Junior Julian Margrave hi-fives teammate Ben Guetterman (22) towards the end of the Wildcats’ 62-30 win over Parsons on Monday in the Class 4A state quarterfinals at Louisburg High School.

It has been 73 years since the Louisburg boys basketball team placed third at a state tournament.

In 1948, the Wildcats took third place overall, which is considered the best finish in school history and also took fourth in 1979. Those are the only two times a Wildcat team has placed at state.

This year’s version of the Wildcats have duplicated that feat, and have the chance to better it, following their 62-30 state quarterfinal win Monday over Parsons.

For the first time in school history, Louisburg hosted the Class 4A state quarterfinal and the victory moves them to the state semifinals starting Thursday in Salina.

“Not many teams have made it up in the state column banner in the LHS gym,” senior Konnor Vohs said. “Our success is among very few and we are very thankful for the chance to be the third team to make it this far. The feeling is beyond imaginable and we look forward to taking Louisburg to its first state championship in basketball history.”

The Wildcats will have to win one more game to get there as Louisburg, which earned the No. 3 seed, will face off with No. 2 Augusta at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.

The winner of that game will face the winner of No. 1 Bishop Miege and No. 4 McPherson at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the championship.

“It feels good to be a final four team in Kansas,”  junior Julian Margrave said. “All our hard work is definitely paying off and people are starting to take notice of who we are.”

Parsons got a first-hand look at a Wildcat team that has now won nine out of its last 10 games and has been dominant in the postseason. 

Louisburg, which took 23-16 halftime lead, broke the game open in the second half as it outscored the Vikings, 39-14, in the final two quarters to cruise into the semifinals.

It started on the defensive end of the floor for Louisburg as the Wildcats held Parsons to just 24 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers. They also out-rebounded the Vikings, 39-20.

“Defense was our focus to start the game,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We kind of challenged them to hold Parsons to single digits each quarter. You know you say that and hope that it can be done, but then you go out and do it and it is just a great testament to our players.

“I think we held them to 8, 8, 5 and 9, so you know we did we did a good job defensively. We want to make things tough for them and to contest their shots. Their shooters didn’t get many open shots and we didn’t let them get to the paint. It was a good effort all-around.”

Margrave and senior Ben Guetterman got the Wildcat offense going in the third. Guetterman knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half and Margrave followed with a run of his own.

With the Wildcats up 10, Margrave scored six straight points, including two on a breakaway dunk after a steal. Louisburg ended the quarter on a 12-4 run.

Senior Dawson Barnes and junior Michael Seuferling combined to score the first eight points of the fourth quarter to help the Wildcats pull away.

“I think that we played a good all-around game,” Louisburg senior Weston Guetterman said. “Everyone played a great game and we all played to our roles and it lead to us pulling away there in the second half.

“Our defense has really come on this season. Our mentality is that we can always control how our defense plays so if we have an off-night offensively we feel like we will still have a good shot to win because of our defense.”

Margrave led the Wildcats with a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Guetterman also scored in double figures with 13 points, six rebounds and a team-high three steals.

Seuferling finished with eight points, while Weston Guetterman had a big night at the point guard spot with 11 rebounds and a team-high seven assists to go along with five points.

Vohs was second on the team with four assists, including one where he saved the ball from going out of bounds and found an open teammate for an easy score.

“Going into the game, the whole team was pumped and ready to play,” Vohs said. “We were confident in the game plan and we came out and executed. I think we played aggressive which allowed us to take a lead. The second half just brought more energy that allowed us to feed off of and let us get the win.”

Now Louisburg will focus on trying to get to the school’s first state championship. The Kansas State High School Activities Association will not play third place games this year, and instead will award the loser of each semifinal a third place trophy.

However, that is not what the Wildcats want.

“It is nice to know that we have already at least tied the best finish in school history, but we aren’t satisfied with third,” Weston Guetterman said. “Especially since there isn’t a third place game, we want to advance to the championship and play for a title.”

LOU 14 9 16 23 — 62

PAR 8 8 5 9 — 30

LOUISBURG (17-6): Julian Margrave 8-14 2-3 20; Ben Guetterman 4-12 3-4 13; Michael Seuferling 4-4 0-0 8; Dawson Barnes 3-4 0-0 6; Weston Guetterman 2-9 1-2 5; Maverick Rockers 2-4 0-0 5; Mack Newell 1-1 0-0 3; Konnor Vohs 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 25-53 6-9 62. 3-point field goals: 6, (B. Guetterman 2, Margrave 2, Rockers, Newell)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week twelve of the winter sports season.

