-
Final
LOU
BAL3
1 -
Final
OW
LOU2
0 -
Final
DES
LOU2
1 -
Final
LOU
WI TRIN0
2 -
Final
LOU
PIP0
2 -
Final
OTT
LOU0
3 -
Final
LOU
FRON INV1st
PL -
Final
BONSP
LOU0
3 -
Final
EUD
LOU3
0 -
Final
LOU
FS2
0 -
Final
LOU
GIR2
1 -
Final
LOU
LOU INV2nd
PL -
Final
LOU
PAO3
0 -
Final
SH
LOU3
0 -
Final
LOU
OTT INV0
5 -
Final
LOU
TONG0
3 -
Final
LOU
ATCH INV2nd
PL -
Final
LOU
OTT2
0 -
Final
LOU
WAM2
1
-
Final
HAR
LOU3
13 -
Final
HAR
LOU1
13 -
Final
LOU
SH0
9 -
Final
BAL
LOU6
12 -
Final
LOU
OTT14
8 -
Final
LOU
OTT21
4 -
Final
SH
LOU4
5 -
Final
WEL
LOU1
14 -
Final
WEL
LOU2
10 -
Final
LOU
BONSP7
0 -
Final
LOU
BONSP5
1 -
Final
LOU
TONG9
4 -
Final
LOU
PIP19
15 -
Final
LOU
PIP5
7 -
Final
LOU
LAN5
4 -
Final
LOU
LAN5
4 -
Final
LOU
BV6
16 -
Apr 25, 430 p
LOU
AC
-
Apr 25, 6 pm
LOU
AC
-
Final
LOU
PV19
3 -
Final
LOU
CHA6
10 -
Final
EUD
LOU5
16 -
Postponed
EUD
LOU
-
Final
LOU
PAO4
11 -
Final
LOU
PAO18
3 -
Final
BL
LOU10
4
-
Final
FRON
LOU11
0 -
Postponed
FRON
LOU
-
Final
BAL
LOU2
13 -
Final
LOU
OTT10
11 -
Final
LOU
OTT10
0 -
Final
SH
LOU13
2 -
Final
SH
LOU16
5 -
Final
WEL
LOU3
4 -
Final
WEL
LOU6
7 -
Final
LOU
BONSP4
1 -
Final
LOU
BONSP13
10 -
Final
LOU
TONG9
4 -
Final
LOU
TONG3
5 -
Final
LOU
MAC5
21 -
Final
LOU
EMP5
2 -
Final
LOU
BVW1
2 -
Final
FS
LOU12
0 -
Final
FS
LOU14
9 -
Final
EUD
LOU14
2 -
Final
LOU
LAN4
5 -
Final
LOU
CHAN0
10 -
Final
LOU
LAN1
3 -
Final
LOU
CHA1
6 -
Final
LOU
PAO9
2 -
Final
LOU
PAO12
3 -
Final
LOU
BAL10
0
-
Final
TONG
LOU51
53 -
Final
LOU
BUR51
63 -
Final
AC
LOU37
44 -
Final
LOU
BAL42
60 -
Final
LOU
FRON57
46 -
Final
LOU
EUD46
53 -
Final OT
LOU
SH60
57 -
Final
BAL
LOU62
46 -
Final
NEK
LOU55
54 -
Final 2OT
GIR
LOU58
56 -
Final
LOU
WAM45
56 -
Final
BON
LOU45
53 -
Final
PAO
LOU16
47 -
Final
LEE
LOU71
46 -
Final
LOU
OTT52
62 -
Final
LOU
TONG45
40 -
Final
SH
LOU44
42 -
Final
EUD
LOU52
49 -
Final
LOU
PAO46
29 -
Final
HAR
LOU57
52
-
Final
TONG
LOU48
28 -
Final
LOU
BUR38
43 -
Final
AC
LOU35
31 -
Final
LOU
BAL23
42 -
Final
LOU
FRON48
55 -
Final
LOU
EUD37
56 -
Final
LOU
SH46
59 -
Final
BAL
LOU52
31 -
Final
NEK
LOU41
49 -
Final
CHA
LOU53
36 -
Final
GIR
LOU42
34 -
Final
LOU
WAM24
63 -
Final
BON
LOU35
40 -
Final
PAO
LOU38
42 -
Final
LOU
OTT29
45 -
Final
LOU
TONG40
39 -
Final
SH
LOU43
37 -
Final
EUD
LOU38
30 -
Final
LOU
PAO39
35 -
Final
HAR
LOU33
40
Wildcats’ season comes to a close with loss to Aquinas
- Updated: November 7, 2022
Louisburg seniors Jase Hovey (left) and Layne Ryals team up to bring down a St. Thomas Aquinas player Thursday during the Class 4A regional playoffs at Wildcat Stadium.
All seasons come to an end at one point or another, but for the Louisburg football team, the Wildcats weren’t ready to be done.
That made it all the more difficult as they suffered a 40-0 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Thursday in the regional round of the Class 4A playoffs. The Wildcats watched as Aquinas celebrated on their own field — a celebration they were hoping to do themselves.
The Wildcats did their best to keep the Saints down, but just couldn’t keep up with Aquinas — who moved down from Class 5A a year ago.
