Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted was named to the All-Frontier League second team earlier this week and was one of two Lady Cats to be selected.

With the season at its completion following last weekend’s state tournaments, postseason honors are starting to surface and the Louisburg basketball teams are receiving some of their own.

The All-Frontier League basketball teams were announced Sunday and the Lady Cats earned two spots on the girls side, while the Wildcat boys also had an all-league selection.

Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted earned second-team all-league honors after she led the Lady Cats in scoring at 12 points a game to go along with 5.6 rebounds a game. It was the second straight season Mynsted was named to the second team.

“Jordan did a great job this season,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “She was a huge threat on the offensive end of the court and she did a great job leading our team. Throughout the season I thought Jordan showed maturity and grew into a very confident player. Jordan battled through the tight defense and found ways to score in every game. Her no quit attitude was for sure shown throughout the season because she continued to find ways to score.”

Junior Adyson Ross is an all-league selection for the first time. Ross was an honorable mention selection as she averaged close to nine points a game to go along with 5.3 rebounds a contest.

The Lady Cats finished their season with a 9-12 record and ended their season with a loss to the eventual state champion, Bishop Miege, in the first round of sub-state.

“Adyson stepped up this season and helped our team out tremendously,” Lane said. “She grew into a great defensive player and rebounder and her hustle was shown on both sides of the basketball. Adyson worked very hard this season and it showed on offense. She became a threat from the outside and learned how to score through tight defense.”

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling was the lone all-league recipient on the boys side as he earned honorable mention honors.

Seuferling led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points a game to go along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The Wildcats finished with a 5-16 record after losing to No. 1 seed Eudora in the first round of the sub-state tournament.

“I am so happy that Michael was honored by the coaches of this league,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Michael had a great year for us, and has had a remarkable career at LHS. Not only was he our leading scorer, but he always drew the toughest defensive assignment each night. 

“Probably the biggest impact he made on our program was how he carried himself. He just always did things the right way. No matter if we were up by 20 or down by 20, he just played with the same energy and attitude all the time. He’s a genuine good kid and a great basketball player. I’m really happy for him.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE BASKETBALL

GIRLS

First Team

Riley Smith, Baldwin, senior

Mariyah Noel, Bonner Springs, junior

Harper Schreiner, Eudora, senior

Kate Ediger, Paola, senior

Jenna Weber, Spring Hill, junior

Second Team

Karly Neufeld, Baldwin, junior

Mackenzie Mayer, Eudora, senior

Jordan Mynsted, Louisburg, senior

Kirsten Evans, Ottawa, senior

Raegan Seba, Tonganoxie, senior

Honorable mention

Pirsten Leslie, Bonner Springs, sophomore

Adyson Ross, Louisburg, junior

Sofia Ficken, Ottawa, senior

Brooklyn Hadl, Ottawa, junior

Maggie Kauk, Paola, junior

Sage Grann, Piper, sophomore

Marissa Covington, Piper, senior

Sydney Buscher, Spring Hill, freshman

Cate Milroy, Spring Hill, senior

BOYS

First Team

Jaron Briggs, Piper, senior

Trey Moala, Paola, senior

Andrew Wilson, Tonganoxie, senior

Jaden Hamm, Eudora, junior

Noah McCullough, Ottawa, senior

Second Team

Jayce Smith, Bonner Springs, senior

Caleb Carr, Baldwin, junior

Logan Sullivan, Eudora, sophomore

Luke Metcalf, Spring Hill, junior

Zane Novotney, Tonganoxie, senior

Honorable Mention

Traeger Rader, Eudora, senior

Michael Seuferling, Louisburg, senior

Caden Marcum, Paola, senior

Aaron Simmons, Piper, senior

Cole Mahaffey, Baldwin, senior

Kalen Streit, Bonner Springs, sophomore 

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling goes up for a rebound last Wednesday against Eudora in the first round of the sub-state tournament.

EUDORA — The Louisburg boys basketball team needed to figure out a way to give itself an opportunity to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

The Wildcats, who were the No. 16 seed, traveled to face No. 1 Eudora in the first round of the Class 4A sub-state tournament last Wednesday.

Unlike their two previous matchups, the Wildcats wanted to try some thing different and it certainly kept them in the game. Louisburg worked the ball around on offense and limited Eudora’s chances to get out and run.

Although it worked for awhile, the Wildcats couldn’t keep the Cardinals down for long as Louisburg saw its season come to an end with a 47-30 loss.

“I was so proud of the way our boys played,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “When you are playing the No. 1 seed like that, your goal is to get the game to the fourth quarter where anything can happen. Eudora is a really good team. They just have so many ways to hurt you. They have size, quick guards, good shooters, and a great defensive team.  They truly don’t have many, if any, weaknesses.”

