Louisburg senior Desmond Doles drives to the basket on an Ottawa defender Friday at Ottawa High School. Doles finished with a team-high 13 points, but the Wildcats fell on the road, 49-39.

OTTAWA – Going up against a state-ranked team is a difficult enough with a full roster, but the Louisburg boys basketball team traveled to No. 10 Ottawa with a thin bench.

The Wildcats were without two of their starting big men in Dalton Ribordy and Dylan DeShazer, who were both out with an illness, and they needed to get big minutes from their bench. Louisburg got some good production and hung with the Cyclones, but couldn’t get over the hump in a 49-39 loss.

Louisburg was able to slow down Ottawa at times, but the Cyclones were still able to shoot 53 percent from the floor and go on the big runs when they needed them.

“Ottawa got seven points really quick to start the game and they were the first team that has really exposed our defense like that,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They knocked down some shots later in the first half, but I was proud of the way we battled back and competed for four quarters. Hopefully we will get back to full strength soon and keep getting better.”

Seniors Desmond Doles and Ben Minster gave the Wildcats a scoring lift to help keep them in the game as they trimmed a double-digit deficit to four midway through the third quarter, before Ottawa went on another run.

Doles led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while Minster finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

Junior Noah Hill came off the bench to start in place of Ribordy and played 23 minutes. Sophomore Madden Rutherford saw an increase in playing time with five points in 16 minutes to go along with a team-high three assists.

Louisburg senior Noah Hill works his way toward the basket Friday against Ottawa.

“We were a little short-handed this week and we have been battling some illness,” Pfannenstiel said. “We were down two bigs tonight and that is Ottawa’s strength and those guys are good. I thought Noah came in and did a really good job and gave us good minutes. He is always going to battle hard and he is tough and plays with a lot of energy. I was proud of our effort.”

Both teams went back and forth at each other early as the game was tied at 7-all midway through the first quarter, but the Cyclones went on 9-0 run that went into the second and eventually went into halftime with a 27-19 advantage.

Louisburg (2-14) made things interesting in the third quarter when Minster scored back-to-back baskets to trim the Ottawa lead to 31-27, but the Cyclones went on another 8-0 run to create more distance from the Wildcats.

A Doles 3-pointer cut the Ottawa lead to 44-37 with 1 minute and 45 seconds left in the game, but the Wildcats could get no closer.

Ottawa’s Krys Johnson led the Cyclones in scoring with 13 points.

Louisburg will try and rebound Tuesday when it travels to Baldwin. The Wildcats have split their two matchups with the Bulldogs already this season as they go for their third win.

Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

LOU               7             12           8             12 – 39

OTT               12           15           12           10 – 49

LOUISBURG (2-14): Desmond Doles 13, Ben Minster 12, Justin Sievert 6, Madden Rutherford 5, Kohl Vogel 3. Totals: 15-38 4-4 39. 3-point field goals: 5, (Doles 3, Rutherford, Vogel)

Louisburg sophomore Madden Rutherford goes up for a shot and gets fouled Friday during the Wildcats’ game with Eudora in Louisburg. Eudora downed Louisburg 60-43.

Even though it was homecoming, there wasn’t a whole lot to celebrate for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday against Eudora.

Despite a competitive first quarter in which the Wildcats stayed within striking distance, they couldn’t keep pace with Eudora in a 60-43 loss in Louisburg. It was also Louisburg’s third consecutive loss.

The Wildcats had a hard time getting in a rhythm offensively against the No. 4 team in Class 4A-Division I, as they shot just 32 percent from the field and were 1 for 12 from behind the 3-point line.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “That is not one of our strengths anyway, but it is going to take a night of knocking down our shots to stay with a team like that. Eudora is a really good team. They are very well-coached, disciplined, they play hard and play team basketball. They just do a lot of little things right. It is going to take great game on our end to stay with them and we just didn’t have it. We have to get better, play harder, we have to execute at a higher level and we didn’t do that.”

Louisburg (2-13) stayed with the Cardinals in the first quarter and trailed just 16-12 going into the second period. Unfortunately, the Wildcats managed just eight points in each of the second and third quarters, allowing the Cardinals to build on their lead.

