Sophomore Maverick Rockers drives to the basket for two points after a steal Tuesday against Metro Academy at Louisburg High School.

It wasn’t the way the Louisburg
boys basketball team wanted to end its home season.

A victory against Metro Academy on
Tuesday would have given the Wildcats a chance at hosting a first-round playoff
game, but instead, they might have played their last home game of the season.

Metro Academy used a big fourth
quarter run to help pull away and hand Louisburg a 54-48 loss. The Wildcats are
now 8-11 on the season, and will need to beat Paola on Friday, along with some
other help to be able move up the seed line for the playoffs.

“We talked about what was on the
line going into this game,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “If we would
have won our last two games, then we could have hosted a first round game. Not
that it is completely out the window, but we are looking at a 9 or 10 seed
right now.”

Louisburg got out to a fast start
as it outscored Metro Academy 15-5 in the first quarter and the Wildcats
increased it to a 14-point advantage early in the second. It was then when the
Mavericks started to gain confidence.

Metro Academy finished the first
half on a 14-5 run to cut into the Louisburg lead and eventually took a small
lead early in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we were really good defensively
in the first quarter,” Pfannenstiel said. “Some of those things we struggled
with against Bonner Springs last week, we watched those on film and we were
better in that first quarter. I thought we were very disciplined, but that is a
talented Metro team. I think they return four guys off of last year’s team that
made it tough on us last year. They have some shooters and good posts that are
explosive. A lot of them are seniors and are big, physical kids. We just didn’t
get done and hats off to them as they made some plays.”

Louisburg junior Konnor Vohs broke
a tie early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer to give the Wildcats the lead,
but Metro Academy went on a 10-0 run to take a seven-point lead with 2 minutes
and 30 seconds left in the game and the Wildcats weren’t able to bounce back.

The Wildcats were without starting
point guard Weston Guetterman, who was out with an illness, but sophomore
Maverick Rockers started in his place and he, along with Vohs, helped pick up
some of the scoring slack. The two players combined to score 15 points to help
keep Louisburg in it.

“I thought both of them played
really, really well,” Pfannenstiel said. “I was pleased with everything that
those guys did. They handled the ball well and took care of the ball. I think
they combined for like two turnovers and that is impressive versus some kids
that could really guard. They both were able to score some points for us and
ran the offense, so I was definitely pleased with that.”

Three-point shooting wasn’t a problem for the Wildcats as they knocked down seven on the night and shot close to 50 percent from behind the arc. It was the inside that gave Louisburg some issues.

The Wildcats shot just 31 percent
from 2-point range and they had problems finding easy baskets.

“We struggle to finish on the
inside and for some reason it is hard for us to finish when we get into the
paint,” Pfannenstiel said. “If you look at our 2-point percentage, it is not
what you would expect. We have to get better there. Some of it is we are taking
tough, contested runners where if we make that extra pass off the drive that we
could get a higher percentage shot. It is not always the guys driving the ball,
it is also the guys off the ball that have to make plays too to give us some
opportunities. We shot it well from the outside, but we have to finish on the
inside and find ways to execute offensively.”

Junior Ben Guetterman led
Louisburg in scoring with nine points and had six rebounds, while sophomore Julian
Margrave had a team-high eight rebounds. Senior Garrett Rolofson also finished
with six boards.

Louisburg will try and bounce back
to win its regular season finale when it travels to Paola. Tipoff is set for
7:30 p.m., as the Wildcats try and avenge a loss to the Panthers from earlier
this season.

“It shouldn’t take anything
special to get us motivated to play Paola,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have a sour
taste in our mouths from the last time we played them and have an opportunity
to go to their place and get a win. We have played well over there the last
couple of years, so I think it will be a good environment and is always a great
rivalry.”

LOU               15           9             15           9 – 48

MA                5             14           18           17 – 54

LOUISBURG (8-11): Ben Guetterman
3-16 2-2 9; Konnor Vohs 3-4 0-0 8; Maverick Rockers 3-5 0-0 7; Garrett Rolofson
2-5 1-2 6; Michael Waldron 2-5 1-2 6; Charlie Peters 2-4 1-2 6; Julian Margrave
3-11 0-0 6. Totals: 18-50 5-8 48. 3-point field goals: 7, (Vohs 2, Rolofson,
Rockers, Guetterman, Waldron, Peters)

Louisburg junior Weston Guetterman gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday during the Wildcats’ game in Bonner Springs.

BONNER SPRINGS – After a pair of
wins got the Louisburg boys basketball team back on the right track, the
Wildcats stumbled a bit Friday at Bonner Springs.

Louisburg, despite a late second half rally, could not complete the season sweep over Bonner Springs as the Wildcats fell, 61-54, after defeating the Braves earlier this season. It was a loss where several things didn’t go the Wildcats’ way.

