Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield goes up for two points Tuesday during the Wildcats’ home contest against Spring Hill. Wingfield finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

When it came to shots inside the arc, the Louisburg boys lived well.

However, it was those attempts beyond it that hurt the Wildcats the most Tuesday in their home contest with Spring Hill. Louisburg missed all 15 attempts from the outside, which made a comeback difficult in its 48-42 loss to the Broncos

Mistakes also haunted the Wildcats as they turned the ball over 19 times, which led to 12 Spring Hill points.

“I told our guys that it’s going to be hard to win in the Frontier League with 19 turnovers and going 0-15 from the 3-point line,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Those two stats were glaringly bad. We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and being more efficient on offense.”

The Wildcats trailed by just one after the first quarter and found themselves down just 24-17 at halftime.

Both teams played even in the second half and the Wildcats trimmed a double-digit Spring Hill lead to four with under a minute remaining, but couldn’t get closer.

Louisburg got a big game from senior Colyer Wingfield who finished with a double-double. Wingfield had a team-high 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Junior Luke Hill finished with six points, while sophomore Myles Vohs came off the bench to give the Wildcats a lift with five points. It was his first varsity points of the season.

“I thought we had some guys come in and provide a lot of energy,” Pfannenstiel said. “Myles Vohs came in and sparked us with his effort and toughness. His effort showed that he deserves some more varsity court time.”

Louisburg will try and snap its 3-game losing skid tonight when the Wildcats travel to No. 9-ranked Baldwin. The Bulldogs handed the Wildcats their only loss prior to the holiday break last month.

“We play a really good Baldwin team (tonight), so this game is going to demand our best effort and execution,” Pfannenstiel said.

LOU 10 7 12 13 — 42

SH 11 13 11 13 — 48

LOUISBURG (4-4): Colyer Wingfield 8-14 7-10 23; Luke Hill 2-7 2-3 6; Myles Vohs 2-4 1-2 5; Conlee Hovey 2-3 0-2 4; Nathan Parker 1-5 0-0 2; Mason Dobbins 0-4 2-2 2. Totals: 15-40 12-19 42. 3-point field goals, none

Louisburg junior Luke Hill goes up for a shot Thursday against Ottawa in the Wildcats’ contest at Ottawa High School.

It wasn’t the start to 2023 that the Louisburg boys basketball team wanted.

The Wildcats dropped their first two games from break with the second one coming Thursday on the road at Ottawa. Despite a fourth quarter rally, the Wildcats couldn’t quite get over the hump in a 51-44 loss to the Cyclones.

Louisburg (4-3), which found itself down 12 points early in the fourth quarter, eventually cut the deficit to just three points, but couldn’t get any closer.

“I was proud of how we battled back,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We cut it to three and really gave us a shot at the end. My biggest concern was that we seemed to play with more energy in that fourth quarter. We have to get where we play with that energy for all four quarters.”

The Wildcats were down 12 points with 5 minutes left in the game, when senior Mason Dobbins stole the ball and drove the length of the floor for a steal and score. Senior Colyer Wingfield then hit a pair of free throws to cut it to eight.

With two minutes remaining, Louisburg was still down eight, but Luke Hill knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a five-point game.

Senior Isaiah Whitley stole an inbounds pass and found Wingfield cutting to the basket for two points to make it a one possession contest.

Ottawa drove the length of the court and scored on the ensuing possession to all but ice the game for the Cyclones.

Louisburg struggled to slow the Cyclones down in the second and third quarters as they built a 12-point lead. The Wildcats also turned the ball over 15 times and Ottawa scored 19 points off those mistakes.

“We are still struggling offensively,” Pfannenstiel said. “We didn’t have very many possessions where I would say that we ran good offense. Our defense is still keeping us in games but need to pick it up on the offensive end.”

Hill led the Wildcats on the offensive end with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Wingfield also finished in double figures with 10 points and a team-high three assists.

Senior Mason Dobbins also did a lot of work underneath the basket with eight points to go along with team-highs in rebounds (9) and steals (3).

Louisburg had a tough time slowing Ottawa’s Caleb Hepner down as he scored a game-high 25 points, which included five 3-pointers. The Cyclones knocked down eight 3-pointers on the night.

“Hepner had a heck of a game,” Pfannenstiel said. “He got some open looks and converted on them. He’s a good, young player. Overall, Ottawa shot it pretty well from the perimeter and that made a big difference compared to how we shot it.”

Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday when it hosts Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU 10 10 8 16 — 44

OTT 8 15 17 11 — 51

LOUISBURG (4-3): Luke Hill 4-11 0-0 11; Colyer Wingfield 2-9 6-6 10; Mason Dobbins 4-5 0-2 8; Trey Myers 3-8 1-4 7; Cade Gassman 2-4 0-0 4; Conlee Hovey 1-3 0-2 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 17-42 6-10 44. 3-point field goals: 4, (Hill 3, Myers)

Wildcats drop home contest to Eudora

On Jan. 3, Louisburg hosted Eudora in its first game back from the holiday break and the Wildcats didn’t have the warmest welcome.

Eudora jumped out to a seven-point lead after one quarter and extended that lead to 13 later in the contest. And while their defense got the Wildcats back in it, the offense struggled in a 41-34 loss to the No. 6 team in Class 4A.

Louisburg shot 3-for-19 from 3-point range and were just 7-for-16 from the free-throw line.

“Overall, I thought we played ok for our first game out after a long break,” Pfannenstiel said. “Eudora is really good defensively so we struggled to get going on that end of the floor. We obviously needed some shots to fall. If we want to beat one of the best teams in the state, we can’t go 3-19 from 3 and 7-16 from the free throw line. We have to be better offensively.”

The Cardinals got a bulk of their scoring from two players. Logan Sullivan torched the nets for Eudora with a game-high 27 points and seven 3-pointers, while Cole Parker finished with 12. The two combined for 39 of the team’s 41 points.

“Those two players are tough,” Pfannenstiel said. “They actually have a really good group of guards, so even though we struggled to stop those two, overall we held them to 41. We should be able to win games when we hold a team in the 40s. That was Sullivan’s first game back from injury. He was injured in the first game of the year, so he hadn’t been in their lineup since week one. He really changes the dynamic of their team. He can score in bunches.  

“We have to do a better job of playing team defense to contain a player like that. We definitely struggled early hedging the handoffs and switching screens.  We just have to do a better job of communicating and all being on the same page. It wasn’t a 1 on 1 matchup issue, we all have to take responsibility for getting the ball out of his hands.”

Wingfield did a bulk of the scoring for Louisburg as he finished with 16 points, while senior Trey Myers finished with seven, including a pair of 3-pointers. Senior Mason Dobbins had a team-high eight rebounds and senior Isaiah Whitley finished with seven.

LOU 8 9 6 11 — 34

EUD 15 8 8 10 — 41

LOUISBURG: Colyer Wingfield 6-11 4-8 16; Trey Myers 2-6 1-4 7; Mason Dobbins 3-5 0-0 6; Luke Hill 1-7 0-0 3; Conlee Hovey 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 12-36 7-16 34. 3-point field goals: 3, (Myers 2, Hill)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week three of the winter sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

COLYER WINGFIELD, SENIOR, BOYS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield came up big for the Wildcat boys basketball team this past Thursday. Wingfield hit the game-winning shot with .2 seconds left to give Louisburg a 64-63 victory over Frontenac. It also improved the Wildcats’ record to 4-1 on the season.

Against Frontenac, Wingfield scored a team-high 30 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. He also handed out three assists and had three steals. He also finished with 12 points in a loss to Baldwin earlier in the week. Wingfield is the team’s leading scorer on the year as he averages 18.4 points a game to go along with nearly seven rebounds a contest.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners

Week 1: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield (left) celebrates with teammates Luke Hill, Brock Vohs (22) and Mason Dobbins (34) following his game-winning shot Thursday at home against Frontenac.

Christmas came early for the Louisburg boys basketball team and Colyer Wingfield had no problem playing the role of Santa Claus. 

Wingfield gave the Wildcats one of the best gifts they could have asked for, as his drive to the basket with .2 seconds left gave Louisburg a 64-63 victory over Frontenac in double overtime. 

In what looked like was going a tough time for the Wildcats going into the holidays, turned into a Christmas miracle of sorts.

“We always want Colyer going to the goal,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “So for him to make that play was big time, especially since the team was really keying on him. What a play it was.”

Wingfield was big for the Wildcats all night as he finished with a game-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists.

It was a perfect ending to what appeared to be a disastrous loss for the Wildcats.