The Wildcats (5-16) took the air out of the ball to start the game and it paid off as they took a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Eudora had a little more success in the second, but Louisburg struggled to score and the Cardinals held the Wildcats to just three points in the frame and took a 22-15 halftime advantage.

It was still a close game in the third quarter as Louisburg cut the Eudora lead to four at one point, but the Cardinals pulled away in the fourth quarter to eventually win by 17.

Eudora would go on to beat Labette County in the sub-state championship game, 68-42, and earned the No. 1 seed in this week’s state tournament.

“We knew we would struggle if we got into a shootout with them,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our No. 1 key going into the game was to control the tempo. Our thought was that by slowing down the game, it would help limit Eudora’s possessions and help us have more quality possessions.  In our eyes, quality over quantity is what we wanted offensively. 

“Eudora’s pack line defense makes it tough to get good looks, so we wanted to spread them out and make them guard outside of the three point line.  We got sped up at times, but overall, I thought our boys played well.”

It was the final game for the five Louisburg seniors. Maverick Rockers, Michael Seuferling, Carson Kern, Isaac Guetterman and Hunter Rogers all saw their Wildcat careers come to a close.

Rockers led Louisburg in scoring with nine points and a team-high five rebounds. Seuferling finished with eight, while junior Colyer Wingfield added seven in the loss.

Although it was a tough season just one year after finding themselves in the state championship game, Pfannenstiel believed his team battled every night through what was a difficult schedule.

“This honestly has been one of my most enjoyable seasons as a coach,” he said. “I know we all would have liked to win more games, but this group was so much fun to coach because they are a good bunch of kids. Top to bottom, every kid is a genuine good kid. 

“This group played an incredibly tough schedule. The Frontier League, in my opinion, is the best league in the state. Then we played great competition outside of our league schedule. Our kids didn’t complain once. They battled every night out and gave our community something to be proud of.”

LOU 12 3 9 6 — 30

EUD 10 12 12 13 — 47

LOUISBURG (5-16): Maverick Rockers 3-10 0-0 9; Michael Seuferling 2-10 4-8 8; Colyer Wingfield 3-5 1-2 7; Isaac Guetterman 1-1 1-2 4; Mack Newell 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 10-31 6-12 30. 3-point field goals: 4, (Rockers 3, Guetterman)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 11 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank of Louisburg.

MACK NEWELL, JUNIOR, BOYS BASKETBALL

Louisburg junior Mack Newell had a big week for the Wildcat basketball team and helped them to an overtime win over Harrisonville last Thursday. Newell led the Wildcats with 21 points and 10 rebounds in their regular season finale in Harrisonville. The victory allowed Louisburg to get into the sub-state tournament.

On the previous Tuesday, Newell also finished in double figures with 12 points in a close loss to Paola. Newell is currently averaging 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game on the season.

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: Elijah Eslinger

Week 2: Maverick Rockers

Week 3: Aiden Barker

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Michael Seuferling

Week 6: Cole Brown

Week 7: Jordan Mynsted

Week 8: Adyson Ross

Week 9: Bailey Hallas

Week 10: Brandon Doles

Maverick Rockers knocks down one of his three 3-pointers Thursday at Harrisonville High School during the Wildcats’ 74-59 overtime win.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — They were they types of shots that have been known to bring down the Louisburg boys basketball team throughout the season and Harrisonville had three of them in one game.

Whether it was a three-quarter court heave that hit the backboard and right into a teammate’s hand for a layup at the buzzer right before halftime, or a buzzer-beating half-court shot to end the third or a game-tying 3-pointer with 7 seconds left in the fourth quarter — Harrisonville tried everything it could to knock off the Wildcats.

“This season it seems like we have always had those shots go against us and sometimes those plays have deflated us and we have struggled to come back when the other team gets that momentum,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Our kids really responded this time.”

Louisburg persevered in a way it hadn’t much all season.

The Wildcats scored 17 points in the overtime Thursday at Harrisonville High School and pulled away for a 74-59 victory over Harrisonville in its regular season finale.

It was a must-win game for Louisburg as the Wildcats needed a win Thursday to have a chance to get into the sub-state tournament. They also had to have help as they needed both Ottawa and Fort Scott to lose their games on Friday. The two teams on each side of the state with the worst record are eliminated from the postseason.

Both of those scenarios happened and now the Wildcats (5-15) are the No. 16 seed and will travel to No. 1 Eudora on Wednesday to begin sub-state action.

The Louisburg players knew Thursday’s game was important and they treated it just like a playoff game.

