Wingfield to lead Wildcat team that features plenty of new faces

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield is the Wildcats’ top returning scorer and rebounded from a season ago. The Wildcats will feature four new starters to go alongside him this year.

Losing your top two scorers and leading rebounder from a year ago is something no coach wants to have to go though.

It is a reality for the Louisburg boys basketball team in the 2022-23 season. The good thing, however, is several players will get a chance to fill those roles and Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel is excited for what his players can bring to the floor.

“I’d say that it’s pretty normal to lose some key players every year, but it’s so fun to see who’s going to step up and take on those leadership roles,” Pfannenstiel said. “Colyer Wingfield has definitely taken on that leadership role this year, but I think there are going to be a lot of guys that step up to help our team. I think we are going to have some depth this year so we are going to have a lot of options night in and night out.”

Wingfield is the team’s lone returning starter from a year ago and the Louisburg senior will look to lead the Wildcats. He is joined by four other seniors in Cade Gassman, Mason Dobbins, Trey Myers and Isaiah Whitley.

Gassman is other lone senior that saw varsity action year ago, so there will be several new faces on the varsity roster for the Wildcats. Still, it will be Wingfield who will help lead the way as he averaged nearly nine points and five rebounds a game last season.

He will also have a new position as he moves from forward to the point guard spot.

“Colyer’s a very coachable kid,” Pfannenstiel said. “He loves the game of basketball and works hard at it. He primarily played in the post last year, but he’s going to be our point guard this year. That’s been a good transition for him. We are going to need him to create things for us on the offensive end and his skill set and ability allows us to do that. I expect him to have a big year for us.”

The Wildcats also got some size to replace Wingfield as Dobbins returns after a couple years away from the sport. The 6-7 senior will hope to boost the team’s inside play.

“We are glad that Mason is playing again this year,” Pfannenstiel said. “He had a really good summer for us so he’s made a lot of progress just from June to now.  Since he was away from the game for so long, I think he’s going to continue to make big strides as the season goes on. 

“His length and athleticism is going to be a big help for us this year, but his best quality is his motor.  He plays hard all the time. I’m looking forward to seeing his progress this season.”

Gassman will join Wingfield at the guard spot, as will Myers. Whitley will also see time at forward.

Junior Luke Hill played seven games at the varsity level last season and will also give the Wildcats good minutes. He will join fellow juniors Nathan Parker, Brady Hickey, Jaymes Melton and Brock Vohs in the rotation.

“We are still trying to figure this one out.,” Pfannenstiel said of the rotation. “I think it could be a different group each night. I can honestly see 12-14 guys seeing varsity action at some point this season. Our five seniors are our core group, but this sophomore and junior class has a bunch of kids that could compete for varsity time. 

“Each kid has their own strengths that they bring to the court each day, which are valuable to our team. I don’t want to name every kid on the team, but don’t be surprised if you see some different faces out there from game to game.”

The Wildcats will also face a difficult league schedule, that includes Eudora, which is currently the preseason No. 1 in Class 4A. 

Still, Louisburg has high expectations for its season and it begins tonight at Tonganoxie in a Frontier League matchup.

“These guys really bought in this summer,” Pfannenstiel said. “We played some really tough competition all summer so they’ve been tested. As I said earlier, I think depth is going to be a strength for us.  Now the key is going to be everyone playing to their role and playing as a team.  We have to play unselfish basketball and trust our teammates. 

“Goals and expectations have to be realistic. We’d like to finish in the top 3 of our league and we’d like to get back to the state tournament this year. I honestly believe we can do that.”

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