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.

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)