“You could definitely tell they had that energy,” Pfannenstiel said of his players. “They were in good spirits and positive, even when things weren’t going our way. They knew their season was on the line, and for those five seniors, their careers were on the line. For them to make big plays and run away with it in overtime, was just huge for us.”

The Wildcats outscored Harrisonville 17-2 in the overtime after Harrisonville stole all the momentum with a game-tying 3-pointer toward the end of regulation.

Louisburg didn’t waste any time taking it right back. Senior Isaac Guetterman knocked down a 3-pointer to begin overtime, and junior Mack Newell responded with back-to-back baskets to help the Wildcats go on a 7-2 run.

The free-throw line was a strong point for the Wildcats and they iced the game there, as they converted 23 of 31 attempts for the game.

“Isaac hit a big shot in overtime to help get us going and it was a great team win,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got contributions from all of our guys and we played good enough defensively and was one of our better nights offensively.”

Newell and junior Colyer Wingfield played big on the inside for Louisburg and provided a lot of scoring in the paint. 

Newell finished with a double-double as he led the Wildcats with 21 points and 10 rebounds, despite dealing with foul trouble. Wingfield was also key for Louisburg as he had 17 points and five rebounds.

The Wildcats also got strong play from the perimeter as Maverick Rockers finished with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Senior Michael Seuferling had 14 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists.

Guetterman, who hit the big 3-pointer at the beginning of overtime, had a team-high six assists.

Louisburg held the lead for much of the contest, despite getting down 6-0 early, but had to face adversity late as both Newell and Rockers were saddled with four fouls. Seniors Carson Kern and Hunter Rogers provided the Wildcats with significant minutes down the stretch.

“I don’t know if we can say Mack has foul trouble anymore, that is kind of just the norm for him,” Pfannenstiel said. “Mav is a smart player and we trusted him in that situation, but it does get dicey when you have two guys like that with four fouls. It was a good team win though and everyone kind of pulled together when we needed it the most.”

The Wildcats will now travel to Eudora (16-3) on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tipoff with their season on the line in the first round of sub-state. The winner of that game will play the winner of Labette County (11-9) and Independence (10-7) on Saturday for the sub-state championship.

LOU 12 18 15 12 17 — 74

HAR 11 16 15 15 2 — 59

LOUISBURG (5-15): Mack Newell 6-8 8-11 21; Maverick Rockers 4-10 6-8 17; Colyer Wingfield 8-12 1-2 17; Michael Seuferling 3-8 8-10 14; Isaac Guetterman 2-4 0-0 5. Totals: 23-45 23-31 74. 3-point field goals: 5, (Rockers 3, Newell, Guetterman)

Upset-bid of Paola falls short for Louisburg

Louisburg had every intention of handing No. 3 Paola a loss on its Senior Night on Tuesday in Paola, but the Wildcats couldn’t complete the job.

Paola used a big fourth quarter to rally and defeat Louisburg, 54-43, to end its Frontier League schedule.

“Man, we competed,” Pfannenstiel said. “I thought our kids executed our defensive game plan very well.  What we’ve done defensively against Paola is pretty unorthodox, so hats off to our kids for buying in and executing.”

The Wildcats concentrated on slowing down Paola senior Trey Moala, and did so again, holding him to seven points thanks to the defense of senior Michael Seuferling.

However, several other Panthers hit big baskets down the stretch, including Caden Marcum, who had a team-high 14 points and Dalton Picek who finished with 10.

Paola was able to rally thanks to its ability on the offensively glass as the Panthers pulled down 16 offensive rebounds and finished with 15 second chance points.

Add in foul trouble that Louisburg had to deal with on the inside, and the Panthers were able to take advantage.

“Paola has good size, strength and athleticism on the inside so they definitely took advantage of that,” Pfannesntiel said. “We’ve struggled with giving up offensive rebounds all season. When Mack and Colyer picked up some early fouls, they probably had to play a little more cautious which hurt us. I thought Hunter Rogers did a nice job of coming in and helping us on the boards.”

Louisburg held a 34-32 lead going into the fourth quarter, but Paola outscored the Wildcats 22-9 in the final frame to avoid the upset.

Mack Newell led Louisburg in scoring with 12 points and five rebounds and Colyer Wingfield added 10 in the loss. Maverick Rockers just finished out of double figures with eight.

Despite the loss, there were positives to takeaway as the Wildcats focus on the rest of the their season, including Seuferling’s defensive performance.

“Sci Fi has been really good all year. He logs almost every minute of the game and he’s always guarding the best player. It’s impressive to think how well he guarded Moala both games this year giving up 7 inches in height. He held him to 9 the first game and then 7 this time. Michael did exactly what we asked of him — keep him out of the paint and force him to shoot perimeter shots and mid range jumpers. He played about as well as you possibly could on defense.”

