Senior Alyse Moore splits two Nemaha Central defenders and draws a foul during Saturday’s Top Gun championship game in Wellsville.

WELLSVILLE — Early on the second half, the Louisburg girls basketball team was well on its way to accomplishing something great. 

Not only would a win give the Lady Cats their first ever Top Gun championship – after placing eighth a year ago – but it would also end Nemaha Central’s 36-game winning streak.

Louisburg, the No. 5 team in Class 4A, held a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Nemaha Central – who made the Class 3A final four last year and is No. 3 in Class 3A – showed why the Thunder had won that many games in a row.

Nemaha Central pressured the Lady Cats, which helped the Thunder get back in the game, and eventually hand Louisburg a 52-48 loss Saturday in Wellsville.

As much disappointment as the Lady Cats felt after such an important game, they know there will be bigger opportunities on the horizon.

“The girls had mixed emotions after the game on Saturday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They were very sad because we lost, but proud of themselves for getting second after placing eighth last year. 

“This game will help us get better and show us how we need to play once we get to the postseason. Learning from this loss is so important for the future of this team.”

Foul trouble was a consistent problem for the Lady Cats as seniors Madilyn Melton and Megan Foote each had to sit for a majority of the first half and Melton was saddled with three fouls before halftime.

It meant other players had to step up like sophomore Emma Prettyman, who played the final two minutes of the second quarter, and got a rebound and a steal to help the Lady Cats preserve their 27-20 halftime advantage.

Despite Melton picking up her fourth foul early in the third quarter, the Lady Cats still went on an 8-1 run that ended on a steal and a basket from senior Alyse Moore to put Louisburg up 35-21.

From then on, Nemaha Central took control as its pressure defense led the Thunder to go on an 11-0 run to end third quarter.

“The third quarter was a roller-coaster for us,” Lane said. “We came out very hard from halftime and scored a couple of big buckets to take the lead. Nemaha started pressuring us more and took us out of our game. They were very aggressive on the ball and we did not handle the pressure very well.”

Louisburg (10-2) was able to fight back to start the fourth as junior Jordan Mynsted scored five straight points to help the Lady Cats to a 40-33 lead.

Again, the Thunder went on a 7-0 run to tie the game, but Melton kept the Lady Cats in it with a basket and a pair of free throws. She later fouled out with 2:34 left in the game and the Thunder did enough damage at the free-throw line to eek out the win.

Senior Brooklyn Diederich had a basket and junior Delaney Wright added a pair of free throws late to cut it to one, but Nemaha Central guard Cassidy Corby took advantage of her chances at the line.

Corby knocked down several late free throws and finished the game with 29 points and was 14-for-18 from the free-throw line.

As a team, Nemaha Central converted 24-of-35 opportunities, while Louisburg went to the line just 15 times and made nine.

“The fouls that were called did hurt us as a team,” Lane said. “Allowing Nemaha to shoot so many free throws put us at a disadvantage. When a team scores 24 points off free throws it’s hard to overcome that.”

Mynsted led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points, while Madilyn Melton added 10. Wright was third on the team with seven points.

Although it may not have showed in the scoring column, Moore made a big impact on the game for the Lady Cats. Moore finished with team-highs in rebounds (8), assists (5), deflections (3), steals (3) and blocks (1). She also added six points.

Moore would go to represent Louisburg on the Top Gun All-Academic Team.

“Alyse is such a great leader and it showed in the championship game and all week at Wellsville,” Lane said. “Her energy and positive attitude are felt by all the girls. She helps us get excited and ready to play. She had some really big plays in the championship, and her efforts helped us stay in the game.”

Following the contest, Melton, Mynsted and Foote were all named to the all-tournament team for their efforts throughout the week at Wellsville – one that provided many memorable moments.

“I cannot say enough about this team and how hard they play,” Lane said. “Their fight and hustle are impressive and their teamwork is improving each game. I am so proud to be their coach and I know they will never quit.”

Louisburg will try and get back on track as it will have big games this week against Paola and Ottawa – both teams who are in the Lady Cats’ substate. The Lady Cats will travel to Paola tonight.

“This is going to be a huge week for us,” Lane said. “Playing two sub-state opponents will help us see where we are and what we need to do to get better. Also playing one of our biggest rivals this week will make for a fun game. The girls are so excited and ready to fight.”

LOU 13 14 8 13 – 48

NC 10 10 12 20 – 52 

LOUISBURG (10-2): Jordan Mynsted 6-16 2-3 14; Madilyn Melton 4-6 2-2 10; Delaney Wright 1-1 4-4 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 1-2 6; Alyse Moore 3-6 0-4 6; Megan Foote 1-4 0-0 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 18-47 9-15 48. 3-point field goals: 3, (Wright, Diederich, Foote)

Members of the Louisburg girls basketball team celebrate a big play Thursday during the Lady Cats’ 45-39 win over Jefferson West.

