Louisburg High School track and field coach Gary Griffin was recently honored with the Longevity Award from the Kansas Cross Country and Track Coaches Association. The award honors a coach who has spent more than 30 years coaching one of the two sports.

Coaches and athletes have come and gone from the Louisburg High School track and field program over the last three decades, but one constant has remained.

Gary Griffin has spent the last 30 years coaching the Wildcat track and field team to numerous state meets, state medals and a team state championship. His dedication to the sport hasn’t gone unnoticed and he was recognized for it earlier this month.

On Feb. 15, a representative with the Kansas Cross Country and Track Coaches Association traveled to Louisburg to present Griffin with the 30 Years of Coaching Longevity Award, which is given to those who have coached one of the two sports for 30 years or longer.

“It means a lot to me that they took the time to drive down and get here by 8 a.m. to present me with this award,” Griffin said. “Really, though, it just means that I’ve coached for a long time.”

Although 30 years may seem like an eternity to some people, for Griffin time has flown by as he enters his 18^th year as the head boys track coach. He also spent five years as the girls track coach before that and was an assistant under previous head coaches Aaron Webb and Kris Kehl for several seasons.

Louisburg coach Gary Griffin (left) receives his award from a member of the Kansas Cross Country and Track Coaches Association on Feb. 15 at Louisburg H

“I love track because for the most part you get out of it, what you put into it,” Griffin said. “Even the most talented athletes have to work hard to be a state champion. Also I have had the pleasure to coach with others that are very passionate about track like Aaron Webb and Tom Kuder and a lot of others that I have learned a great deal from.”

Griffin guided Louisburg to the school’s first state title in 2011 when the Wildcats tied Baldwin for first place. His son Garrett won the Class 4A state javelin title and also medaled in the 110-meter high hurdles.

Mark Sitek medaled at state in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes that season as did Jake Albright (pole vault), Alex Gentges (javelin) and Alex Bell (discus).

Gary Griffin has spent the last 18 years as the Louisburg High School boys track and field coach.

That was one of many special seasons for Griffin as he has had the chance to coach a number of state champions and medalists.

“The state championship was a great memory but there are really too many to remember,” he said. “It was a lot of fun being a part of Garrett’s track career and watching him be successful. I really don’t know how many state champions or medalist we have had since I have been here, but we have had our share. We have had a ton of talented kids over the years, and many have gone on to have great college careers as well.”

Louisburg senior Austin Raetzel was one of eight Wildcats to qualify last week at the regional tournament at Frontenac High School. The Wildcats will take part in the Class 4A state tournament starting Friday morning in Salina.

Following Tuesday’s practice, Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird took his wrestlers over to the board that listed the program’s state medalists.

He listed off several familiar names of Wildcat wrestling lore such as the school’s first state champion in Doug Eaton. Then came champions Tim Dozier and Sonny Ewalt. He also talked about medalists like Mike Ewalt, Brian Becker, Tom Dozier and continued down the list of numerous others.

Bovaird wanted to give his eight state qualifiers a blast from the past and let them know what it takes to succeed in the toughest tournament of the season.

“I told the guys how it starts is with a dream of winning a medal, and it takes a supportive coaching staff who believes in them, a determined work ethic to pursue that goal, and a sense of faith in their abilities,” Bovaird said. “I think we’re right there with all those factors. We just have to get on the mat and do what we’ve been doing all season long. We need to score points and we need to battle to the last whistle.”

106-pound bracket – Thad Hendrix

The eight Louisburg state qualifiers will begin their journey to a state medal at 10 a.m. Friday when the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championship gets underway at the Salina Bicentennial Center. The tournament will continue into Saturday.

Thad Hendrix (106 pounds), Nathan Keegan (120), Kyle Allen (126), Ryan Adams (138), Dylan Meyer (145), Austin Moore (170), Austin Raetzel (195) and Mason Koechner (285) will try for a state medal against some of the state’s best wrestlers. The top six in each weight class will receive a medal.

120 pound bracket – Nathan Keegan

“It’s been a great week of practice,” Bovaird said. “Our qualifiers are focused and ready to go make some noise in Salina. We had a number of guys coming in to work out with the qualifiers — our seniors who didn’t make it to state, along with some junior varsity and younger varsity guys. I loved the atmosphere of the room. They’re goal-driven and ready to peak at just the right time.

“State is never easy, and the road to a state medal is filled with all sorts of obstacles. I like several of our spots in the brackets, too. I think several guys have multiple possible chances to win tough matches and get in for state medals.”

Koechner will lead the Wildcats as he earned his third consecutive spot in the state tournament. He is currently the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 285 pounds following his loss in the regional final last Saturday in Frontenac to Independence’s Seth Stoble.

A senior, Koechner (38-2) will have a tough first match as he will face off with Colby’s Ethan Jay (35-6) — the defending state-runner up. Koechner finished third at state last season at 220 pounds and is hoping for another good showing this time around.

126 pound bracket – Kyle Allen

“Just like last year, I didn’t wrestle very good at regionals and I took second in a match that I probably should have won,” Koechner said. “I came back at state and beat the kid I lost to and that is what I want to do this time around. I want to be more prepared than I was this week.”

Raetzel, a senior, will make his first state tournament appearance. Raetzel (30-11), who finished as regional runner-up last week, will meet Goodland’s Cameron Gray (34-8) in the first round.