Ben Guetterman, Senior, Boys Basketball

Louisburg senior Ben Guetterman had a big week last week and Monday for the Wildcat boys basketball team as he helped them to a sub-state championship and state quarterfinal victory. In the sub-state championship against Iola and the state quarterfinal against Parsons, Guetterman combined to scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds to go along with a team-high seven steals during that stretch. He also finished with seven points and seven rebounds in a sub-state semifinal win over Paola.

On the season, Guetterman is third on the team in scoring as he is averaging 11 points a game and is second on the team in rebounding with nearly five a game.

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: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker

Week 10: Weston Guetterman

Week 11: Alyse Moore

Members of the Louisburg sub-state champion basketball teams are (front row, from left) Emma Lohse, Maverick Rockers, Sierra Hahn, Cade Gassman, Brooklyn Diederich, Isaac Guetterman, Delanie Tally, Michael Seuferling; (middle row) Andy Hupp, Delaney Wright, Ben Guetterman, Megan Foote, Konnor Vohs, Brianne Kuhlman, Weston Guetterman, Adyson Ross; (back row) Emma Prettyman, Julian Margrave, Jordan Mynsted, Mack Newell, Alyse Moore, Colyer Wingfield, Madilyn Melton and Dawson Barnes.

Almost a year ago I was sitting at the first round of the Big 12 tournament, excited for my favorite time of the year — March Madness.

Life has changed a lot since then.

I still vividly remember a phone call from my wife while watching hoops from the now T-Mobile Center. There was a lot of worry in her voice.

She had no idea why people were fighting over toilet paper in Price Chopper. Why were they panicking over something they had no idea what it was yet? It wasn’t food or water for heaven’s sake!

The next day was even more puzzling. Tournaments across the country were cancelled. State high school events were stopped in their tracks and never finished.

Even worse news came as spring sports were later cancelled and were people were forced to shelter in their homes. We more or less become a ghost country.

A year later, our lives are completely changed. We are having to do things differently, be more cautious and for some, outlook on every day life is incomparable to what we had before.

One thing that has risen back is March Madness and Louisburg is right in the thick of it all.

In a year where they have been challenges with practices and playing games due to COVID-19, both the Wildcat boys and girls basketball teams have put together one of the best seasons in school history.

It was an incredible weekend at Louisburg High School as the boys won their first sub-state title since 2017 on Friday. The girls earned a state berth for the first time since 1974 – breaking a 47 year drought – on Saturday.

Both teams are currently ranked in the top five in the state and are one of eight teams left standing in Class 4A. It is something that has never been done in school history.

That is a feat among itself, but do it in these challenging times says a lot about the players and coaches of both programs.

Boys head coach Ty Pfannenstiel and girls head coach Adrianne Lane have done a great job keeping their players focused and limiting distractions throughout the season.

For the girls team, though, it didn’t start out that smoothly.

Many members of the Lady Cats were forced to quarantine when practice began in November and they didn’t have their complete team on the court until the first game in early December. They never got a chance to practice together as team before that season opener against Tonganoxie.

Despite that, they won their first eight games and ended the season with an 16-4 record and finished second in a tough Frontier League.

They are now onto the state tournament for the first time since 1974 – the second year of the girls state basketball. 

As for the boys, they have faced an up and down season of their own, but the Wildcats have to put together a strong finish to a year that put them as the No. 2 team in the state rankings.

Louisburg has won eight of its last nine games, with the Wildcats’ only loss coming to state ranked Shawnee Mission South, a Class 6A program.

Both teams are loaded with talent, but the one thing the two have in common is a strong senior class. In most years, seniors provide leadership and it is evident on both sides.

Weston Guetterman, Ben Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Andy Hupp and Dawson Barnes have all played vital roles on this year’s boys team. Add in juniors Julian Margrave – who is the team’s leading scorer – Michael Seuferling and Maverick Rockers and the Wildcats have a solid rotation that stacks up with some of the best in the state.

For the girls, Madilyn Melton, Megan Foote, Brooklyn Diederich and Alyse Moore have played basketball together since the seventh grade when they recorded a perfect season for LMS. Many of them have played basketball since they were little and have a deep love for the game.

It shows on the court as those four girls, along with juniors Delaney Wright, Jordan Mynsted and sophomores Brianne Kuhlman and Adyson Ross, play with a reckless abandon – especially on the defensive end of the floor.

