It was a successful, and eventful, 2021 for Louisburg High School athletics and for those who are connected to the Wildcat program. This past year created a lot of school history for LHS and several programs brought back state hardware.

Below are the top stories from 2021, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.

When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site.

This year was a blast to cover and I am looking forward to seeing what 2022 will bring. Thank you to everyone for their support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

10. Louisburg golf team qualifies for state

INDEPENDENCE — For the second time in as many seasons, the Louisburg boys golf team qualified for the state tournament.

Except this time, the Wildcat team is made up of a completely new roster.

The Louisburg group of Johnny Eberhart, A.J. Arriola, Johnny Thompson, Sam Wheeler, Dacey Wieland and Jackson Olson shot a 392 to finish third at the Class 4A regional meet at Independence Country Club. 

The Wildcats were just three strokes behind runner-up Field Kindley. Independence won the regional title with a 361.

Louisburg last went to state in 2019, but the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.

Eberhart led Louisburg with an 87 and finished fourth overall and was the lone Wildcat to make the cut for the second day.

9. Compliment steps back from volleyball program after 15 seasons.

When Jessica Compliment walked off the floor following her team’s semifinal sub-state loss to Bishop Miege back in October of 2020, the only thought on her mind was how that match was more like a state championship battle.s

It wasn’t your normal match as the two perennial state contenders had to square off so early in the postseason. She was proud of her team and was looking forward to another season of helping Louisburg volleyball get to another state tournament.

Little did she know, it would be the last time she would find herself on the Lady Cat sideline.

In late January, Compliment submitted her resignation as head volleyball coach as she will be stepping away to spend more time with her growing family.

Compliment certainly left her mark on the Louisburg volleyball program as she finished her 15th season back in October and has an impressive resume to show for it.

In the decade-and-a-half as the Lady Cat coach, Compliment guided Louisburg to eight state tournament appearances and placed in the top four of seven of them.

She also finished nine wins shy of 400 as she posted a record of 391-226 and helped Louisburg to three state championship matches.

Shortly after, the district hired assistant coach Leanna Willer to take over the program.

8. Wildcat boys soccer wins Frontier League title, advances to regional title

It had the drama of a state championship match, but instead the No. 1 and 3 ranked teams in the state were playing for the Class 4-1A regional championship title.

Louisburg hosted Bishop Miege in hopes ending the Stags’ string of consecutive state championships.

Instead, the Wildcats once again saw their season come to a close after a 2-0 loss to the Stags at Wildcat Stadium and ended their season with a 12-5-1 record.

The loss was heartbreaking defeat for the Wildcats, who had their sights set on another state final four — and possibly — a state title. To make matters worse, it was to a Miege team that has handed Louisburg a loss in five of the last six postseasons.

Earlier in the season, the Wildcats were crowned as co-champions of the Frontier League with Spring Hill.

7. Wildcat wrestling medals two

SALINA — Cade Holtzen and Alec Younggren didn’t get to leave Salina with what they were hoping to earn.

Only a select few get to leave with the title of “state champion,” and both Louisburg seniors were close to reaching their goal. Despite that, both wrestlers helped the Wildcat team to their best state finish in nearly 11 years.

Younggren reached the championship match, only to finish second at 220 pounds, while Holtzen rallied back to medal third at 132 during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. The two wrestlers combined to score 30 points, which put them 14th in the team standings.

Louisburg hadn’t finished that high since 2010, when Austin Hood won his first of three state titles and his brother Bryce, took second. The Wildcats were 10th that year.

6. Louisburg cross country qualifies both teams for state, medals four.

WAMEGO — It wasn’t the finish Louisburg wanted following the Class 4A state cross country meet, but the Wildcats left with more than their fair share of hardware.

Louisburg was awarded four state medals following the meet at Wamego Country Club, including three on the girls side for the second straight season.

The Lady Cats had hoped to earn a team plaque for the second year in a row, but took fifth overall with 144 points. Eudora won the girls championship with 56, Baldwin was second with 64 and Winfield was third with 93.

Sophomore Emma Vohs led the charge for Louisburg as she finished sixth overall. Sophomore Maddy Rhamy and senior Reese Johnson also medaled for the Lady Cats.

In his first year with the boys program, senior Jaden Vohs had a strong final run for the Wildcats as he medaled 12th overall.