“We just have to find some
consistency,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Against Spring Hill we
were really good defensively, and I think against Eudora we were really good
offensively. This time, we were just okay on each end. I didn’t think we were
great defensively, especially in the first half. Our plan was to keep them out
of the paint and kind of pack in our defense and make them settle for outside
jumpers. We struggled early to keep them out of the paint and they had some
good looks.

“We have to find some consistency,
though, and our record shows that. We might be good for a couple games and then
we struggle a little. We struggled a little offensively and settled for too
many outside jumpers, especially in the first half.”

The Wildcats, who are currently
8-10 on the season, struggled in the turnover department – which turned out to
be to the different in the game. With the game tied at 11 going into the second
quarter, Louisburg committed five turnovers that led to fast break points for
Bonner Springs.

That allowed the Braves to build a
lead it wouldn’t give back. In all, the Wildcats committed 18 turnovers on the
night, which led to 25 Bonner Springs points.

“Turnovers hurt us for sure and
those led to some run-out layups for them,” Pfannenstiel said. “We came out in
a 1-3-1 defense to start the second half, and I think that worked and we did a
good job rebounding, but then we would turn the ball over. That puts us down
and forced us to get out of our zone, which I thought had a chance to slow them
down a little bit.

“When you give up three
possessions in a row on easy baskets like that it is tough. You can’t fault our
defense there, it was those turnovers that led to their offense. You aren’t
going to win many games if you turn the ball over that many times.”

Despite all that, the Wildcats
were able to make one final run at the Braves early in the fourth quarter.

Senior Michael Waldron and sophomore Julian Margrave hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Bonner lead to three. Junior Ben Guetterman then got a steal and a score to trim the Braves’ lead to 51-50.

Bonner Springs, however, would go
on a 9-0 run to extend the lead back to 10 points and the Wildcats weren’t able
to recover.

Margrave and senior Garrett
Rolofson each had a double-double to lead the Wildcats. Margrave finished with
a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Rolofson added 11 points and 10
boards.

Guetterman also finished in double
figures with 15 points. Junior Weston Guetterman had a team-high seven assists
to go along with six rebounds.

“We were able to make a run there
to get back in it and I was proud of the guys for that,” Pfannenstiel said. “I
thought maybe we had turned the corner, but that is how basketball goes
sometimes. We will do what we can to get a little more consistent because that
is what it is going to take to make a run here.”

Louisburg returns to action
tonight when it hosts Metro Academy in its final home game of the season.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               11           15           16           12 – 54

BON              11           21           16           13 – 61

LOUISBURG (8-10): Julian Margrave
6-14 3-4 17; Ben Guetterman 6-19 1-3 15; Garrett Rolofson 4-8 3-3 11; Michael
Waldron 2-7 0-0 6; Weston Guetterman 2-10 0-0 5. Totals: 20-58 7-10 54. 3-point
field goals: 7, (B. Guetterman 2, Waldron 2, Margrave 2, W. Guetterman 1)

Sophomore Julian Margrave gets to the basket for two of his 20 points Tuesday against Eudora. The Wildcats knocked down 13 3-pointers in their win over the Cardinals.

The Louisburg boys basketball team
picked a good time to have its best shooting night of the season Tuesday
against Eudora.

The Wildcats, who lost to Eudora earlier in the year, returned the favor in a 64-50 victory over the Cardinals. As impressive as the win was, it was how the Wildcats did it that made all that more memorable.

Louisburg knocked down 13
3-pointers on the night – a season high – and in comparison made just eight
two-pointers. The Wildcats shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and was able
to hold off a late Eudora comeback in the second half to get their second
straight victory.

“We played with a lot more
confidence early on and we were playing free,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel
said. “The ball was going through the hoop and we were feeling pretty good
about things. That is the type of offensive team that I think we can be. We have
kind of struggled offensively lately in getting into a rhythm, so for us to put
up 40 in the first half was big.

“In the second half, we wanted to
be patient with the lead, but we still wanted to have that mentality where we
are looking to score. Even though we didn’t score as well, we were still
patient with the ball. My biggest concern was our defense in the second half.
We have to be better defensively. Eudora was able to come back and make it
tight, but for our kids to respond and extend the lead was good.”

Sophomore Julian Margrave was big in the first half for Louisburg as he scored 16 of his 20 points in the first two quarters to help give the Wildcats a 40-21 lead at halftime. Junior Ben Guetterman also shined as he had 11 of his 16 points in the first half as well.

The Wildcats (8-9) did much of their damage from behind-the-arc early as 10 of their 13 3-pointers came in the first and second quarters.

“Sometimes you get hot and I think we are a group that can do that,” Pfannenstiel said. “Hopefully we are getting hot at the right time and we can continue that. The best thing is that they were all good shots and were in rhythm. Julian got hot there in the first half and was definitely wanting the ball. He was really good in the first half as was Ben and (Michael) Waldron. Weston shot the ball really well too.”