WELLSVILLE – Through the first quarter-and-a-half, nothing seemed to go right for Louisburg offensively.

Jefferson West jumped out to a nine-point lead and the Lady Cats had managed just one field goal during the 12-minute stretch Thursday during the semifinals of the Top Gun Tournament in Wellsville.

Add to that, the Lady Cats were dealing with foul trouble as two players were saddled with three fouls before the end of the first quarter.

After the first 12 minutes, Louisburg had a big hill to climb. Still, the Lady Cats were able to put together one of their best comebacks of the season as they snuck past Jefferson West, 45-39, and will play in the championship game today against Nemaha Central.

“We had a very slow start against Jeff West, and they did a great job defending our inside game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We only scored four points the first quarter and two of those points were from free throws. To overcome this start was huge for our team and our morale.

“Jeff West was prepared to play us, and after we got into our game we did a great job overcoming our slow start. Our great defensive effort is what kept us in the game until our shots started falling.”

Down 13-4 midway through the second quarter, the Lady Cat offense started to come to life as Megan Foote knocked down a 3-pointer and helped them to just a six-point deficit at halftime.

Louisburg (10-1) started to play with more confidence in the second half. Senior Brooklyn Diederich hit two 3-pointers, and Foote made another, to cut the Jeff West lead to just three going into the fourth.

“Megan’s leadership on the floor was felt by all the girls,” Lane said. “Megan’s 4 3-pointers were huge for our team,  and they kept us in the game.

In the fourth quarter, it was senior Madilyn Melton’s turn as she scored 11 of her 15 points to help give Louisburg a seven-point lead and the Lady Cats were able to hold on from there. Melton was also 6-for-6 from the free-throw line during that stretch and had nine rebounds on the night. 

“Madilyn was super aggressive in the fourth quarter,” Lane said. “She took advantage of the defense, drew some fouls and finished some bigs shots. She also followed her shot well and got a couple of put backs.”

Despite getting off to the slow start, the Lady Cat defense was able to keep them in the game. Senior Alyse Moore shadowed one of Jeff West’s top scorers, Mellany Roenne. 

Moore held Roenne to just four points on the night, and as a team, forced 17 Jeff West turnovers.

“I thought our defense is excellent,” Lane said, “We play so hard and battle for every possession and rebound. Alyse did outstanding guarding Roenne. She worked so hard and shut her down.”

Louisburg also had to play out of foul trouble as Diederich and Delaney Wright each had three fouls in the first quarter and point guard Brianne Kuhlman had two.

The Lady Cats were able to get production from their bench as sophomore Adyson Ross took over the point guard spot and had a team-high four assists. 

“Adyson Ross did a fantastic job for our team,” Lane said. “She came in and played about 11 minutes straight and battled for our team. She got a 5 second call against their best player and played several different roles. She had a fantastic night and we were all so excited for her.”

Along with earning a spot in the championship, there was also another reason for celebration as it was Lane’s 100th career win as a head coach and her 10th at Louisburg.

“I am so excited to get my 100th win with this team,” Lane said. They play so hard and battle for every win and Thursday was no different. We battled to the very end for this win and it was a well deserved one.”

The Lady Cats, who are ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, will square off with the No. 3 team in Class 3A, Nemaha Central. Tipoff is set for 2:45 p.m. at Wellsville High School.

It will also be the first time this group has played in a championship game together.

“The girls are so excited to play in the championship,” Lane said. “They said it’s the first time they have ever had this experience and I am so excited for them. Nemaha is a very fundamental and structured team. They will bring experience to the championship game and I think we will bring excitement.”

LOU 4 10 13 18 – 45

JW 11 9 10 9 – 39 

LOUISBURG (10-1): Megan Foote 4-8 6-9 18; Madilyn Melton 4-8 7-10 15; Brooklyn Diederich 2-4 0-0 6; Brianne Kuhlman 0-3 3-4 3; Jordan Mynsted 1-3 0-1 2; Alyse Moore 0-3 1-4 1. Totals: 11-34 17-28 45. 3-point field goals: 6, (Foote 4, Diederich 2)

Louisburg cruises past Wellsville

WELLSVILLE – Slow starts have been the theme so far for Louisburg in the Top Gun Tournament as the Lady Cats found themselves down early to Wellsville in the first round.

The Lady Cats were able to change that in the second quarter Tuesday as they held Wellsville to just one point in the second quarter and that helped pave the way for a 51-31 win.

“I was so proud of the girls and how hard they played on defense,” Lane said. “We started the game in a press for the first time and I thought we did a great job pressuring the ball and rebounding.

“I thought the girls did a great job responding to Wellsville’s quick start to the game. We stayed calm and in control even though we got down early.”

Wellsville scored the game’s first eight points and took a 15-11 lead over Louisburg at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was a different story as the Lady Cats outscored the Eagles 18-1 before halftime and never looked back.