5. Louisburg cheer finishes runner-up at state competition

TOPEKA — The Louisburg High cheer program knows a thing or two about being one of the last teams left standing at the Game Day Showcase.

Louisburg, which won a state title in 2019 and took third in 2020, found itself one of the two teams left standing.

When the final results were announced in November, the judges awarded the Wildcat cheer squad the state runner-up plaque. Paola won the state title, while Baldwin made it a Frontier League sweep as it took third.

4. Wildcat girls take fourth at state soccer

WICHITA — The Louisburg girls soccer team may have left the Class 4-1A Kansas State Girls Soccer Championships with a pair of losses, but the Wildcats took a lot of pride in what they accomplished.

For the fourth straight season, Louisburg advanced to the state final four and the Wildcats finished fourth in the state – a far cry where many people thought they would end up. The Wildcats lost a pair of 2-1 matches to Mulvane and then to McPherson in the third-place match at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

Louisburg, which lost 12 seniors from a season that didn’t happen due to COVID, returned just three varsity players. Despite all that, they ended up being one of the top teams in the state.

3. Louisburg girls basketball snaps 47-year state drought, takes third at state

SALINA — The tears were abundant following Louisburg’s loss to McPherson in the Class 4A state semifinal game.

The Lady Cats saw their season come to an end after their 58-46 loss to the Bullpups in Salina, but as hard as the finality of it was to take, they know what is the bigger picture.

Before the game even started, Louisburg already wrapped up its best finish in program history and became the first Lady Cat team to place at state as it finished third.

A season that finished with a 19-5 record and a third place state trophy, is one that will always be remembered in Louisburg history.

“It means the world to me to finish third at state,” senior Megan Foote said. “Obviously it wasn’t how we wanted to finish, but that’s okay. I’m still beyond proud of this group and the accomplishments we have made. We are the best girls basketball team in Louisburg history. I’d say to be a part of that, is pretty awesome. I’m honored.”

For the last three quarters of the game, Louisburg actually outscored McPherson 43-37, but it was the first quarter that the Lady Cats weren’t able to overcome.

McPherson scored the first 15 points of the first quarter and took a 21-3 lead going into the second period.

2. Wildcat basketball advances to first-ever state title game, finish runner-up

SALINA — The result of the state championship game is not what the Louisburg boys basketball team will focus on several years from now.

The fact that the 2020-21 Wildcats recorded the best finish in school history, will be more than enough for them to fondly reminisce about.

Louisburg, which played in its first-ever state championship game in Salina, fell to state power Bishop Miege, 94-40. As disappointing as the result was, many of the Wildcats were looking bigger picture.

“We will forever live in history with this senior class and with this team,” senior Weston Guetterman said. “Until someone wins it at least, we are going to be the bar that everyone looks to. It is a proud moment for all of us.”

In the state semifinal, the Wildcats got a revenge victory with a come-from-behind 58-55 win over Augusta to advance to the state title game.

1. Wildcat track wins second state championship; Wright wins three state titles.

WICHITA — On the 10th anniversary of the Louisburg boys’ first state track championship, this year’s team wanted to do something to commemorate the historic event.

The Wildcats decided they wanted to win one of their own.

Louisburg edged out Andale for the state championship Friday during the Class 4A Kansas Track and Field Championships at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.

It is just the second track championship for Louisburg and just the fourth team state championship in school history. 

The first one was a golf title in 1977, and then football won its first state title in 2010. The track team followed with its first later that school year in 2011 and the Louisburg cheer squad won a state title in 2019.

“There are no words to describe how incredibly proud I was of the entire team,” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “It was a total team effort. It was a moment I will never forget as a coach, and how exciting that it came down to the final race.  Everyone gave it their all, and I just couldn’t happier as a coach to see all of that hard work pay off for them with the greatest reward.”

Tom Koontz led the Wildcats with four state medals, including a state championship in the 110-meter hurdles.

On the girls side, Delaney Wright made some history of her own. 

Wright was the favorite to win state titles in her three events at the Class 4A State Track and Field Championships.

She didn’t disappoint. 

Wright not only won three state championships, but she won them in convincing fashion, breaking two school records in the process. The Louisburg junior won the long jump, 400-meter dash and the 200-meter dash on her way to an historic day in Wichita.

“My experience at state track this year was amazing,” Wright said. “The people competing there were super nice and my teammates made it more fun. It meant a lot to pull off winning three state titles.”