138 pound bracket – Ryan Adams

Adams, another regional runner-up, will make his second state tournament appearance after earning a spot as a freshman. The Louisburg junior had earned a 22-7 record on the season and will meet Pratt’s Kadence Riner (21-8) in his first match.

The Wildcats will have a veteran presence at state as Keegan will make his third state tournament appearance, while Hendrix will appear in his second. Allen, Meyer and Moore will compete for the first time.

“Mason Koechner, Nathan Keegan, Dylan Meyer, and Austin Raetzel are looking at their last matches this weekend,” Bovaird said. “They all have great stories. Mason and Nathan placed last year. Dylan qualified his senior year, 30 years after his dad Randy did the same thing for LHS. Austin has powered his way into a great position after being JV freshman and sophomore year and having a chance to prove himself these past two years. The four underclassmen are also in great positions. Thad and Ryan are making their second trips to state, and both have been ranked at various times this year. Kyle is reaping the rewards of all his off-season work, and I told him he’s wrestling the best I’ve ever seen him on the mat. Austin Moore is our youngest qualifier, but he’s so strong and determined that he can definitely upset some of the ranked kids.

145 pound bracket -Dylan Meyer

“The guys have put their work in, and now it’s time to finish what we started this season. At this point, nothing is guaranteed for anyone, and I have full faith that they can all go out there and do some great things.”

170 pound bracket – Austin Moore

285 pound bracket – Mason Koechner

195 pound bracket – Austin Raetzel

Louisburg’s Emalee Overbay (left) and Paige Buffington battles for a rebound with a De Soto player Tuesday at De Soto High School. The Lady Cats rallied from behind for a 34-31 victory.

DE SOTO — For most of the first quarter, De Soto did whatever it wanted offensively against the Louisburg girls basketball team.

De Soto scored 13 points in the first five minutes, while the Lady Cats struggled to score. Louisburg decided to change to a 2-3 zone defense to help combat a De Soto lineup with three 6-foot players.

Not only did the zone work, it changed the entire game for the Lady Cats.

Louisburg overcome an early nine-point deficit to hold on for a 34-31 victory Tuesday at De Soto High School. The Lady Cats held De Soto to just eight points in the second and third quarters combined, which helped them get back into the game.

“It did slow them down,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said of the zone. “The girls really communicate in it and they don’t let down when they play in a zone. They don’t sit back in it and they are aggressive. It really helped a bunch there and the kids did their jobs. When you are playing in a zone like that, each of those girls have to do their job and they have to do it with a lot of effort and heart. I thought they did that really well.”

The win pushed the Lady Cats’ record to 10-9 on the season and also cements their spot in the Frontier League. Louisburg will finish third place in league behind state-ranked Paola and Baldwin.

All this after coming off a year where they finished with just three wins.

“It was an ugly, scrappy, sloppy game on the road and it was an important league game for where we are going to finish out,” Lowry said. “We were able to secure third place in the game, and the girls knew that going in and they wanted that. We knew it was going to be tough to come in here and play, especially with their size and some of the things they can do. Our kids just battled and they didn’t quit, especially after De Soto got up on us early on. It was a good fight.”

Senior Chloe Renner puts up a runner in the lane Tuesday in De Soto.

The Lady Cats put the effort on the defensive end when their shots weren’t falling. Louisburg struggled to get into a rhythm offensively, with just 10 points in the first half, but were able to make several key baskets and free throws with the game on the line.

Down 15-10, Louisburg senior Paige Buffington opened the second half with a 3-pointer and then senior Madisen Simpson scored on a drive to the basket and was fouled. She converted the 3-point play with the free throw and gave Louisburg a 17-16 lead.

Freshman Haley Cain scored on a shot close to the basket after an assist from sophomore Kennia Hankinson to give Louisburg a three-point advantage it wouldn’t relinquish.

De Soto would tie the game late in the third, but Simpson knocked in a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats a lead going into the fourth.

Louisburg did the job at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter as it knocked down 10 of 12 opportunities to help secure the win. However, that didn’t mean there weren’t some tense moments at the end of the game.

De Soto cut the lead to one with 20 seconds left off a steal, but Paige Buffington found her sister Carson on a fast break opportunity to for a score to push the lead back to three.

Louisburg gave De Soto one last opportunity as it turned the ball over on De Soto’s end of the floor with two seconds left, but a De Soto 3-pointer fell short.

Despite the struggles offensively in which the Lady Cats didn’t have a player score in double figures, they were able to rally together and get a key road win.

“If calls aren’t going your way, or your shots aren’t falling, it can get you down, but these girls move right on to the next play and it is something we have worked on since day one,” Lowry said. “It is on to the next play and you can’t let something shake or rattle you. They did that tonight. They are excited in that locker room right now because they did it together. There was no great standout performance, it was a team effort.”

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with nine points and Paige Buffington added eight. Carson Buffington and senior Emalee Overbay each had six rebounds to lead Louisburg.

Louisburg will try to end its season on a strong note as the Lady Cats will host No. 6 Paola on senior night in their final regular season game. Tipoff is set for approximately 6 p.m.