Junior Jordan Mynsted and senior Alyse Moore provided a big lift in that second quarter. Moore scored seven points in the frame and Mynsted added six to help Louisburg to a 29-16 halftime lead.

Senior Madilyn Melton led Louisburg with 13 points on the night and Mynsted ended up with 12. Moore had a big night on the glass with a team-high 13 rebounds.

The Lady Cats would build a 21-point lead in the third quarter and were able to advance to the semifinals.

LOU 11 18 15 7 – 51

WEL 15 1 7 8 – 31

LOUISBURG: Madilyn Melton 5-8 3-3 13; Jordan Mynsted 5-14 2-3 12; Megan Foote 4-5 0-0 9; Alyse Moore 3-5 0-2 7; Adyson Ross 2-3 0-1 5; Delaney Wright 1-3 0-0 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 22-49 5-9 51. 3-point field goals: 4, (Ross, Wright, Moore, Foote)

Louisburg senior Brooklyn Diederich battles Spring Hill’s Cate Milroy for a loose ball Friday in Louisburg.

For the first time all season, the Louisburg girls basketball team walked off the court with that sick feeling in its stomach.

The feeling of defeat.

The Lady Cats, who won their first eight games of the season, came up short in a 52-40 set back Friday at home to Spring Hill. A rough final three quarters sent Louisburg to its first loss of the year.

“It’s never easy to lose, and the girls were disappointed in how we played overall as a team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We will get better because of this loss. We can learn from our mistakes and fix them and become a better all-around team. I thought the girls played hard the entire game and did not quit. We played and battled till the buzzer sounded.”

Louisburg (8-1) got out to a fast start against the Broncos as the Lady Cats went on a 12-3 run to open the game.

Shortly after that, the Broncos went to a zone defense and Louisburg didn’t have an answer for it. Shots weren’t falling and the Broncos limited second chance shots.

The Lady Cats were just 1-for-17 from 3-point range and had trouble getting good looks on the inside.

“Our shots were for sure not falling on Friday, but I think we could’ve done a better job moving the ball more in the zone, and looking for better shot options especially since our outside shots were not falling,” Lane said. “Our rebounding could’ve also been better on both ends of the court.”

Spring Hill outscored Louisburg 11-4 in the second quarter to take a four-point halftime lead. The game was tied midway through the fourth quarter, but the Lady Cats ran into foul trouble.

Senior Madilyn Melton, one the team’s main inside threats, fouled out midway through the quarter with the game tied at 35-all.

From there, Spring Hill went on a 12-4 run to end the contest and secured the win.

Junior Jordan Mynsted led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Melton finished with nine points and senior Alyse Moore added seven points and seven rebounds.

Senior Megan Foote pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and also had four assists and two steals.

It is now tournament week for Louisburg as it will compete in the Top Gun Tournament in Wellsville. It is a tournament that not only features the No. 5 Lady Cats, but also the No. 3 team in Class 3A in Nemaha Central and the No. 3 team in Class 5A in Lansing.

Throw in other teams like Spring Hill, Baldwin and Topeka-Hayden – and it will be a challenging three days for Louisburg.

The Lady Cats, who are the No. 1 seed, open up against Wellsville at 5:15 p.m. tonight.

“We are super excited going into this week,” Lane said. “This will be a very challenging week for us, but we will use the games this week to get better as a team and that will help us come postseason.”

LOU 13 4 11 12 – 40 

SH 10 11 10 21 – 52

LOUISBURG (8-1): Jordan Mynsted 6-19 1-1 13; Madilyn Melton 3-8 3-3 9; Alyse Moore 3-6 1-7 7; Delaney Wright 1-1 1-4 4; Megan Foote 2-7 0-0 4; Brooklyn Diederich 1-10 0-0 2; Brianne Kuhlman 0-3 1-3 1. Totals: 16-54 7-18 40. 3-point field goals: 1, (Wright)

Jordan Mynsted goes up for two of her team-high 18 points during Friday’s six-point win at Baldwin High School.

BALDWIN CITY – For the second time in a month, the Louisburg girls basketball team had to face off with Baldwin.

A month ago, Baldwin took the Lady Cats to the wire, but Louisburg hung on by three points back in December. This time, Louisburg had to travel to Baldwin in hopes of keeping its perfect season alive.

Louisburg trailed by one going into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Cats scored 22 points in the final frame to leave with a 57-51 victory over the Bulldogs. It was the Lady Cats’ eighth consecutive win on the season.

“Beating Baldwin on the road was huge,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The girls were so excited and very proud of themselves. They worked very hard for that win, and afterwards they were very happy.”

There was a lot for the Lady Cats (8-0) to be happy about as they put together a team effort that allowed them to escape with a difficult road victory against one of the Frontier League’s most successful programs in recent years.

Louisburg made the plays in the fourth quarter when it needed it and several of them came from the trio of Madilyn Melton, Megan Foote and Jordan Mynsted.