Folks, this type of stuff doesn’t happen every year when it comes to state basketball – unless your name is Bishop Miege or McPherson. For a school to put two teams in the state tournament is a remarkable story.

School history had already been made, but there is much more to be had.

If the boys win tonight, the Wildcats will — at worst — tie for the best finish in program history when Louisburg took third in 1948.

As for the girls, well if they haven’t already accomplished enough to break a long state drought, a win over Labette County on Tuesday would give the Lady Cats the best finish in school history for a program that began in the early 70s.

Louisburg already made history in the fall when the girls cross country and boys soccer team each finished third at state and had the best season in its program’s tenure.

So, why not them?

Wildcat fans, for those of you who haven’t joined the hype train yet, there is still plenty of room. Find yourself a voucher and come out and support both teams as they both try to accomplish something that is unprecedented for Louisburg athletics. 

Enjoy these teams while we have them — they don’t come around often.

The Louisburg boys basketball team hoists the Class 4A sub-state championship trophy Friday following its win over Iola.

A year ago, with its season on the line, the Louisburg boys basketball team came out slow against Iola and the Fillies ended the Wildcats’ season in the sub-state semifinals.

It was a heartbreaking loss to many on the team as the Wildcats rallied to score 32 points in the fourth quarter, only to fall in overtime.

Fast forward to the present and Louisburg had the opportunity to exact revenge against Iola – this time in the sub-state championship.

There was no slow start this time around. 

Louisburg’s defense frustrated Iola for much of the game as it held the Fillies to nine first half points and the Wildcats cruised to a 57-32 sub-state championship victory Friday in Louisburg.

“We needed no other motivation because we knew from last year that this was the game we wanted,” Louisburg junior Julian Margrave said. “Weston (Guetterman) and I were talking before the season started about wanting to see them again and we finally got it. We proved that we are a state team.”

The Wildcats, who are currently ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, earned their first state berth since 2017 and there are plenty of family connections between the two teams.

Ben and Isaac Guetterman’s brother, Sam, played on the 2017 squad, as did Michael Seuferling’s brother, Alex. The Guetterman’s and Seuferling’s are also distant cousins.

“Earning a state berth is great and I have always wanted to do this ever since I saw my brother (Sam) go in 2017,” Ben said. “I have waited four years for this and we have all put in a lot of hard work. To go to state and have a winning record like we do feels awesome. There are lots of memories being made right now.”

To go back even further in Wildcat lore, Konnor Vohs’ dad, Kevin, was the starting point guard for the 1999 state team. His uncle, Rob, was a starter on the Wildcats’ 1991 state team.

“It’s something else,” Konnor said. “He (Kevin) talks about it all the time and I need to live up to that I guess. I’m wearing No. 11, same as him, and it’s just huge and it’s sweet to be able to share something like that with him. It’s a pretty awesome feeling.”

The Wildcats (16-6) played like a family in the sub-state tournament as they defeated a good Paola team in the semifinals and then exacted revenged with a 25-point win Friday.

“Our kids really enjoy being around each other and we played our best by just playing unselfish basketball,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They’ve really bought into the defensive side of it  because that’s something that all five guys on the court have to buy into for you to be successful.”

Louisburg had no problem on that end of the floor as the Wildcats held Iola to just 32 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers. Those Iola mistakes turned into 14 Louisburg points and were just one of the many reasons the Wildcats were successful.

The Wildcats held the Fillies to nine first half points and held them to single digits for three of the four quarters.

“We played great as a team and it carried over from our defensive performance the game before,” Weston Guetterman said. “To hold both Paola and Iola to single digits in the first half is a nice accomplishment. I feel like we did a good job defending their best offensive player and it was a good night.”

Their defense allowed them to get some rhythm offensively early on.

Louisburg scored 18 first quarter points, 11 of those coming from Margrave who scored the final seven of the quarter. Two of those points brought the crowd to its feet when Weston Guetterman threw an alley-oop to Margrave, who dunked it home.

“We’ve had that play in all season and we have been just been looking for the right time,” Weston said. “There was just a little time on the clock and just felt it was a good time to take a chance on it and it ended up working out. It gave everyone energy, the crowd went wild and we fed off that and it carried with us the rest of the game.”

The game was almost out of reach at halftime as the Wildcats took a 32-9 advantage. The Fillies cut the Louisburg lead to 20 on a couple different occasions, but could get no closer.