Wright became the first female Wildcat athlete to win three state titles in the same year as she helped the Lady Cats to a fifth place finish in the team standings – also the highest finish for Louisburg girls track and field.

“I can’t say enough how awesome of a competitor Delaney is,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “I know she went to state with one thing on her mind – win.  She did just that and truly performed to her best. Winning three different events is an incredible feat.”

Louisburg forward Colyer Wingfield puts a shot up over a pair of Piper defenders Thursday at Louisburg High School.

It was just a seven point game early in the fourth quarter and the Louisburg boys basketball team put itself in a position to try and knock off Piper in its final game before the holiday break.

Then in the final five minutes, the Wildcats could no longer keep up with the quicker and more athletic Piper team.

The Pirates used a suffocating press in the fourth quarter and scored 24 points in the final period to hand Louisburg a 65-42 loss Thursday in Louisburg.

“I thought we battled,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We were right there for the first three quarters, but couldn’t quite capitalize when we had some chances. Our kids always play hard, but against a talented team like Piper, we have a very little margin for error.”

Louisburg (2-3) faced an uphill battle for much of the game as the Wildcats’ center — Mack Newell — had to sit with foul trouble. Piper was able to take advantage as it outscored Louisburg 30-12 in the paint. 

The Wildcats turned the ball over 21 times and the Pirates scored 15 points off those mistakes — much of which came in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we handled their pressure pretty well for the first three quarters, but it definitely wore on us in the fourth,” Pfannenstiel said. “When we got gassed, Piper took advantage with their depth. We really struggled to rebound, especially when Mack got in foul trouble. He and Colyer (Wingfield) are kind of our guys on the boards, but we have to do a better job with everyone else contributing as well.”

Three Wildcats accounted for all but five points of the team’s total.

Senior point guard Maverick Rockers tried to keep the Wildcats in the game with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Fellow seniors Michael Seuferling and Carson Kern each finished with 10.

Wingfield led Louisburg with nine rebounds on the night and Seuferling finished with four assists.

Louisburg will be back in action in the new year as the Wildcats travel to Eudora on Jan. 7 to resume its season.

LOU 9 9 13 11 — 42

PIP 12 19 10 24 — 65

LOUISBURG (2-3): Maverick Rockers 6-11 2-2 17; Michael Seuferling 3-13 4-9 10; Carson Kern 3-5 2-2 10; Hunter Rogers 1-2 1-2 3; Colyer Wingfield 1-4 0-6 2. Totals: 14-38 9-21 42. 3-point field goals: 5, (Rockers 3, Kern 2)

Louisburg comes up short on the road at Baldwin

Louisburg was riding a two-game win streak heading into its Dec. 14 road matchup against Baldwin.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats didn’t have much of an answer for Baldwin’s Cole Mahaffey.

Mahaffey scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down eight boards to help hand Louisburg a 57-41 loss.

“Baldwin is really improved,” Pfannenstiel said. “They have a couple of players that have made big strides since last season. Once again, we were pretty cold from the field, so we really put a lot of pressure on our defense to get stops.  Mahaffey had a big night. He was too much for us.”

The Wildcats struggled from the field as they shot just 30 percent from the floor, while Baldwin shot almost 48 percent and knocked down seven 3-pointers.

Baldwin outscored Louisburg 16-8 in the second quarter and the Bulldogs took a 30-18 halftime lead. Baldwin also outrebounded Louisburg 40-26.

“I told the kids after the game that we are going to work hard to try and generate some more offense, because it’s going to be hard to win games in the 40s,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got more shot attempts up than Baldwin, now we just have to get them to fall. We are making improvements in areas, now we just have to find some consistency and confidence.”

Michael Seuferling led Louisburg in scoring with 15 points and was the lone Wildcat to score in double figures. He also finished with a team-high four steals.

Colyer Wingfield scored seven points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

LOU 10 8 11 12 — 41

BAL 14 16 11 16 — 57

LOUISBURG: Michael Seuferling 7-15 0-0 15; Colyer Wingfield 2-7 3-8 7; Maverick Rockers 2-11 0-0 6; Isaac Guetterman 2-5 0-0 5; Carson Kern 1-4 1-2 3; Hunter Rogers 1-3 0-0 3; Mack Newell 1-8 0-0 2. Totals: 16-54 4-10 41. 3-point field goals: 5, (Rockers 2, Seuferling, Rogers, Guetterman)

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

MAVERICK ROCKERS, SENIOR, BOYS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Maverick Rockers was a big reason for the two Wildcat wins last week against Burlington and Anderson County. Rockers averaged 14 points a game, three rebounds and two steals as Louisburg earned a victory at Burlington and a win over Anderson County in its home opener.