The three Louisburg players combined for 19 of the team’s 22 points in the fourth and made several key plays down the stretch.

The Lady Cats were also solid on the defensive end despite a couple players having to deal with foul problems.

“I felt the team played great in the fourth quarter,” Lane said, “The girls all did a great job and played their roles. Brooklyn (Diederich) and Megan guarded their two best guards perfectly down the stretch. Brooklyn did a fantastic job playing tough defense even though she had four fouls. Delaney Wright also came in and gave us a spark on the defensive end. She took two charges towards the end of the game that gave our team momentum on the offensive end. Madilyn did a fantastic job against Baldwin’s post player as she blocked her out and stepped and helped when needed. 

“Megan, Madilyn, and Jordan had 19 points between the three of them in the fourth quarter. Having multiple girls who can score under pressure says a lot about the maturity of our team.”

Mynsted led the Lady Cats with 18 points on the night to go along with three blocks. Foote had 13 points but also tallied a team-high eight assists and four steals.

Melton also finished in double figures with 12 points and had five rebounds and four assists from her forward spot.

Sophomore point guard Brianne Kuhlman was a model of consistency for Louisburg. Kuhlman played the entire game and tallied six points and a team-high six rebounds. She also had zero turnovers on the night.

“Brianne did a great job,” Lane said. “She handled the ball the entire game and did not have one turnover. The team definitely looks for her when we rebound and she does a great job staying calm and composed when bringing the ball up and starting the offense in a tight game.”

Louisburg also came through when it needed to from the free-throw line. The Lady Cats knocked down 5 of 7 from the line in the fourth quarter and finished 11-13 for the game.

“Our free-throw shooting is what sealed the win for us,” Lane said. “The girls are very committed to making free throws in pressure situations. We shoot a lot of free throws in practice to help them stay composed during the game.”

Louisburg will continue its difficult schedule Friday when it hosts Spring Hill as the Lady Cats look to keep their perfect season intact. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 16 10 9 22 – 57

BAL 13 10 13 15 – 51

LOUISBURG (8-0): Jordan Mynsted 8-13 2-3 18; Megan Foote 4-8 2-2 13; Madilyn Melton 5-14 2-2 12; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 4-4 6; Brooklyn Diederich 1-2 1-2 4; Alyse Moore 2-5 0-0 4. Totals: 21-45 11-13 57. 3-point field goals: 4, (Foote 3, Diederich)

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

Madilyn Melton, Senior, Girls Basketball

Louisburg senior Madilyn Melton gave the Lady Cats a big boost last week as she played a large role in helping her team to a pair of wins against Bonner Springs and Baldwin. Against Bonner Springs, Melton led Louisburg with 17 points to go along with three rebounds.

Melton made an impact on both ends of the floor for Louisburg in its win over Baldwin last Friday. Melton scored 12 points and added five rebounds and five blocks in the victory, to go along with four assists and two steals. Those victories moved Louisburg to an 8-0 record on the year and the Lady Cats are currently ranked No. 5 in Class 4A.

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

Louisburg junior Delaney Wright drives to the basket during a game earlier in the season. The Lady Cats downed Bonner Springs, 57-34, on the road Tuesday.

BONNER SPRINGS – The Louisburg girls basketball team once again had their perfect record on the line – and once again – the Lady Cats passed with flying colors.

The Lady Cats jumped out to a 16-point halftime lead Tuesday at Bonner Springs and never looked back in a 57-34 victory over the Braves. The win is the Lady Cats’ seventh straight to start the year.

“Overall, I thought we did a good job as a team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I also was very proud of the girls for holding onto their lead and playing smart in the second half. All of the girls on the varsity roster got into the game and all the girls contributed.”

Louisburg focused on getting the ball inside and it seemed to work against Bonner Springs’ zone defense. Senior Madilyn Melton and junior Jordan Mynsted dominated the paint for Louisburg.

Melton finished with a game-high 17 points, while Mynsted also finished in double figures with 13 and had six rebounds.

“Bonner ran a 3-2 zone which was a defense we had not seen yet, so our offense was focused on getting the ball to the inside,” Lane said. “I thought once we recognized the defense the girls did a good job running our offense. Madilyn and Jordan both did a great job finishing. As a team we also rebounded well, and we finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds.”

It wasn’t the best of shooting nights for the Lady Cats as they shot 35 percent for the game, but they attacked the offensive glass and it led to 16 second chance points. 

Louisburg out-rebounded Bonner Springs 48-31 and also played well on the defensive end.

Seniors Alyse Moore and Megan Foote were active on the boards. Moore pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds and Foote recorded 12 from her guard spot. Foote also had a team-high five steals and four assists.

“The girls did a great job defensively and being aggressive paid off against Bonner,” Lane said. “We ended the night with 10 steals and 29 defensive rebounds. The team did a great job running the floor and converting the steals and rebounds into baskets.”