Louisburg saw at 13-point fourth quarter lead fade away as Frontenac outscored the Wildcats, 19-6, in the fourth to force overtime.

The Raiders continued that momentum as they scored the first seven points of overtime. A 26-6 run that started in the fourth quarter, put the Wildcats in a deep hole and not much time left.

“We didn’t have great energy by any means, but they were still confident,” Pfannenstiel said. “It was a calm huddle, but they knew they had to be better. They all trusted each other and battled for 40 minutes. I was really proud of how they responded.”

Junior Brock Vohs got the rally started with an offensive rebound and put back. Wingfield then drove the length of the floor for a layup.

On the Wildcats’ next possession, Wingfield found junior Nathan Parker for a big 3-pointer to tie the game late in the first overtime. A Frontenac 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out to force a second extra period.

“He is our best shooter,” Pfannenstiel said of Parker. “He is a confident kid and we wanted him in there to take that shot. Colyer made the right play to kick it out to him and I was really happy for him when he made it.”

Frontenac opened the second overtime with a basket, but Vohs tied it with a pair of free throws. The Raiders would take a one-point lead on a free throw with 34 seconds remaining.

That set up Wingfield’s dramatics.

Louisburg had the ball at mid-court with five seconds remaining and the Wildcats inbounded the ball to Wingfield. The Louisburg senior used a screen from Vohs to drive to the basket and score with .2 seconds and was fouled.

Wingfield intentionally missed the free throw and the Wildcats won their fourth game of the season.

“It really didn’t look good there at the start of the first overtime,” Pfannenstiel said. “It takes a lot to battle back like they did. Our kids believed and they executed well down the stretch and stepped up and made some plays. It was a good team win.

“We didn’t know if they were going to go zone or man on that last play, so we kind of had two plays drawn up. They went man and Brock set a good screen to allow Colyer to get to the goal. He had the choice to take it all the way to the rim or kick it out to one of our shooters. He made the right choice.”

Junior Luke Hill also provided the Wildcats with a big boost off the bench. Hill was second on the team in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers.

Senior Mason Dobbins was big around the basket with a team-high 11 rebounds, while sophomore Gavin Lohse came off the bench to get seven rebounds to go along with his first varsity basket.

Now the Wildcats head into the holiday break with just one loss and are off to their best start under Pfannenstiel. Louisburg will look to use that momentum as the Wildcats host Eudora on Jan. 3 in its first action of the new year.

“I told the guys before the game that I haven been here six years and we have never been 4-1 going into the break,” Pfannenstiel said. “That was our goal was to do something we haven’t done in a long time. I don’t think anything could give us more momentum than this win did right there. It was a great win.”

LOU 20 10 17 6 7 4 — 64

FRON 7 12 15 19 7 3 — 63

LOUISBURG (4-1): Colyer Wingfield 10-21 9-12 30; Luke Hill 5-9 0-0 14; Mason Dobbins 3-6 0-0 6; Nathan Parker 2-3 1-2 5; Brock Vohs 1-1 2-2 4; Trey Myers 1-5 0-0 3; Gavin Lohse 1-2 0-2 2. Totals: 23-52 11-16 64. 3-point field goals: 7, (Hill 4, Parker, Myers, Wingfield)

Louisburg junior Luke Hill connects on one of his four 3-pointers Tuesday at home against Baldwin. Hill finished with a team-high 14 points.

For the first three quarters, everything was going how the Louisburg boys basketball team had hoped.

The Wildcats led the Bulldogs going into the final quarter and were aiming for their fourth straight win to start the season. 

Baldwin quickly dashed those hopes once the fourth quarter began.

The Bulldogs scored 10 straight points to open the final period and handed Louisburg its first loss of the year, 56-45. The Wildcats held the Bulldogs to 35 points through three quarter, but Baldwin exploded for 21 in the last frame.

“Well we played pretty well defensively again,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Baldwin had been scoring in the 70s all season so we were able to slow them down a bit. We never did get into any type of rhythm offensively. We struggled on that end of the floor. We have to do better.”

Louisburg (3-1) trailed 14-11 after the first quarter, but used a strong second quarter to take the lead at halftime. The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs 11-5, thanks to three 3-pointers off the bench from junior Luke Hill.

Hill gave the Wildcats a lift offensively. He led the team with 14 points on the night to go along with four 3s.