Margrave led Louisburg with a team-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Ben Guetterman also scored in double figures with 12 points, five boards and a team-high four steals.

Weston Guetterman nearly had a double-double with nine points and a team-high seven assists. Michael Seuferling had seven points and six rebounds.

“It’s been a quite awhile since we’ve been there (state) and being a senior and having some seasons where we didn’t get too many wins, this is huge,” Vohs said. “We have a hell of a team this year and we are ready for the next one.”

That next one for the Wildcats will be a tough test as they will host Parsons at 6 p.m. on Monday for the state quarterfinals. The Vikings have now qualified for the state tournament four years in a row.

“We just have to stay focused,” Margrave said. “Some people might go out and celebrate, but I’m not. I just want to stay humble and be ready to go for Monday. I know Parsons is a good team, but we have to be ready.”

As much as the Wildcats are happy to earn the school’s 13th state appearance, there is much more they want to accomplish.

A victory over Parsons would be just the third time in school history that the Wildcats would be guaranteed a place at state. Louisburg placed fourth in 1979 and third in 1948.

The Class 4A final four will be held on Friday and Saturday in Salina.

“Honestly, right now I am just excited for the next game,” Weston said. “We are not done here and we want to win the next one. We have bigger goals for ourselves. The feeling gets better and better every time we win.”

LOU 18 14 10 15 — 57

IOLA 5 4 14 9 — 32

LOUISBURG (16-6): Julian Margrave 5-11 3-4 16; Ben Guetterman 5-11 0-1 12; Weston Guetterman 3-5 3-3 9; Michael Seuferling 1-5 5-6 7; Maverick Rockers 1-3 2-2 5; Konnor Vohs 1-1 0-0 3; Andy Hupp 1-6 1-2 3; Dawson Barnes 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 18-48 14-18 57. 3-point field goals: 7, (Margrave 3, B. Guetterman 2, Rockers, Vohs)

Louisburg senior Konnor Vohs pulls up for a 3-pointer Tuesday against Paola during the Class 4A sub-state semifinals in Louisburg.

For the first half anyway, Louisburg was playing some of its basketball at the right time.

The Wildcats jumped out to an 18-point halftime lead over rival Paola on Tuesday in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals. The next two quarters seemed more like a formality the way Louisburg had dominated the first half.

As it turned out, it was much more than a formality as Paola, with its season on the line, charged to cut the Louisburg lead to just four. Still, the Wildcats were able to make plays down the stretch and pull away for a 51-44 victory.

“We came out with a lot of energy and played great defense,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We pride ourselves on our defense and the first half we executed our defensive game plan and we were playing hard. To hold a team to single digits at halftime is pretty good, and most of the time you are happy if you do that in a quarter. To hold them to eight in the first half was a big accomplishment. 

“It was a good thing we got a good lead because they made a run in the second half. It was kind of a reverse for us in the second half as we struggled offensively and we couldn’t get stops on defense.”

The one constant for the Wildcats was their aggressiveness on the boards, which turned out to be a big difference in the game. Louisburg outrebounded Paola by 14.

Along with its strong defense in the first half, the Wildcats were able to jump out to a 26-8 halftime lead on their rival.

“We just made a point to box out their two big guys and we had the mentality that we were going to go get every rebound,” senior Weston Guetterman said. “We played great pressure defense. With our season on the line, you have to play tough all four quarters. Obviously, we let them back in it a little bit, but we were able to finish strong.

“I was proud of the way we finished and we found a way to win, which is all that matters. Whether it is by 30 or 2, you just have to find a way.”

Louisburg was able to snap Paola’s big rally in the second half with several crucial plays down the stretch.

Paola went on a 15-0 run to get back in the game, a run that started in the third quarter and ended midway through the fourth. The Panthers cut the Wildcat lead to four, but Louisburg junior Julian Margrave stopped the run with a jumper.

The Wildcats kept it a six-point advantage on a floater in the lane from senior Konnor Vohs. After a basket from Paola’s Trey Moala, junior Michael Seuferling calmly knocked down two free throws to keep the Panthers at arm’s length.

Free throws from Margrave and Weston Guetterman, along with a basket from Seuferling, pushed the Louisburg lead to double digits and the Wildcats were able to hold on.