Louisburg’s Scott Murphy and Isabelle Holtzen were crowned winter homecoming king and queen Friday during halftime of the boys game against Eudora.

Eudora outscored Louisburg 16-8 right before halftime, which turned out to be a pivotal moment in the game, as the Cardinals built a double-digit lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I was proud of the way we competed in the second half,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think in the second quarter we got kind of mopey. It is like we were defeated already and that has been part of our problems in games is having a bad quarter. We have to continue to keep fighting. I thought in the second half that we had better leadership and guys were being vocal in a positive way.”

Senior Dalton Ribordy and junior Dylan DeShazer led Louisburg in scoring with nine points each and senior Justin Sievert added eight in the loss. Ribordy also added a team-high seven rebounds and DeShazer finished with six.

Louisburg will have some extra time off to practice before the Wildcats return to action Friday when they travel to Ottawa, which is ranked No. 10 in Class 4A-Division I.

“We are down to six guaranteed games from here on out,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have to take advantage of it. It is fun to play the game of basketball when you play it at a high level. We have to get back at having fun on the court and try to find that spark.”

LOU               12           8             8             15 – 43

EUD               16           16           10           18 – 60

LOUISBURG (2-13): Dalton Ribordy 9, Dylan DeShazer 9, Justin Sievert 8, Brayden Gage 7, Madden Rutherford 5, Kohl Vogel 3, Noah Hill 2. Totals: 15-47 12-24 43. 3-point field goals: 1, (Sievert)

Louisburg senior Parker Perentis passes off to a teammate Tuesday during the Wildcats’ game with Paola at Louisburg High School. Perentis finished with a team-high 13 points in the Wildcats’ 69-52 loss.

The Louisburg boys basketball team survived a hot start from Paola on Tuesday and rebounded enough to nearly tie the game at halftime.

The Wildcats just couldn’t survive another Panther run.

Louisburg scored just seven points in the third quarter and Paola did enough to hand the Wildcats a 69-52 loss at Louisburg High School.

“The third quarter was the disappointing part for me,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We just came out flat and I am not sure what it is. We have to be better and we weren’t very good in the second half.”

Paola jumped out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter behind a barrage of 3-pointers, but the Wildcats responded in the second quarter in an unconventional way.

Louisburg exploded for 25 points before halftime and 18 of those came from the Wildcat bench. Senior reserve guard Parker Perentis scored 11 of his team-high 13 points in the second quarter, including three 3-pointers to help Louisburg get back in it.

Juniors Noah Hill and Kohl Vogel also came off the bench to score a combined seven points to cut the Paola lead to 38-34 at halftime.

“Paola came out hot,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think they hit like five 3-pointers in the first quarter and they took a big swing and a punch at us. I was proud of the way we battled back from that. I thought our energy was really good in the second quarter. Parker came in off the bench and did a good job. He was able to hit some shots and we need that.

“Those are energy guys coming off the bench. They are getting their shot at varsity action and they come in and they play hard. That is what it takes and that is what we need as a team to be able to play against this league because it is so balanced and tough every game.”

The Panthers outscored Louisburg 13-7 in the third quarter, but the Wildcats tried making another run at the Panthers. Senior Justin Sievert hit a pair of jumpers, including a 3-pointer, to cut the Paola lead to 53-46 early in the fourth, but couldn’t get any closer.

Paola ended the game on an 11-1 run and converted at the free-throw line to preserve the win.

Wildcat senior Desmond Doles was second on the team in scoring with nine points and a team-high four steals. Fellow senior Dalton Ribordy finished with seven points after missing the last two games with an injury.

Louisburg will try and get back on track tonight when it hosts No. 10 Eudora for homecoming. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

“We have to be better now for the second half of the season,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have played everyone in the league now, and at times we have been competed well. We have battled hard at times, even though the scores look bad in the end. I think if we play with energy, and execute on both ends of the floor, then I think we will be fine here in the second half.”

