Moore, Tucker lead Louisburg as Cats awarded 16 slots for all-league

Louisburg seniors Austin Moore (left) and Kiefer Tucker were both awarded first team All-Frontier League honors on each side of the ball. The Wildcats were awarded 16 slots on the team.

 

The Louisburg football team reached several milestones this season, including winning its first 10 games for the first time since 2010 and was only the third Wildcat team to reach double-digit wins since 2000.

Throw in the fact the Wildcats also won their first Frontier League title in eight years and captured a regional championship, it was a year to remember for Louisburg football. With all that success, the individual honors are starting to roll in.

All-Frontier League teams were recently released and the Wildcats were awarded 16 slots overall, including eight on each side of the ball.

“Overall I was very happy with how we were represented,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said.

Seniors Austin Moore and Kiefer Tucker led the Wildcats as the two players were first team selections on offense and defense. Moore was named a first-team running back and linebacker, while Tucker earned first team honors on the offensive and defensive lines.

Offensively, senior Brayden Gage (wide receiver) and junior Brayden White (line) were named to the first team. Junior Madden Rutherford (quarterback) and senior Blue Caplinger (multi-purpose player) were second team selections.

Caplinger (defensive back) was also named to the all-league first team defense, as was Rutherford (punter). White (line) and junior Charlie Koontz (linebacker) were second team selections. Senior Noah Larson and junior Garrett Harding earned honorable mention honors as linemen on both sides of the ball.

Moore had a big season for the Wildcats, prior to breaking his collarbone in the next to last game of the year. He led Louisburg in tackles with 83 and had seven tackles for a loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Offensively, he tallied 1,554 total yards, with 1,428 yards of those on the ground and also had 21 touchdowns. He was also the leading point-getter in the all-league voting on both sides of the ball.

“Austin had an outstanding year,” Ebenstein said. “The kid is just a stud and you know it shows on Friday night, but he’s earned it all in the weight room. Within the last week, he has had collarbone surgery and Austin was already was doing kettlebell squats with his good arm, with his other arm in a sling. That’s the type of work ethic that gets you first team on both sides of the ball.”

Tucker was among the leaders on the line scrimmage for the Wildcats as he helped pave the way for more than 3,500 yards of total offense. Defensively, Tucker was a force from his defensive end position as he recorded 55 tackles, three tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a sack.

“Kiefer also had a great year, and you know the thing about him is he’s so disciplined and does his job on every single play and he goes 100 percent all the time,” Ebenstein said. “On the offensive side of the ball, he’s one of the smartest lineman that we’ve ever had since I’ve been here. He pretty much knows where every single person is supposed to go and he relays that on almost every play.”

White, along with Tucker, Larson and Harding, played vital roles on the Louisburg offensive and defensive lines. White was among the league’s best offensive tackles and also played well on the defensive line with 51 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack.

Gage, who split time at wide receiver and running back, earned first team wide receiver honors as he led the Wildcats with 283 yards receiving with three touchdowns. He also had 258 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.

Caplinger had a big season on both sides of the ball as he had 310 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. He also had 234 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Caplinger had 31 tackles from the safety spot and also had two tackles for a loss, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

“I am just excited for all those guys,” Ebenstein said of his first teamers. “They all had a great year and I’m glad that the other coaches in the league saw that as well and were willing to vote for them. It’s just a testament to how hard all those kids worked as a whole.”

Rutherford was just edged out of the first team quarterback spot, despite throwing for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also rushed for 354 yards and had four touchdowns on the ground and had one more score receiving.

Koontz had a good year from the linebacker spot as he recorded 50 tackles, including six for a loss. He also had three fumble recoveries and a sack that helped him earn second team honors.

Larson and Harding also had good seasons on the Wildcat defensive line. Larson had 43 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. As for Harding, he had 34 tackles despite missing three games due to an injury at the defensive tackle spot.

“I was very happy for those guys to get noticed,” Ebenstein said. “They all had great seasons and the difference between the guys who got first and second team were slim in the voting numbers. At the end of the day, if you are being noticed by other coaches, even if you are honorable mention, you have done something really well so I’m super excited for all those kids.”