LOU 14 4 16 9 — 43

PAO 13 11 8 22 — 54

LOUISBURG: Mack Newell 5-7 1-2 12; Colyer Wingfield 4-5 2-3 10; Maverick Rockers 3-6 0-0 8; Michael Seuferling 1-8 4-4 6; Isaac Guetterman 1-3 2-2 5; Carson Kern 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 14-33 11-13 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Rockers 2, Newell, Guetterman)

Louisburg sophomore Michael Seuferling puts up a runner in the lane Friday during the Wildcats’ loss to Bonner Springs in Louisburg.

The Louisburg boys basketball team had a chance to close its home schedule with a pair of games last week, but the Wildcats didn’t get a chance to go out on the note they would have liked.

Louisburg lost both games last week, including a 72-52 setback to Bonner Springs on Friday. 

The losses were exactly memorable, however, the Wildcats still had a chance to honor its seniors — Isaac Guetterman, Carson Kern, Maverick Rockers, Hunter Rogers and Michael Seuferling — on Senior Night last Tuesday against Eudora.

It is a group that certainly left its mark on a Wildcat program as some of them were a part of last year’s state runner-up team.

“This is a great group of kids,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I know we all would have liked to win more games, but they have really battled this year. The Frontier League is a beast night in and night out, and with the mid-season tournament and Shawnee Mission South on the schedule, they’ve really played some great competition this year. 

“This group has put in a lot of hours to make themselves the best basketball players they could be. People show up and watch on game nights, but they have no idea how much time and commitment these kids have put in when the bright lights weren’t on. I’m proud of this group and I’m always proud of their effort.”

The Wildcats (4-14) battled against Bonner Springs, but had problems with the Braves’ athleticism. Bonner Springs was able to score 25 points off of Louisburg turnovers.

Louisburg also found itself down 17-6 at the end of the first quarter and the Wildcats couldn’t get enough offensive consistency to get back in it.

Rockers and Guetterman each scored 10 points to lead the Wildcats, while Seuferling and junior Colyer Wingfield each finished with eight. Newell led the way with a team-high 11 rebounds, while Seuferling had seven and four assists.

“We struggled to find consistency,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got down early which made it tough on us.  Bonner was athletic and really does a good job of getting out in transition. We just turned the ball over too many times early and gave up way too many offensive rebounds. We have to do a better job in those phases of the game.”

Louisburg will try to end the regular season with a win as the Wildcats travel to rival Paola for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

LOU 6 15 9 22 — 52

BON 17 19 15 21 — 72

LOUISBURG (4-14): Maverick Rockers 4-12 1-1 10; Isaac Guetterman 4-6 0-3 10; Michael Seuferling 3-11 2-3 8; Colyer Wingfield 4-8 0-1 8; Carson Kern 2-4 0-0 6; Mack Newell 2-5 1-4 5; Hunter Rogers 1-3 0-0 3; Nathan Parker 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 20-53 6-14 52. 3-point field goals: 6, (Kern 2, Guetterman 2, Rockers, Rogers)

Wildcats fall on Senior Night to No. 1 Eudora

Louisburg faced one of its more difficult tests of the season last Tuesday when it hosted No. 1 Eudora on Senior Night.

The Wildcats played Eudora even for three quarters, but the other ended up being Louisburg’s undoing.

Eudora held the Wildcats to six points in the second quarter and used that to hand Louisburg a 60-42 loss.

Despite being down 16 at halftime, the Wildcats battled back to cut the Cardinal lead to nine on a couple different occasions, but could get no closer.

“I thought we played pretty tough,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We played well in the 1st quarter, but then struggled to score in the 2nd which allowed Eudora to stretch out their lead.I was proud of how we came out in the second half. We had it to single digits, but had a tough last couple minutes of the 3rd quarter which hurt us.  

“Eudora is a good team. There is very little margin for error when playing them, so we just needed to be a little more consistent. Overall though, I thought we played hard and shot the ball well from the perimeter.”

The Wildcats, despite only making six two-point baskets, knocked in nine 3-pointers on the night, including four from Maverick Rockers.

Rockers finished with a team-high 15 points and junior Colyer Wingfield had nine. Michael Seuferling had a team-high six rebounds and six assists.

LOU 10 6 16 10 — 42

EUD 13 19 18 10 — 60

LOUISBURG: Maverick Rockers 5-11 1-1 15; Colyer Wingfield 3-8 1-2 9; Michael Seuferling 2-12 1-4 5; Carson Kern 2-3 0-0 5; Isaac Guetterman 1-4 0-0 3; Hunter Rogers 1-3 0-0 3; Mack Newell 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-44 3-7 42. 3-point field goals: 9, (Rockers 4, Wingfield 2, Kern, Guetterman, Rogers)

Louisburg senior Carson Kern puts up a runner in the lane Friday against Spring Hill at Louisburg High School.