LOU               8             2             12           12 – 34

DES                13           2             6             10 – 31

LOUISBURG (10-9): Madisen Simpson 9, Paige Buffington 8, Carson Buffington 6, Emalee Overbay 4, Tayler Lancaster 3, Haley Cain 2, Chloe Renner 2. Totals: 8 14-20 34. 3-point field goals: 4, (P. Buffington 2, Simpson, Lancaster)

Louisburg senior Jayce Geiman tries to dribble through a pair of De Soto defenders Tuesday at De Soto High School. The Wildcats fell to De Soto 57-40, which snapped a two-game winning streak.

DE SOTO – The first time the Louisburg boys basketball team squared off with De Soto, everything went its way in a 16-point victory at home.

The exact opposite happened Tuesday.

Louisburg traveled to De Soto for the return game and left with a 57-40 loss after winning its last two games at the buzzer. The Wildcats struggled to get much offense going from the start, and on the other end, had a hard time containing De Soto’s Noah Watson.

Watson scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as he accounted for nearly half of his team’s points.

De Soto opened the contest on a 11-4 run and led 17-8 at the end of the first quarter. Louisburg’s deficit increased to 13 points halftime and the Wildcats (8-11) weren’t able to get the De Soto lead under 10 the rest of the way.

Senior Grant Harding led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points and fellow senior T.J. Dover finished with eight points.

Louisburg will try to end its regular season on a positive note as the Wildcats will host rival Paola on Friday for senior night. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

Senior night ceremonies will be held in-between the varsity girls and boys contest.

LOU               8             10           12           10 – 40

DES                17           14           12           14 – 57

LOUISBURG (8-11): Grant Harding 13, T.J. Dover 8, Dalton Ribordy 6, Jayce Geiman 4, Jake Hill 4, Desmond Doles 3, Sam Guetterman 2. Totals: 18-45 4-12 40. 3-point field goals: none

Here is your Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week nine, sponsored by Prairie Shield Roofing.

T.J. DOVER, SENIOR, BASKETBALL

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

Here are the previous winners:

Week 1: Carson Buffington

Week 2: Madisen Simpson

Week 3: Thad Hendrix

Week 4: Austin Raetzel

Week 5: Grant Harding

Week 6: Mason Koechner

Week 7: Tayler Lancaster

Week 8: Owen Staver

Louisburg senior Austin Raetzel was one of three Wildcats to wrestle in the championship finals of the Class 4A regional tournament in Frontenac. Raetzel was one of eight Wildcats to qualify for the Class 4A state tournament in Salina.

FRONTENAC — Sometimes good things come to those who wait and the Louisburg wrestling team has waited a long time for a day like Saturday.

For the first time in more than 30 years, the Louisburg wrestling team will have eight wrestlers compete in the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships in Salina. All eight qualified for state during the two-day regional tournament at Frontenac High School.

Thad Hendrix (106 pounds), Nathan Keegan (120), Kyle Allen (126), Ryan Adams (138), Dylan Meyer (145), Austin Moore (170), Austin Raetzel (195) and Mason Koechner (285) will all compete in the state tournament beginning this Friday. Louisburg also finished fifth in the team standings

The Wildcats tied a school record of eight state qualifiers that was set in 1984 on a team led by former coach Dee Graham.

“Two years ago, I was ecstatic — and relieved — to be taking five guys to state,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Last year, I was proud to take five again. This year, I can’t help but look back with pride on everything the program has accomplished. It hasn’t been that long since we spent two seasons without any state qualifiers. 2013 and 2014 were very humbling experiences for me as a coach, and I’m so proud of how those two seasons served as motivators for the wrestlers in the Louisburg community.”

Three of those qualifers— Adams, Raetzel and Koechner — all wrestled for a regional title. However, all three came up short in their quest for a regional crown and each finished second.

Koechner, the No. 1 ranked heavyweight in Class 4A, squared off with No. 2 Seth Stroble of Independence. To get to that match, Koechner pinned Columbus’ Chance Meyer in 39 seconds in the quarterfinals and then pinned Prairie View’s Dylan Frederick in 40 seconds in the semifinals.

The wins set up the showdown with Stroble in what was a tight match all the way to end. Tied at 1-all with 20 seconds left in the third period, Koechner tried for a takedown and slipped, which allowed Stroble to get on top for the 2-point takedown and then added two more back points in the 6-1 loss.

“I thought Mason was in good position a lot of the match,” Bovaird said. “He was the aggressor, and we knew going into that match that Stroble could be dangerous. When Mason got an underhook in neutral, Stroble liked to lock hands and try to crack down on Mason’s elbow. When Mason stepped in for a power step, Stroble was looking to step on his foot and trip him.

“It came down to the last twenty seconds. Stroble hit a bad shot, Mason countered and got too eager on the go-behind. That late in a heavyweight match, both boys are sweaty, and Mason slipped off. It’s better to lose that match here than at state.”

Louisburg’s Mason Koechner battles Independence’s Seth Stroble during the 285-pound regional final match.

It was just Koechner’s second loss of the season and he is 38-2 heading into the state tournament this weekend. It will be his third straight state appearance, and despite the setback, the Louisburg senior was happy with the way the team performed.

“It is awesome and to get eight guys to state is great,” Koechner said. “That ties the most we have ever gotten. We have a good team this year and I am glad to see all those guys go.

“I definitely didn’t wrestle my best this weekend. I felt a little gassed during my finals match and I just didn’t feel like myself. (Stoble) was hard to move around. I was getting my shots set up, but I wasn’t finishing. I couldn’t finish anything. At the end I tried to force some things and I shouldn’t have tried to force it. Hopefully I can have a good week of practice this week and get back to state ready to go.”

