Wildcats take second at state for best finish in school history

The Louisburg boys basketball team raises the Class 4A state runner-up trophy Saturday following it loss to Bishop Miege at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.

SALINA — The result of the state championship game is not what the Louisburg boys basketball team will focus on several years from now.

The fact that the 2020-21 Wildcats recorded the best finish in school history, will be more than enough for them to fondly reminisce about.

Louisburg, which played in its first-ever state championship game Saturday in Salina, fell to state power Bishop Miege, 94-40. As disappointing as the result was, many of the Wildcats were looking bigger picture.

“We will forever live in history with this senior class and with this team,” Senior Weston Guetterman said. “Until someone wins it at least, we are going to be the bar that everyone looks to. It is a proud moment for all of us.”

Bishop Miege, which won its sixth state title, was the heavily favored team coming in. The Stags lost just one game all year – to Blue Valley Northwest — and defeated Class 6A state champion Blue Valley North earlier in the season.

The Stags featured a roster of college bound players and brought a 7-footer off the bench.

“It means a lot that we made history,” junior Julian Margrave said. “Even though we wanted the championship, and I wouldn’t say that we were satisfied with second, but we are pretty happy with what we got. We have all put in a lot of hard work, but we just ran up against a tough team.

“It was exciting and I think we were ready to going into the game against Miege. We know who they are, but we felt good about ourselves. We were ready for a dogfight.”

Louisburg, which faced off with 6A teams in Shawnee Mission East and Shawnee Mission South earlier in the year, had yet to see a team with the talent that Bishop Miege sported.

“It was nice that we were able to schedule Shawnee Mission East and Shawnee Mission South, and that was huge for us and see the speed of the game,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “That kind of competition was good for us, but Miege is on a whole other level. They have big guys and bring a 7-footer off the bench. They are quick and have guards that can shoot. We needed them to have an off night and they were just playing really well.

“I don’t think I’ve coached against a team that has had a 7-footer, much less brought one off the bench. He seemed taller than that too. They have quite the collection of talent there at Miege.”

Bishop Miege came out of the gates strong as the Stags outscored the Wildcats 27-13 in the first quarter and took a 48-23 halftime advantage.

The Wildcats, which struggled against Miege’s length, recorded six points in the third quarter.

The Stags’ 94 total points was the most points scored by a team in the state championship game, in any class, in the history of the state tournament.

Miege topped the previous best of 92 points by Blue Valley North in the 1997 Class 5A title game.

“We played a couple 6A teams, but this was nothing like that,” Guetterman said. “They have kids who are ranked among the best in the country, and we knew it would be a tall task, but we left it all out there. It just didn’t turn out how we wanted it to.”

Margrave led Louisburg in scoring with 15 points and six rebounds and Guetterman also scored in double figures with 10 points.

As tough as the loss was to take, the Wildcats still had plenty to celebrate.

“I feel so good for these kids,” Pfannenstiel said. “They have earned it and have earned every accolade that they have now. Through all their work in the offseason and during the season, it was just a lot of fun. I don’t think I have ever had this much fun coaching. It is not just because of the run that we’ve had, but it is fun to show up to your job every day when you have good kids.”

One the thing the loss did mean was the final game for seniors Andy Hupp, Dawson Barnes, Ben Guetterman, Konnor Vohs and Weston Guetterman.

“They were all key components,” Pfannenstiel said. “They were all important. Dawson and Hupp – those guys are undersized post players that can play great defense. They are very unselfish players and they just work hard and were exactly what we needed. 

“Konnor has had a heck of a year. He is Mr. Energy. He is a calm, cool kid and stepped up and knocked down some big free throws for us in the semifinals. He brings a lot of intensity for us. Ben can do a lot of things, and offensively when he gets hot, he really sparks us. He was good defensively and rebounding the ball. Weston was our motor and he could really make us go offensively. When his shot is falling, our offense really goes and they are all just great kids. They do everything the right way.”

Many of those seniors even got their chance to live out an opportunity they had been dreaming of since they were in elementary school.

“I couldn’t have written it any better,” Weston said. “One more win would have been nice, but we have been dreaming about this since we were in the third grade. Me, Konnor and Ben were at Wea and we always talked about how we were going to go down to Louisburg and win state. We were one game away, but I am just grateful for the opportunity.”

LOU 13 10 6 11 — 40

BM 27 21 22 24 — 94

LOUISBURG (18-7): Julian Margrave 6-18 1-1 15; Weston Guetterman 4-9 0-0 10; Ben Guetterman 3-8 0-0 7; Michael Seuferling 1-5 2-2 4; Andy Hupp 1-2 0-0 2; Konnor Vohs 0-4 2-2 2. 3-point field goals: 5, (Margrave 2, W. Guetterman 2, B. Guetterman)