Rockers really came up big for the Wildcats against Anderson County as he scored a game-high 17 points to help Louisburg to a close 6-point win at home.

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

Louisburg senior point guard Maverick Rockers goes up for two of his team-high 17 points Friday in the Wildcats’ victory over Anderson County.

It wasn’t the best of shooting nights for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday in its home opener against Anderson County.

The Wildcats shot just 31 percent from the floor in what was a tightly-contested contest.

As much as they struggled from the floor, the Louisburg defense shined as it forced more than 20 turnovers in their 42-36 victory over the Bulldogs.

“We always talk about how there are going to be nights when you have off nights offensively,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “That’s just how basketball is sometimes. But we can never have a bad night defensively. We feel like if we can be good on the defensive end of the floor each night, we will always be in the game. 

“We wanted to put pressure on their guards and make it tough for them to get into their offense and get it into their big guys. We forced 20 turnovers, so I’d say that was the biggest difference in the game.”

Louisburg (2-1) forced 22 Bulldog turnovers on the night and did it with a pesky defense that recorded 12 steals

The Wildcats did all that while getting out rebounded 35-23 and only converting 12 field goals. Louisburg trailed by two points going into halftime, but held Anderson County to just six points in the third quarter to take the lead back.

“It was a good win for us versus a team that had a lot of size and experience,” Pfannenstiel said. “We haven’t really shot it well so far this year.  I like that we are being aggressive attacking the rim, but with our size, we are going to have to be willing to take some shots from the perimeter and hit some pull up jumpers in the lane.”

When most of the Wildcats were struggling offensively, senior point guard Maverick Rockers was the one who kept his team in the game.

Rockers scored a game-high 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and was 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in 31 minutes of action. He also had a team-high four steals on defense.

“Mav has been great,” Pfannenstiel said. “He’s got a great feel for the game. He can be a real game manager from the point guard position, but we are going to rely on him to score for us this year on offense. As good as he’s been on offense, he’s been equally as good on the defensive end. He’s playing hard on both ends.”

Louisburg led by just four points going into the final quarter, but the Wildcats expanded that lead to nine late in the game. They were able to ice the game at the free-throw line.

Junior Mack Newell was second on the team in scoring with eight points and led Louisburg with six rebounds and had three steals and two blocks.

Senior Carson Kern also helped keep the Bulldogs at bay with three free throws in the final minute.

The Wildcats will try and make it three wins in a row tonight when they travel to Baldwin for a 7:30 p.m. tip.

“We just need to find ourselves offensively,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think if we can be a little more patient and get good looks at the basket, we should find a little more consistency there.  We are going to have two good tests this week.  We are going to have to play well.”

LOU 11 6 12 13 — 42

AC 8 11 6 11 — 36

LOUISBURG (2-1): Maverick Rockers 5-14 5-6 17; Mack Newell 3-6 2-2 8; Michael Seuferling 1-6 4-7 6; Carson Kern 1-2 3-4 5; Colyer Wingfield 1-5 2-4 4; Luke Hill 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 12-39 16-23 42. 3-point field goals: 2, (Rockers 2)

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling (2) was congratulated by his teammates Tuesday at Burlington High School following his game-winning shot with one second left.

BURLINGTON — In a one point game between Louisburg and Burlington, chaos took place in the final 20 seconds.

Missed shots, fighting for loose balls, diving on the floor — both teams left it all out on the floor hoping the game would go their way. With Louisburg down a point, the Wildcats got the bounce they were looking for.

After a couple missed shots, Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling was in the right place at the right time as he got the rebound and scored to give the Wildcats the one-point lead with 1 second remaining.

Burlington couldn’t get a good look and Louisburg got the 52-51 win, which was its first of the season.

“The (assistant) coaches were telling me that we still had a timeout left, but I thought we might be able to get a putback and that might be our best opportunity there,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said of the final 20 seconds. I am glad I didn’t because it worked out.

“We talk about playing hard, smart and tough and you can never fault our kids’ effort. They are always going to play hard, but there will always be mistakes made in games. Burlington is a good team and can do a lot of things. We were able to take advantage of some things and the ball just kind of bounced our way at the end.”