 

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

BACKS – Austin Moore, Louisburg, senior; Seth Richmond, Paola, senior; Korbin Riedel, Tonganoxie, senior

RECEIVERS – Brayden Gage, Louisburg, senior; Elijah Tyner, Tonganoxie, junior; A.J. Watson, Bonner Springs, senior

LINE – Cole Sample, Tonganoxie, junior; Jeffery Schartz, Paola, senior; Mikey Stribling, Paola, junior; Kiefer Tucker, Louisburg, senior; Brayden White, Louisburg, junior

MULTI-POSITIONAL PLAYER – Brennen Feeback, Spring Hill, senior

KICKER – Ryan Wokutch, Paola, junior

 

SECOND TEAM

BACKS – Conner Hasz, Paola, junior; Bryce Krone, Bonner Springs, junior; Madden Rutherford, Louisburg, junior

RECEIVERS – Dallas Bond, Tonganoxie, sophomore; Malakhi Kennon, Piper, sophomore; Keyon Thomas, Bonner Springs, senior

LINE – Cooper Beebe, Piper, senior; Tyler McKinney, Paola, senior; Quinn Nichols, Baldwin, senior; Bryce Scholtze, Spring Hill, junior; LeMoses White, Piper, senior

MULTI POSITIONAL PLAYER – Blue Caplinger, Louisburg, senior

KICKER – Bear Gardner, Spring Hill, junior

 

HONORABLE MENTION

BACKS – Gavin Elston, Eudora, senior; Carter Neis, Eudora, senior; Noah Villarreal, Bonner Springs, senior; Dalton White, Piper, senior

RECEIVERS – Easton Jones, Spring Hill, senior; Nasjon Porter, Bonner Springs, senior; Jack Robinson, Piper, junior

LINE – Corbin Fullerton, Piper, senior; Garrett Harding, Louisburg, junior; Kaden Hartwell, Eudora, junior; Noah Larson, Louisburg, senior; Tucker Mace, Ottawa, senior; Jacob Miller, Tonganoxie, senior; Jacob Peterson, Bonner Springs, junior

MULTI-POSITIONAL PLAYER – Drake Pray, Tonganoxie, senior

KICKER – Sydni Bolewski, Bonner Springs, senior; Jonny Moon, Piper, senior

 

DEFENSE

FIRST TEAM

LINE – Javier Castillo, Paola, junior; Clay Essex, Paola, junior; Cole Sample, Tonganoxie, junior; Kiefer Tucker, Louisburg, senior

LINEBACKER – Austin Moore, Louisburg, senior; Brendan Ohlmeier, Paola, senior; Evan Peuser, Paola, junior; Drake Pray, Tonganoxie, senior

BACKS – Blue Caplinger, Louisburg, senior; Gavin Elston, Eudora, senior; Nasjon Porter, Bonner Springs, senior

PUNTER – Madden Rutherford, Louisburg, junior

 

SECOND TEAM

LINE – Cooper Beebe, Piper, senior; Kade Kehl, Baldwin, junior; Alec Waterman, Spring Hill, senior; Brayden White, Louisburg, junior

LINEBACKER – Nolan Ewing, Spring Hill, senior; Charlie Koontz, Louisburg, junior; Brandon Martin, Piper, sophomore; Andrew Puckett, Bonner Springs, senior

BACKS – Brandon Carlson, Ottawa, senior; Seth Richmond, Paola, senior; Noah Villarreal, Bonner Springs, senior

PUNTER – Connor Quick, Baldwin, junior

 

HONORABLE MENTION

LINE – Carson Downes, Spring Hill, junior; Garrett Harding, Louisburg, junior; Noah Larson, Louisburg, senior; Tucker Mace, Ottawa, senior; Jacob Miller, Tonganoxie, senior; BJ Walker, Piper, senior

LINEBACKER – Brayden Beerbower, Eudora, freshman; Brennen Feeback, Spring Hill, senior; Zach Flowers, Baldwin, senior; Dustin Rhoads, Tonganoxie, junior; Bryce Scholtze, Spring Hill, senior

BACKS – Brandon Ahart, Piper, sophomore; Conner Hasz, Paola, junior; Cy Hockey, Baldwin, senior; Noah Verbraken, Spring Hill, senior

PUNTER – Johnny Tapia, Bonner Springs, junior