Louisburg will square off with Baldwin tonight in a rematch of one the Lady Cats’ closest games of the season. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Baldwin Jr. High School.

LOU 20 13 13 11 – 57 

BON 10 7 6 11 – 34

LOUISBURG (7-0): Madilyn Melton 7-10 3-4 17; Jordan Mynsted 6-14 1-1 13; Alyse Moore 3-7 1-2 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 2-2 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-5 3-4 5; Megan Foote 1-10 1-4 4; Delanie Tally 1-1 0-0 3; Adyson Ross 1-4 0-0 2; Delaney Wright 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 22-63 11-17 59. 3-point field goals: 2, (Foote, Tally)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week four of the winter sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

Megan Foote, Senior, Girls Basketball

Louisburg senior Megan Foote was a big piece to the Lady Cats’ victory over No. 4 Eudora on Friday. Foote was second on the team in scoring with 12 points and had three 3-pointers. She also finished with a team-high three assists to go along with three rebounds.

It was Foote’s defense that helped lead the way as well. She shadowed all-state player Harper Schriener most of the game, which was key in the Lady Cats’ win.

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

Louisburg celebrates its 54-49 victory over No. 4 Eudora on Friday at Eudora High School. It was the sixth straight win for the Lady Cats.

EUDORA – Louisburg had hoped to continue its hot streak after the Christmas break, but the Lady Cats had the No. 4 team in Class 4A waiting for them.

On Friday, No. 7 Louisburg traveled to Eudora in a battle of state-ranked teams and the Lady Cats pulled off one of their biggest wins in recent memory.

Louisburg used a 23-point third quarter to get out to a big lead and the Lady Cats were able to hold on for a 54-49 victory and they are now 6-0 on the season.

“The girls were very excited to get the win at Eudora,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “When I got back to the locker room, they were cheering and screaming. This was a huge win for them, not only in the game sense, but also emotionally and mentally.”

Eudora, which has gone to the state tournament the last two seasons, featured a talented group that included a first team All-Frontier League player in Harper Schreiner. 

Defensively, the Lady Cats made things difficult on Schreiner and the rest of the Cardinals. Louisburg forced 15 turnovers and had 10 deflections that led to points in transition. 

Senior guard Megan Foote started on Schriener defensively and the rest of the Lady Cats provided help throughout the game. Even though Schreiner still finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, the Lady Cats slowed the Cardinals down enough and they took advantage.

“Our goal to slowing down Harper was contain her when she had the ball and don’t let her get the ball back once she gets rid of it,” Lane said. “Our defense on Friday was excellent. We did a great job helping and containing like we worked on. The girls who did guard Harper did a tremendous job of not letting her get the ball back. They face guarded her, which they are not used to, and they did great.”

Offensively, the Lady Cats got a big game from Foote and junior Jordan Mynsted. 

Mynsted scored a game-high 14 points to go along with nine rebounds, while Foote added 12 points – including three 3-pointers – to go along with a team high three assists.

“Megan had a huge night,” Lane said. “She guarded Harper for most of the game and she had two huge 3’s in the third quarter. She also did a great job leading the team and keeping them calm towards the end of the game.

“Jordan had another big night for us as well. She just a natural scorer and we are super lucky to have a player like that on our team. Jordan also had nine rebounds, which was huge.”

In what was a back-and-forth first half, the Lady Cats came out strong after halftime. Louisburg scored 23 points in the third quarter and they never looked back.

Schreiner opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to give Eudora the lead, but Louisburg responded as Foote hit two 3-pointers in the frame to give Louisburg a 32-29 advantage.

Senior Brooklyn Diederich followed up with a basket to put Louisburg up five, while senior Alyse Moore hit 3-pointer of her own and scored five straight to put the Lady Cats up seven.

After two Mynsted buckets and a Delaney Wright basket later, Louisburg had an 11-point lead.

Louisburg went through a scoring drought in the fourth quarter as Eudora battled back to cut the Lady Cats’ lead to just one with two minutes left in the game.

Senior Madilyn Melton provided the Lady Cats with the cushion they needed as she scored Louisburg’s first basket of the quarter with 1:40 left in the contest. Melton added another 40 seconds later to put Louisburg up 49-45.

A Schreiner basket cut the lead to two, but sophomore Brianne Kuhlman and Mynsted combined to go 3-for-4 from the free-throw line to seal the win.

“Madlyin’s two baskets in the fourth quarter were huge and definitely gave us the confidence to finish the game with the win,” Lane said. “I felt like the girls were playing ‘safe’ in the fourth quarter, which is what we talked about. 

“As we mature into the season I hope we can improve our “safe” play by looking for scoring opportunities as well as taking care of the ball. Making free throws in close games can make or break a team, and Brianne and Jordan did a great job finishing.”