“Luke played really well and gave us a great spark,” Pfannenstiel said. “I’m hoping that jump starts him and he starts playing more consistently. We could really use that type of offensive production. He can really shoot the ball, so he needs to look to get his feet set and put the ball in the hole. It was a big night for Luke.”

After an even third quarter between both teams, Baldwin took off to start the fourth. The Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run to grab the lead and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer offensively.

For the game, Louisburg shot 35 percent from the field and turned the ball over 17 times. Baldwin was also able to score 16 points in transition.

“We can’t have those kind of stretches,” Pfannenstiel said.

Along with Hill’s 14 points, senior Colyer Wingfield also finished in double figures with 12 and had a team-best four assists. Senior Mason Dobbins recorded a team-high eight rebounds.

Baldwin’s Cooper and Caleb Carr gave the Wildcats fits at times as both scored in double figures. The two combined for 28 points and Cooper led all scorers with 17.

The good news is the Wildcats will get a chance to bounce back today as they host Frontenac in their final game for the holidays. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“I’m excited to see how our team responds,” Pfannenstiel said. “Hopefully we can learn from our loss, get things corrected, and play a complete game against Frontenac.”

LOU 11 11 15 8 — 45

BAL 14 5 16 21 — 56

LOUISBURG (3-1): Luke Hill 5-10 0-1 14; Colyer Wingfield 5-17 2-4 12; Conlee Hovey 2-2 2-2 6; Trey Myers 2-4 0-0 4; Nathan Parker 1-2 0-0 3; Cade Gassman 1-7 0-0 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-2 0-0 2; Mason Dobbins 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 18-51 4-7 45. 3-point field goals: 5, (Hill 4, Parker)

Louisburg’s Mason Dobbins goes up for two of his eight points Friday in the Wildcats’ 36-29 win over Anderson County.

GARNETT — It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but for the Louisburg boys basketball team, the only thing that mattered was the result.

The Wildcats gutted through a physical contest, on what was an off-shooting night, and came away with a 36-29 victory over Anderson County on Friday in Garnett.

“Sometimes you win ugly, and this was one of those games,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “It definitely wasn’t the prettiest of basketball games, but sometimes you have to grind out wins and Friday was one of those nights.”

Neither team could find the shooting touch and Anderson County did its best to slow the Wildcat offense down. The Bulldogs came out in a 3-2 zone to force the Wildcats to beat them from the outside.

Louisburg (3-0) couldn’t get a lot to fall as it shot just 27 percent from the floor and were 5-for-14 from the free-throw line.

All that turned into a single possession game late in the contest.

“They caught us off guard a little with their 3-2 zone,” Pfannenstiel said. “It took us a while to get a feel for how to attack it, but we settled in. We probably settled for too many long shots, but no matter what, we are going to have to shoot the ball better or we are going to see a lot of zone this season.”

With 1:30 left in the game, the Wildcats held just a 31-28 lead, but Anderson County got a steal a had a wide open layup on a breakaway that it missed.

Louisburg took advantage of the missed shot as Trey Myers drove baseline and fed a wide-open Mason Dobbins under the basket. Dobbins made the basket and gave Louisburg a 2-possession lead with a minute left.

The Wildcats led 34-29 with 28 seconds remaining when senior Isaiah Whitley collected a loose ball near the basket, scored and was fouled to all but ice the game.

It was a sigh of relief for the Wildcats to win a game that had several ups and downs throughout. The contest got a little heated in the second half as Louisburg was called for a technical foul and Anderson County was called for an intentional foul as both teams tried to fight their way on top.

“Boy that was a rugged game,” Pfannenstiel said. “Basketball has gotten more physical over the years, but it’s not supposed to be played like that. I was proud of how we kept our composure. We stressed that at halftime that we have no control of how the game is called, but we can’t worry about that and have to adapt to how the game is being called and played. I was proud of our guys.”

With the shots not falling, the Wildcats leaned on their defense to help them through and it did. Louisburg held Anderson County to just 24 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers.

Louisburg also out rebounded the Bulldogs 35-27, including 12 offensive rebounds.

“Our defense has definitely been our strength so far this season,” Pfannenstiel said. “We always stress that if we can be good on defense that we are always going to be in games. It’s been key for us that our defense has been consistent. We are going to need that moving forward.”

Louisburg took a 18-13 lead at halftime, before Anderson County eventually whittled it to a one-possession game on a couple different occasions in the second half.

