Louisburg sophomore Brooklyn Diederich pressures the ball during the second half of Tuesday’s game at Paola. The Lady Cats fell in a close game, 56-54.
PAOLA – The Louisburg girls
basketball team had a never-give-up attitude Tuesday when it hit the road to
face off with rival Paola.
That attitude was never more
evident than when the Lady Cats found themselves down 16 points early in the
third quarter. Some teams might have given up at that point, but Louisburg
reached down for something a little extra.
Louisburg rallied from that
deficit to take a one-point late in the fourth quarter, but didn’t have enough to
hold on in its 56-54 loss to the Panthers – a game in which Louisburg outscored
Paola by 10 in the second half.
“I am extremely proud of them,”
Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “But we have talked about this for some time
now that we have to play hard for the entire time. It can’t just be when we
feel like we have to get back in it, we have to do that throughout the game and
they are capable of doing it. With some of these young kids, I think we are
hopeful that some of that is going to click for them, or at least we are
hopeful that it will.”
Defense played a vital part of the
in the Lady Cats’ rally as they employed a frantic press and an active zone
defense that forced the Panthers into several turnovers – 23 for the game to be
exact.
Louisburg (6-8) turned those
mistakes into 14 points on the other end as they gradually crept back in the
game. Sophomore Brooklyn Diederich led the charge defensively for Louisburg as
she played at the top of zone and created a lot of havoc.
“We didn’t scheme anything
different, it was just an intensity level issue,” Lowry said. “If they can play
with that same intensity, then that defense can look that good all the time. I
have to give Brooklyn Diederich a lot of credit. We put her up at the top and
she really set the tone for us. I think other girls fed off of what she did and
a lot of credit to her in that second half.”
However, the downfall for the Lady
Cats was at the free-throw line. Louisburg converted just 9 of 26 attempts,
including several empty trips to the line late in the game.
Down two points, Louisburg missed
six straight at one time in the final minute, but got the offensive rebound
each time to give itself more chances.
The Louisburg bench including (from left) assistant Leanna Willer, head coach Shawn Lowry, Megan Foote and Kennia Hankinson celebrate a big play Tuesday in Paola.
“That is just heart,” Lowry said
of the team’s offensive rebounds. “We have talked about how free throws will
have a chance to win us a game and this was a great example of one. At the same
time, it didn’t come down to just missing those free throws, it was everything
we did up to that point. Even after missing those, we gave ourselves
opportunity after opportunity to get right back in it.”
Sophomore Madilyn Melton once
again led the Lady Cats in scoring with 20 points to go along with six rebounds
and four steals. Senior Kennia Hankinson had her best scoring game of the
season as she finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers.
Senior Carson Buffington had a
team-high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points and sophomore Alyse Moore
had eight points and three steals.
Louisburg trailed 32-20 at
halftime and then saw its deficit expand to 16 a few minutes into the second
half. The Lady Cats eventually cut the deficit to six on six straight points
from Moore, then to start the fourth quarter, Hankinson scored five quick
points to make it a two-point game before fouling out.
The Lady Cats eventually took a 46-45 lead on a 3-pointer from Diederich with 2 minutes and 50 seconds left in the game, before Paola ballooned its lead back to five at one point. Another basket by Moore with 48 seconds left cut the Paola lead to two, but the Lady Cats weren’t able to cash in at the free-throw line and Paola was able to hold on.
Louisburg will try and get back on
track today when it hosts Ottawa for homecoming. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg senior Carson Buffington knocks in a 3-pointer Friday during the Lady Cats’ consolation semifinal game against Anderson County at Wellsville High School.
WELLSVILLE – It may not have been the finish the Lousiburg girls basketball team wanted Saturday during the Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School, but the Lady Cats still had plenty of positives to build off of in their final two games.
Louisburg lost to Topeka Hayden in
the fifth-place game Saturday, 48-34, and was a game that was much closer than
the score indicated. The Lady Cats trimmed the Hayden lead to just six with 3
minutes and 46 seconds to play, but Hayden converted from the free-throw line
to seal the win.