At 195 pounds, Raetzel opened the tournament with two consecutive pins on Friday and then defeated Anderson County’s Dominic Sutton in a 9-4 decision in the semifinals to earn a spot in the finals.

Raetzel, a senior, squared off with Frontenac’s Nathan Kauffman in the finals Saturday, but lost in a 13-5 major decision.

“I have one more week to refine what I need to do,” Raetzel said. “I think I wrestled pretty well this weekend. The guy in my finals match was pretty tough, and it was definitely a struggle. It was a disappointing match and I feel like there were some missed opportunities for shots and some reversals, but I will learn from it. I am excited for state.”

Junior Ryan Adams finished second at 138 pounds and will make his second state appearance.

Adams also had a great start at 138 pounds Friday as he pinned Frontenac’s Kaleb Kroenke in 14 seconds and then defeated Prairie View’s Tre Kline in an 11-6 decision to reach the finals.

The Louisburg junior, who qualified for state as a freshman, lost in a 15-0 technical fall to Burlington’s Brett Bober in the finals.

“I thought we did awesome as a team,” Adams said. “I think we worked really hard this year to get to the point where we are at. The whole team has done well. We have busted our butts in the practice room and worked hard. We definitely deserved it.

“I thought I wrestled pretty well in my first three matches, but I definitely didn’t show up and wrestle my last match. I just have to keep grinding and getting better.”

The round where the Wildcats excelled the most was in the consolation semifinals — or better known at the “blood round.” The winner of each match earned a spot in the state tournament.

Louisburg had seven wrestlers in the blood round and five came away with a win.

Hendrix opened things up with a pin in 13 seconds to earn his second consecutive state appearance. Keegan earned a third straight tournament appearance with a 3-0 decision over Prairie View’s Brayden Dame.

Allen qualified for his first state tournament as he won a 10-4 decision over Paola’s Noah Bowden. Meyer did the same, as he will be making his first appearance in Salina thanks to a pin of Independence’s Ryan Bruce.

Moore won the battle with Osawatomie’s Cody Hazlett in his consolation semifinal match in a 12-7 decision to earn his first state bid.

Tucker Batten (132) and Ben Hupp (182) were each close in their semifinal matches, but Batten lost a 3-0 decision to Prairie View’s Maeson Kehl in dramatic fashion, while Hupp lost a 12-9 decision to Anderson County’s Kyle Lamb.

“The pattern has usually been one of heartache and disappointment in the blood round, but this season is where things have really turned around,” Bovaird said. “It’s been exciting and rewarding seeing these guys continue to step up this season. The team has shown a ton of maturity and determination as they progress through their wrestling careers. Four of our seven seniors are heading to state, and we’ll have four returners on the squad next season.

“The exciting thing is that with the two matches we lost in the blood round, they were both within our reach to win. It hurt when Ben Hupp fell short at 182. He wanted to go to state, and he chased that goal with everything he had, including a quarterfinal round upset of the No. 2 seed. At 132, Tucker was trailing by three and had a cradle locked up — in fact, he was in the process of turning his opponent when the referee stopped the match and called a stalemate. That was tough to see his season end like that.”

Louisburg coaches (from left) Andy Wright, Bobby Bovaird and Brandon Ott get into Dylan Meyer’s 145-pound consolation semifinal match in which he earned a pin and qualified for state.

The finals and consolation finals round didn’t go as well as the Wildcats had hoped as they finished with just one win in their seven matches. That lone win came from Allen at 126 pounds as he finished in third place with a 3-1 decision over Columbus’ Nate Thomas.

Hendrix, Keegan, Meyer and Moore each took fourth place, but all eight Wildcats are ready for what lies ahead.

“The boys are excited to be going to state, but one perennial challenge that a coach faces is keeping them focused on state,” Bovaird said. “Qualifying for state is an awesome deal — one to be proud of, for sure — but we don’t want to start celebrating until we’ve finished our business this season.

“The record books aren’t closed yet, and we still have a chance to get out to Salina and make our mark this season. That finals round was a little brutal for us, losing all but one match. The thing is, we’ve got this week to reset and refocus, and with the group we’ve got going to state, I think we can do just that.”

Louisburg Regional Wrestling Results

106 – Thad Hendrix (30-10) placed 4th and scored 9.00 team points.
Quarterfinal – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-10 won by decision over Gavin Daniels (Chanute) 9-17 (Dec 8-7)
Semifinal – Gabe Eades (Independence) 27-7 won by major decision over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-10 (MD 15-1)
Cons. Semi – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-10 won by fall over Johnathon Williams (Burlington) 17-21 (Fall 0:23)
3rd Place Match – Jacob Hollman (Osawatomie) 23-10 won in sudden victory – 1 over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-10 (SV-1 11-6)

120 – Nathan Keegan (20-7) placed 4th and scored 9.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Nathan Keegan (Louisburg) 20-7 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Nathan Keegan (Louisburg) 20-7 won in sudden victory – 1 over Kyle Montojo (Fort Scott) 14-12 (SV-1 3-1)
Semifinal – Evan Totty (Burlington) 32-7 won by major decision over Nathan Keegan (Louisburg) 20-7 (MD 12-2)
Cons. Semi – Nathan Keegan (Louisburg) 20-7 won by decision over Brayden Dame (La Cygne-Prairie View) 21-14 (Dec 3-0)
3rd Place Match – Brady McDonald (Chanute) 27-13 won by fall over Nathan Keegan (Louisburg) 20-7 (Fall 2:34)