“Our kids played hard and it got to a point where we needed to make some plays,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had a lot of kids make plays for us down the stretch. Konnor’s little floater in the lane was really big and I was happy with how we played defensively overall. At this point in the season, we are going to get everyone’s best shot, no matter what the score is. Everyone is fighting for their seasons and it is all about surviving and advancing.”

Margrave led the Wildcats in scoring with 16 points to go along with eight rebounds. Weston Guetterman also scored in double figures with 10 points, but also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Senior Ben Guetterman also had seven points and seven rebounds in the win.

Louisburg (15-6) will now try to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2017 when the Wildcats will host No. 2 seed Iola (13-7) at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Iola ended the Wildcats’ season a year ago in the sub-state semifinals, despite a 32-point fourth quarter rally from Louisburg that forced overtime. Louisburg hopes it doesn’t have to resort to such heroics this time around.

“We want Iola and we wanted to see them again before we graduate and that was part of our motivation for this game,” Weston said, “We mainly wanted to win because we haven’t won a playoff game yet in high school.

“I am pumped for it. If we come out and play like we did here, I think we have a good chance.”

LOU 12 14 13 12 — 51

PAO 4 4 17 19 — 44

LOUISBURG (15-6): Julian Margrave 6-11 3-4 16; Weston Guetterman 4-11 2-6 10; Ben Guetterman 2-8 2-2 7; Michael Seuferling 2-6 2-2 6; Konnor Vohs 2-2 1-2 6; Dawson Barnes 2-3 0-0 4; Andy Hupp 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-43 10-16 51. 3-point field goals: 3, (Vohs, B. Guetterman, Margrave)

Louisburg senior Andy Hupp dives on the floor for a loose ball with Paola’s Trey Moala on Friday during the team’s Senior Night game in Louisburg.

With the game hanging in the balance on Senior Night, who else but a senior to help pull his team through.

Louisburg hosted rival Paola on Friday in hopes of, not only ending its regular season with a victory, but winning for its five seniors.

One of those seniors, Weston Guetterman, came through when his team needed him most.

With under two minutes left in the contest, and the Wildcats only up two points, Guetterman knocked down 5 of 6 free throws help seal a 58-54 victory.

It was the perfect ending to a night that honored seniors Konnor Vohs, Weston Guetterman, Andy Hupp, Ben Guetterman and Dawson Barnes prior to the contest.

“We knew it was going to be a tough,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We played really well the last time we played them and Paola didn’t have a great night. We knew we were going to get a good contest and they are a good team. They have a lot of talent, length and can really jump. Their athleticism is tough, but for our kids to battle was good for us and we had to make some plays down the stretch. A lot of those were at the free-throw line and Weston stepped up and knocked down some shots.”

It was back and forth for much of the contest as the two teams were tied at the end of the first quarter.

Paola actually held a one-point lead late in the first half, but Weston Guetterman got the lead back on a 3-pointer, and Ben Guetterman scored a quick two points to put the Wildcats up 26-22 at halftime.

Louisburg (14-6) struggled to get going offensively in the third quarter and the Panthers used the opportunity to go on a 8-2 run and take a 39-37 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Then it was junior Julian Margrave’s turn to get the Wildcats going. Margrave, who scored a game-high 24 points and had four 3-pointers, hit two back-to-back early in the fourth quarter.

Junior Michael Seuferling followed up with a basket of his own to put the Wildcats up 45-41. Louisburg knocked down 9 of 10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to keep the Panthers at arm’s length the rest of the way.

“Julian is a good shooter and scorer,” Pfannenstiel said. “He played well for us and we need something offensively to get us going. This is a night that we weren’t great on offense or defense, necessarily. We weren’t bad by any means, but we have to be better. Those shots definitely jump started us for sure.

“Paola played pretty well defensively. They have length inside and they can contest shots, so it was a well-executed game plan by them and we were fortunate to get the win. But we made the plays when we needed to.”

Weston Guetterman also scored in double figures with 15 points to go along with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Seuferling just missed double figures with nine points.

Barnes did a lot of the dirty work for the Wildcats as he pulled down a team-high six rebounds and also had three assists and two blocks. Senior Ben Guetterman also played well defensively with a team-high four steals.

It was a bittersweet night for many of the Wildcats. They know the playoffs are still on the horizon, but they do know their time is coming to a close.

“This is a great group of kids,” Pfannenstiel said. “They are the first group that I have had for all four years. At the end of practice the other day in the auxiliary gym, we were reminiscing a little bit and it doesn’t seem like four years ago that as freshmen Ben went for 32 against Paola and Weston would hit a half-court buzzer beater to win the game. 