This was after a big win for
Louisburg as it knocked off Anderson County, 64-46, in the consolation
semifinals Friday, thanks in part again to its defense. Louisburg fell to
Wellsville, 60-28, to open tournament play Thursday.
“With the exception of Thursday’s game versus
Wellsville, I thought our defensive effort was good and helped set the tone for
our play in the tournament,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “It’s great for
our team when our defense can create offense and intensity for us because we’re
flying around and getting on the floor for loose balls. With that said we have
to continue improving at scoring the basketball when we have opportunities at
the rim.”
Offensively, the Lady Cats got good performances
from sophomore Madilyn Melton and senior Kennia Hankinson against Hayden as the
two players combined for 28 of the team’s 34 points.
Melton scored a game-high 17 points, including a 10-for-11 performance from the free-throw line. Hankinson added 11 points, including three 3-pointers that helped keep the game close.
Louisburg also had to battle Hayden’s size inside,
including forward Brooklyn Hunter. Hunter scored a team-high 13 points, but was
shadowed the entire game by junior Haley Cain.
“I thought our defensive game plan with Hayden was
good and Haley Cain battled her tail off against their good post player,” Lowry
said. “We had our opportunities late in the game but just couldn’t finish some
plays.”
Junior Sydni Keagle goes up for a steal Friday against Anderson County.
Against Anderson County, the Lady Cats used their
defense to spark their offense as they scored 24 and 19 points in the second
and third quarter, respectively.
Louisburg (6-7) took a 10-4 lead at the end of the
first quarter, but widened its lead to 13 points at halftime and 17 points
going into the final period.
Melton again had another big game for Louisburg as
she finished with 20 points and was one of three Lady Cats to score in double
figures. Cain had a big night with 12 points and Buffington added 10 points in
the win.
It didn’t go quite as well to start the tournament as
the Lady Cats had trouble scoring against a Wellsville team that was tough
defensively. Louisburg trailed 24-6 at the end of the first quarter, and after
a better second period, went scoreless in the third quarter and sealed its
fate.
Following the tournament, Top Gun officials released
their awards and Buffington earned a spot on the tournament’s all-academic team.
Louisburg will try and bounce back this week with a
pair of wins as it travels to Paola tonight for a rivalry matchup and then will
host Ottawa on Friday for homecoming.
Big quarter not enough for Lady Cats in loss to Spring Hill
Louisburg sophomore Alyse Moore drives to the basket Friday during the Lady Cats’ game with Spring Hill on Friday at Louisburg High School.
The Louisburg girls basketball
team put together its best quarter of the season Friday against Spring Hill and
the Lady Cats staked themselves a big lead going into halftime.
Unfortunately for Louisburg,
Spring Hill came out of halftime and turned the tables on the Lady Cats.
The Lady Cats saw an 18-point lead
slowly whittle away and Spring Hill recorded a big comeback as it handed
Louisburg a 63-59 loss at Louisburg High School.
“This is the type of game that
shows the potential that this team is capable of being,” Louisburg coach Shawn
Lowry said. “We are by far what we are going to be by the end of February, which
I am excited about. I know how hard the girls are going to work from here on
out and they get an opportunity to show how they will respond. They are
disappointed, but at the same time they are not going to let this get them
down.”
Louisburg (5-5) trailed by five
points going into the second quarter, which is where the Lady Cats created a
lot of distance between themselves and the Broncos. They outscored Spring Hill
27-4 in the period and ended up taking a 34-16 halftime lead.
Defense keyed the Lady Cats in the
second quarter as they used a full-court press to frustrate Spring Hill and
forced nine turnovers in the frame. That defense turned into instant offense as
Spring Hill battled foul problems.
Those foul problems sent the Lady
Cats to the free-throw line – a lot – and they converted. Louisburg made 30 of
47 free throws for the game and they attacked the basket on the Bronco defense.
The Lady Cats made more free throws than they had points (19) in their last
loss to Baldwin.
“Whether we were up 18 or up 2, I
just loved how our kids battled and how they are together in this,” Lowry said.
“We can learn a lot from this game and we are going to get better from it. Just
look at how big a jump we made from our last game from a shooting perspective,
from a free-throw shooting perspective and it is just because they were focused
and ready to go. We just have to make sure that our defensive effort and
discipline is for an entire game and not just the first part.”
