Wildcats earn 11 spots on all-league football team

Louisburg seniors Garrett Harding (left) and Madden Rutherford earned first team All-Frontier League selections and the Wildcats were named to 11 spots overall.

Louisburg had an up and down 2019 campaign as the Wildcats had to deal with injury after injury, not to mention a difficult Frontier League schedule.

Still, the Wildcats finished their season with a 6-4 record and a spot in the regional playoffs. Louisburg had plenty of key pieces help the Wildcats in their run and those players were rewarded for their efforts when the All-Frontier League team was recently released.

Louisburg earned a combined 11 spots on the all-league squad, including a pair of first-team selections.

“The Frontier League is always tough, and this year was no different,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “All of the newly added schools had some of their best seasons – Tongie, Bonner and Piper.  Then you throw in an undefeated Paola team and a very solid Spring Hill team and us. Then you look at the talent that Eudora, Baldwin and Ottawa all have, and it is a very tough league. So, considering all those things I think we came out pretty well.”  

Senior quarterback Madden Rutherford and senior offensive lineman Garrett Harding were each named to the All-Frontier League first team offense after successful seasons.

Rutherford finished the year with 671 yards passing with eight touchdowns and he also added 245 yards on the ground and four more scores. Harding was fixture on the offensive line as the Wildcats amassed 2,822 total yards of offense, including more than 2,100 yards on the ground.

“Very excited to see first team honors for Madden and Garrett as both players were totally deserving of it and it is really cool to see the other league coaches felt the same way,” Ebenstein said. “The system is very tough, especially for the skill guys. There are only three first teamers for “skill” which is quarterbacks and running backs combined.

“To see Madden break first team was a testament to his competitiveness and same with Garrett. If he didn’t have his injury last year, Garrett is probably first team as a junior, but to see if pay off for him as a senior is really cool. I am very happy for both of them.”

Senior lineman Brayden White was selected to the second team offense, as was junior running back Ben Wiedenmann. Junior Andy Hupp was named to the second team offense as a multi-purpose player after he saw time at quarterback, running back and on the offensive line.

Wiedenmann led the team in rushing with 1,126 yards on the ground and another 86 yards receiving. He finished the season with 13 total touchdowns.

White, who started the season at tackle, joined Harding in blocking for the Wildcats’ 2,800-plus yards of offense. Hupp also did some of that blocking, but filled in at different positions for the Wildcats as he finished the year with two touchdowns and 200 yards of total offense.

“The voting for our league is tough, and with so many quality teams in the Frontier League this year spots are limited,” Ebenstein said. “But Brayden, Andy and Ben were all deserving of first team honors, but to be second team in the Frontier League is a tremendous honor.”

Harding was the lone player on the all-league second team defense as he earned spots on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats. He was second on the team with 65 tackles, including 12 solo stops.

White was named to the honorable mention defensive line and Hupp was selected as an honorable mention linebacker. Hupp led Louisburg with 74 tackles on the season, including five for a loss and two sacks. White ended the year with 44 stops, two sacks, two batted balls and a fumble recovery.

Junior receiver Weston Guetterman was put on the honorable mention offensive squad. Guetterman led the Wildcats with 392 yards receiving to go along with three touchdowns.

Senior Drake Varns was also named to the honorable mention squad as a kicker, while Rutherford was selected as an honorable mention all-league punter. Varns was 21 of 26 in extra point tries and 3 of 5 on field goal attempts.

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL

OFFENSE

First Team

LINEMEN – Garrett Harding, Louisburg, senior; Cole Sample, Tonganoxie, senior; Willie Harris, Tonganoxie, senior; Clay Essex, Paola, senior; Mikey Stribling, Paola, senior

BACKS – Madden Rutherford, Louisburg, senior; Cooper Cunningham, Tonganoxie, senior; Connor Hasz, Paola, senior

RECEIVERS – Armani Washington, Bonner Springs, senior; Elijah Tyner, Tonganoxie, senior; Conner Searcy, Tonganoxie, senior; Jack Robinson, Piper, senior

MULTI-PURPOSE – LaJames White, Piper, junior

KICKER – Ryan Wokutch, Paola, senior

Second Team

LINEMEN – Tony Caballero, Bonner Springs, sophomore; Jacob Peterson, Bonner Springs, senior; Brayden White, Louisburg, senior; Aron Dominick, Spring Hill, senior; Javier Castillo, Paola, senior

BACKS – Ben Wiedenmann, Louisburg, junior; Conner Quick, Baldwin, senior; Blake Poje, Tonganoxie, junior

