Big second half from Miege ends Louisburg’s regional title hopes

Louisburg junior Lola Edwards battles a Bishop Miege player for possession Thursday during the Class 4-1A regional title game at Wildcat Stadium.

For the first half of the Class 4-1A regional championship game against Bishop Miege, Louisburg found itself in a dogfight with the six-time defending state champion.

The Wildcats were down just a goal at halftime and had another 40 minutes to try and pull off the upset.

Unfortunately, Bishop Miege had another ideas. 

The Stags scored five goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half and handed the Wildcats a 6-0 defeat to end their season.

“We fought and got them out of their game and had a really good first half,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “I don’t know if all the conditioning in the world would allow you to play two halves the way we did. 

“The first 12 minutes of the second half were just like a blur. We were able to do some things in the first half that allowed us to have success, but they sat some girls in different places in the second half that made it more difficult for us to release and go forward. They are a very talented team that I wish we didn’t have to see this early in the postseason, but that is the way it happens sometimes. Very proud of my team though.”

It was a scoreless through the first 15 minutes of the match, before Miege hit a shot from 15 yards out that sailed just off the fingertips of goalie Macy Lemke.

Louisburg had its fair share of chances in the first half, as well.

Off a pair of corner kicks from Adyson Ross, sophomore Rowan Yows had two shots on target, while junior Lexi Hampton also had shots on goal.

The match stayed a 1-0 lead for Miege at halftime, before the Stags caught fire and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer. Miege scored in the opening minute of the second half and would score four more times in the following 12 minutes.

“It is an emotional thing for our girls,” York said. “It happened against Spring Hill where they scored a bunch of a goals in a short amount of time. We didn’t get tired, but I think we were emotionally out of it after they scored the first couple in the second half. Miege has some fast girls, so I think after the first couple of goals in the second half, we were just chasing and we probably got tired legs after that.

“I think both teams were pretty aggressive, and I think the first half we made them a little uncomfortable. They have speed and a lot of talent, and for the first half, I think we held them in check a little bit.”

The loss ended the Wildcats’ year with a 13-5 record, as they also had to say goodbye to five seniors in Ross, Brianne Kuhlman, Tehya Harvey, Bree Gassman and Brylee Diederich. However, it was a season filled with plenty of positives.

“It was a wonderful season,” York said. “The attitude was good, the comradery was good, and even after losses, the girls were always ready to go to work the next day in practice. That is just a tribute to who the girls are and what this program is, and it is wonderful. As coaches, it is easier to coach a team that all gets along and works really hard. You can’t ask for a better group of girls. It was a lot of fun.”