LOU               9             25           7             11 – 52

PAO               20           18           13           18 – 69

LOUISBURG (2-12): Parker Perentis 13, Desmond Doles 9, Dalton Ribordy 7, Brayden Gage 5, Ben Minster 5, Justin Sievert 5, Kohl Vogel 4, Noah Hill 4. Totals: 18-46 9-14 52. 3-point field goals: 7, (Perentis 3, Gage, Vogel, Doles, Sievert)

Members of the 2018 Louisburg High School winter homecoming court are (front row, from left): Grant Ryals, Scott Murphy, Kai Tinich, Mitchell Drew; (back row) Haven Trageser-Turner, Isabelle Holtzen, Alexa Goodspeed and Tomi Frederes. 

Homecoming week at Louisburg High School kicked off Monday and events are in full swing. With something going on every day this week, it will be a busy time for students. All of it is, of course, centered around the crowning of the 2018 winter king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday at halftime of the boys basketball game with Eudora. Tipoff for that game is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. Good luck to all the participants and make sure to come out on Friday to support the Wildcat girls and boys teams against the Cardinals.

Kai Tinich and Alexa Goodspeed

Kai Tinich

Kai is the son of Terry and Susan Tinich. He has been involved with student council for four years. Kai has participated in golf for three years, Leo’s Club for three years, FCCLA for two years, FCA for two years, Spanish Club for two years and basketball for one year. After graduation, Kai plans to attend the University of Arkansas to study international business with a minor in Greek or Italian.

Alexa Goodspeed

Alexa is the daughter of Susan Goodspeed. She has participated in cross country for four years, FFA for four years, softball for two years, Spanish Club for two years. She was a basketball manager for one year and participated in Leo’s Club and choir for one year. After graduation, Alexa plans to attend Pittsburg State University and major in physiology.

Tomi Frederes and Mitchell Drew

Tomi Frederes

Tomi is the daughter Christy and Jerry Frederes. She has participated in FFA for four years, cross country and Leo’s Club for three years, softball and Spanish Club for two years and track and volleyball for one year. After graduation, Tomi plans to attend Pittsburg State University and major in business.

Mitchell Drew

Mitchell is the son of Pat and Shanna Drew. He has participated in baseball for four years and football for four years. After graduation, Mitchell plans to attend Pittsburg State University and pursue a bachelor degree in nursing.

Scott Murphy and Isabelle Holtzen

Scott Murphy

Scott is the son of Gene and Amanda Murphy. He has participated in soccer, band, stage crew, Model United Nations, student council, Scholars Bowl and Technology Student Association for four years. He has also taken part in track and Spanish Club for three years, Jazz Band for two years and National Honors Society, Math Club and Science Olympiad Club for one year. After graduation, Scott plans to attend Cornell University to study mechanical engineering.

Isabelle Holtzen

Isabelle is the daughter of Craig and Michelle Holtzen. She has participated in debate, basketball, cross country, track and Fellowship of Christian Athletes for four years. She has also taken part in choir for three years, National Honors Society and Model United Nations for two years and musical, Leo’s Club and Student Advisory Council for one year. After graduation, Isabelle plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa to major in business and will pole vault for the track team.

Grant Ryals and Haven Trageser-Turner

Grant Ryals

Grant is the son of Janelle Ryals and Jason and Michelle Ryals. He has participated in soccer for four years, student council for three years, National Honors Society and girls soccer manager for two years, and Leo’s Club and golf for one year. After graduation, Grant plans to attend William Jewell College to play soccer and major in biomedical engineering.

Haven Trageser-Turner

Haven is the daughter of Jeff and Katie Trageser and Courtney Turner. She has participate in FFA, student council and musical for four years, basketball and choir for three years, FCCLA for two years and softball, Leo’s Club and Spanish Club for one year. After graduation, Haven plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in nursing.

Louisburg junior Brayden Gage glides to the basket for a layup during Thursday’s game at Spring Hill. Gage finished with eight points in the Wildcats’ 63-53 loss to the Broncos.

SPRING HILL – It is a game that will show up in the loss column, but for the Louisburg boys basketball team, Thursday’s contest with Spring Hill provided the Wildcats with several positives.

The Wildcats showed a competitive nature head coach Ty Pfannenstiel hadn’t seen for four quarters and that allowed them to stay close in a 63-53 loss. Although the defeat was disappointing, Pfannenstiel believes his team can build on it.

“I thought we played with a lot of intensity,” he said. “I think the kids really like competing against Spring Hill and they always seem to get up for them and I really noticed that in football. I could tell in our preparation that our guys really know those kids well, from playing on summer teams with them and stuff like that.