Colyer Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring with nine points on the night, including a team-high seven rebounds and four steals. Dobbins added eight points and four rebounds.

Junior Nathan Parker came off the bench to hit two 3-pointers and finished with six points, as did Myers.

Whitley was second on the team with five rebounds to go along with his game-sealing basket.

Louisburg will try and make it four wins in a row Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“A win is a win,” Pfannenstiel said. “We obviously have areas that we need to improve on, but our kids have been competitive and are looking forward to a good opponent coming in on Tuesday.  It should be another good test for us.”

LOU 5 13 8 10 — 36

AC 5 8 9 7 — 29

LOUISBURG (3-0): Colyer Wingfield 4-16 1-5 9; Mason Dobbins 2-4 4-6 8; Nathan Parker 2-10 0-2 6; Trey Myers 2-7 0-0 6; Cade Gassman 1-4 0-0 3; Conlee Hovey 1-1 0-0 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-3 0-1 2. Totals: 13-48 5-14 36. 3-point field goals: 5, (Parker 2, Myers 2, Gassman)

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield drives to the basket for two of his team-high 21 points Tuesday against Burlington.

Down a point early in the second quarter, Louisburg found itself in a tight game against Burlington Tuesday in its home opener.

The Wildcats were quick to loosen things up before halftime. Louisburg went on a big run to end the first half and it was enough to hold off Burlington, 52-41, to earn its second straight win to start the season.

“It’s always fun to play in front of the home crowd,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I thought our kids brought good energy to the floor and played pretty well.”

Louisburg (2-0) found itself down 14-13 in the early stages of the second quarter, but the Wildcats went on a 15-6 run to end the first half and took a 10-point halftime lead.

The lead ballooned to 16 points on a couple different occasions in the second half and the Wildcats made sure the result was never in doubt.

Senior Colyer Wingfield provided Louisburg with a boost on both ends of the floor. Wingfield led the Wildcats with 21 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had a pair of steals.

The Wildcats were without their starting forward — and tallest player — Mason Dobbins (6-7) who was out with an illness. So leave it to one of their shorter players — Cade Gassman (5-10) — to pick up the rebounding slack.

Gassman tied Wingfield for the team lead in rebounds with eight and he also finished with eight points. Nathan Parker, Luke Hill and Trey Myers were third on the team in scoring with five points each.

“It was a total team effort,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had lots of guys contribute in different ways. We stress to our guys playing to their role and so far our kids have done well with that. Cade was great. 

“With Mason out, we were concerned with how we would rebound. Cade provided us a nice spark with his defensive presence, rebounding, and energy.  Cade has stepped up as a leader for us. He’s always positive and brings good energy each day. He had a big night for us.”

Defensively, the Wildcats held Burlington to just 30 percent from the floor and forced 10 turnovers in the process.

“Anytime you hold a team to 41, you have to say we played pretty well defensively,” Pfannenstiel said,. “I’d still like to see us keep our man out of the paint a little better and our transition defense wasn’t great. But those are areas we can work on in practice and hopefully fix for the next time out.”

Louisburg will try for three straight wins tonight when the Wildcats travel to Anderson County for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

LOU 13 16 12 11 — 52

BUR 12 7 9 13 — 41

LOUISBURG (2-0): Colyer Wingfield 10-23 0-1 21; Cade Gassman 2-5 4-4 8; Nathan Parker 2-4 0-0 5; Luke Hill 2-3 0-0 5; Trey Myers 2-4 1-1 5; Isaiah Whitley 2-6 0-0 4; Brock Vohs 1-3 0-0 2; Conlee Hovey 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 22-49 5-6 52. 3-point field goals: 3, (Wingfield, Parker, Hill)

Louisburg senior Cade Gassman drives to the basket for two points Friday at Tonganoxie High School. The Wildcats defeated Tonganoxie, 46-32, in their season opener.

TONGANOXIE — It wasn’t the best of shooting nights for the Louisburg boys basketball team, but it didn’t need to be. It did everything else well.

The Wildcats went on the road Friday and out rebounded Tonganoxie and also forced more than 20 turnovers in their 46-32 victory at Tonganoxie High School.

For a Louisburg team that was returning just one starter from a season ago, Wildcat coach Ty Pfannenstiel made sure his team used those hustle plays to come out on top.