Along with Foote and Mynsted, Moore was also productive for the Lady Cats with nine points and seven rebounds. Melton finished with eight points, six rebounds and three assists.

Diederich also affected the game with with five rebounds from her guard spot to to along with a team-high four deflections, three assists and two blocks.

Louisburg will try for its seventh straight win Tuesday when it travels to Bonner Springs. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 17 5 23 9 – 54

EUD 13 9 14 13 – 49

LOUISBURG (6-0): Jordan Mynsted 6-15 2-4 14; Megan Foote 4-9 1-1-12; Alyse Moore 4-6 0-4 9; Madilyn Melton 4-10 0-0 8; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 0-0 4; Delanie Tally 1-2 1-1 3; Brianne Kuhlman 0-4 2-2 2; Delaney Wright 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 22-59 6-12 54. 3-point field goals: 4, (Foote 3, Moore)

There hasn’t been a year like 2020, and for most people, they are ready to put it behind them and forget it ever existed.

Still, with all the challenges that 2020 brought, there were still plenty of positives to talk about when it came to Louisburg High School sports. History-making state places and state medals were plentiful on this list, but it wasn’t all positive. Louisburg had to say goodbye to a beloved town figure and athletes had to deal with the loss of spring sports.

Below are the top stories from 2020, 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. Thanks to the cancellation of spring sports, I don’t have the top 10 like I normally do, but I got close.

This year was a blast to cover, when I had the opportunity, anyway. Still, I am looking forward to what 2021 will bring. Thank you for everyone’s support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

8. Ratliff-Becher wins state powerlifting title

After winning a state championship in 2019 Reilly Ratliff-Becher had every intention of backing up her performance during the Class 4A State Powerlifting Championships on March 7 at Piper High School.

In fact, the Louisburg senior wanted to improve it. Last season, Ratliff-Becher took first in everything but squat, which she got runner-up.

This time around, she got the clean sweep.

Ratliff-Becher took first in bench, squat and clean and that led to her second straight state championship in the 180-pound class.

“It means a lot to me that I was able to win the state title again,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I set a goal for myself to win first in everything since I had got second in squat last year and I achieved it. Even though it wasn’t my best showing with the numbers I got on my lifts.

“The competition was very good this year, as it always is. But, fortunately with all the work I put in to at least maintain my numbers from last year, meant I was able to lift bigger amounts than my competition.”

7. Conley named state and midwest coach of the year

After a third place finish to end the year, Louisburg boys soccer coach Kyle Conley was recognized among the state’s best.

Conley was named as the Class 4-1A Coach of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association in November.

He guided the Wildcats to a 16-2 record on the season and the team’s highest finish in program history when Louisburg ousted Rose Hill, 3-0, in the state third-place game.

Just a few weeks later, Conley was honored once again – this time on the girls’ side.

Despite the lost season, the United Soccer Coaches wanted to recognize coaches for their past accomplishments and for what this past spring was supposed to hold.

Atop that list was Conley as he was named as the Small School Midwest Coach of the Year. 

“I am absolutely honored to receive this award,” Conley said. “There are so many great coaches in the Midwest, but to me this is a program award. None of this is possible without everyone involved; girls coming to work their tails off everyday, parents traveling and supporting us anywhere and everywhere, community helping with supporting the program, the school supporting the girls, etc. Without the support and buy in from the girls, parents and community none of this is possible.”

The Wildcat girls program has had a successful start in its four years. Conley has a 54-22-2 record during that span, that included two state runner-ups and another state final four appearance. 

6. Louisburg cheer places third at state

The Louisburg cheer squad had to do its postseason competition a little different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It didn’t seem to bother them much as the defending state champions found themselves right in the thick of things again.

Although they didn’t repeat as champs, they were still among the state’s best as the Wildcats cheerleaders finished third in the state back in November.

Unlike performing in front of judges like they did in 2019, the Wildcats had to video tape their performance and send it in to be judged. It fared well as they tallied 83.35 points to finish in the top 3.

Baldwin earned the state title with 88.85 points and Abilene was second with 85.25.

Members of the Louisburg cheer squad are Bella Feikert, Addison Drake, Brooklyn Harmon, Jayden Trester, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Sophie Katzer, Sammy McDaniel, Julia Arriola, Andrea Gaza, JoJo Hendrickson, Sydney Dudzik, Abby Bradley, Anna Poe, Sienna Finch, Mable Graham, Audrey Anderson, Zoe Weers, Anna Morrison and Maggie Madison

5. Holtzen, Owens earn state medals for Wildcat wrestling

Ryan Owens and Cade Holtzen both had their own agendas going into the state wrestling tournament.

Owens, qualified for state last year, but left without a win and he vowed to fix that this time around. As for Holtzen, he came up short in his efforts for a second state medal as a sophomore last season and had all the motivation not to come home empty-handed again.

Both wrestlers more than made up for their rough patches a year ago.

Owens and Holtzen left Salina with a state medal during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. 