126 – Kyle Allen (25-11) placed 3rd and scored 10.00 team points.
Quarterfinal – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 25-11 won by decision over Nate Thomas (Columbus) 8-16 (Dec 3-0)
Semifinal – Logan McDonald (Chanute) 19-11 won by fall over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 25-11 (Fall 5:17)
Cons. Semi – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 25-11 won by decision over Noah Bowden (Paola) 20-13 (Dec 10-4)
3rd Place Match – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 25-11 won by decision over Nate Thomas (Columbus) 8-16 (Dec 3-1)

132 – Tucker Batten (22-10) place is unknown and scored 5.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 22-10 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 22-10 won by major decision over Caleb Cline (Paola) 13-12 (MD 8-0)
Semifinal – Mason Jameson (Frontenac) 21-12 won by decision over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 22-10 (Dec 10-5)
Cons. Semi – Maeson Kehl (La Cygne-Prairie View) 3-3 won by decision over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 22-10 (Dec 3-0)

138 – Ryan Adams (22-7) placed 2nd and scored 18.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 22-7 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 22-7 won by fall over Kaleb Kroenke (Frontenac) 3-5 (Fall 0:14)
Semifinal – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 22-7 won by decision over Tre Kline (La Cygne-Prairie View) 26-15 (Dec 11-6)
1st Place Match – Brett Bober (Burlington) 39-8 won by tech fall over Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 22-7 (TF-1.5 4:49 (15-0))

145 – Dylan Meyer (22-18) placed 4th and scored 12.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Dylan Meyer (Louisburg) 22-18 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Dylan Meyer (Louisburg) 22-18 won by major decision over Anthony Keaton (Parsons) 20-12 (MD 9-1)
Semifinal – Colby Johnson (Burlington) 37-0 won by fall over Dylan Meyer (Louisburg) 22-18 (Fall 1:35)
Cons. Semi – Dylan Meyer (Louisburg) 22-18 won by fall over Ryan Bruce (Independence) 21-16 (Fall 4:26)
3rd Place Match – Gavin Cullor (La Cygne-Prairie View) 15-7 won by decision over Dylan Meyer (Louisburg) 22-18 (Dec 6-0)

152 – Alec Maler (4-14) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Jordan Ishimura (Frontenac) 28-7 won by fall over Alec Maler (Louisburg) 4-14 (Fall 1:37)
Cons. Round 1 – Tyler Metcalf (Parsons) 19-18 won by fall over Alec Maler (Louisburg) 4-14 (Fall 1:28)

160 – Blue Caplinger (22-17) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 22-17 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – John Diediker (Osawatomie) 19-7 won by decision over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 22-17 (Dec 8-3)
Cons. Round 2 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 22-17 won by fall over Logan Hall (Fort Scott) 0-6 (Fall 1:52)
Cons. Round 3 – Dalton Duke (Garnett-Anderson County) 21-14 won by decision over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 22-17 (Dec 2-1)

170 – Austin Moore (32-9) placed 4th and scored 11.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 32-9 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 32-9 won by fall over Tavon Blazek (Iola) 23-12 (Fall 1:18)
Semifinal – Andrew Mays (Frontenac) 17-7 won by fall over Austin Moore (Louisburg) 32-9 (Fall 5:52)
Cons. Semi – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 32-9 won by decision over Cody Hazlett (Osawatomie) 22-9 (Dec 12-7)
3rd Place Match – Ridge Smith (Columbus) 24-8 won by decision over Austin Moore (Louisburg) 32-9 (Dec 6-4)

182 – Ben Hupp (22-18) place is unknown and scored 5.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Ben Hupp (Louisburg) 22-18 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Ben Hupp (Louisburg) 22-18 won by major decision over Quiency Jones (Altamont-Labette County) 25-7 (MD 17-4)
Semifinal – Jesse Henry (La Cygne-Prairie View) 28-12 won by fall over Ben Hupp (Louisburg) 22-18 (Fall 4:09)
Cons. Semi – Kyle Lamb (Garnett-Anderson County) 32-7 won by decision over Ben Hupp (Louisburg) 22-18 (Dec 12-9)

195 – Austin Raetzel (30-11) placed 2nd and scored 20.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Austin Raetzel (Louisburg) 30-11 won by fall over Sam Chamber (La Cygne-Prairie View) 13-20 (Fall 1:49)
Quarterfinal – Austin Raetzel (Louisburg) 30-11 won by fall over Gary Lower (Iola) 6-13 (Fall 0:34)
Semifinal – Austin Raetzel (Louisburg) 30-11 won by decision over Dominic Sutton (Garnett-Anderson County) 29-9 (Dec 9-4)
1st Place Match – Nathan Kaufman (Frontenac) 29-8 won by major decision over Austin Raetzel (Louisburg) 30-11 (MD 13-5)

220 – Terry Allen (11-19) place is unknown and scored 1.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Terry Allen (Louisburg) 11-19 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Jake Miller (Paola) 11-0 won by fall over Terry Allen (Louisburg) 11-19 (Fall 0:22)
Cons. Round 2 – Terry Allen (Louisburg) 11-19 won by decision over Rich Garris (Independence) 8-11 (Dec 3-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Ben Daniels (Fort Scott) 12-12 won by fall over Terry Allen (Louisburg) 11-19 (Fall 3:37)