“Time flies, and it is kind of cliche, but this group works so hard. When you work hard good things happen and they have had a really good season and we hope to be playing basketball for quite a bit longer.”

Louisburg earned the No. 1 seed in substate and will once again play for Paola with their season on the line. The Wildcats, who are also the No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A, will host the Panthers (8-11) at 7 p.m. tonight in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

“That is always tough playing a team for a third time, much less playing them twice in less than five days,” Pfannenstiel said. “We will see what happens and our kids will be ready to play. We just have to get ourselves prepared and get ready to play. It is do our die from here on out, but we are looking forward to it.”

LOU 13 13 11 21 — 58

PAO 13 9 17 15 — 54

LOUISBURG (14-6): Julian Margrave 8-12 4-4 24; Weston Guetterman 3-12 7-8 15; Michael Seuferling 4-7 1-2 9; Ben Guetterman 2-11 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 1-2 0-0 2; Dawson Barnes 1-1 0-0 2; Andy Hupp 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 20-46 12-14 58. 3-point field goals: 6, (Margrave 4, W. Guetterman 2)

Louisburg junior Michael Seuferling drives to the basket on a Shawnee Mission South defender Monday in Louisburg.

The atmosphere was that of a big postseason game – the Louisburg High School gymnasium was rocking thanks to two opposing sections that wanted to come out victorious. 

The game itself wasn’t that important in the grand scheme of it all, but a pair of ranked teams battled it out Monday. Shawnee Mission South (No. 6 in 6A) and Louisburg (No. 2 in 4A) went back-and-forth at each other in what was close game – at least until the end.

Shawnee Mission South used a late run in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 50-38 win over Louisburg, but all was not lost for the Wildcats.

“This game, I think, gives us a little more confidence that we can go toe-to-toe with anybody, no matter what class they are,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We are disappointed and we had a chance to win that game if we execute a little better, but the guys will have right kind of confidence after this game. I always tell them to be confident and not cocky.”

The Wildcats (13-6) played confident, especially early on. The Raiders took a 10-7 lead in the first, but the Wildcats flipped the script and went on a 10-1 run of their own that went into the second quarter.

Louisburg’s Julian Margrave hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 10-all, then after free throws from Konnor Vohs and Dawson Barnes, Margrave hit another basket to put the Wildcats up 15-10.

Ben Guetterman hit a short jumper and a 3-pointer to put Louisburg up 20-14, but the Raiders ended the first half on a 9-2 run to take a one-point halftime lead.

Margrave hit his second 3-pointer of the game to put the Wildcats up two to start the second half, but South’s defense proved to be too much down the stretch as the Wildcats scored 13 points the rest of the game.

“The second half we were trying to drive the ball, and I think the officials were letting some stuff go on both ends,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had some good looks and some of those didn’t fall. We weren’t as good offensively in the second half, but we always tell ourselves that if we play great defense you are always going to have a shot. The way we defended tonight really made them work on the offensive end. To hold a team like that to 50 is an accomplishment, but we have to score the ball a little bit better.”

Margrave and Ben Guetterman led the Wildcats in scoring with 10 points each, while Margrave also had a team-high eight rebounds. 

Junior Michael Seuferling finished with a team-high four assists.

Despite the loss, the Wildcats had a good time playing in the atmosphere that was helped by the addition of a 40-member Shawnee Mission South student section that had the opportunity to see a live event for the first time all year since the game was held in Louisburg.

“It was just a fun game,” Pfannenstiel said. “The atmosphere was good and I think that will be a sub-state type atmosphere. I thought our guys answered really well to that. That was a great student section that South brought. Good for them to finally be able to watch again because that is what high school is about is to experience those things with their friends. 

“Glad they got to see a great basketball and game and hopefully that will reinvigorate our student section and get more kids here. Our players loved that environment and they were playing hard and played really well.”

Louisburg will now host rival Paola on Senior Night tonight as the Wildcats will honor seniors Weston Guetterman, Ben Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Andy Hupp and Dawson Barnes. 

It will be the final regular season game for Louisburg before it begins postseason play this Tuesday.

“Whoever we play from here on out, starting with Paola, no one is going to lay over just because they see our record or ranking,” Pfannenstiel said. “The guys need to be confident, go over their preparation in practice, and play hard.”