There became a point in Friday’s game with Spring Hill, more specifically the third quarter, where the Louisburg boys knew it wasn’t going to be their night.

Spring Hill scored 26 points in the third quarter and knocked down 10 3-pointers for the game in a 71-50 victory over the Wildcats on homecoming. The Broncos just couldn’t seem to miss.

“We obviously struggled to get stops defensively, Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We have to be better as a team in that regard. We have to do a better job of keeping guys out of the middle of the floor where they can kick out to shooters. We also have to be better with our defensive rotations. 

“Spring Hill had one of those nights, where things were pretty easy for them offensively. We have to do a better job of making them uncomfortable on that end of the floor. That definitely didn’t happen.”

Spring Hill shot nearly 60 percent from the floor as the Broncos broke open a 3-point game at halftime. They outscored the Wildcats 26-9 in the third quarter, took a 20-point lead and the Broncos never looked back.

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling was the lone Wildcat in double figures with a team-high 16 points, while junior Colyer Wingfield and senior Carson Kern had eight and seven points, respectively.

Senior Isaac Guetterman led the Wildcats in rebounds from his guard spot with six.

“Spring Hill got hot,” Pfannenstiel said of the third quarter. “They knocked down some shots early and then it just kind of snowballed on us. We just didn’t have enough production offensively to keep pace with them.” 

The Wildcats will try and snap their two-game losing streak tonight as they host Eudora for Senior Night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

It is the first of a four-game stretch that will end the Wildcats’ regular season and Pfannenstiel hopes his team can get some momentum going into the postseason.

“These last four games are huge for us,” he said. “Not only from a confidence standpoint, but our season is winding down. It’s crazy how fast the season goes.  We have some really tough opponents to close out the season. We have to go out there and continue to play with great effort, and hopefully put together some good offensive and defensive efforts in these next four.”

LOU 11 17 9 13 — 50

SH 18 13 26 14 — 71

LOUISBURG (4-12): Michael Seuferling 7-15 2-4 16; Colyer Wingfield 3-10 1-4 8; Carson Kern 2-8 1-2 7; Mack Newell 3-4 0-0 6; Maverick Rockers 2-6 0-0 6; Hunter Rogers 2-5 0-0 5; Isaac Guetterman 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 20-53 4-10 50. 3-point field goals: 6, (Kern 2, Rockers 2, Rogers, Wingfield)

Offense goes cold in Wildcats’ loss to Fort Scott

As far as basketball goes, last Tuesday was just “one of those nights” for Louisburg against Fort Scott. 

Nothing wanted to go in the basket for the Wildcats and that allowed the Tigers to hand Louisburg a 44-30 setback on its home floor. Louisburg shot just 24 percent from the floor and could never get any traction offensively.

“That game reminded me a lot of our Frontenac game a couple years ago,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We packed in a zone against them, and they had a rough shooting night. So I’ve seen it (shooting night) happen, but it’s way more fun to be on the winning side of it. “

Louisburg managed just seven points in the first half, before getting something going with 17 points in the final quarter. However, the damage was already done and the Wildcats weren’t able to recover from a 15-point deficit.

Junior Colyer Wingfield accounted for half of the Wildcats’ points with 15 and also had a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Michael Seuferling finished with nine.

LOU 5 2 6 17 — 30

FS 11 7 10 16 — 44

LOUISBURG: Colyer Wingfield 7-13 1-1 15; Michael Seuferling 3-12 2-2 9; Maverick Rockers 1-12 0-0 3; Isaac Guetterman 1-6 0-0 3. Totals: 12-50 3-5 30. 3-point field goals: 3, (Seuferling, Rockers, Guetterman)

Members of the 2022 Louisburg High School winter homecoming court are (from left) Aubryn Berck, Aiden Barker, Chase Kallevig, A.J. Arriola, Corinna McMullen, Carson Kern, Reese Johnson and Isaac Guetterman.

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 2022 winter king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday during halftime of the Wildcat boys’ basketball game with Spring Hill. 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 both the Wildcat girls and boys basketball teams.

Aubryn Berck and Aiden Barker

Aubryn is the daughter of Dave and Amanda Berck. Aubryn has been involved with high school volleyball for three years, member of National Honor Society for two years, FCA for two years. She has been a part of FCCLA for one year, track for one year and volleyball manager for one year. Aubryn has played club volleyball for eight years, shown horses for 10 years and a leader in Life Church’s youth classroom for two years. Following graduation, Aubryn is planning to study nutrition sciences to become a registered dietician. She is undecided on her school at this time.