RECEIVERS – Rishaud Dockery, Bonner Springs, senior; Gage Klutts, Spring Hill, senior; Gavin Lang, Baldwin, junior

MULTI-PURPOSE – Andy Hupp, Louisburg, junior

KICKER – Bear Gardner, Spring Hill, senior

Honorable Mention

LINEMEN – Travis Bohnenblust, Eudora, junior; Chris Husling, Eudora, senior; Michael Sheldon, Bonner Springs, senior; Denver Gardner, Spring Hill, junior; Alex Berg, Baldwin, senior; Bailey Vesco, Baldwin, senior; Andrew Jarvis, Piper, junior; Cam Beebe, Piper, freshman; Carter Stanchfield, Paola, junior

BACKS – Cael Lynch, Eudora, junior; Brayden Beerbower, Eudora, sophomore; Bryce Krone, Bonner Springs, senior; Corbyn Meyers, Spring Hill, senior; Zade Barker, Spring Hill, senior; Trysten Heck, Baldwin, senior; Garrett Williams, Paola, junior

RECEIVERS – Silas Etter, Eudora, sophomore; Weston Guetterman, Louisburg, junior; Dallas Bond, Tonganoxie, junior; Evan Phillips, Paola, senior

MULTI-PURPOSE – Sloan Hayden, Eudora, senior; Daidrien Aho, Ottawa, senior; Ethan Byers, Bonner Springs, senior

KICKER – Zach Reno, Bonner Springs, junior; Drake Varns, Louisburg, senior; Matt Garber, Baldwin, senior; Javier Trujillo, Tonganoxie, senior

DEFENSE

First Team

LINEMEN – Carson Downes, Spring Hill, senior; Cole Sample, Tonganoxie, senior; Dallas Bond, Tonganoxie, junior; Clay Essex, Paola, senior; Javier Castillo, Paola, senior

LINEBACKERS – Bryce Krone, Bonner Springs, senior; Branden Martin, Piper, junior; Mikey Stribling, Paola, senior; Evan Peuser, Paola, senior

BACKS – Ethan Byers, Bonner Springs, senior; Ethan Phillips, Paola, senior; Connor Hasz, Paola, senior

MULTI-PURPOSE – Brandon Sanders, Bonner Springs, junior

PUNTER – Johnny Tapia, Bonner Springs, senior

Second Team

LINEMEN – Tony Caballero, Bonner Springs, sophomore; Michael Sheldon, Bonner Springs, senior; Garrett Harding, Louisburg, senior; Trysten Heck, Baldwin, senior; Lance Bassett, Piper, freshman

LINEBACKERS – Jakob Stovall, Spring Hill, senior; Conner Searcy, Tonganoxie, senior; Dustin Rhoads, Tonganoxie, senior; Anthony Ferguson, Piper, junior

BACKS – Daidrien Aho, Ottawa, senior; Jaden Robinson, Bonner Springs; Cooper Cunningham, Tonganoxie, senior; Garrett Williams, Paola, junior

MULTI-PURPOSE – Heston Robbins, Tonganoxie, junior

PUNTER – Logan Greenhalgh, Spring Hill, senior

Honorable Mention

LINEMEN – Will Schreiner, Eudora, junior; Darrell Higgins, Eudora, junior; Jacob Peterson, Bonner Springs, senior; Brayden White, Louisburg, senior; Aron Dominick, Spring Hill, senior; Cade Grossoehme, Baldwin; Toby Thomas, Baldwin, junior; Caleal Kennedy, Piper, junior; Mason Talcott, Paola, senior; Jake Karr, Paola, junior

LINEBACKERS – Cael Lynch, Eudora, junior; Carnelle Wehrhan, Bonner Springs, senior; Andy Hupp, Louisburg, junior; Wyatt Dickie, Spring Hill, senior; Jackson Raunenzahn, Spring Hill, senior; Alex Berg, Baldwin, senior; Gavin Lang, Baldwin, junior; Jackson Earlywine, Paola, junior

BACKS – Rishaud Dockery, Bonner Springs, senior; Dom Scheerer, Spring Hill, senior; Jacob Maxwell, Tonganoxie, junior; Branden Snell, Piper, junior; Tyson Latner, Piper, senior

MULTI-PURPOSE – Jake Boucher, Eudora, senior; Shane Doty, Baldwin, junior; Darius McNeal, Piper, junior

PUNTER – Brett Breedlove, Eudora, senior; Madden Rutherford, Louisburg, senior; Garrett Williams, Paola, junior

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