“I was pleased with the way we competed. It seemed we were ready to go for four quarters and we didn’t go through that one bad quarter, even though we started a little slow offensively. Defensively, we were ready to go. (Spring Hill) is a big team and they are very good. They are the No. 1 team in our sub-state for a reason.”

Spring Hill (9-4) jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Wildcats stayed within striking distance in the second quarter. Louisburg (2-11) went on an 8-2 run to end the first half and cut the Broncos’ double digit lead to just seven at halftime.

The Wildcats used their defense to get back in the game as they had a pair of steal and scores from senior Ben Minster and junior Brayden Gage toward the end of the first half.

Louisburg senior Parker Perentis drives past a Spring Hill defender Thursday.

“Our defense always leads to our offense,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got some steals and it picks up our offensive play. We scored the ball a little better than we have been. We saw going in that Spring Hill had been playing a lot of zone and they didn’t play zone the entire night, so it was a different look than we were expecting. I was very pleased with the way we played.”

Although the Wildcats scored just seven points in the third quarter, they responded with a 22-point fourth quarter, but couldn’t overtake the Broncos.

Louisburg had to play without senior starter Dalton Ribordy for the second straight game as he sat out with an ankle injury. In his absence, the Wildcats got a big performance from senior Ben Minster.

Minster finished with a team-high 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. Gage and senior Desmond Doles each added eight points, while Gage had a team-high four assists.

The Wildcats will leave the road behind them for a week and return home for a pair of games beginning Tuesday when they host rival Paola. It will be Louisburg’s first home contest since Jan. 4.

“Our kids are ready for the stretch run,” Pfannenstiel said. “We are getting ready to play Paola and this is the first time we have seen them. After that, we are going to go back and play the rest of the league again. If we bring the same type of intensity we did (Thursday), and if we can get healthy and get Ribordy back, we can do some good things.”

LOU               10           14           7             22 – 53

SH                  17           14           12           20 – 63

LOUISBURG (2-11): Ben Minster 19, Brayden Gage 8, Desmond Doles 8, Justin Sievert 6, Dylan DeShazer 6, Parker Perentis 4, Kohl Vogel 2. Totals: 19-46 11-18 53. 3-point field goals: 4, (Gage, Doles, Minster, Sievert)

Louisburg junior Brayden Gage drives to the basket on Friday during the Wildcats’ consolation semifinal game against Harmon at the Baldwin Invitational Tournament. The Wildcats took seventh place Saturday with a 70-42 win over Bishop Ward. 

BALDWIN CITY – The Louisburg boys basketball team was staring a ninth straight loss in the face Saturday when it faced off with Bishop Ward.

If the Wildcats wanted to break the streak, they were going to have to do it without senior starter Dalton Ribordy. who had to sit out with an injury. Louisburg held a slim 3-point lead at halftime against Ward in the seventh-place game of the Baldwin Invitational.

Louisburg had a tough time getting in any kind of rhythm offensively. So in the second half, the Wildcats let their defense do the work.

The Wildcats turned over Bishop Ward several times in the final two quarters and turned that into instant offense in their 70-42 win over the Cyclones, and broke their long losing streak in the process.

“Our defense was better in the second half, no doubt,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Ward didn’t shoot the ball well in the second half and we were very good on the defensive glass. A lot of that had to do with our triangle-and-2 look we threw at them. We did a good job of getting buckets in transition and then when we got into a half court set, we were patient and worked the ball inside. I was pleased with the way we played in the second half.”

With Ribordy out of the lineup, Pfannenstiel was looking for someone else to replace that void and he found it in Ben Minster. The Louisburg senior was all over the floor for the Wildcats as he finished with a game-high 24 points.

Along with his scoring punch, Minster also did it on the glass with a team-high six rebounds and on the defensive end with team-best six steals.

“Dalton is one of our leaders, so not having him out there was a concern,” Pfannenstiel said. “He’s our best rebounder and low post defender so we had to have some other guys step up for us. Ben played with a lot of energy and provided a spark offensively and defensively. He played with a different energy this week. He was aggressive on both ends and kept attacking. He’s an explosive player and needs to continue to play with that mentality from here on out.”