“That was a great way to open the season,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our guys came out confident and played with great energy all night. Any time you can win on the road is huge, and to do it the way we did was a good first step for us this season. There were a lot of guys seeing the varsity floor for the first time, so it was great to see them play with confidence and for them to execute like they did.”

Louisburg opened the game with a 1-3-1 press defense, which set the tone for the rest of the night. The Wildcats forced 24 turnovers and never let the Chieftains get comfortable.

The Wildcats turned those turnovers into 21 points, which turned out to be a big difference in the game. Louisburg also held Tonganoxie to just 11 first half points.

“Our defense was great,” Pfannenstiel said. “We always tell the kids that we are going to have some games where we are good offensively and nights that we struggle to shoot the ball, but our defense always has to be a constant.  If we are good on defense, we will always give ourselves a shot to win.

“We forced 24 turnovers, so those are empty possessions for their offense. Combine the turnover and offensive rebound disparity in that game and that makes a huge difference. Now we just have to build off of this.”

Louisburg jumped out to a 19-3 lead after the first quarter thanks to its defense, but also because of its relentlessness on the glass.

The Wildcats pulled down 21 offensive rebounds and got several looks the basket despite shooting just 31 percent for the night. 

Senior Mason Dobbins pulled down seven offensive boards and had nine total rebounds to lead Louisburg. Another senior, Isaiah Whitley, had four offensive boards.

“To have 21 offensive rebounds is unheard of,” Pfannenstiel said. “I guess it means we missed plenty of shots, but it also means we gave ourselves extra opportunities. Tongie sat in a zone most of the night and we told our guys to crash the glass. 

“Zone teams can struggle to rebound, so making an effort to go rebound and get loose balls was the difference. Mason and Isaiah were great on the offensive glass. They gave them problems for sure.”

Senior Colyer Wingfield was consistent presence for the Wildcats all night as he led the team with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

“Colyer had a good night,” Pfannenstiel said. “We need him to get us into our offense and create for us, and he did just that. He’s really worked on his shot this offseason and he looks good out there.”

Trey Myers, another Louisburg senior, provided several big shots from the outside as he knocked down three 3-pointers and finished in double figures with 11 points. He also finished with four steals. 

Junior Nathan Parker also connected on a pair of 3-pointers, while senior Cade Gassman led the team with five steals. Brock Vohs and Conlee Hovey also scored their first varsity points.

Louisburg will try and make it back-to-back wins Tuesday when it hosts Burlington for its home opener. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 19 10 8 9 — 46

TONG 3 8 9 12 — 32

LOUISBURG (1-0): Colyer Wingfield 8-19 3-4 20; Trey Myers 3-10 2-2 11; Nathan Parker 2-7 0-0 6; Cade Gassman 2-3 0-0 4; Brock Vohs 1-3 2-3 4; Conlee Hovey 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 16-52 8-13 46. 3-point field goals: 6, (Myers 3, Parker 2, Wingfield)

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.”

For the past six years, Louisburg Sports Zone has given out Athlete of the Week awards during each of the three sports seasons. I do it to recognize special athletic achievements and to highlight the athletes.

For the fifth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Male Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Aiden Barker, Senior, Football and Wrestling

Aiden Barker played big roles on both the Louisburg football and wrestling teams this past season. Barker was a starting lineman for the Wildcat football program and wrestled at 195 pounds for the wrestling team.

Barker was a key fixture on both sides of the ball for the Wildcat football team, but his biggest impact came on the defensive side. He was a first team All-Frontier League selection on the defensive line, where he finished with 58 tackles on the season to go along with 11 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks.

On the wrestling mat, Barker finished his season with a 31-8 record and earned a fifth place medal at the Class 4A state tournament in Salina. He was named the Wildcats’ wrestler of the year and is a two-time first team KWCA Academic all-state winner. He finished with titles at the December Duals, Tonganoxie and Louisburg Invitationals. He finished his career with a program record of career reversals with 74. He will continue his athletic and academic career as a member of the MidAmerica Nazarene University football program this fall.

Brandon Doles, Senior, Football, Wrestling and Baseball

Brandon was a starter on three Wildcat programs during the 2021-22 school year. Doles was the starting linebacker on the football team, he was a varsity captain and 182-pound wrestler on the wrestling team and played the outfield and pitched for the Louisburg baseball program.