The Wildcats (1-1) struggled at times in the first half and it led to a 26-19 deficit going into halftime, so Pfannenstiel decided to change it up. Louisburg went to a zone defense and it seemed to slow down Burlington.

Louisburg doubled its first half scoring output in the third quarter with 19 points and tied the game at 38-all going into the final quarter.

“We came out in zone in the second half to change things up a little bit and it turned out to be pretty effective and got us back in it,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got stops when we needed to and we made big plays at the end and that was the biggest thing. Things went our way, got some our extra opportunities and we were able to get it done.”

Seuferling, who finished with a game-high 22 points, came to life in the third quarter to help give the Wildcats the boost they needed. The Louisburg senior scored 13 points in the third and later would come up with the late game heroics.

“Michael is someone that plays with a lot of energy all the time,” Pfannenstiel said. “It doesn’t matter if we are up 30 or down 30, you are going to see the same type of player. He just goes about the game the right way. We need him on offense for us this year. This summer he had a lot of really good games and he is good in transition.”

Louisburg was down five points with 45 seconds left, but Seuferling hit a basket to cut it to 3. Burlington then hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it a four point game. 

Junior Colyer Wingfield grabbed the rebound on the miss and went the length of the floor to make the layup and was fouled. He converted the 3-point play to make it a one-point game.

Louisburg fouled again and Burlington missed the front end of the 1-and-1 and the Wildcats had the chance to pull out the win. After a couple missed shots, Seuferling fought for the rebound, got it and drove to the basket to score with one second left.

Several Wildcats hit big shots down the stretch in the second half. Senior guard Maverick Rockers scored in double figures with 11 points and a pair of three pointers, while senior Carson Kern came off the bench to score six.

Wingfield and Mack Newell were big in the rebounding department for Louisburg as Newell had a game-high 13 rebounds. Wingfield finished with nine boards.

“We had a lot of guys really step up for us,” Pfannenstiel said. “Carson Kern gave us good minutes off the bench and Mav was solid for us again. Then Colyer and Mack were both solid for us on the boards. What they did rebounding for us was huge.”

Louisburg will try for back to back wins tonight as the Wildcats host Anderson County for their home opener.

LOU 12 7 19 14 — 52

BUR 13 13 12 13 — 51

LOUISBURG (1-1): Michael Seuferling 9-20 4-7 22; Maverick Rockers 4-10 1-2 11; Mack Newell 3-9 0-0 6; Carson Kern 2-4 1-2 6; Colyer Wingfield 1-2 3-6 5; Isaac Guetterman 0-1 2-2 2. Totals: 19-46 11-19 52. 3-point field goals: 3, (Rockers 2, Kern)

Louisburg junior Colyer Wingfield goes up for a basket and gets fouled Friday in the Wildcats’ season opener at Tonganoxie High School.

TONGANOXIE — Outside of the first quarter, the Louisburg boys basketball team played even with Tonganoxie on Friday in its season opener.

However, that first quarter was something the Wildcats weren’t able to recover from.

Tonganoxie outscored the Wildcats by 16 in the opening frame and handed Louisburg a 61-48 loss at Tonganoxie High School. 

“Tongie came out in a zone defense, which is what we were expecting,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We talked about the importance of attacking the zone, but we struggled to get into any kind of offensive rhythm. I thought we did a pretty good job of being aggressive, but we didn’t get very many clean looks once we got the ball inside. We had some good looks from the perimeter, but we didn’t get any of them to fall.”

Louisburg trailed 22-6 after the first quarter, but a team with just one returning starter, the Wildcats didn’t back down. They trailed 35-17 at halftime, but the Wildcats went on a run to cut into Tonganoxie’s lead.

The Wildcats trimmed the lead to 10 after a pair of baskets from Michael Seuferling, one from Colyer Wingfield and a 3-pointer from Maverick Rockers.

“Even when we got down early, I thought we’d be fine,” Pfannenstiel said. “We just needed to get going offensively and settle in on defense. We came out the second half with a lot of energy and did a nice job of cutting it to 10. But Tongie went on a run to close out the third quarter which put us right back where we started.”

Rockers had a big game scoring the ball for Louisburg with a team-high 15 points, while Wingfield finished with 11. Seuferling also finished in double figures with 10 points. 

Tonganoxie also had three players in double figures, led by Andrew Wilson’s 19 points. Culyer Kietzmann scored 13 points and Zane Novotney had 12. 