The second half was a different
story for Louisburg. The Broncos outscored the Lady Cats 25-9 in the third
period to cut the Louisburg lead to just two, before taking the lead back for
good with four-and-a-half minutes left in the game.
Louisburg sophomore Megan Foote gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday against Spring Hill.
Louisburg also had some foul
trouble of its own as the team’s leading scorer, Madilyn Melton, fouled out
midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lady Cats made several runs at
the Broncos as Megan Foote cut the Spring Hill lead to one on a 3-pointer with
just over a minute left. Louisburg also got a basket from Carson Buffington and
a free throw from freshman Delaney Wright with 42 seconds remaining, but still
trailed the Broncos by one.
Spring Hill made a free throw with
under 30 seconds left to make it a two-point game, but Buffington missed a
3-pointer with under 10 seconds left and Spring Hill was able to ice the game
at the free-throw line.
Buffington led Louisburg in
scoring with 18 points and also tied for a team-high with six steals and had
five rebounds. Melton was next with 17 points, while Foote also finished in
double figures with 10. Foote and sophomore Alyse Moore had six and five
steals, respectively.
Louisburg will try and bounce back
this week in a challenging Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School. The
Lady Cats, the No. 6 seed, will face Wellsville at 6:45 p.m., today.
“It is loaded and it is a good
one,” Lowry said “We are excited to go play and we will get to play the host
team to kick it off. There are some great teams like Baldwin, Spring Hill and
Nemaha Central is an undefeated No. 1-ranked team in 3A. Then you have a team
like Hayden there, whose record isn’t great, but they play in a tough league
and are a solid team. It will be a lot of fun.”
Louisburg guard Megan Foote tries to dribble past a Baldwin defender Wednesday during the Lady Cats’ road contest at Baldwin. Louisburg fell 49-19.
BALDWIN CITY – Going on the road
against a state-ranked team is usually a difficult task and it was just that
Wednesday for the Louisburg girls basketball team.
The Lady Cats ventured to No. 5-ranked Baldwin for a makeup of game that was postponed last week. Louisburg fell 49-19 to move its record to 5-4 on the season.
It was close game early as both
teams struggled to find their footing in the first quarter and the Lady Cats
trailed just 6-3 going into the second quarter.
Baldwin eventually got into a rhythm and pulled away as it knocked down several outside shots to score 20 points in the second period and took a 26-7 halftime lead. From there, the Bulldogs were able to pull away and not look back.
Louisburg had just three players
score in the contest. Sophomore Madilyn Melton led the way with seven points
and nine rebounds, while fellow sophomore Megan Foote had seven points and six
rebounds.
Senior Carson Buffington finished
with five points and seven rebounds. Junior Haley Cain was second on the team
in rebounding with eight.
The Lady Cats will compete in the Top Gun Tournament in Wellsville beginning Tuesday. Louisburg is the No. 6 seed and will play No. 3 Wellsville at 6:45 p.m.
Tonight, the Lady Cats will play at home for the first time in 2019 as it hosts Spring Hill for a Frontier League matchup. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
Offense comes alive for Lady Cats in win at Bonner Springs
Louisburg sophomore Madilyn Melton fights past two Bonner Springs defenders to get to the basket Tuesday at Bonner Springs High School.
BONNER SPRINGS – Coming off a road
loss to Eudora where the Louisburg girls basketball team managed just 28
points, the Lady Cats knew they were going to have to pick things up
offensively.
Louisburg did just that as the
Lady Cats nearly eclipsed their previous point total in the first quarter alone
Tuesday in Bonner Springs. The Lady Cats opened with a 24-point first quarter
and never looked back in a 56-44 win over the Braves.
It was a big victory for the Lady
Cats as they are in the middle of a three-game road swing to open 2019 and head
coach Shawn Lowry was pleased with the way his team responded in all phases of
the game.
“I am never proud or disappointed
after a win or a loss, I am just proud of how our kids respond to all different
kinds of things, whether that is in practice or a game,” Lowry said. “I am
proud of our character, our toughness and our togetherness. Ever since I have
been here, I have talked about togetherness and this group embraces it as good
as any that I have had here. That is what I am most proud of.”