Louisburg (2-10) held a 25-22 halftime lead over Bishop Ward, but Pfannenstiel wanted to change things up in order to spark his team. He decided to employ a triangle-and-2 defense in hopes of confusing Ward.

It seemed to work.

The Wildcats forced 28 Bishop Ward turnovers and scored 23 points off those Cyclone mistakes, which gave them the spark they were looking for. Louisburg recorded 18 steals and were able to score 17 points in transition.

Senior Dalton Ribordy goes up for two of his 12 points Friday against Harmon.

They were also able to hold Bishop Ward leading scorer Clarence Johnson in check in the second half. Johnson, who scored a team-high 16 points, scored most of those in the first half.

“Our defense did a good job of executing in the second half,” Pfannenstiel said. “We went some triangle-and-2 to try and get them out of an offensive rhythm. We did a great job of keeping the ball out of the hands of No. 4 (Johnson). He was a really good player and we were able to make him work harder in the second half.”

Senior starter Desmond Doles gave the Wildcats a big boost himself as he scored in double figures with 12 points and four steals on defense. Junior Kohl Vogel scored nine points and had five rebounds to go along with four steals.

Junior Dylan DeShazer added eight points and five rebounds, while sophomore Madden Rutherford finished with six points and five boards. Senior Parker Perentis added three steals on defense.

“It’s taken us awhile, but I think we are finally playing to our strengths as a team,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have to continue to focus on the things that we do well and capitalize on those moments in games.”

Louisburg returns to action Thursday when it travels to Spring Hill in hopes of getting its second straight win. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               11           14           25           20 – 70

BW                10           12           11           9 – 42

LOUISBURG (2-10): Ben Minster 24, Desmond Doles 12, Kohl Vogel 9, Dylan DeShazer 8, Madden Rutherford 6, Parker Perentis 4, Justin Sievert 4, Noah Hill 2, Michael Waldron 1. Totals: 25-54 18-32 70. 3-point field goals: 2, (Perentis, Minster)

Louisburg falls to Bonner Springs, Harmon to open tournament

Louisburg had a difficult first-round matchup in the Baldwin Invitational on Wednesday when it faced off with Bonner Springs, the state’s No. 3-ranked team in Class 4A-Division I.

The Wildcats fell to the Braves 75-43, but had a chance to rebound in the consolation semifinals Friday against Harmon. Despite a furious fourth quarter rally, the Wildcats came up short, 64-56.

Against Harmon, the Wildcats trailed by 18 points early in the fourth quarter, but they eventually whittled the lead. Louisburg went on a 17-0 run to cut the lead to one, but couldn’t get over the hump.

Louisburg used full-court pressure to speed up Harmon and those turned into turnovers and easy baskets for the Wildcats.

“We played with a different intensity in the fourth quarter,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our kids have to realize that when we play with that type of intensity and focus, we can be pretty good.”

Ben Minster led Louisburg in scoring with 20 points and Dalton Ribordy added 12 in the loss. Ribordy had to leave the game in the second half with an ankle injury and didn’t return.

Junior guard Brayden Gage finished with nine points and three assists, while Desmond Doles brought down six rebounds. Doles also led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points in the loss to Bonner Springs.

LOU               15           4             12           25 – 56

HAR               14           12           20           18 – 64

LOUISBURG: Ben Minster 20, Dalton Ribordy 12, Brayden Gage 9, Justin Sievert 6, Dylan DeShazer 5, Madden Rutherford 2, Desmond Doles 2. Totals: 23-52 9-17 56. 3-point field goals: 1, (DeShazer)

LOU               8             15           13           7 – 43

BOSP             20           18           24           13 – 75

LOUISBURG: Desmond Doles 13, Ben Minster 11, Dylan DeShazer 7, Dalton Ribordy 4, Brayden Gage 3, Justin Sievert 3, Madden Rutherford 2. Totals: 15-40 12-19 43. 3-point field goals: 1, (DeShazer)

Louisburg junior Dylan DeShazer stretches out for a rebound Friday at De Soto High School. De Soto connected on seven first half 3-pointers on its way to a 65-48 win over the Wildcats.

DE SOTO – It became apparent early on that there wasn’t much that Louisburg could do to stop De Soto offensively.