Weston Guetterman was key for the
Wildcats in the second half as Eudora made a run at the Wildcats. The Cardinals
put the pressure on Louisburg as they eventually cut the lead to five midway
through the fourth quarter.

Weston had the answers for Louisburg as he scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as Eudora made an effort to take away Margrave and limit his looks. He also had seven points in the final two minutes to help keep the Cardinals at arm’s length.

“They were trying to pressure Julian
and made it hard for him to get touches,” Pfannenstiel said. “If they are going
to take him away, that just means other guys are going to have to step up and
Weston did that for us in the second half. He really took over when we needed
someone too and hit some shots to stop some of those Eudora runs.”

Defense was also a priority for the Wildcats in the first half as they held Eudora to 21 points and scored 20 points off of 13 Eudora turnovers. Ben Guetterman led the Wildcats with four steals and Michael Waldron added three.

Ben Guetterman finished with a team-high eight rebounds and Garrett Rolofson added two blocks.

It was also Senior Night for Louisburg and the Wildcats honored seniors Waldron, Rolofson and Noah Bell prior to the contest. The crowd was fired up early as all three seniors started and Bell, who is better known as Roll Tide, scored his first-ever varsity basket to begin the game.

The Wildcats used that momentum to
build a big lead over the Cardinals and they never looked back.

“Roll Tide was fired up,”
Pfannenstiel said. “I have never seen a kid take the court with that big of a
smile on his face. It was just ear to ear. He was excited for his opportunity
and he was able to get himself a bucket. It was good for him and it was fun to
see.

“Michael has played really well defensively, especially the last two games for sure. We put him on their best players and I think he really loves that role. He has done a good job of keeping of their best scorers frustrated. Rolo has just been solid for us all year and has been our most consistent defender and rebounder. He guards the other team’s best big and he is really playing good basketball for us right now.”

The Wildcats will try and make it three straight wins tonight as they travel to Bonner Springs for Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               18           22           7             17 – 64

EUD               10           11           15           14 – 50

LOUISBURG (8-9): Weston Guetterman
6-11 5-8 64; Julian Margrave 7-10 2-2 20; Ben Guetterman 5-11 2-2 16; Michael
Waldron 1-4 0-0 3; Garrett Rolofson 1-3 0-1 2; Noah Bell 1-4 0-0 2. Totals:
21-44 9-13 64. 3-point field goals: 13, (W. Guetterman 4, B. Guetterman 4,
Margrave 4, Waldron 1)

Louisburg senior Garrett Rolofson puts up a shot over a couple Spring Hill defenders Friday during the Wildcats’ homecoming win over the Broncos.

It had been a rough stretch for
the Louisburg boys basketball team as of late as the Wildcats had lost four of
their last five games heading into Friday’s game against Spring Hill.

One of those four losses were to
the Broncos and the Wildcats, at the time, didn’t look like themselves.

All that changed last Friday as
Louisburg got a 44-34 revenge win over Spring Hill on homecoming to help put
the Wildcats back on the right track.

It all started on the defensive
end for the Wildcats as they held Spring Hill to 30 percent from the floor.
They were also able to take away Spring Hill guard Cooper Jones and held one of
the team’s top scorers to just two points.

“Our focus was to play with energy
and toughness and I thought our kids played really, really well,” Louisburg
coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Defensively, we wanted to harass them, especially
(Cooper Jones and Alex Johnson) because they run a lot of their stuff through
them. Our goal was to frustrate those guys and to hold Jones to two points is
an accomplishment for our kids. That was our plan going in and I thought our kids
executed that really well.”

It certainly wasn’t easy for the Wildcats (7-9) as they found themselves down for much of the first half, but did have a one-point lead going into halftime.

Sophomore Maverick Rockers hit a
3-pointer late in the first quarter to give the Wildcats a one-point lead. In
the second quarter, Michael Waldron knocked down a 3-pointer and Julian
Margrave hit a bucket late to help Louisburg to a 23-22 halftime advantage.

Margrave and Ben Guetterman came
up with big baskets at the right time for Louisburg in the second half as the
two players provided much of the offense in the final two quarters. Margrave
scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down six rebounds, while Guetterman
also scored in double figures with 10.

“We had good possessions at the
right time,” Pfannenstiel said. “The kids are progressing offensively and I
want us to be patient. When we were in the halfcourt, we had good shot
selection, but we needed to be aggressive when it comes to driving the ball.
That was definitely big for us and Julian and Ben really hit some big shots for
us down the stretch.”

The Wildcats also had to deal with
a little bit of foul trouble in the first half as starting point guard Weston
Guetterman had two fouls in the first quarter, but the Wildcat bench was able
to provide crucial minutes to help keep their team in the game.

