Wildcats blank Chanute, fall to Ottawa in split week

The Louisburg boys soccer team showed both its firepower and resilience last week, starting with a commanding 8-0 road win at Chanute last Tuesday before narrowly falling 1-0 to Ottawa two days later.

Against Chanute, the Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board. Owen Marsh opened the scoring early, capitalizing on a through ball from Ryder Erickson. The floodgates soon opened. Tanner LaBrie doubled the lead with a composed finish off a one-touch setup from Brody Bovaird.

Bovaird then took over the scoring duties, netting twice in impressive fashion. His first came after a quick throw-in from Caleb Feldkamp, which Eamon Grove flicked into Bovaird’s path for the finish. Moments later, Bovaird split three defenders on a perfectly timed pass from LaBrie to make it 4-0.

Erickson added his name to the scoresheet next, slotting home from an assist by Wyatt Tharp. Marsh notched his second of the night with a rocket into the upper 90 after regaining possession in the attacking third.

The goals kept coming as Grove chipped in a 30-yard shot that dipped just under the bar.

The highlight of the match came in the final seconds as goalkeeper Evan Moreland pushed forward and scored his first career goal thanks to an unselfish pass from Canton Klugman. Moreland and Fritz Meyer shared the clean sheet in a match Louisburg dominated from start to finish.

“I was really proud of how the guys competed last week,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Against Chanute, we showed great composure and execution — our movement, decision-making, and finishing were some of the best we’ve had all season. Owen and Brody both stepped up with two goals apiece, and it was awesome to see senior goalkeeper Evan score his first varsity goal late in that match.”

Two days later, the Wildcats faced a much tighter contest at Ottawa, falling 1-0 despite controlling nearly 60% of possession—marking their best ball control performance of the season. Louisburg outshot the Cyclones 9–4, delivered 12 crosses, and earned five corners while maintaining a 58% pass success rate.

But for all their creativity and pressure, the Wildcats couldn’t find the back of the net. Ottawa’s back line was disciplined, cutting out through balls and crowding shooting lanes. The decisive goal came late, after a no-call on a potential foul in the midfield led to a quick turnover, cross, and a close-range tap-in for the Cyclones.

Despite the loss, it was a memorable night for Moreland as he notched his 250^th career save.

“That is a huge milestone and is a testament to his consistency over four years,” coach Bovaird said of Moreland. “Against Ottawa, we controlled possession and created chances but just couldn’t find the finishing touch. Even in the loss, our effort, organization, and poise were strong, and we’ll keep building on that as we head into a big stretch this week.”

With the split results, Louisburg moves to 5-3-1 on the season and 2-2 in Frontier League play. The Wildcats are back in action tonight, kicking off a three-game week with a home matchup against Parsons.