De Soto connected on seven 3-pointers in the first half alone, and Louisburg couldn’t keep up in a 65-48 loss Friday at De Soto High School. It marked another loss on the Wildcats’ resume, but it was the best offensive performance Louisburg has gone against in its first nine games.

“They can really shoot it,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said of De Soto. “Their guards are really good and we knew that coming in. This time they were hot and that is a good basketball team we just played. They move without the basketball very well, they are very unselfish and very patient. It is all good qualities you want to see in a team and we can learn from that. I am trying to gain some of those characteristics that they have. They had a very good shooting night though.”

On the night, De Soto finished with nine 3-pointers and shot 43 percent from the field, compared to just 33 percent for Louisburg. The Wildcats struggled to get much going offensively, but were able to slow down De Soto for a few minute stretch in the second half.

The two teams were basically even on the scoreboard in the second half, but Louisburg couldn’t overcome De Soto’s 35-19 lead at halftime.

“We went a little zone, and that slowed them down at least a little bit for a few possessions, and then they figured it out,” Pfannenstiel said. “The problems with zones, especially with a team like us that doesn’t play it very much, is you can kind of get lethargic. A team that can shoot the ball like that, it doesn’t really matter if you go man or zone.”

Louisburg had a pair of players score in double figures as senior Ben Minster led the way with 11 points and fellow senior Justin Sievert added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Sophomore Madden Rutherford drives around a De Soto player toward the basket Friday in De Soto.

Senior Desmond Doles finished with nine points in the loss, while junior Brayden Gage and senior Dalton Ribordy each scored six. Ribordy also pulled down six rebounds.

“We were better offensively in the second half and started working the ball inside more, but we have to find a way to get the ball into the basket,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think a lot of that is sharing the ball more. I think sometimes we try to do a little too much 1-on-1 stuff and we could get easier looks at the basket if we do a better job of cutting and moving without the basketball.”

Although Louisburg was never within striking distance of a win, Pfannenstiel was still able to learn some things about his team.

“It was a good environment,” he said. “A couple of our guys got knocked around a little bit and that kind of sparked our guys. But it shouldn’t take us getting run over to spark that warrior mentality that it takes to compete every possession. I did see that we do have that side of us, which is good, but we have to do that every single possession. That is what it is going to take in this league because everyone in this league is good.”

The Wildcats will try and get on the winning track this week when they take part in the Baldwin Invitational Tournament beginning on Tuesday. Louisburg, which is the No. 7 seed, will face No. 2 Bonner Springs at 7 p.m., Tuesday.

The Wildcats will play again Friday and Saturday with times to be announced.

LOU               9             10           11           18 – 48

DES                19           16           15           15 – 65

LOUISBURG (1-8): Ben Minster 11, Justin Sievert 10, Desmond Doles 9, Brayden Gage 6, Dalton Ribordy 6, Madden Rutherford 3, Noah Hill 2, Dylan DeShazer 1. Totals: 18-54 9-17 48. 3-point field goals: 3, (Sievert 2, Minster).

Louisburg junior Kohl Vogel puts up a 3-pointer late in the game Tuesday at Frontenac High School. The Wildcats came up short in a 60-47 loss to the Raiders.

FRONTENAC – Like most outings this season, the Louisburg boys basketball team got off to a great start offensively during Tuesday’s road contest in Frontenac.

And just like those other outings, the Wildcats had a tough time sustaining its momentum. Louisburg couldn’t stay with Frontenac thanks to a four-point third quarter in a 60-47 loss to the Raiders.

“Our guys are playing hard, but we have to place more of an emphasis on playing hard each and every possession,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “There were key times in the game where we got out hustled. Every possession is important, and that’s something we are learning and trying to build on.”

Louisburg (1-7) got out to a great start offensively in the first quarter as it took a 19-15 lead following a 3-pointer Justin Sievert. In the final 10 seconds of the frame, Frontenac scored four straight points to tie the game and used that momentum to build a 39-30 lead at halftime.

Frontenac shot 50 percent from the field for the game and knocked down seven 3-pointers on the night. The Raiders also forced 21 Louisburg turnovers and turned those into 24 points.

Senior Justin Sievert puts up a shot in the lane Tuesday at Frontenac.