That led to a big second half on
both sides of the floor for Louisburg, especially on the defensive end, as it
held Spring Hill to just 12 points in the final two quarters.

“We had some kids step up for us
and it was a good team effort, even with some guys getting in foul trouble,”
Pfannenstiel said. “Michael Seuferling played very good defense, as did Konnor
Vohs and Maverick Rockers. All those guys really helped with Weston being out
with two fouls. The main thing was that our defense was really good. We always
preach that our defense has to be good every night. It was a slow it down and
grind it out win.”

Louisburg will try to make it
back-to-back wins tonight when it hosts Eudora for Senior Night. Tipoff is set
for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               13           10           9             12 – 44

SH                  12           10           6             6 – 34

LOUISBURG (7-9): Julian Margrave
7-16 6-7 21; Ben Guetterman 3-11 4-4 10; Michael Waldron 2-6 0-0 5; Garrett
Rolofson 2-3 0-0 4; Maverick Rockers 1-1 0-0 3; Weston Guetterman 0-3 1-3 1.
Totals: 15-44 11-14 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Rockers, Waldron, Margrave)

Louisburg senior Garrett Rolofson battles for a rebound last Friday during the Wildcats’ game against Ottawa at Ottawa High School.

OTTAWA – The Louisburg boys
basketball team knew it had a difficult challenge on its hands Friday when it
had to travel to face off with No. 6 Ottawa.

The Cyclones are considered one of
the top teams in Class 4A, but after the first half was over, the Wildcats were
within just one point of the Cyclones when the third quarter began.

It was then the Cyclones took off.

Ottawa scored 39 second half
points and the Wildcats couldn’t keep pace as they fell 60-38 at Ottawa High
School. It was the second straight loss for Louisburg.

“Ottawa got off to a good start in
the second half,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They were able to get
to the lane a lot easier and we weren’t as good on help-side defense and they
have some kids who can really play. They were able to drive and kick it out and
they hit more shots in the second half, obviously.

“We have to start better than we
did. We got down seven and then I think that led to some unforced turnovers
where we tried to do too much. Defensively we struggled in the second half and
we aren’t going to be able to win many games giving up 40 points in a half.”

It was a back-and-forth first half
as the two teams traded leads on a couple different occasions. Late in the
first quarter, Louisburg took an 11-10 lead on a 3-pointer from Julian Margrave
and a putback from Garrett Rolofson.

The Wildcats also took a 20-19
advantage late in the first half on a drive from Weston Guetterman, but trailed
21-20 at halftime. Louisburg was also able to slow down Ottawa big man Kobe
Johnson to help keep the game close.

“Defensively we were really good
in the first half,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Our help-side
defense was good and we knew we were going to need that against Johnson as he
is a tough player to guard. He has a lot of varsity experience and he is as
physical of kid as we are going to play against this year. We did a good job on
him, but overall our intensity was good.

“We weren’t great by any means
offensively in the first half, but we were able to hang in there. We were
efficient, but we have to be able to put two halves together.”

Ottawa opened the second half on
an 11-0 run and scored 24 points in the third quarter to distance itself from
Louisburg.

Margrave led the Wildcats in
scoring with 16 points, including a dunk, and had six rebounds, while Weston
Guetterman finished with nine points on the night. Rolofson recorded a
team-high 10 rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back
this Friday when it hosts Spring Hill for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 7:30
p.m.

LOU               11           9             9             9 – 38

OTT               13           8             24           15 – 60

LOUISBURG (6-9): Julian Margrave
6-17 16; Weston Guetterman 2-4 5-6 9; Garrett Rolofson 3-10 0-0 6; Ben
Guetterman 1-8 0-0 3; Michael Waldron 1-3 0-0 2; Charlie Peters 1-1 0-0 2.
Totals: 14-49 5-6 38. 3-point field goals: 5, (Margrave 4, B. Guetterman)

Louisburg junior Konnor Vohs drives into the lane Tuesday during the Wildcats’ game with Paola. The Wildcats fell 64-52 and are 6-8 on the year.

There are nights where everything seems to be going right, but there are others, like what Louisburg had on Friday, where things just never fall into place.

Foul trouble and tough shooting
cost the Wildcats in their home contest against rival Paola and they weren’t
able to recover in a 64-52 loss. It was a night where a lot went right for
Paola as it shot 54 percent from the floor and took advantage of its
opportunities.

“That is as good as I’ve seen
Paola play,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They were confident, and
when the ball goes through the hoop, you tend to get a little more energy and
they played well. We probably had a lot to do with that as we weren’t great
defensively. Offensively we were even worse.

“I thought we were getting good
looks, but we shot too many from the outside and I think we were settling for
shots too much. Our kids are good shooters and they are confident, but we are
struggling right now and are in a little bit of a funk. We have to find ways to
generate offense when shots aren’t falling from the outside. Hats off to Paola,
so they played really well.”

