinals.

“I got a couple grass cuts on my face, but really I was just so happy that couldn’t feel anything,” Ryals said. “It was awesome.”

Ryals took a touch just outside the box midway through the second overtime, made a defender miss and shot to the far post and found the back of the net. The Louisburg junior accounted for both goals as he helped his team advance to the regional championship game.

“I was just praying it would go in,” Ryals said. “I knew I had good contact. I just aimed at the back post and I saw the goalie dive and I knew he wasn’t going to get there. I just started going crazy.”

Members of the Louisburg High School soccer team dogpile on teammate Grant Ryals after he scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime Tuesday in Louisburg.

The Wildcats (12-4-1) will go for their second consecutive regional title game at 5 p.m. today in Coffeyville as they face Field-Kindley High School – the same program they beat for the regional crown a year ago.

After an emotional win yesterday, Louisburg is going to have to gear up again for another tough game against No. 2 seed Field Kindley.

“We had a goal of going 9-7 this season and after we got past that our goal was to get a regional championship,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It is regional championship or bust. That is what we are going for. The quick turnaround is unfortunate, but we can’t make any excuses. We have to suck it up and be ready to go. I know Coffeyville is going to want to get some payback for what happened last year. They will be ready and it will be a good challenge.”

The biggest challenge for the Wildcats will be playing another 80 minutes after playing 90-plus minutes against a physical Baldwin team that pressured Louisburg, especially in the second half.

Louisburg had an opportunity to put some space between itself and the Bulldogs in the first half as it had several good looks at the goal, but couldn’t convert. Senior Noah Juarez had two opportunities deep in the box only to have his shots saved.

Freshman Landon Johnson, junior Scott Murphy, junior Raistlin Brewer and sophomore Jonathan Ventre also had shots on goal, but those were either saved or just wide of the mark.

Ryals was able to take advantage of one of those opportunities as he scored to give Louisburg the lead in the 26^th minute. Ryals took a shot just outside the box, which ricoched off a Baldwin defender, and he gathered up for another shot and snuck it past the Baldwin goalie.

The Wildcats didn’t have as many chances in the second half as Baldwin pressured the Wildcat defense. The Bulldogs tied the match with just under 10 minutes left in regulation on a shot to the far post.

“It was unbelievable because we had so many chances,” Conley said. “I think we just got a little comfort in that and they came at us with a counter attack. Baldwin didn’t have a ton of chances to score, but they just had a good shot.”

Louisburg junior Scott Murphy tries to win a 50-50 ball against a Baldwin player Tuesday.

Despite the goal, the Louisburg defense came up with several big plays, including several from junior Kris Light who turned away several Baldwin opportunities. Defenders Curran Conklin, Jacob Benne, Kolten Ragan, midfielder Scott Murphy, along with goalie Ambrose Stefan, also played a big role.

“Kris is really playing like a stud right now,” Conley said. “He is starting to put it together and feel comfortable. He is realizing that he is pretty good at what he is doing. The outside backs next to him just held their ground. Baldwin tried to go over the top but it didn’t work very often.

“We need to cover up a little more, but we did a good job of holding them to shots from 25 yards out and Ambrose did a good job in goal.”

All that set up Ryals’ heroics in the second overtime as he, and the rest of his teammates, made sure to celebrate a goal that kept their season alive.

“If we would have lost I would have gone home and you wouldn’t have seen me for a week,” Ryals said. “Now we won, I scored two goals for my family (team) and we are playing in the regional championship. It is pretty awesome.”

All of his teammates and fans that packed the Wildcat Sports Complex couldn’t have agreed more.

Here is your Louisburg High School Athlete of the Week for week eight. The award is sponsored by Dixon Contracting Services.

TIM SMITH, JUNIOR, CROSS COUNTRY

In his first year of cross country, Louisburg High School junior Tim Smith has made the most of it. Smith, along with teammates Wyatt Reece and Trinity Moore, qualified for the Class 4A state meet after he finished seventh Saturday with a time of 17:16 at the Class 4A regional in Burlington.

The athlete of the week winner will be announced every Wednesday morning throughout the fall season. The winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous week winners are:

Week 1: Korbin Hankinson

Week 2: Trinity Moore 

Week 3: Noah Juarez

Week 4: Wyatt Reece

Week 5: Herman Knipp

Week 6: Anna Dixon

Week 7: Thomas San Agustin