Owens made it to the semifinals and wound up earning a fourth-place medal at 120 pounds, while Holtzen finished fifth at 126 pounds.

It also marked the first time since 2016 that Louisburg finished the season with multiple state medalists, when Nathan Keegan and Mason Koechner each brought home medals.

The Wildcats nearly had three medalists as sophomore Brandon Doles finished one win shy of a state medal at 160 pounds with a 2-2 record.

4. Dennis steps down as LHS team doctor

Almost every day of the week, if you were looking for Damon Dennis, he could be found at his office on 11 S. Broadway St., helping treat those pesky aches and pains, taking X-rays, or mending those beaten up athletes after a game.

Doc D – as he his affectionately known – opened Louisburg Chiropractic Office 28 years ago and has served as the Louisburg High School athletic team doctor for almost that same amount of time.

Dennis has seen it all. The walls in his office are lined with mementos from his years of service to both the community and the high school.

He has taped thousands of ankles, seen even more patients and has touched many lives during his time in Louisburg. That is why this week is one of the more emotional times in his life.

In May, he left Louisburg Chiropractic Office and handed the reins over to Dr. Jake Polzin. Add to that, Dennis also stepped away as LHS’ team doctor and left an absence on the sidelines and behind the mic that many in Louisburg have come to know.

“My decision to step down and sell the practice has turned out to be the hardest thing I have ever done,” Dennis said. “I have poured everything I have into my job and community. It has become my entire existence. I was taught from a young age to serve others and your community. I feel like the pressures I have put on myself have become unhealthy. I have put about 40 years work in to 28 and feel like there is never going to be a good time to make such a huge life change. 

“That being said, I feel like I need to make changes while I am still able to do the things that will be best for my family. Dr. Polzin came along and I think he will carry on the work at the office wonderfully. We are a lot alike in many ways. I could not have found anyone better to replace me.”

For many, Dennis has been a big part of people’s lives, especially in the athletic arena. He has served as the LHS team doctor since 1992 and has treated many athletes in those 28 years.

3. Girls Cross Country Takes Third at State

For 23 years, the Louisburg cross country program has been chasing a top three finish at the Class 4A meet.

The Wildcats have had several teams qualify, especially in the last few seasons, but have always come up short of their goal. Following Saturday’s race in Wamego, the Wildcats can finally stop running after it.

The Louisburg girls put together an historic performance at the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships at Wamego Country Club. The Lady Cats earned a state plaque with a third place finish as they surpassed Buhler by eight points to record the school’s first top three state finish.

Junior Reese Johnson, sophomores Claire Brown, Bree Gassman and Nova Ptacek, along with freshmen Lola Edwards, Maddy Rhamy and Erin Apple, will all go down in school history as they became the first Wildcat team to bring home state hardware.

“It means the world to me to be a part of the first team ever to place at state,” Rhamy said. “Coming into the state meet, I was just hoping our team would be in the top half, so you could imagine my excitement when our team placed third. I didn’t even know we made school history until our coaches told us.”

Rhamy was one of two freshmen who earned top 10 finishes individually, along with Edwards. Rhamy finished eighth overall in 20 minutes and 58 seconds, while Edwards was right behind her in 10th in 21:02.

Junior Reese Johnson also garnered a state medal as she was 15th in 21:28 to help the Lady Cats to an historic performance.

It was a proud moment for many in the Louisburg program, and included in that is John Reece. The longtime Wildcat head coach was all smiles following his team’s performance.

“It is 23 years the making,” coach Reece said. “You always have the plans and goals to get to state and then you get a group to go to state and do something great. This year was one of those. With the Frontier League as tough as it is, and then getting third there, put it in our heads that maybe we could do this. They all went out and ran their races, and that just shows their grit and determination and who they are.”

A week earlier, the Wildcats also made history as its was the first time in school history when they qualified the entire boys team to the state meet as they took third at regionals.

2. Boys Soccer Finishes Runner-Up At State

As the Louisburg players huddled around their state plaque, many of them looked at it in awe and wonder.

“Hey guys, we won this,” a player shouted.

The statement was obvious at the time, but nonetheless, their excitement was more than warranted.

For the first time in program history, the Louisburg boys soccer team brought home a plaque from the state final four as the Wildcats defeated Rose Hill, 3-0, on Saturday in the third place match of the Class 4-1A state tournament at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

It was only the second time in school history that the Wildcats had it made it this far, with the other being in 2016, when they finished fourth.

“There are only six teams in the entire state that get to end their year with a win and we wanted to be one of those teams,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We want to be able to hang up a banner on our field and we wanted a plaque so that no one can forget what these kids earned and what they did this season. I am so proud of all of them.”

It was a program defining moment for the Wildcats as they began the weekend searching for a state championship, but lost 2-0 to Bishop Miege on Friday in the semifinals. Still, recording the best finish in school history is nothing for someone to hang their head about, and the Wildcats came out Saturday wanting to make sure they brought some hardware home.