The Wildcats (6-8) weren’t able to
get in a rhythm offensively as junior point guard Weston Guetterman picked up
two quick fouls in the first quarter, then picked up his third early in the
second quarter and had to sit the rest of the half.

Louisburg managed just 20 points
in the first half, but the Wildcats trailed only 24-20 at halftime and were
still in it.

“Weston’s first two fouls weren’t
smart ones to pick up, and when he gets into foul trouble, it kind of changes
his game and it can take away his aggressiveness and that is what he is good
at,” Pfannenstiel said. “That definitely hurt us, but we have to find other
ways to keep things going when our guys get into foul trouble.”

In the second half, Paola was able
to catch fire offensively as it scored 22 points in the third quarter and built
a 12-point lead when Bo Robison had a put-back dunk off a missed shot with 1
second left to give the Panthers even more momentum.

Paola eventually pushed its lead to 15 points late in the contest and the Wildcats were unable to recover. Louisburg shot 34 percent for the game, but Paola was able to take advantage at the free-throw line as it converted 20 of 26 chances to just 6-for-8 for Louisburg.

Sophomore Julian Margrave led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points, while Weston Guetterman had 12 points to go along with seven rebounds. Ben Guetterman also scored in double figures with 11 points and six rebounds.

Paola’s Trey Moala led all scorers with a game-high 21 points.

Louisburg will try and bounce back
Friday when it travels to Ottawa. The Cyclones are currently ranked No. 6 in
Class 4A.

“I have the ultimate confidence in
this group,” Pfannenstiel said. “I know that it is a group that wants to win
and that works hard. It is a group that has high expectations. We are going to
own up to it, look in the mirror – starting with me – and collectively get it
figured out. We are going to go about it the right way and we will be fine.”

LOU               5             15           14           18 – 52

PAO               9             15           22           18 – 64

LOUISBURG (6-8): Julian Margrave
8-14 0-0 17; Weston Guetterman 5-17 2-2 12; Ben Guetterman 3-10 3-4 11; Michael
Waldron 2-6 0-0 6; Maverick Rockers 1-4 1-2 4; Konnor Vohs 1-4 0-0 2. Totals:
22-59 6-8 52. 3-point field goals: 6, (B. Guetterman 2, Waldron 2, Rockers,
Margrave)

Senior Michael Waldron goes to the basket during the Wildcats’ game at Spring Hill last Friday. Louisburg defeated Baldwin on Saturday in a make-up game, 61-44.

The Louisburg boys basketball team was on a mini two-game losing skid going into Saturday’s home make-up game against Baldwin and was hoping for a much-needed win.

The Wildcats got what they were
looking for.

Louisburg outscored Baldwin by 18
points in the final three quarters thanks its pressure defense and came away
with a 61-44 victory to give the Wildcats their first win in a week.

Baldwin couldn’t keep up with
Louisburg on the inside either, as the Wildcats outrebounded the Bulldogs
54-35, including 25 offensive rebounds. Louisburg scored 21 points on those
second chance opportunities.

“I
was proud of how our guys responded,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I
thought we played hard and did a better job of executing on offense. We knew we
had a size advantage so we challenged them to hit the offensive boards to give
us some extra opportunities. They responded well.”

Baldwin
got out to a hot start, and actually led the Wildcats 17-16 at the end of the
first quarter, but Louisburg turned up the pressure and forced 14 Baldwin
turnovers that turned into 18 points.

The
Wildcats (6-7) outscored Baldwin 20-6 in the second quarter and carried that
momentum into the second half where they eventually built a 23-point lead in
the fourth quarter and never looked back.

“Baldwin
came out playing well,” Pfannenstiel said. “They were moving the ball well so it
was tough on our rotations. We pressed them a little more in the full
court in the second quarter, which turned out to be the difference we needed.” 

Junior Ben Guetterman was all over the floor for the Wildcats as he finished with a double double and led the team in steals. Guetterman scored a game-high 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds and three steals.

“Ben
has his best nights when he attacks the rim,” Pfannenstiel said. “He gets
involved on the offensive boards, which helps him play with a little more
energy and confidence.”

Sophomore
Julian Margrave also had a double-double for the Wildcats as he added 13 points
and a team-high 14 rebounds. Junior Weston Guetterman was the third Wildcat to
score in double figures with 12 points and had seven rebounds to go along with
four assists.

Junior
Konnor Vohs came off the bench to add six rebounds, three steals and two
assists, while senior Michael Waldron also finished with a team-high four
assists.

Louisburg
will try for back-to-back wins today when it hosts rival Paola and the Wildcats
will travel to Ottawa on Friday. Tonight’s tipoff is set for approximately 7:30
p.m.