Despite outscoring Frontenac in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough for the Wildcats as they managed just four points in the third quarter and trailed by as many as 17 points at one time.

Sievert and junior Dylan DeShazer led Louisburg in scoring with nine points each and DeShazer pulled down five rebounds.

Senior Ben Minster finished with eight points and had a team-high four steals, while junior Brayden Gage and senior Dalton Ribordy each tallied seven. Ribordy led Louisburg with seven rebounds on the night.

Louisburg will try and snap its five-game losing streak Friday when it travels to De Soto. Tipoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m.

LOU               19           11           4             13 – 47

FRON            19           20           11           10 – 60

LOUISBURG (1-7): Justin Sievert 9, Dylan DeShazer 9, Ben Minster 8, Brayden Gage 7, Dalton Ribordy 7, Desmond Doles 6, Madden Rutherford 1. Totals: 18-41 7-12 47. 3-point field goals: 4, (Gage 2, Sievert, Ribordy).

Louisburg senior Desmond Doles drives to the basket Thursday during the Wildcats’ 54-52 home loss to Baldwin. Doles finished the game with eight points and three steals. 

The Louisburg boys basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better start in its first game back from the holidays.

The Wildcats were looking to snap a 3-game losing streak Thursday when they hosted Baldwin. They were well on their way to doing that as they scored 23 points in the first quarter and built a double-digit lead.

Everything was going as planned – that is until the second quarter.

Louisburg’s offense cooled off in the final three periods and Baldwin took advantage to pull out a 54-52 win over the Wildcats.

“It is tough because it is a home game and it would have been good for our guys to get a win just to show that we have made progress,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I do feel that we are getting better and our guys could have used a win, but you don’t just get wins, you have to earn them. Baldwin just made more plays than us. I think we can build from this.

“I feel a lot more positive about this than maybe I have in some of our other games and I thought we fought hard for four quarters. We did some good things, especially coming off of break.”

Louisburg (1-6) used a 10-0 run to get going in the first quarter, thanks to baskets from five different players in Desmond Doles, Justin Sievert, Dylan DeShazer, Ben Minster and Brayden Gage. Ben Minster and Dalton Ribordy added a pair of baskets later and Louisburg had a 17-6 advantage.

Senior Ben Minster drives in for a layup Thursday against Baldwin.

The Wildcats were up by 10 to start the second quarter, but the Bulldogs whittled away at the Louisburg lead. Louisburg took a 31-26 advantage into halftime, but Baldwin jumped out to a 9-2 run to start the second half and eventually grabbed the lead midway through the third quarter.

Baldwin never relinquished it, but the Wildcats did make it interesting. Down by three with just over two minutes left in the contest, Minster stole a Baldwin pass and scored to cut the Bulldog lead to one.

Fouls became a problem for Louisburg in the fourth quarter, but in a different way. The Wildcats didn’t commit a team foul until under two minutes left in the game, which meant they had to foul Baldwin several times to get up to seven team fouls to put Baldwin on the free-throw line.

Louisburg got the ball back on a few different occasions to either tie the game or take the lead, but its shots couldn’t find the bottom of the net. Baldwin led by five with under three seconds left, when Sievert hit the Wildcats’ lone 3-pointer of the game to cut it to two, but Louisburg couldn’t get another opportunity.

“The second quarter was kind of tough because we gave them some life by not scoring for a while,” Pfannenstiel said. “We scored 23 in the first quarter and I said something about that to the guys in the huddle and I probably shouldn’t have because I think that jinxed us. Right after that, we struggled to score and gave them some momentum.

“(Baldwin) knocked down some shots and made a few more plays. We stress how important every possession is, offensively and defensively, because you never know. We lost by two points and if we just make a couple more plays that could have made a difference.”

Ribordy led Louisburg with 12 points to go along with three blocks, while Minster also scored in double figures with 10. Doles finished with eight points and a team-high three steals. DeShazer added a team-high six rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday when it travels to Frontenac. The Wildcats will hit the road again Friday when it goes to De Soto.