285 – Mason Koechner (38-2) placed 2nd and scored 20.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Mason Koechner (Louisburg) 38-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Mason Koechner (Louisburg) 38-2 won by fall over Chance Meyer (Columbus) 4-16 (Fall 0:39)
Semifinal – Mason Koechner (Louisburg) 38-2 won by fall over Dylan Frederick (La Cygne-Prairie View) 22-16 (Fall 0:40)
1st Place Match – Seth Stroble (Independence) 36-1 won by decision over Mason Koechner (Louisburg) 38-2 (Dec 6-1)

SPRING HILL — For the second time in three days, Louisburg had the ball in its hands with a chance to win.

And for the second time, the Wildcats found a way to pull out a win — at the buzzer.

With Louisburg down by one point in overtime, senior T.J. Dover pulled down a rebound off a Grant Harding miss and scored as the buzzer sounded to give the Wildcats a 43-42 win Friday at Spring Hill High School.

On Tuesday against Baldwin, the Wildcats had their first buzzer-beater win when junior Dalton Ribordy broke a tie game with a game-winner of his own.

“I would rather just do things right the first time and not get in these close games to where we have to win in the last second, but I really do love these boys,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “This is the second time they just decided they weren’t going to lose.”

Both teams struggled to break free from one another, especially in the overtime. Dover gave Louisburg a three-point lead in the extra period as he scored five straight points, but Spring Hill rallied back to eventually tie and take the lead on a free throw from Jordan Hoston with less than minute left.

Louisburg (8-10) called a timeout to set up a play with nine seconds left, and while it didn’t work to perfection, it certainly did the job.

Senior Jayce Geiman got the ball on the inbound pass, sent it over Harding who drove the basket. The shot missed but Dover was there to corral the rebound and put it in off the backboard to give the Wildcats their second straight win.

Louisburg senior T.J. Dover goes up for a shot Friday against Spring Hill. Dover finished with nine points, including the game-winner in overtime.

“I was just looking for any loose ball,” Dover said. “We obviously just wanted to get the ball in Grant’s hands for the last shot and we were just looking to rebound if he missed and we were able to clean it up. The same thing happened in the last game. Everyone is just stepping up now and it seems like it is coming together at the right time.”

It was a tough game offensively for both teams as they struggled to get into any kind of rhythm. The Wildcats shot just 39 percent from the field and also struggled from the free-throw line, where they were 4-for-13 for the game.

Still, the Wildcats made that one extra play they needed to secure a big win against a possible postseason opponent in two weeks when Louisburg returns to Spring Hill for the Class 4A substate tournament.

“Tuesday was a manifestation of poor defense, and this time was a manifestation of poor free-throw shooting,” Nelson said. “We were 4 of 13 from the line and most of them were missed front ends of one-and-ones.

“I thought we played fantastic at times in the second half and in overtime. The first half we were a little bit slow offensively, but credit to the kids they found a way to win.”

The lead changed hands four times in the second half and Louisburg turned a three-point deficit into a one-point lead late in the third quarter on a basket from Ribordy and senior Jake Hill.

Spring Hill grabbed the lead right back to start the fourth and built a 36-32 lead midway through the quarter, but the Wildcats cut into the lead on a made shot from Ribordy. Louisburg then used its defense late to tie the game when Geiman knocked a Spring Hill pass away and threw it to teammate Sam Guetterman who had an easy layup with a minute left.

The game eventually went into overtime and Dover scored seven of his nine points in the extra period, including the game-winner, to help give Louisburg the win.

Geiman and Harding each scored in double figures with 10 points to lead the Wildcats, while Ribordy added eight points and five rebounds.

“It was exciting,” Dover said. “It was huge to get this game, especially after losing to them the first time at our place. We know what we need to do to win, and now that we figured out how to win those games, it is all about fixing the small stuff like free throws and not giving up offensive boards. When we get that stuff figured out, then I am excited to see what we can do for substate.”

Louisburg will have two more regular season games left before the postseason and it begins Tuesday when it travels to De Soto. The Wildcats will host rival Paola on Friday for senior night.

LOU               7             12           11           6             7 – 43

SH                  9             10           10           7             6 – 42

LOUISBURG (8-10): Grant Harding 10, Jayce Geiman 10, T.J. Dover 9, Dalton Ribordy 8, Sam Guetterman 4, Jake Hill 2. Totals: 18-46 4-13 43. 3-point field goals: 3, (Geiman 3)

Louisburg senior Emalee Overbay stretches out for a rebound Friday at Spring Hill High School. Overbay and the Lady Cats fell 55-49

SPRING HILL — Trailing at any point in the game has never really rattled the Louisburg High School girls basketball team.

The Lady Cats have found themselves behind in several game this season, but in many of those, Louisburg always found a way to rally.

Friday was no different.

Louisburg overcame a 14-point fourth quarter deficit on the road against Spring Hill to tie the game, but couldn’t quite get over the hump in a 55-49 loss, despite putting together a 23-point fourth quarter.

“Defensively we made a little bit of an adjustment there in the fourth and we were able to pick up our intensity a little bit,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “We started battling for possessions and making them count. At the end of the day, we have to be better at our end of game situations. It is good one to learn from and we are going to be right back here in two weeks playing likely the same team.”

