Wildcats score 51 unanswered points in rout of Bonner Springs

Louisburg running back Riley Van Eaton gets some running room thanks to offensive linemen Will Hutsell (61) and J.R. Rooney. Van Eaton rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 51-7 win Friday.

For most of the first half in Friday’s home contest against Bonner Springs, Louisburg couldn’t put much together offensively.

Bonner Springs dominated possession in the first half and even took a one-point lead at halftime. The Wildcats just couldn’t get any rhythm offensively.

That all changed in the second half.

Louisburg scored 51 unanswered points — 45 coming in the second half — on its way to a 51-7 rout of Bonner Springs. The Wildcats went from being down at halftime to a running clock in the fourth quarter.

“Honestly there was no magical speech at halftime or anything, we just went in there and told them that we were fine,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “We didn’t play well in the first half and it was stuff we were doing to ourselves, like mental errors and penalties. Once we cut those things out, we were efficient and able to move the football.”

Bonner Springs’ lone score of the game came midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Kahliek Rainey scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 that completed a 16-play drive that started in the first quarter.

From then on, it was all Louisburg.

Wildcat quarterback Declan Battle scored on a 3-yard touchdown run late in the first half, but a failed 2-point conversion left Louisburg still behind at halftime.

Louisburg’s offense got going in the second half. Battle opened the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. Battle then hit Ashton Moore for the 2-point conversion to go up 14-7.

Senior running back Riley Van Eaton also had a big second half with three touchdowns, including two in the third quarter. Van Eaton finished the game with 200 yards rushing on 13 carries.

The offensive line of Nathan Vincent, Brayton Brueggen, Jaymes Melton, J.R. Rooney, Will Hutsell, Christian Golladay and tight end Mack Newell paved the way for 320 yards of total offense.

“Getting that touchdown at the end of the first half was good to see and then we were able to get the ball in the second half and do the same thing,” Harding said. “After that, we got rolling from there.

“The offensive line got it figured out and really started to wear on them in the second half. We blocked well on the perimeter and our backs and quarterback all ran hard, which is good to see.”

The Wildcat defense was flying all over the field and held the Bonner Springs offense in check, minus the one first half drive.

Sophomore linebacker Ashton Moore led Louisburg with 14 tackles on the night. Junior Wyatt Holland finished with 12 and Vincent was also in double figures with 10. 

Vincent also finished with a sack and a forced fumble, while Rooney also had a sack and a tackle for loss.

“We struggled to get the offense going early, but the defense played great all night,” Harding said. “We had one drive where they moved the football on us, but the rest of the time we locked it down.”

After a pair of Van Eaton touchdowns in the third quarter, the Wildcat defense forced a Bonner Springs punt deep in its own territory. The Braves mishandled the snap and the kicked the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

Louisburg kept it moving in the fourth quarter as Moore scored on a 1-yard run, then Van Eaton answered with this third touchdown. Van Eaton reversed fields and scored on a 69-yard run to put Louisburg up 44-7.

His brother, Darby Van Eaton, sealed the win late in the contest with a 9-yard run of his own. Kicker Layne Ryals was also 5-for-5 on extra points on the night.

The Wildcats have now won three straight after losing their week one contest to Rogers (Ark.) Heritage. Louisburg will be tested once again this Friday.

Louisburg will travel to undefeated Eudora in a game that could have big implications on the Frontier League title.

“Week one we made a lot of errors and it was a game we felt like we should have won,” Harding said. “To win three straight feels good, but we have a tough stretch here the rest of the way and that starts with Eudora. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going.

“It is a big game, there is no doubt about that. Eudora is undefeated and they have talented and very skilled kids. It sets up a big game for us and we have to be ready to play.”

LOU 0 6 24 21 — 51

BON 0 7 0 0 — 7

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

B: Kahliek Rainey 1 run (kick good)

L: Declan Battle 3 run (2-point failed)

Third quarter

L: Battle 10 run (Ashton Moore pass from Battle)

L: Riley Van Eaton 2 run (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Van Eaton 17 run (Ryals kick)

L: Safety (punt out of end zone)

Fourth quarter

L: Ashton Moore 1 run (Ryals kick)

L: Van Eaton 69 run (Ryals kick)

L: Darby Van Eaton 9 run (Ryals kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING — Riley Van Eaton 13-200; Declan Battle 8-70; Jase Hovey 3-14; Darby Van Eaton 2-14; Ashton Moore 3-9

PASSING — Declan Battle 3-8-13

RECEIVING — Mason Dobbins 1-6; Mack Newell 1-4; Ashton Moore 1-3

TACKLES — Ashton Moore 14, Wyatt Holland 12, Nathan Vincent 10, Layne Ryals 8, J.R. Rooney 7, Jase Hovey 6, Caden Caplinger 3, Will Hutsell 3, Brayton Brueggen 3, Declan Battle 2, Mason Dobbins 1, Hunter Heinrich 1, Reid McCaskill 1, Isaiah Whitley 1, Mack Newell 1, Carson Wade 1, Nathan Apple 1, Hunter Moore 1, Brayden Yoder 1