LOU               16           20           16           9 – 61

BAL                17           6             7             14 – 44

LOUISBURG (6-7): Ben Guetterman
6-16 2-2 15; Julian Margrave 6-18 1-2 13; Weston Guetterman 4-14 2-2 12;
Garrett Rolofson 3-3 0-0 6; Maverick Rockers 2-5 0-0 5; Michael Seuferling 2-5
0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 2-6 0-0 4; Michael Waldron 0-5 1-2 1; Andy Hupp 0-3 1-2 1.
Totals: 25-75 7-10 61. 3-point field goals: 4, (W. Guetterman 2, Rockers, B.
Guetterman)

Wildcats struggle on the road in loss to Spring Hill

SPRING HILL – For the first half,
the Louisburg boys basketball team was playing stride-for-stride with Spring
Hill on Friday at Spring Hill High School.

The Wildcats went on a run late in
the second quarter to take a halftime lead and it seemed they had all the momentum.
Spring Hill took it all back in the second half as it held the Wildcats to just
12 points in the final two quarters and handed Louisburg a 51-34 loss.

“Spring
Hill got after us defensively,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They
made it tough on us to get into any kind of rhythm offensively. We
have to do a better job of matching their intensity and physicality. We
got exposed on that. We’ve had a couple poor shooting nights back to back, so
hopefully we can find some consistency offensively moving forward.”

Louisburg
shot 26 percent from the field and were just 1-for-12 from 3-point range. On
the other hand, the Broncos shots 41 percent and knocked down nine 3-pointers.

Down nine points in the second quarter, the Wildcats went on a 10-0 run that ended on a 3-pointer from Michael Waldron to give Louisburg a 22-21 halftime advantage.

Spring
Hill was able to take control of the second half and never looked back.

Junior
Weston Guetterman led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points to go along with
five rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Julian Margrave had six points and
seven rebounds, while senior Garrett Rolofson had six points and five rebounds.

LOU               10           12           6             6 – 34

SH                  14           7             17           13 – 51

LOUISBURG: Weston Guetterman 5-14
3-5 13; Garrett Rolofson 2-4 2-3 6; Julian Margrave 1-6 4-4 6; Michael Waldron
1-3 1-2 4; Maverick Rockers 1-5 1-1 3; Ben Guetterman 1-9 0-0 2. Totals: 11-43
11-15 34. 3-point field goals: 1, (Waldron)

Louisburg sophomore Maverick Rockers goes up for a shot Monday during the Wildcats’ game at Eudora. The Wildcats fell 65-58.

EUDORA – The Louisburg boys
basketball team was hoping to build off its momentum from the Baldwin
Invitational when the Wildcats traveled to Eudora on Monday for a make-up
contest.

The Wildcats just didn’t have
enough to keep up with the Cardinals.

Despite having a halftime lead,
Louisburg scored just seven points in the third quarter, which led to a 65-58
loss to Eudora.

“Hats off to Eudora, I thought
they played a solid game,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They were
good defensively and we knew that coming in. They are a very disciplined team
and I think offensively that was one of their better nights from what I can
tell.

“We were kind of rolling there for
a while, but a lot of that was scoring inside, but we weren’t hitting anything
from the outside. We have to understand that we can’t continue to fire up shots
that aren’t in rhythm because a game can get away from us pretty quick and we just
have to do a better job with that.”

Eudora made things difficult on
the Wildcat defense as the Cardinals drove toward the basket and scored 32
points in the paint. That also allowed Eudora to knock down seven 3-pointers to
create a balanced attack.

“I think our guys were doing a
pretty good job of keeping them out of the paint, but our rotations were not
where they need to be,” Pfannenstiel said. “They were driving baseline and our
help defense was ok, but we were a little slow either to prevent the offensive
rebound or that little dump pass to the middle. We will be able to see that on
film and get that corrected. We just weren’t clicking on all cylinders.”

Louisburg (5-6) found itself down
17-15 at the end of the first quarter and Eudora extended that lead to 28-22
midway through the second. The Wildcats were able to make a run before halftime
and took the lead.

The Wildcats went on a 10-0 spurt to end the first half thanks to five straight points from Weston Guetterman, a basket from Garrett Rolofson and a 3-pointer from Maverick Rockers. Guetterman led the charge most of the night for Louisburg as he finished with 16 points, seven assists and played the entire game.

“Weston definitely played with the
most confidence that I have seen him play with all year,” Pfannenstiel said. “He
kind of took charge and I thought he was really good. That is what he has to be
for us. He has the ball in his hands a lot, and he creates a lot for us, so
hopefully he can build on this game.”

Eudora went on a run of its own to
start the third quarter as it went on a 12-2 spurt to grab a five-point lead
going into the fourth. The Cardinals would go on to extend the lead to 11 late
in the game and the Wildcats couldn’t recover.