It was a good litmus test for the Lady Cats as they will return to Spring Hill on Mar. 3 for the substate tournament and have a reasonable chance of playing the Broncos again for the right to continue their season.

After an even first quarter, Louisburg (9-9) had a tough time handling the Bronco size in the second and third quarters. Spring Hill forward’s Camryn Williams and Savannah Leaton, who both stand 6-foot-1 and 6-0, respectively, scored several easy baskets.

Williams was second on the Spring Hill team with 13 points, but the Broncos also got some production from the perimeter as point guard Meghan Goff led all scorers with 16 points.

“Their size was probably the biggest factor for most of the game,” Lowry said. “Again, we have to play through that and we have all year. It was a little tougher for us this time, but I thought the girls battled hard and did some good things.”

Goff hit a 3-pointer shortly before halftime to give Spring Hill at 10-point lead and the Broncos maintained the double digit lead into the fourth quarter.

It was then Louisburg started to attack the basket more and was able to get back in the game from the free-throw line. The Lady Cats hit 9 of 11 free throws in the final eight minutes.

The Lady Cats become more aggressive on both sides of the floor. With five minutes remaining, Paige Buffington connected on a 3-pointer, and then senior Emalee Overbay turned hustle into four points on one possession.

Overbay made a basket and was fouled with 4:35 left in game. She tried to convert the 3-point play from the free-throw line, however Overbay missed the shot, but got the rebound and went back up for two more points to cut the Spring Hill lead to five.

Sophomore Carson Buffington hit a basket and a pair of free throws to get it within one and senior Chloe Renner tied the game with a free throw with 2:39 remaining.

Unfortunately for Louisburg, Goff connected on back-to-back shots to push the lead back to five and the Wildcats were unable to get any closer.

Carson Buffington recorded a double-double to lead the Lady Cats with 12 points and 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards. Paige Buffington also finished with 12 points and had six rebounds and three assists.

Senior Madisen Simpson also scored in double figures with 11 points and had seven rebounds and three steals.

Louisburg has one week left of its regular season as it travels to De Soto on Tuesday before returning home Friday against rival Paola for senior night.

LOU               9             7             10           23 – 49

SH                  8             18           14           15 – 55

LOUISBURG (9-9): Paige Buffington 12, Carson Buffington 12, Madisen Simpson 11, Tayler Lancaster 4, Emalee Overbay 4, Haley Cain, Isabelle Holtzen 2, Chloe Renner 2. Totals: 14 18-24 55. 3-point field goals: 3, (P. Buffington 2, Simpson)

Louisburg’s Sam Guetterman (left) celebrates with Dalton Ribordy (middle) and Desmond Doles following Ribordy’s buzzer-beater Tuesday that gave the Wildcats a 60-58 win over Baldwin.

Less than two minutes into the game, Dalton Ribordy found himself on the bench with two fouls.

For the next 14 minutes of the first half, Ribordy had to sit as he watched his team dig themselves a double-digit hole against Baldwin on Tuesday. The Louisburg junior wanted to be out there to help in some way.

Ribordy got his chance later — and it was a big one.

After a couple missed shots, and with two seconds left in a tie game, Ribordy fought for an offensive rebound. He grabbed it and put up one last opportunity. That shot found the bottom of the net to give the Wildcats a 60-58 win at the buzzer at Louisburg High School.

“I didn’t know how much time we had left when I got the shot off,” Ribordy said.  “I just put it up and watched it rattle around a couple times. Then I heard the buzzer and saw it go in. I just felt — I don’t even know what I felt actually. Then I see the student section run onto the floor and it was just an amazing feeling.”

It was a feeling many didn’t think they were going to have, especially after the first half. Ribordy, Grant Harding and Desmond Doles all had to sit a majority of the half in foul trouble and the Wildcat offense struggled to get going.

Junior Dalton Ribordy puts up shot at the buzzer that gave the Wildcats the win Tuesday against Baldwin.

Baldwin held Louisburg to seven points in the second quarter and took a 34-22 lead at halftime. Louisburg, which had beaten Baldwin three times earlier this season, found that a fourth time was going to be even tougher.

“The end was fantastic,” Louisburg coach Jason Nelson said. “The first 16 minutes were terrible for us. We were slow on defense. Offensively, we were settling for shots and we were playing right into their zone. To our credit, once halftime was over our defensive intensity was much better, we blocked out much better, but most importantly we asserted ourselves offensively.”

The Wildcats (7-10) also got good production from their bench as different players had to step up as Louisburg had to play without starter Jayce Geiman and they had to battle foul problems.

Senior Jake Hill came off the bench to finish in double figures with 11 points, including a couple big baskets in the fourth quarter to help Louisburg battle back. Hill was one of three Wildcats to score in double figures as Harding led Louisburg with 16 points and Ribordy added 10.

Senior Dalton Stone started for this first time this season and finished with nine points on three 3-pointers.

“Jake had a good game and he is our best player against a zone, especially at getting the zone to collapse,” Nelson said. “He did fantastic at that.

“This is probably our first attitude win of the year. This was our first win of the year where we basically weren’t going to be denied, which is refreshing to see.”

Louisburg senior Jake Hill goes up for two of his 11 points off the bench Tuesday.