In football, Doles was a key part of the Wildcat defense as he earned first team all-league honors from the linebacker spot. He finished the season with 90 tackles and averaged 11 stops per contest. He also forced two fumbles and had 11 tackles for a loss during the Wildcats’ 4-5 season.

Injuries hampered most of Doles’ wrestling season, but he was able to make a comeback late in the season and made his way to his third state tournament. At 182 pounds, Doles was win one short of a medal and finished the year with a 9-5 record. Doles ended his career as a two-time team captain and first team KWCA Academic All-State recipient.

On the baseball diamond, Doles was one of the Wildcats’ top hitters during the 2022 season that saw them end with an 8-14 record and a spot in the regional championship game. Doles, who started in left field, finished with a .338 average and a .969 OPS. He also had 24 hits, seven doubles and two home runs to go along with 17 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Doles also earned second team All-Frontier League honors.

Kolby Kattau, Senior, Football and Baseball

Kolby was a senior starter for both the Louisburg football and baseball teams this past season. Kattau was the starting first baseman and pitcher for the baseball program that reached the regional championship. He was a two-way starter on the football team at running back and safety.

On the baseball diamond, Kattau thrived for the 2022 season as he was named as a first-team All-Frontier and all-state selection for his play at first base. Kattau had a team-high .471 average in 82 plate appearances. He had an OPS of 1.294 and had 33 hits on the season with seven doubles, five triples and a home run. He also scored 24 runs and had 13 RBIs from the leadoff spot. He started five games for the Wildcats and earned three wins with 25 strikeouts. Kattau was also selected to participate in the KABC all-star game.

On the football field, Kattau was one of the team’s starting running backs and recorded two touchdowns with more than 200 yards of total offense. He also started at safety for much of the season as well, and finished with 27 tackles and three deflections.

Tom Koontz, Senior, Football and Track and Field

Tom was a starting defensive back for the Wildcat football team that finished with a 4-5 record, along with being a hurdler and sprinter on the Louisburg track team.

On the track, Koontz helped the Wildcats to a third place team finish at the Class 4A state meet as he earned a pair of state titles in the hurdles and two more medals on relays. Koontz won the 300-meter hurdles with a school record time of 38.98 seconds and also won the state title in the 110 hurdles for the second straight year in 14.61 seconds.

He also helped the 4×400 relay to a fourth place state finish and the 4×100 relay to a sixth place medal. Koontz was also a part of the 4×100 team that broke the school record earlier in the year. He ends his Wildcat career as a 3-time state champion in the hurdles and garnered eight state medals. He was also a member of the 2021 state championship team.

Koontz also made his presence known on the football field as he was a starting cornerback for the Wildcats. He finished the year with 46 tackles, four deflections and a forced fumble.

Maverick Rockers, Senior, Basketball and Baseball

Maverick played key roles for the Wildcat basketball and baseball teams this season. Rockers was the starting point guard in basketball and made an impact on the baseball team as the starting shortstop.

On the baseball diamond, Rockers helped the Wildcats to their second straight regional championship game and had a big year at the plate. Rockers finished with a .406 batting average with a 1.111 OPS. He recorded 28 hits, seven doubles and two home runs to go along with 22 runs scored and 16 RBIs. He also had just six errors from his shortstop position. Following the season, he was named as a second team All-Frontier League player.

Rockers also had a big year on the basketball court as the team’s starting point guard. He averaged 11 points a game to go along with three rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals a game.

Michael Seuferling, Senior, Soccer and Basketball

Michael had big seasons for the Louisburg soccer and basketball teams in 2021-22. Seuferling was a starting defender for the Wildcat soccer team that made it to the regional championship game and was a starting guard for the Wildcat basketball program.

On the soccer field, Seuferling was one of the best outside backs in the Frontier League and was a first team all-league performer for Louisburg. He was also a first-team all-state player as he helped the Wildcats to a No. 1 seed in the Class 4-1A state playoffs.

Seuferling was also one of the top basketball players in the Frontier League as earned honorable mention honors after leading the Wildcats in scoring. He averaged 13.3 points per contest to go along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Braden Yows, Senior, Soccer

Braden had a big season for the Louisburg boys soccer team as he helped lead the Wildcats to the No. 1 seed in the Class 4-1A state playoffs and a spot in the regional championship game.

Yows was named as a first-team All-Frontier League and all-state player from his midfield spot and was named team captain. He ended his season with a 17 goals and 11 assists. He will continue his soccer career this fall at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.