Sophomore Julian Margrave had
another big game for the Wildcats as he finished with a team-high 21 points and
had six rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Maverick Rockers came off the bench
to score nine points, while junior Ben Guetterman pulled down a team-high nine
rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back
tonight when it travels to Spring Hill in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is
set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               15           17           7             19 – 58

EUD               17           11           16           21 – 65

LOUISBURG (5-6): Julian Margrave
9-12 2-3 21; Weston Guetterman 5-16 6-8 16; Maverick Rockers 3-5 0-0 9; Garrett
Rolofson 3-5 0-0 6; Ben Guetterman 2-13 1-1 6. Totals: 22-57 9-12 58. 3-point
field goals: 5, (Rockers 3, B. Guetterman, Margrave)

The Louisburg boys basketball team receives its third-place trophy and celebrates its comeback victory over Bishop Seabury on Saturday at the Baldwin Invitational.

BALDWIN CITY – Everything seemed
to be going against the Louisburg boys basketball team.

The Wildcats had to play two games
in a span of six hours, they dealt with foul trouble and found themselves down
15 points in the third quarter to the No. 1 ranked team in Class 2A in the
third-place game of the Baldwin Invitational.

Not exactly the recipe for a
comeback.

However, that is just what the
Wildcats did.

Louisburg overcame a 15-point
deficit to force overtime, and took advantage of its newfound opportunity, as the
Wildcats pulled away for a 70-63 win over Bishop Seabury for its highest finish
ever in the Baldwin Invitational.

“It was a huge win for us,”
Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We knew going into this tournament that
we needed to get a signature win and Seabury is a very, very good team. They
have good guards and they have good post players inside and they were putting
it on us in the first half. We challenged the kids at halftime and questioned
their toughness a little bit because they were able to do whatever they wanted
inside and had 11 offensive rebounds in the first half.

“To me it was all about effort. It
wasn’t that our kids weren’t playing hard, because I think they always do, but
there is another level of effort in us and obviously they showed that in the
second half. They went into an offensive funk and we hit some shots. We had to
take it one possession at time and we did.”

The Wildcats (5-5) whittled away
at the Seabury lead slowly but surely and it started with sophomore Julian
Margrave as he scored 15 of his game-high 26 points in the second half and in
overtime. He also added seven rebounds and two blocks.

Margrave hit a pair of free throws
to cut Seabury’s lead to five heading into the fourth quarter and the Wildcats
started to get its momentum from there.

It was still a five-point deficit
when senior Garrett Rolofson made back-to-back baskets, including one on an
assist from Ben Guetterman to make it 55-54. Then, after another defensive
stop, Guetterman knocked down a 3-pointer with under a minute left to put the
Wildcats up 57-55.

Seabury’s Zach Bloch hit a jumper
to tie the game with just seconds remaining to force overtime, but that didn’t
slow down the Wildcats much.

In the overtime, junior Weston
Guetterman drove the lane for a basket to the give the lead right back to
Louisburg and the Wildcats wouldn’t let it go. Ben Guetterman made another 3-pointer
to increase the lead to five and the Wildcats converted six straight free
throws, including four from Margrave, to secure the win.

“It was a great win,” Margrave
said. “We were able to come back thanks to a great effort from a lot of guys.
Pfannenstiel gave us a good talk at halftime and you could tell he was pretty
serious. That really gave us motivation for the second half.

“We needed everyone and everyone
showed out, whether it was a big offensive rebound, a defensive rebound, a
steal or even just great defense that doesn’t go in the stat book. That is the
stuff that helps us win and it is not always about points.”

Ben Guetterman had a big game for
the Wildcats despite picking up four fouls in the first half. Ben played
sparingly in the third quarter, but finished the game with 19 points and six
rebounds.

Margrave and Guetterman were later
named to the All-Tournament Team for their performance in their three games at
Baldwin.

Weston Guetterman also scored in
double figures with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists as he and Margrave
played nearly the entire game. Rolofson was three assists away from a
triple-double for the Wildcats as he finished with 10 points and a team-high 10
rebounds and seven assists.

“In the first half we had decent
looks, but the ball just wasn’t going in the basket,” Pfannenstiel said. “We
had to execute better in the second half and I thought we did that. Julian was
big for us and Ben played really well, especially having to play with some
fouls. Overall, I think everyone played to their role and it was a good team
win.”

Louisburg has another busy week
ahead of itself and it begins today when it travels to Eudora for a make-up
contest. The Wildcats will then play Spring Hill and Baldwin on Friday and
Saturday, respectively.