LOU 13 9 9 7 — 38

SMS 10 13 13 14 — 50

LOUISBURG (13-6): Ben Guetterman 4-9 1-1 10; Julian Margrave 4-13 0-0 10; Weston Guetterman 2-6 2-6 6; Maverick Rockers 2-2 0-0 5; Michael Seuferling 2-7 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 0-2 2-2 2; Dawson Barnes 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 14-41 6-11 38. 3-point field goals: 4, (Margrave 2, B. Guetterman, Rockers)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week ten of the winter sports season, sponsored by Louisburg Family Dental.

Weston Guetterman, Senior, Boys Basketball

Louisburg senior point guard Weston Guetterman has helped guide the Wildcat basketball team to a No. 2 state ranking and helped Louisburg to a pair of wins over Eudora and Fort Scott last week. Against Eudora, Guetterman scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds to go along with five steals on Saturday. Against Fort Scott, Guetterman handed out a team-high six assists to go along with eight points.

For the season, Guetterman has averaged 13 points a game for the Wildcats to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

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: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker

Louisburg junior Julian Margrave goes up for two of his game-high 26 points Thursday against Fort Scott. Margrave scored 49 points in the Wildcats two wins over Fort Scott and Eudora.

Louisburg couldn’t seem to get into much of a rhythm early on in Saturday’s makeup game against Eudora.

The Wildcats found themselves down five points going into the second quarter, but they used their defense to get back in the lead to stay.

Louisburg forced 21 Eudora turnovers and turned those into 18 points, which helped the Wildcats to a 53-43 win over the Cardinals. It was also the fifth straight victory for Louisburg.

“Other than a few mental lapses early, I thought we were really good defensively,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Our guards have been doing an incredible job of pressuring in the full court and on the perimeter, which is really making it tough on our opponents. To force 21 turnovers was huge for us. That was definitely a big factor in the outcome. Holding a good team like Eudora to 43 points is something to be proud of.”

The Wildcats’ (13-5) ratcheted up its defense on the perimeter, especially at the guard spot. Senior Weston Guetterman had a team-high five steals, while Konnor Vohs, Ben Guetterman and Maverick Rockers each had two. Forward Dawson Barnes also recorded three steals.

A lot of that defense turned into offense, with big thanks to Julian Margrave. The Louisburg junior finished with a game-high 23 points and had nine rebounds. He also connected on five 3-pointers.

“Julian really heated up,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think he was 0 for his first 3, but then really got it going. Eudora had some good size to counter Julian’s length, so this game was a good challenge for him. Julian’s skills give him an advantage, because he can really stretch a defense into having to guard him on the perimeter. He had a really good shooting day.”

Weston Guetterman had a big game with 15 points to go along with his five steals and six rebounds. 

Louisburg put together a 20-point second quarter to take a three-point halftime lead. The Wildcat defense then held Eudora to just 16 second half points and were able to hold off the Cardinals.

“We got down early, but we’ve done that quite a few times this year,” Pfannenstiel said. “We always emphasize that there are a lot of possessions in a game and there’s no time to dwell on a prior possession no matter if it’s good or bad. We knew that if we just stayed the course, we’d be fine.

“I think it was just another good team win. We had a lot of guys playing to their role and doing their job which contributes to the win. Our kids have really bought into that and are playing good team basketball.”

LOU 10 20 12 11 — 53

EUD 15 12 9 7 — 43

LOUISBURG (13-5): Julian Margrave 9-18 0-0 23; Weston Guetterman 3-10 6-8 15; Michael Seuferling 2-8 1-2 5; Konnor Vohs 2-5 0-0 4; Dawson Barnes 2-4 0-0 4; Ben Guetterman 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 19-52 7-11 53. 3-point field goals: 8, (Margrave 5, W. Guetterman 3)

Margrave has big night as Wildcats roll Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT — Louisburg knew it had a mismatch going into Thursday’s game with Fort Scott.

Once it got to the second quarter, the Wildcats were able to exploit it in a big way.

Louisburg knew it had a size advantage with 6-foot-9 inch Julian Margrave, and Fort Scott couldn’t do much to stop him.

Margrave scored a game-high 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to go along with three blocks and helped Louisburg to a 62-37 win.

“Our kids did a good job seeing that mismatch and getting him the ball and he did a nice job finishing when he got his touches,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “You have to go with what is working and we knew that going in. This is the first game where we have know we have had a size advantage and really took advantage of it. Julian had a big night and hats off to the guys who were feeding him the ball.”