The Lady Cats got offensive
production from several different players and also found success from the
outside. Louisburg hit nine 3-pointers on the night and was able to score both
inside and out.
It started with sophomore Madilyn
Melton as she had a team-high 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists to
lead Louisburg. Junior Haley Cain also stepped up inside with 11 points and
five rebounds.
Sophomore guard Megan Foote, who
got her first start of the season, also finished in double figures with 10
points, four rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Brooklyn Diederich came off the
bench to score eight points and senior Carson Buffington also had a team-high
seven rebounds.
Senior Carson Buffington leaps into the air to pressure a Bonner Springs player Tuesday.
“After the last game we talked
about having to find someone who can score the ball and it is just kids
stepping up and saying that they get it and I will look to be more aggressive
and be a scorer,” Lowry said. “I thought we did a good job of that. Haley,
Megan, Diederich and (Kennia) Hankinson all did a good job of looking for
opportunities. Teams are going to play Madilyn a little tougher inside and will
start to pack it in a little bit, and that means we have to look to be scorers
from the outside when we need to.”
Louisburg (5-3) took a 30-22 halftime lead after slowing down a little offensively in the second quarter. Bonner Springs chipped away at the Lady Cat lead in the third as Braves’ forward Kim Whetstone scored eight straight points to cut the Louisburg lead to three. Whetstone led Bonner Springs with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
“She is a nice player and is very
athletic and very tough,” Lowry said. “We tried to do some different things
against her, and when we tried some of those things she really started to
score. She is a nice player and we will have to play them again at our place.
Melton, Foote and Cain scored the
next 12 points for Louisburg to help build the lead back to double digits and
the Lady Cats were able to keep it there.
Louisburg will try and make it two
wins in a row tonight when it travels to Baldwin. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
“They have a great program and
they are obviously the state champions from last year,” Lowry said. “They have
so many great players back from last year, but our girls won’t back down from
the challenge and we are going to work our butts off and get ready for them.
Rough third quarter sinks Lady Cats against Eudora
Louisburg junior Haley Cain gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday at Eudora High School. The Lady Cats fell 51-28 in their first game back from the holiday break.
EUDORA – There are times during a
season where most teams will have games where the offense just wasn’t there.
Friday was one of those nights for
the Louisburg girls basketball team.
Eudora built on its 10-point
halftime lead with a big third quarter and handed the Lady Cats a 51-28 defeat at
Eudora High School. The Cardinals went on a 20-3 run in the third quarter to
pull away and the Lady Cats didn’t have an answer.
“We just have to find a way to
score the basketball,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “Whether it is with
different looks, different sets, different personnel – we just have to find a
way to get better at scoring the ball. Maybe it is something simple like
getting to the rim, making our free throws or hitting some shots from the
outside. It needs to get better.”
The Cardinals employed a zone defense
for much of the game and wanted to make Louisburg beat them from the outside.
That defense took away the Lady Cats’ strength, which is driving to the basket
and getting the ball down low.
“If I was on the other side
coaching, I would probably zone us quite a bit too,” Lowry said. “They forced
us to shoot from the outside and we couldn’t take advantage of that. Our
driving ability and inside game can be pretty strong, but we have to find a way
to score the basketball in addition to those two things.”
The Lady Cats trailed by just six
points at the end of the first quarter and had a 27-17 halftime deficit before
the Cardinals caught fire.
Along with the rough night
shooting, the Lady Cats had a tough time containing Eudora sisters Riley and
Reagan Hiebert. The Cardinal twins combined for 29 of the team’s 51 points as
they knocked down several shots from the outside against the Louisburg zone.
“They are tough to guard and they
are athletic,” Lowry said of the Eudora guards. “That is what speed does. They
are great track athletes and it shows on the basketball floor as well. Add to
that, they can really shoot the ball.
“Eudora is a really good team. We
knew they were going to be a solid team and they got a really nice freshman
class coming up too. They were what we expected. They are a talented group of
kids and they are well-coached and he has done a nice job for a long time.”