“They’ve got two really good guards that can really put stress on a defense,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our on ball defense wasn’t as good as I hoped. I really thought we’d have more success keeping our man in front of us, but when they were able to drive the ball like they were, they were getting to the rim and then started kicking it out to shooters. 

“They hit some big shots on the perimeter which helped them stretch out their lead early. We have to do a better job of closing down those driving lanes.”

Louisburg will try for its first win of the season tonight when the Wildcats travel to Burlington for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

“It’s the first game, so we are so grateful for the opportunity to get back on the court,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our effort was great against Tongie, but obviously we have areas where we need to get better. We will get back to work and look forward to our next game.”

LOU 6 11 11 20 — 48

TONG 22 13 11 15 — 61

LOUISBURG (0-1): Maverick Rockers 15, Colyer Wingfield 11, Michael Seuferling 10, Mack Newell 7, Hunter Rogers 3, Isaac Guetterman 2. Totals 20 3-7 48. 3-point field goals: 5, (Rockers 3, Wingfield, Rogers)

Senior Michael Seuferling is Louisburg’s lone returning starter off last season’s state runner-up team. The Wildcats open their season tonight at Tonganoxie.

It isn’t easy to follow up the best season in program history, but that is the challenge this year’s version of the Louisburg boys basketball team has in front of them.

It was made even more difficult in the offseason when the Wildcats’ all-state and all-league player, Julian Margrave, transferred to a prep school in New Hampshire for his senior season.

Louisburg returns just one starter and two of its top eight players off last season’s state runner-up team. Although the challenge is a difficult one, coach Ty Pfannenstiel is excited to see what his new players can do.

“Obviously we hope the success of last season continues to help us build and develop this program the right way,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have high standards and expectations for our players, which we believe help us out when it comes to wins and losses.  We return two of our top eight players off of last year’s team, so we are going to need some players to step up this year and fill some pretty big shoes.

“Practice has been great. We have a really good group of kids that bring a competitive mentality to practice every day.  I’ve been really please with how things have started this year.”

Senior guard Michael Seuferling is the team’s lone returning starter and will look to lead the Wildcats on the perimeter. Another senior, Maverick Rockers, will run the offense as the starting point guard after serving as a backup role a year ago.

Senior Issac Guetterman will join Seuferling and Rockers at the guard spot, while juniors Colyer Wingfield and Mack Newell will start inside.

Pfannenstiel will also look to senior newcomers Hunter Rogers and Carson Kern to provide big minutes off the bench, along with junior Trey Myers. Juniors Cade Gassman and Layne Ryals could also see time.

“Those three senior leaders are going to be important for us,” Pfannenstiel said. “They know the standards of what it means to be a Louisburg basketball player and they’ve done a tremendous job of displaying that leadership this offseason. We are going to expect a lot out of those three this season.”

Despite all the new faces on the varsity roster, the way Pfannenstiel runs offense and defense will stay the same.

“We really haven’t changed much,” he said. “We plan to stick to what has made us successful in the past — tough, aggressive defense, and a focus on being efficient on offense.”

Since the Wildcats lost a lot of their offensive scoring from last season, Pfannenstiel is hoping the team’s defense can help give the team energy.

Louisburg, which is currently ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, will get to test that out today when the Wildcats open their season at Tonganoxie.

“We aren’t going to have a lot of size, but I do think we have a chance to be pretty good on defense,” he said. “Our guards do a nice job of applying pressure and making teams uncomfortable on that end. My biggest concern is how are we going to be at rebounding on the defensive end of the floor? With our lack of size, we are going to have to make up with being disciplined in blocking out and getting five bodies to the basket.  

“Our expectations are always high. We don’t necessarily set goals when it comes to wins and losses, or where we want to end at the end of the season. Our expectations are to go out every night and play with the type of poise and effort that brings pride to our school and community.” 

Julian Margrave had a senior year to remember for the Louisburg boys basketball team. 

Margrave led the Wildcats to their first ever state championship game appearance and a runner-up finish in Class 4A. He was also a unanimous All-Frontier League selection and an all-state player.

Basketball is life for the 6-foot, 9-inch forward and he wanted a new challenge for himself. As it turns out, growth isn’t always easy.

Margrave recently announced he would be transferring from Louisburg to New Hampton Prep for his senior campaign. 