Louisburg found itself down eight points late in the third quarter, but Hill scored a basket to end the frame and then another to begin the fourth quarter to cut Baldwin’s lead to four. Louisburg eventually tied it up on four straight points from Harding with 3 minutes and 50 seconds left in the game.

The lead switched hands and was tied on two different occasions before Harding tied the game at 58-all late in the game. After a Baldwin missed shot, it gave the Wildcats one final possession.

Harding drove the lane but his shot rimmed out. He then got his own rebound, but missed a second shot before Ribordy got the offensive board and the game-winner.

“It feels pretty good,” Ribordy said. “We came in at halftime and talked about things that we needed to fix. I felt like when we came out at the beginning of the third quarter, that is exactly what we did. We fought all the way back to the very last second and pulled out the win.

“After a win like this, I think it shows that no matter what the deficit is, we know we can come back if we play together as a team.”

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins Friday when it travels to Spring Hill. The Wildcats and Broncos could meet a couple weeks later as they are in the same substate tournament.

“Spring Hill is always good at home,” Nelson said. “This game is big for our confidence and this will be a good barometer to see where we are at for substate.”

LOU               15           7             19           19 – 60

BAL                17           17           13           11 – 58

LOUISBURG (7-10): Grant Harding 16, Jake Hill 11, Dalton Ribordy 10, Dalton Stone 9, T.J. Dover 8, Sam Guetterman 6. Totals: 22-53 13-18 60. 3-point field goals: 4, (Stone 3, Harding)

Louisburg sophomore Carson Buffington backs down a Baldwin player under the basket Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ home game. Louisburg came up just short against No. 7 Baldwin in a 55-52 loss.

In prior years, a near upset of a state-ranked team might have been looked at as a moral victory for the Louisburg High School girls basketball team.

However, in Tuesday’s close 55-52 loss at home to No. 7-ranked Baldwin, it was viewed a bit differently.

“I am so proud of them, but the girls don’t like it right now,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “It is great to see that out of this group. It bothers them to lose on this floor, in front of our crowd. They are disappointed, but we are going to build from this.”

The Lady Cats were on the verge of knocking off one of the top teams in the Frontier League thanks to their defense. Louisburg was able to hold Baldwin to just 20 first half points and took a 23-20 halftime lead.

The one player the Lady Cats weren’t able to slow down was Baldwin’s Abby Ogle. The Bulldog junior accounted for more than half of her team’s points with a game-high 31.

Still, the Lady Cats were within striking distance in the game’s final minute.

“They played fantastic,” Lowry said. “I am as proud of them right now as I was when we took the floor. I knew what they were going to give tonight. We made some adjustments at practice to help slow Baldwin down and took that and implemented it in the game. We have some tough kids and they played hard.”

Louisburg (9-8) found itself down five points with under three minutes left in the game, but senior Tayler Lancaster hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two. Sophomore Carson Buffington tied it with a shot after pulling down an offensive rebound with 1 minute and 45 seconds left.

About six seconds later, Baldwin took the lead again thanks to Ogle who hit a basket and was fouled to convert the three-point play. The Baldwin lead ballooned again to five thanks to another score from Ogle.

The Lady Cats were able to stay in the game after Baldwin missed six of its final eight free throws. Louisburg senior Madisen Simpson hit a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to two

Baldwin added a free throw to make it a three-point game with 12 seconds left, but the Lady Cats’ attempt to tie the game came up short.

The Lady Cats fought the entire game as they used a big second quarter run to turn what was a big deficit into a halftime lead. Louisburg found itself down eight, but went on a 13-2 run to end the first half.

Louisburg senior Chloe Renner drives to the basket Tuesday against Baldwin.

Simpson made two 3-pointers and junior Isabelle Holtzen hit another 3-pointer during the run, while senior Chloe Renner hit a pair of free throws and freshman Haley Cain made a basket after an offensive rebound shortly before halftime.

“They are finding ways together, and different kids are doing different things, to stay in games maybe when things aren’t going their way,” Lowry said. “They don’t freak out, or let down about the situation they are in, they just keep battling. They keep rebounding, they keep defending and they keep doing things offensively that they want to do.”

Louisburg extended that lead to six midway through the third quarter, before Baldwin would rally back.

Another positive for the Lady Cats is they converted 20 of 22 from the free-throw line and have shown improvement in that department as of late.

“We have to be good from the free-throw line, especially with some of the things we try to do offensively,” Lowry said.  “We have made strides from the beginning of the season to where we are at now. The girls have bought in and are committed to get better. We have some younger kids who are getting better too.”

Simpson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 24 points, including four 3-pointers. Senior Paige Buffington also finished in double figures with 10 points — as she was 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.

Carson Buffington led Louisburg with 12 rebounds and Renner added eight.

Louisburg will travel to Spring Hill on Friday for what is an important game for postseason ramifications as both teams are in the same substate and could see each other in the first round. The two teams are 1-1 against each other so far this year.

“It will be a big one to see where the league will finish out and preparing for substate,” Lowry said. “The girls will be ready.”

LOU               8             15           14           15 – 52

BAL                10           10           18           17 – 55

LOUISBURG (9-8): Madisen Simpson 24, Paige Buffington 10, Carson Buffington 6, Tayler Lancaster 5, Isabelle Holtzen 3, Chloe Renner 2, Haley Cain 2. Totals: 13 20-22 52. 3-point field goals: 6, (Simpson 4, Lancaster, Holtzen)