LOU               23           8             10           11 – 52

BAL                13           13           18           10 – 54

LOUISBURG (1-6): Dalton Ribordy 12, Ben Minster 10, Desmond Doles 8, Justin Sievert 7, Madden Rutherford 5, Dylan DeShazer 4, Brayden Gage 2, Kohl Vogel 2. Totals: 23-58 3-5 52. 3-point field goals: 1, (Sievert)

Having the opportunity to cover Louisburg High School athletics, for what has been almost 10 years now, I have seen a lot of different highs and lows.

I have been lucky enough to cover state championship teams and watched several athletes perform at the highest level. However, this last year has to be one for the record books when it comes to success at Louisburg High School.

For Wildcat athletics, 2017 was a banner year for many reasons.

Louisburg qualified for the state tournament in three different sports – volleyball, girls soccer and boys basketball – and the first two each placed in the top four.

The volleyball team was just a point away from winning the school’s first state title after the Lady Cats finished second to defending state champion Rose Hill, and tied for the best finish in school history.

The Wildcat girls soccer team qualified for the state semifinals in just its second year of existence and suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the semifinals to eventually take fourth overall.

In boys basketball, the Wildcats qualified for the state tournament for the first time in 12 years despite getting knocked out in the first round by defending state champion Bishop Miege.

Most schools would love to have that success with their athletic programs, but for Louisburg, that was just the tip of the iceberg. As special as the seasons were for those three programs, the Wildcats also thrived in a few other sports.

Louisburg’s cross country program, which has been around for 19 years, had the best season in its history – by far. Not only did the Wildcats have three state medalists for the first time ever, but it had a year that featured the school’s first female league champion in Trinity Moore and the best league finish by a male, Wyatt Reece, who took second.

Tim Smith continued the Wildcat success as he became the school’s first regional cross country champion, and Moore, Reece and Smith each went on to win a state medal. Moore and Smith also set school records for the fastest time.

The Wildcats also qualified the girls team for the first time in school history as Moore, Carlee Gassman, Reilly Alexander, Isabelle Holtzen, Kaitlyn Lewer, Payton Shaffer and Emily Williams took third at regionals and eventually 10th at state.

The Wildcat wrestling team tied a program best by qualifying eight for the state tournament and came back with a medal by Ryan Adams, who finished sixth.

Louisburg’s track and field team persevered and qualified for state in 10 events and had two regional champions in Quinn Rigney and Chris Williams. Isabelle Holtzen and T.J. Dover each brought home their first state track medals.

The boys soccer team was one goal away from making its second consecutive trip to the state semifinals, but their run was halted by a loss to McPherson in state quarterfinals. Still, the Wildcats won a regional title, which was the seventh in team history.

Freshman Calvin Dillon led the Wildcat golf team this past year and recorded the program’s first state medal in more than decade as he took 10th overall.

All these things and more I described in detail when releasing my top 10 stories of the year and what a year it was.

Obviously, I haven’t had a chance to look through all the results, but I can’t imagine a more successful year for LHS when you are talking about athletics. There may have been years in the 70s, 80s and 90s that I don’t know about, but I find it hard to imagine one that tops 2017.

Sure, the 2010-11 school year featured two state championship teams in football and boys track and field and that was a fantastic time to be Wildcat, but as far as calendar years go, 2017 was one to remember.

Even outside the sports world, Louisburg High School put together many great accomplishments as the Wildcat Marching Band was selected to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade and put on a great show for the nation on New Year’s Day.

Then in October, the FFA Food Science team of Hallie Hutsell, Faith Seuferling, Addie Katzer and Hattie Harris won a national championship, while Hutsell and Seuferling placed second and third in the nation, respectively.

I don’t get a lot of opportunities to cover programs or groups outside the sports world, but these are fantastic accomplishments and deserved to be recognized.

For me, 2017 was a whirlwind. It seemed around every corner, school history was being made and there aren’t many schools around the state that can boast about the successes Louisburg has experienced.

It was an honor for me to cover many of these historic runs in Wildcat history and I hope you all realize how lucky you have it. Louisburg is a school filled with great coaches who care about the student athletes.

Believe me, I know how fortunate I am to be able to be a part of something special and this place is it. If 2018 is half of what 2017 was, it will be a fun ride.

I can’t wait for what 2018 has in store and hopefully you all will follow along to see what these Wildcats can accomplish.