Aiden is the son of David and Gail Barker. Aiden has participated in football for four years, wrestling for four years and National Honor Society for two years. He is currently undecided on his plans following graduation.

Chase Kallevig and A.J. Arriola

Chase is the daughter of Eric and Kara Kallevig. Chase has participated in volleyball for four years, FFA for three year, National Honor Society for two years, FBLA for two years and basketball for one year. Chase is currently undecided on her plans following graduation.

A.J. is the son of Juan Arriola and Shelly Gibson. A.J. has participated in golf for four years, FCA for two years, musical for two years, choir for two years and FBLA for one year. A.J. plans to major in accounting in college, but is undecided on his destination.

Corinna McMullen and Carson Kern

Corinna is the daughter of Scott and Sarah McMullen. Corinna has participated in volleyball for four years, National Honor Society for two years, Interact Club for one year and FBLA for one year. After graduation, Corinna will attend Washburn University on a volleyball scholarship and major in nursing with a specialization in pediatrics.

Carson is the son of Matthew and Veronica Kern. Carson has participated in basketball for three years and golf for two years. After graduation, Carson plans to attend Pittsburg State University.

Reese Johnson and Isaac Guetterman

Reese is the daughter of Matthew and Tiffany Johnson. Reese has participated in soccer for four years, cross country for four years, National Honor Society for two years, band for two years and FFA for one year. Reese plans to attend the University of Central Missouri after graduation, but is undecided on a major.

Isaac is the son of Ted and Lisa Guetterman. Isaac has participated in FFA for four years, soccer for four years and basketball for four years. He has been a part of National Honor Society for two years and participated in track for one. Following graduation, Isaac plans to attend Iowa State University and major in Agricultural Engineering.

The Louisburg bench celebrates just as the buzzer sounded in the Wildcats’ 57-54 come-from-behind victory over Ottawa on Friday at Ottawa High School.

OTTAWA — At least when it came to shooting, it appeared that Friday just wasn’t going to be Maverick Rockers’ night.

The Louisburg senior missed his first eight shots and had just one point against Ottawa going into the game’s final seconds.

However, with the game on the line, the Wildcats looked Rockers’ direction — and it paid off in a big way.

Rockers hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to put Louisburg up one. Louisburg senior Carson Kern then stole the Cyclone inbounds pass and scored to ice the Wildcats’ 57-54 win at Ottawa.

“We had that play called and we have a lot of confidence in Maverick,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We wanted to keep with it, the kids ran the play, executed well and the shot went in. It was a big shot and just a great win for the guys. We really needed it.”

The game also snapped a six-game losing skid for the Wildcats. It also marked the first victory for Louisburg in Ottawa in at least two decades.

Louisburg (4-10) had to rally to make that a reality. The Wildcats found themselves down six with a minute remaining, but Michael Seuferling drove the lane, was fouled and converted the 3-point play.

After an Isaac Guetterman free throw cut the Cyclone lead to two, Ottawa made two free throws to go back up four. Then with 30 seconds remaining, Mack Newell knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a one-point contest.

The Cyclones knocked down two more free throws to make it 53-50 with 27 seconds left, but the Wildcats stayed close when Colyer Wingfield had an offensive rebound and put back to keep it a one point game with 19 seconds remaining.

With a pair of fouls by Louisburg within seconds of themselves, Ottawa had a chance to put the game away, but the Cyclones made just one of four free throws.

That all set up Rockers’ heroics and gave the Wildcats the victory they were looking for. Seuferling pushed the ball to the corner and then threw a cross-court pass to Rockers in the opposite corner and the Louisburg senior knocked down the shot.

“Our guys always give good effort and have done so all year,” Pfannenstiel said. “It just comes down to making plays, making some shots and getting some stops. At the end, we got the ones that we needed and things went our way. It was great shots by Mack and Mav to get us there, also a nice putback by Colyer and steal by Carson that made the difference in the end.”

Following Rockers’ 3-pointer, Kern quickly stole the inbound pass as the clock was running down and took it in for the uncontested layup to put the Wildcats up three and sealed the win.

It was quite the victory for the Wildcats, who were coming off some heartbreak of their own last week when they lost at the buzzer to Paola. This time, Louisburg found itself on the winning side.

“I told Coach (Drew) Harding after the game that I didn’t even know what happened there at the end,” Pfannenstiel said. “It was just like a whirlwind. The kids made plays and I am proud of them. They needed this win and they have worked hard. We have played a good schedule, lost a tough one the other night to Paola. We were able to make the plays this time and it was good to see.”