“It was a very, very tough decision to leave my hometown,” Margrave said. “I’m leaving so many friends and family members that I’ve been surrounded by my whole life, but I believe taking this next step and going to prep school is the right idea and best move for my future.”

New Hampton is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire.

Margrave gave his commitment to New Hampton coach Andrew Gale after exploring the idea of playing his final year of high school outside of Louisburg.

“My AAU coach and I have been taking to each other around April to really get me to go somewhere,” Margrave said. “I told him I wanted someplace to be challenged everyday on and off the court and in and out of the classroom. He gave me a few spots to choose from and after a great zoom call with Andrew Gale, I knew right away that was the place for me.”

Margrave had a busy summer of basketball as he plays for KC RUN GMC, one of the top AAU programs in the country. With a lot of success, also brought some college offers.

He received Division I offers from South Alabama, UMKC, Valparaiso, Radford and Nebraska-Omaha.

“The summer was great,” Margrave said. “I’ve been blessed enough to play for what I think is one of the, if not the best AAU program in the nation, KC RUN GMC. I’ve been able to play with many great players who are going to do magnificent things in the future and it’s so much fun to practice with them and learn so many new things day in and day out. I felt as if I improved immensely,

“I feel that my hard work is definitely starting to pay off and that this is really just the beginning of my career.”

The next stop in his career will be New Hampton and he is looking forward to another challenge.

“There are so many goals that I want to achieve at New Hampton, of course in the everyday aspect I want to get better,” Margrave said. “I’m really trying to take my life day by day and focusing on the present moment and not worrying about the past or future. But most importantly I want to win. New Hampton has a great winning program and I see myself as a valuable piece to helping them win a championship! 

Margrave averaged 17.7 points a game last season for Louisburg, along with 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

The fact he won’t be suiting up for the Wildcats this season was a tough decision for him to make, but he has many fond memories to look back on.

“Man, I’ve had so many great moments with Louisburg,” he said. “Of course my favorite moment is definitely running out of the tunnel at the state championship. Those are one of those moments that are priceless and you can never get back, just the adrenaline and excitement I had to really be in the championship with my hometown team was enormous. But most importantly my favorite moments being at Louisburg were just the everyday events I had at school, being around my friends.

“Going to class, cracking jokes with everyone at lunch, and really just being surrounded by people who make me forget about basketball and focus on having a great time.”

There hasn’t been a whole lot of good to talk about in the last year or so.

Our life has changed around us. We are having to deal with a new normal and there are a lot uncertainties as to what our future holds. 

It is an unnerving time for a lot of people and our country seems more divided than ever. Still, to get by in this difficult time, you have to look for positives.

For me, the last school year brought me some of the best moments in my journalistic life. The 2020-21 school was arguably one of the most successful seasons in Louisburg High School history from top to bottom, and I was more than grateful to be there for it all.

Just look at what was accomplished last year:

• Boys cross country qualified for state for the first time in school history.

• Girls cross country placed at state for the first time in its history as they took third in Class 4A. Maddy Rhamy, Lola Edwards and Reese Johnson also earned medals.

• Boys soccer had its best finish in school history with a 3rd place state finish.

• Boys basketball advanced to the state championship game for the first time and took second.

• Girls basketball advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 47 years and recorded its best finish in third.

• Wrestlers Alec Younggren and Cade Holtzen took second and third, respectively, at the state tournament.

• Boys golf qualified for state as a team.

• Girls soccer made an improbable run to advance to its fourth straight state final four and the Wildcats took fourth.

• Delaney Wright won three state track titles in the long jump, 200 dash and 400 dash and broke all three school records in the process.

• Maybe perhaps the best accomplishment of all, the Louisburg boys track and field team won the Class 4A state championship as they edged out Andale for the title.

Just a year removed from losing their spring season due to COVID-19, the Wildcats came back stronger than ever and it showed. It was an exciting time to be a Louisburg sports fan.

However, with so much positivity from last season, it is time to turn the page and focus on what the 21-22 season has in store.

First day of fall practice begins this Monday and the football, volleyball, cross country and boys soccer team all have a chance to do some special things this season. I am fortunate I will be able to be there once again to cover it all.

As I talked about earlier, there is a lot of negativity going on in the world right now, but I am more than thankful to have a job where I can get away from all that and cover all the special moments. 

Last season was a much-needed get away for me and it was an unbelievable journey to see all the Wildcat history that was made.