One of those guys was point guard Weston Guetterman, who had a team-high six assists and senior Konnor Vohs had four. 

After a slow start in which the Wildcats trailed 14-9 at the end of the first quarter, Louisburg put together a big second quarter in which it outscored Fort Scott 19-3 and took an 11-point halftime lead.

Louisburg continued to pour it on offensively in the third quarter as it scored 22 points and built a comfortable lead from there.

Senior Ben Guetterman scored in double figures with 12 points and also had three steals. Junior Michael Seuferling finished with nine points.

LOU 9 19 22 12 — 62

FS 14 3 12 8 — 37 

LOUISBURG: Julian Margrave 12-17 0-0 26; Ben Guetterman 5-10 0-0 12; Michael Seuferling 3-3 3-3 9; Weston Guetterman 3-6 2-2 8; Dawson Barnes 2-2 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 1-5 1-2 3. Totals: 26-46 6-7 62. 3-point field goals: 4, (Margrave 2, B. Guetterman 2)

Louisburg senior Weston Guetterman drives to the basket for two of his game-high 24 points in the Wildcats’ win Thursday over Spring Hill at Spring Hill High School.

SPRING HILL — For the first half anyway, Thursday’s game against Spring Hill became the Guetterman show.

Weston and Ben Guetterman, who are cousins, took it upon themselves to help get Louisburg off to a good start against the Broncos in hopes of getting a revenge win after a loss earlier this season.

The Louisburg senior guards certainly did their part as the two combined for 34 of the team’s 42 first half points and helped Wildcats to a 60-49 win over the Broncos at Spring Hill High School. It was also the third straight victory for Louisburg.

“Spring Hill started off in a Diamond and 1 look to try and take Julian (Margrave) away,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “That left their defense vulnerable to some penetration and open looks for the other guys. Weston and Ben really took advantage of that. We needed those guys to step up and they did. 

“When a team tries to do that, I think they kind of think that you are limited offensively in other areas. I think our guys took it personal and made them pay. Even though Spring Hill got out of it pretty quickly, I think it really jump started Ben and Weston for the rest of the game.”

The Wildcats (11-5) could seem to do no wrong in the first half as they scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters, while they held Spring Hill to just 20 points for the entire half. 

Weston and Ben accounted for all of the scoring in the first quarter as Louisburg jumped out to a 21-11 lead and the Wildcats’ confidence seemed to build.

“Obviously, we played well in the first half, actually the first three quarters,” Pfannenstiel said. “Defensively, we were making things tough on Spring Hill and we were efficient on offense. That’s a good combination.”

Weston finished with a game-high 24 points for the Wildcats to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Ben also scored in double figures with 15 points, but was also big on the boards with seven rebounds and also led the Wildcats with four steals.

Junior Julian Margrave was big in the second half for the Wildcats as he finished with a double-double. Margrave scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds to help the Wildcats win the battle on the glass.

It was a big difference all-around from the Wildcats’ last meeting with the Broncos, in which the Wildcats lost by five at home. Louisburg shot 47 percent from the field and committed just nine turnovers.

“Well for one, we shot it better, so that’s the obvious stat that makes a big difference,” Pfannenstiel said. “But we shot it better because we were smarter offensively. We didn’t settle for as many outside shots. We took nine less threes in this game. I think we learned that in order for us to have a big offensive night, it doesn’t have to come from shooting the ball from behind the arc. We were much more efficient offensively. We cut down on turnovers this game as well. When you take care of the ball, you get more opportunities to score.”

The Wildcats were up by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter, but the Broncos made one last rally to cut it to eight on a couple different occasions, but could get no closer.

Louisburg will try continue its winning ways Thursday when it travels to Fort Scott for a makeup game. The Wildcats, who were scheduled to play Eudora tonight, will play the Cardinals at 11:30 a.m. at home Saturday in another makeup contest.

“Overall, I like where we are right now,” Pfannenstiel said. “I just hope this break due to the weather doesn’t halt our momentum. Our boys will be excited for the opportunity to get back out on the court.”

LOU 21 21 11 7 — 60

SH 11 9 13 16 — 49

LOUISBURG (11-5): Weston Guetterman 9-21 6-7 24; Ben Guetterman 6-9 0-0 15; Julian Margrave 6-11 0-0 13; Michael Seuferling 2-4 2-4 6; Maverick Rockers 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 24-51 8-13 60. 3-point field goals: 4, (B. Guetterman 3, Margrave)