The Wildcats turned up the pressure defensively in the game’s final minute, which helped the rally from seven points down with a 1:21 left in the contest. 

Louisburg scored 13 points off 16 Cyclone turnovers on the night and the Wildcats also found success inside as they outscored Ottawa 34-20 in the paint. Seuferling was a big part of that as he finished with a team-high 22 points and a team-best four assists. 

Wingfield and Newell were also key for Louisburg. Wingfield scored 15 points and Newell added 13, while both finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

“A lot of those points were late, but with Michael you couldn’t tell by his reaction if we were down by 30 or up by 30,” Pfannenstiel said. “He is going to keep playing and he was big for us. Mack had another nice game for us, Colyer was good on the boards and it was just a good team win. The guys did the little things to get us the win.”

The Wildcats will try for back-to-back wins tonight as they host Fort Scott. Pfannenstiel hopes this win can get the Wildcats going in the right direction.

“I told the guys that it is time to go on another run here,” he said. “This was a big momentum builder for us and a great win in a place where we haven’t won in a number of years. That is big for us and something that these kids will always remember.”

LOU 8 10 13 26 — 57

OTT 6 16 10 22 — 54

LOUISBURG (4-10): Michael Seuferling 7-20 7-10 22; Colyer Wingfield 6-7 3-6 15; Mack Newell 6-8 0-0 13; Maverick Rockers 1-9 1-2 4; Carson Kern 1-2 0-1 2; Isaac Guetterman 0-3 1-2 1. Totals: 21-49 12-21 57. 3-point field goals: 3, (Newell, Seuferling, Rockers)

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling is trying to wrestle the ball away from two Paola players Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

The Louisburg boys basketball put together the defensive performance it was looking for Tuesday against No. 5 ranked Paola.

The game was tied with a minute left and Paola had the opportunity to escape Louisburg with a victory. Everyone’s eyes focused on Trey Moala, one of the top players in the Frontier League.

Moala had the ball in his hands with five seconds and drove the lane. However, instead of shooting it, he found an open teammate in Logan Newkirk and Newkirk drained the 3-pointer from the corner to give Paola a 42-39 win at the buzzer.

In a game where the Wildcats did most everything right to stay with the state-ranked Panthers, they came up just short.

“We knew Moala was going to try to get downhill,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Our goal all night was to keep him from getting into the lane and make them hit shots from the perimeter. We did a good job of cutting him off, but he was able to find the open man and hats off to that kid (Newkirk) for hitting the big shot.

“I thought it was a great game. Paola is tough. They have great size and athleticism to go along with the best player in our league, so for us to play as well as we did defensively, I was really proud.”

Senior Michael Seuferling led the defensive charge for the Wildcats as his assignment was to follow Moala the entire night. Seuferling, who is also the team’s leading scorer on the season, held Moala to just two field goals the entire game and made things difficult for the Paola forward.

“Sci Fi is one of the best on ball defenders in our league,” Pfannenstiel said. “He was great in that role last year. We knew we could always put him on the other team’s best player and he’d make things tough on him. Even with Michael being asked to score more for us this year, he still draws the other team’s best player. 

“With Moala’s size (6-6) and Mike at 5-10, that’s a lot to ask of him, but he did a great job. To hold Trey to 2 field goals was an incredible job by him and our guys there in the paint.”

Louisburg got out to a good start and played from in front to begin the second quarter. The Wildcats took an 11-7 lead, but the Panthers flipped the game in the second as they outscored Louisburg 15-4 to take a seven-point halftime lead.

After an even third quarter, the Wildcats didn’t back down as they chipped away at the Panther lead.

Back-to-back three point plays from Maverick Rockers and Seuferling cut the Paola lead to one, then a Seuferling jumper in the lane put Louisburg in front.

Junior Mack Newell then converted three shots in the paint to give the Wildcats a 3-point lead late in the game.

Ayden Morris hit a pair of free throws for Paola to cut the lead to one. Louisburg then missed on a 3-pointer with under two minutes remaining.

The Wildcats wouldn’t see the ball again as Moala hit a free-throw to tie it, then Louisburg tipped a missed free throw out of bounds. The Panthers would hold the ball the rest of the way and eventually get the game-winning shot.

“When we had the lead and the ball with a minute left, I probably should have called a timeout to regroup our guys, but I have a lot of trust in our guys,” Pfannenstiel said. “The smart thing to do would have been to talk things over. I take full blame for that. We had an empty possession, which lead to Paola getting the ball back.”

Newell led the Wildcats on the inside as he scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Seuferling finished with nine. Junior Colyer Wingfield had a team-high seven rebounds and also had three assists.

Although the loss was a difficult one, especially against a rival, Pfannenstiel saw a lot of great play from this team.