Still, Louisburg put together a season to remember as it reeled off eight wins in a row and earned its first Frontier League championship since 2018.
“It is a tough one, obviously, but I think in the next few days that people are going to be proud of the season we put together,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “To be league champions, when nobody picked us or expected us to do it, I think the kids put together a phenomenal season and it is something to be proud of.”
Kansas Class 4A football has emerged as one of the toughest classification to win a state championship.
A class that already features perennial power Bishop Miege and St. James Academy (who won the state title the last two years), added another this season with the inclusion of St. Thomas Aquinas.
All three play in the challenging Eastern Kansas League against all the Blue Valley programs — which mainly consist of Class 6A schools.
Each of the private schools were in Louisburg’s part of the bracket and the Wildcats were going to have a difficult road. Unfortunately for Louisburg, the Wildcats could not get past Aquinas — the best team Louisburg has seen this season.
“They are a really good team,” Harding said. “They have a physical line up front and have some big backs that can run downhill well. They have an effective passing game too.
“They are a really good offensive team, but they are really good defensively as well. Their front is great, linebackers are fast and physical and they have the best group of defensive backs that we have seen all year. All across the board, they are a good team and well coached.”
It wasn’t a high-scoring game in the first half as the Wildcat defense did their best to slow the Saints down. After Aquinas scored on their opening drive, the Wildcats had a chance to answer.
Louisburg put together a drive that lasted more than six minutes that included by runs by Riley Van Eaton and quarterback Declan Battle that took the ball to midfield.
Battle then tried to hit Mason Dobbins down the sideline for a pass, but Aquinas was called for pass interference to put the ball in Saints territory. Van Eaton then picked up a first down for Louisburg on a 14-yard run.
Aquinas sacked Battle on a third down at the 30, which set up a Layne Ryals field goal attempt. The 47-yard kick was blocked, but the Wildcats ran more than six minutes off the clock.
Louisburg’s defense came up big and forced a 3-and-out thanks to tackles for a loss by Wyatt Holland and Jase Hovey. The Saints did the same to the Wildcat offense and got the ball back early in the second.
Nathan Vincent and Ashton Moore forced the Saints offense into a 3rd and 14 thanks to tackles for a loss, but quarterback Aiden Skinner completed a 25-yard pass to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, the Saints scored on a 20-yard run.
St. Thomas Aquinas would take advantage of short Wildcat punt on their next possession and Sean Carroll scored on a 2-yard run to go up 21-0 at halftime.
“I really think we had chances to put some points on the board, but when you make mistakes that is going to change the game and change the momentum,” Harding said. “We just couldn’t make those plays, and when you play a really good team, the mistakes you make get magnified and that is what happened.”
Aquinas tacked on three more touchdowns in the second half and the Wildcats didn’t get many looks at the end zone in the final two quarters.
Their best look came toward the end of the first half as Battle connected with Hovey and Van Eaton on pass plays. The Wildcats eventually got down to the Saints’ 11-yard line, but their drive stalled there.
Van Eaton led the Wildcat rushing attack with 97 yards on the ground and also had 42 yards receiving. Battle threw for 87 yards on the night and also had 31 yards on the ground.
Defensively, the Wildcats made some big plays throughout the night. Hovey led the Wildcats with 13 tackles and Moore finished with 10. Louisburg also combined to record seven tackles for a loss.
The loss also marks the end for 16 Louisburg seniors. Mason Dobbins, Corbin Hamman, Isaiah Whitley, Mack Newell, Jackson Kush. Carson Wade, Jase Hovey, Riley Van Eaton, Nathan Apple, Layne Ryals, Nathan Vincent, Hunter Moore, Will Hutsell, Jackson Rooney, Christian Golladay and Brayton Brueggen all played their final game as a Wildcat.
“We have 16 seniors and top to bottom they all contributed within their respective roles,” Harding said. “It is tough because they have put a lot into the program. While their playing days of Louisburg football might have ended, they will always be Louisburg football players and a part of this program.”
SCORING SUMMARY
LOU 0 0 0 0 — 0
STA 7 14 6 13 — 40
First Quarter
S: Gianni Rizzi 32 run (Matt Seibolt kick)
Second Quarter
S: Sean Carroll 20 run (Seibolt kick)
S: Carroll 2 run (Seibolt kick)
Third Quarter
S: Jeremiah Penney 20 pass from Aiden Skinner (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
S: Carroll 17 run (kick failed)
S: Brogan Jaworski 35 run (Seibolt kick)
STATISTICS
RUSHING — Riley Van Eaton 22-97; Declan Battle 11-31; Jase Hovey 1-7; Ashton Moore 1-0
PASSING — Declan Battle 8-20-87
RECEIVING — Riley Van Easton 3-42; Mason Dobbins 3-31; Jase Hovey 1-10; Mack Newell 1-4
TACKLES — Jase Hovey 13, Ashton Moore 10, Wyatt Holland 8, Layne Ryals 7, Will Hutsell 5, Caden Caplinger 4, Nathan Vincent 4, Declan Battle 2, Isaiah Whitley 2, J.R. Rooney 2, Mason Dobbins 1, Mack Newell 1, Brady Hickey 1, Carson Wade 1