“It’s absolutely crazy to think about what we have accomplished this year, partly because I have only played soccer in high school,” senior captain Logan Faulkner said. “Bringing a state plaque back will just be a reminder of what we did and how we reached our goal.”

1. COVID-19 Cancels Spring Sports

In March, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly closed all schools for the rest of the 2019-20 school year due to the spread of COVID-19.

When most students hear school has been closed, especially in the winter, cheers erupt. In this case, however, the tone was much more somber – especially among the senior class.

Proms were canceled. Any plans they had for a graduation ceremony were put on hold, and for more than 30 seniors, their last opportunity at playing a sport at Louisburg High School was taken away.

In fact, close to 200 students were planning on participating in an activity in the spring, but with no school, the Kansas State High School Activities Association followed suit and canceled the spring season the day after Gov. Kelly’s declaration.

Students, parents and coaches alike have had to come to grips that a season they had been looking forward to all year, was never going to happen. Tears flowed, walls were punched in frustration and some were left speechless.

There would be no game days, no Senior Nights and no postseason runs. Athletes had to figure out how to cope with this fact and it was a challenge for the Louisburg girls soccer, track and field, baseball, softball, golf and swim teams.

Many of those teams had big postseason aspirations after success in 2019 and were left wondering what could have been.

Senior Alyse Moore goes up for two of her 12 points during the Lady Cats’ 60-20 win over Coffeyville-Field Kindley on Thursday in Louisburg.

About 24 hours prior to its final game before the holiday break, the Louisburg girls basketball team had a change in its schedule.

The Lady Cats were scheduled to play Piper, but the Pirates were forced to go into quarantine, which left a hole in Louisburg’s schedule. It didn’t take long to find a replacement and the Lady Cats hosted Coffeyville-Field Kindley.

Louisburg found the perfect way to end the 2020 part of its season. The Lady Cats took care of business as they rolled Field Kindley, 60-20, on Thursday at Louisburg High School and moved to 5-0 on the season.

Not only are the Lady Cats unblemished to start their season, but they are currently ranked No. 7 in the Class 4A poll put out by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

“The girls are super excited to be 5-0,” Lane said. “It is a great start, especially with how the season began and us not being able to be together to practice to start the year. I think they have done a great job coming back together after we were quarantined and getting the whole team thing down.”

Louisburg certainly played like a team against Field Kindley as eight different players scored, and even ones who didn’t, contributed in other ways.

Junior Jordan Mynsted came off the bench to lead the Lady Cats in scoring with 22 points and also had a team-high five steals on the defensive end.

Senior Alyse Moore also sparked the Lady Cats with her play on both ends of the floor as she finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals.

“Alyse did awesome,” Lane said. “She will guard anyone that I ask her to, she will bang on them, box out and rebound. She gets on the floor and runs the floor hard. Couldn’t be happier with her.”

Another senior, Madilyn Melton, also scored in double figures with 10 points and had team-high six deflections. Senior Megan Foote had seven points, four deflections and four steals.

Senior Brooklyn Diederich had a team-high five assists and also had two steals.

It was the Lady Cats’ defense that stole the show against Field Kindley as they forced 32 turnovers on the night, which turned into 22 points for Louisburg. The Lady Cats also tallied 23 steals and dominated on the inside.

Louisburg led 14-5 at the end of the first quarter, but went on a 20-2 run before halftime to all but seal the win.

“They did great and I really thought we played as a team, maybe more than any other game so far this season,” Lane said. “Hopefully we will continue to see that as the season goes on – looking for each other up the court, making good passes to the weak side. I thought we did a great job.”

The Lady Cats are now on moratorium until Jan. 5, which means no contact with coaches. Louisburg will get three days to practice before its first game back, which is Jan. 8 against No. 4 Eudora.

Still, Lane believes her team will get the work in on their own so they don’t lose too much of what they have already built.

“I know the girls are going to try and get some shooting in over break on their own and still run to stay in shape,” Lane said. “Hopefully they can do that and work together somehow. It is going to be tricky only having three days of practice before our first game back, but we have done before and maybe this is how this season is going to go. I think we will be fine.

“Starting this way has developed a lot of team unity. We are very proud of them as a coaching staff with the way the girls have been working, especially since we are always throwing new stuff at them. Hopefully we can keep this going after Christmas.”

LOU 14 20 17 9 – 60 

CFK 5 2 9 4 – 20

LOUISBURG (5-0): Jordan Mynsted 9-16 4-4 22; Alyse Moore 6-9 0-3 12; Madilyn Melton 5-8 0-0 10; Megan Foote 3-5 0-0 7; Adyson Ross 1-1 1-2 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-4 0-0 2; Sierra Hahn 1-2 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 0-2 2-4 2. Totals: 26-57 7-14 60. 3-point field goals: 1, (Foote)