“Overall, I know the last minute didn’t turn out how we wanted it, but our kids did a great job of executing our game plan,” Pfannenstiel said. “We ran some good sets on offense and did exactly what we were wanting to do on defense. We just didn’t quite make enough plays there at the end.  

“We will build off of this. Paola is a team that will likely be a 1 seed in sub-state. We’ve really played tough against the top teams in our league in Paola and Eudora. If we can be a little more consistent offensively, I think we have a chance to be a dangerous team. I was really proud of our boys’ effort.”

LOU 11 4 10 14 — 39

PAO 7 15 10 10 — 42

LOUISBURG (3-10): Mack Newell 8-14 1-2 17; Michael Seuferling 3-8 3-3 9; Maverick Rockers 3-9 1-1 7; Colyer Wingfield 1-3 2-2 4; Isaac Guetterman 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 16-31 7-8 39. 3-point field goals: none

Louisburg junior Colyer Wingfield drives to the basket Friday at Spring Hill. The Wildcats fell 54-42 to the Broncos.

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg boys basketball team has had a difficult last couple of weeks as the Wildcats have gone up against bigger schools and better competition.

Going into Friday’s road game with Spring Hill, the Wildcats had gone up against programs 5A or above in the last four games. Louisburg made it five in a row against Class 5A Spring Hill, but the Wildcats got the chance to get back into Frontier League play.

Despite a good start, the Wildcats couldn’t get that victory they were looking for as they fell to the Broncos, 54-42, and have now lost five in a row.

“Our kids battled,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They played with great effort all night.  It was definitely not an effort thing or coming out flat, we just have to be better offensively. We’ve had a tough stretch here, but our kids have remained positive. I love their attitudes. They are doing everything they can to get a win.”

Louisburg (3-9) put together a strong start offensively as it took a 27-22 lead into halftime and had slowed down the Bronco offense. The second half, however, was a different story.

The Wildcats scored just 15 points in the second half, and Spring Hill doubled that output in the final two quarters. 

Turnovers were also a problem for the Wildcats as they committed 14 on the night, but Spring Hill scored 16 points off those mistakes. The Broncos also took advantage of opportunities at the free-throw line as they were 14 for 18.

“Only scoring 15 in the second half really put a lot of pressure on our defense,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our defense played well enough to win, but we have to be better on the offensive end of the floor. I think we forced some things. We were forcing some shots which didn’t help. I think if we can be a little more patient on the offensive end, we can become more efficient. Bottom line is that we have to shoot the ball better and when we get to the free throw line, we have to step up and knock them down.

“Overall, we played pretty well defensively.  We turned the ball over way too much early in the game.  We have to do a better job of valuing each possession.  Turnovers are automatic empty possessions.”

Louisburg only had four players score in the contest and senior Michael Seuferling led the way with a team-high 18 points and had three steals. Junior Colyer Wingfield was also in double figures with 11 points and six rebounds. 

Junior Mack Newell had a team-high seven rebounds to go along with eight points as he was forced to sit a lot of the game with foul trouble. Senior guard Isaac Guetterman also had six rebounds.

Louisburg will try and get back on the winning track Tuesday when it hosts rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 11 16 7 8 — 42

SH 15 7 16 16 — 54

LOUISBURG (3-9): Michael Seuferling 7-13 3-4 18; Colyer Wingfield 5-10 1-4 11; Mack Newell 3-9 2-4 8; Maverick Rockers 2-8 0-2 5. Totals: 17-44 6-14 42. 3-point field goals: 2, (Seuferling, Rockers)

Wildcats fall on the road to Shawnee Mission South

Louisburg put together a good offensive performance as it shot better than 50 percent from the field and knocked down 10 3-pointers.

Despite those good numbers, the Wildcats didn’t have enough to slow down Shawnee Mission South in a 79-51 loss on the road. The Raiders, who are the No. 6 team in Class 6A, outscored Louisburg 23-5 in the first quarter.

Senior Maverick Rockers had a good shooting night from behind the arch as he knocked down six 3-pointers and had a team-high 20 points. Michael Seuferling had 18 points and three 3-pointers as the two players combined for 38 of the team’s 51 points.

LOU 5 19 17 10 — 51

SMS 23 22 27 7 — 79

LOUISBURG: Maverick Rockers 7-10 0-0 20; Michael Seuferling 6-15 3-4 18; Colyer Wingfield 1-5 2-6 4; Carson Kern 1-1 0-0 3; Mack Newell 1-2 0-0 2; Isaac Guetterman 1-3 0-0 2; Hunter Rogers 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 18-38 5-10 51. 3-point field goals: 10, (Rockers 6, Seuferling 3, Kern)