This year has another chance to be a special one. There is no way to predict what will happen, but I do know there is a chance for even more history and records to fall this upcoming year.

Football numbers are up and the Wildcats are poised for a big season, while the cross country, volleyball and boys soccer team all return several key pieces to make a run in the postseason – and that is just what the fall will hold.

The seasons can’t get here soon enough and I am ready to cover it all once again. Hope to see you all out there supporting the Wildcats and maybe you can forget all those stresses in life — even if it is just for a few moments.

Weston Guetterman had a lot on his plate during his final year at Louisburg High School.

Guetterman was the starting quarterback for the football team, after playing wide receiver for most of his career. 

He continued that leadership onto the basketball court where he was the point guard on the Wildcats’ state runner-up team that had the best finish in school history.

Playing high pressure positions in two popular sports didn’t seem to both Guetterman much as he rose to the occasion. Those were some of the reasons he was selected as the 2021 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete of the Year.

“I am truly honored to have been named athlete of the year,” Guetterman said. “It was never really a goal of mine to achieve this. I just wanted to be the best I could be for each of my teams and for the town. Each of them were a huge part of why I won this award. It is their award as well.”

Going into the 2020 football season, the Wildcats were looking for someone to lead the team at the quarterback spot. After being an all-league receiver a year ago, Guetterman took the reins and didn’t back down from the challenge.

Guetterman ended the year with 548 yards rushing and six touchdowns. He also earned honorable mention All-League honors on defense for his play in the secondary. He finished the year with 32 tackles, two interceptions, three tackles for a loss and seven batted balls. 

“Weston is an all-around team player, who is willing to do what is best for the team,” Louisburg football coach Robert Ebenstein said. “Weston was a couple hundred yards away from being the all-time leading receiver in school history (*since 2000). He would have easily been able to achieve that record but he was willing to step up and play quarterback for us this year and did a great job learning the offense and leading our team.”

Basketball is where Guetterman really shined as the Wildcat point guard. He led Louisburg to the Class 4A state tournament, where the Wildcats knocked off Parsons and Augusta to reach the state championship game against Bishop Miege.

The Wildcats went on to finish runner-up and had the best finish in school history. Guetterman was a second-team All-Frontier League selection from the point guard spot and averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals a game. He was also an all-state selection by the Topeka Capital-Journal, Wichita Eagle and Sports in Kansas.

“Weston is an easy guy to root for,” Louisburg basketball coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “He’s such a humble athlete. He was a 3-year starter in basketball and continued to improve as a player throughout his career. He had a quiet confidence about him that just made him seem comfortable on the court at all times. 

“Not only was Weston a great player and leader, but he was always respectful and appreciative of his opportunity to play. He truly loved being a Louisburg athlete and always represented our community the right way.”

It was the state semifinal game against Augusta where Guetterman helped guide the Wildcats to their first state championship game in school history.

He finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with a team-high six steals and four assists.

“My favorite memory was the state semifinal game against Augusta,” Guetterman said. “That was one of the best all around basketball games that I’ve seen or played in. The pure joy and emotion in that game was unmatched. Then running out onto the court to play Miege that Saturday for the championship and seeing a sea of purple — that made the trip. It was such a joy and we were honored to have the support, even if the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped.”

There are a lot of memories for Guetterman to look back on this past season, but each sport brought something special to the table.

“As far as football goes, there is nothing like a Friday night crowd and I get chills every time I think about it,” Guetterman said. “Every time we took the field I would make sure to run through the tunnel behind my teammates just so that I could take in how much this community cares for our teams. There is nothing like that jog to the sideline with the Bulls theme song pumping through your ears. 

“Basketball this year might have been the most fun that I’ve had playing a sport ever. The success that my team and I had was truly a great experience. From hanging with ranked 6A teams to beating our rival Paola three times in a season, I just enjoyed it all.”

Being able to participate in multiple activities left Guetterman with a lot of positives in his high school career and he will take those with him for the rest of his life.

“It is a huge deal that our school offers so many opportunities as far as athletics and extracurricular activities go,” Guetterman said. “It is important, especially for high school age students, to stay busy and active outside of school alone. I loved participating in many sports and keeping myself on my toes. 

“Playing the sports that I played in has a team atmosphere, and even though we had success this year, the thing that I will cherish the most are the bonds that I have created with my teammates and coaches throughout the years.”