LOU               15           6             21           16           12 – 70

SEA                17           17           13           11           5 – 63

LOUISBURG (5-5): Julian Margrave
8-12 7-8 26; Ben Guetterman 7-18 2-2 19; Weston Guetterman 4-10 5-7 13; Garrett
Rolofson 5-8 0-2 10; Charlie Peters 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 25-56 14-21 70. 3-point
field goals: 6, (B. Guetterman 3, Margrave 3)

Wildcats fall to state-ranked Harmon

Louisburg knew it was going to
have its hands full against Harmon, the No. 3-ranked team in Class 6A, in the
semifinals Saturday morning in the Baldwin Invitational.

Harmon showed why it is considered
one of the best teams in the state.

The Wildcats fell behind early and
could never catch back up as they fell 68-46. Augusta would go on to beat
Harmon in the championship game, 54-46.

Harmon jumped out to a 21-7 lead at
the end of the first quarter and led 36-15 at halftime. It was a start the
Wildcats couldn’t recover from.

Sophomore Julian Margrave led Louisburg
in scoring with 18 points, four rebounds and two steals. Senior Michael Waldron
and junior Charlie Peters each finished with eight points, while Peters had a
team-high seven rebounds.

LOU               7             8             16           15 – 46

HAR               21           15           17           15 – 68

LOUISBURG: Julian Margrave 8-18
0-0 18; Michael Waldron 4-5 1-1 8; Charlie Peters 4-5 0-0 8; Weston Guetterman
2-9 2-2 6; Michael Seuferling 1-3 0-0 2; Maverick Rockers 1-2 0-1 2; Ben
Guetterman 1-9 0-0 2. Totals: 20-59 3-4 46. 3-point field goals: 3, (Margrave
2, Waldron)

Junior Konnor Vohs puts up a shot during Louisburg’s tournament opener against Bishop Ward on Tuesday in Baldwin City.

BALDWIN CITY – The Louisburg boys
basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the Baldwin
Invitational on Tuesday and the Wildcats put themselves in position to make a
run at the tournament title.

Louisburg, the No. 4 seed, opened
play against No. 5 Bishop Ward at Baldwin High School and the Wildcats left no
doubt in this one. Louisburg held Bishop Ward to nine first half points and
cruised to a 63-25 win over the Cyclones.

The win pushes the Wildcats’
record to 4-4 on the season as they advance to the tournament semifinals.

“Our focus was to play a complete
game,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We’ve played well in stretches,
but we’ve yet to be consistent for four quarters. I thought this was our first
game we were good on both sides of the ball for four quarters. Hopefully we can
build on that.”

The Wildcats started on the defensive end as they held Bishop Ward without point until 15 seconds left in the first quarter. They kept it going throughout the contest and the offense followed suit.

Louisburg took a 16-3 lead at the
end of the first quarter and then went on an 18-6 run in the second to go up
34-9 at halftime. The Wildcats added 23 more points in the third quarter and
all but sealed the win.

Sophomore Julian Margrave proved
to be a mismatch for Ward, especially inside, as he scored a game-high 17
points – 15 of which came in the first half – and was 8-for-11 from the field.
He also added a team-high eight rebounds.

“Julian had a nice game,” Pfannenstiel said. “He was aggressive
offensively and made some big plays. He can really get hot offensively, so hopefully
he can keep playing well.”

Everyone got involved in the
scoring as Pfannenstiel emptied his bench in the fourth quarter and all 12
players scored for the Wildcats.

Senior Michael Waldron was next
with nine points, while senior Garrett Rolofson had seven points, four steals
and three blocks. Junior point guard Weston Guetterman had a team-high seven
deflections to go along with five steals and four assists.

“It was good to get everyone a
good stretch of minutes of varsity action,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our kids
practice hard and compete for minutes every day in practice, so it was good to
see them all get an opportunity to play.”

The competition will get a lot
harder Friday when the Wildcats square off with the tournament’s No. 1 seed,
Harmon. Harmon is currently ranked No. 3 in Class 6A and beat Wellsville,
65-29. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m.

“Harmon is really
athletic and they are a deep team that returns almost everybody from last year,”
Pfannenstiel said. “They are the only remaining undefeated 6A team on the east
side of the state so we are going to have to be locked in and ready from start
to finish. Our kids are excited for the opportunity.”

LOU               16           18           23           6 – 63

BW                3             6             10           6 – 25

LOUISBURG (4-4): Julian Margrave
8-11 1-1 17; Michael Waldron 4-6 0-0 9; Garrett Rolofson 2-5 3-3 7; Ben
Guetterman 2-4 1-2 6; Michael Seuferling 2-5 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 2-4 0-0 4;
Maverick Rockers 2-4 0-0 4; Charlie Peters 1-3 2-2 4; Dawson Barnes 1-2 0-0 3;
Weston Guetterman 1-3 0-0 2; Connor Koesser 1-3 0-0 2; Andy Hupp 0-2 1-3 1.
Totals: 26-52 8-11 63. 3-point field goals: 3, (B. Guetterman, Waldron, Barnes)