Louisburg sophomore Madilyn Melton
nearly had a double-double to lead the Lady Cats. Melton finished with 10
points and eight rebounds and was the lone Lady Cat to score in double figures.
Sophomore Alyse Moore was next
with six points, while sophomore guard Brooklyn Diederich added five. Seniors
Carson Buffington and Kennia Hankinson were second on the team with five
rebounds.
The Lady Cats will try and get back on track Tuesday when it travels to Bonner Springs. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m., as Louisburg is in the middle of a three-game road trip.
“We had a really good work over
the break,” Lowry said. “Our attendance was fantastic and our work ethic was
great. Our energy was really good, but now we have to come back and play three
games on the road. We just have to pick ourselves from this and rebound at
Bonner Springs.”
It was a successful, and eventful, 2018 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 to Louisburg.
Below are the Top 10 stories from 2018, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.
This year was a blast to cover and I was blessed to have the opportunity to go along for the ride with many of these. As much fun as it was, I can’t wait for 2019 to begin. Looking forward to it!
10. Dillon medals at state golf for second straight year
EMPORIA – All season,
Calvin Dillon had been atop or near the front of leaderboard and that didn’t
change in what was his biggest tournament of the season.
It was the second consecutive state medal for Dillon
after he finished 10th overall last season at
Wamego as a freshman.
“It is a real honor
to earn another state medal, especially with the quality players that were at
the state tournament,” Dillon said. “There were lots of good players and lots
of good teams.”
It
was another notch on Dillon’s list of accomplishments that included a Frontier
League title and six straight tournament victories during the 2018 season.
Louisburg football coach Robert Ebenstein
Louisburg girls soccer coach Kyle Conley
9. Conley, Ebenstein named Class 4A Coach of the Year
Louisburg
girls soccer coach Kyle Conley and Wildcat football coach Robert Ebenstein both
led their respective teams to special seasons.
Those seasons were special enough for both coaches to earn two big awards.
He guided the Wildcats to a 14-7 record and a spot in the
state championship match, where the Lady Cats finished second overall. The
finish was something to remember for Wildcat fans as that was accomplished in
just the program’s third year of existence.
He has posted a
41-18-2 record during his time as the Wildcat girls head coach and also guided
the Louisburg boys soccer team to its best finish in program history in 2017
with a fourth place finish at state.
As for Ebenstein, he
guided the Wildcats to 10 straight victories and a regional championship to
start the 2018 season, before getting knocked out in the sectional round
against eventual state champion, Bishop Miege.
8.
Holtzen finishes Louisburg career with 12 varsity letters
Once Isabelle Holtzen
received her diploma and walked out of Louisburg High School for the last time
as a student, she officially became one of the most decorated female athletes
in school history.
No, she doesn’t have any individual state championships, or even
one as part of a team. Holtzen’s decorations aren’t ones in the form of
trophies or all-state honors, but instead, they can be found on the front of
her letter jacket.
In research done by Louisburg Sports Zone, it was unable to find
the last athlete to accomplish the feat, which could mean Holtzen could be the
first Lady Cat to do so. She competed in cross country, basketball and track
and field
The last athlete to come close was in 2001 when Krystal Bowes
earned 10 varsity letters before moving on to a collegiate track career at
Wichita State.
“The biggest thing that it means to me is to just have an
opportunity to participate in three sports at a school like Louisburg,” Holtzen
said. “The bigger the school that you go to, the harder it is to play multiple
sports at the varsity level and I think Louisburg is unique in that fact. The
best part of this whole journey was I think my freshman year because there was
no pressure and no one was expecting anything from me. It was surprising and
exciting to be able to letter in all three sports.”
Holtzen is currently at
Northern Iowa, where she received a scholarship to pole vault for the Panther
Track and Field Team.
7.
Dixon earns All-American, Player of the Year honors, signs with Kansas State
Louisburg
senior Anna Dixon led the Lady Cat volleyball program all season and she was recognized
for her play on the court.
Dixon, the 6-foot-3 outside hitter, was recently named the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Kansas Volleyball Association, and along with that was also selected to the all-state first team.
It was the second year in a row Dixon was named player of the
year, as she had to share the honor last season with Rose Hill’s Gracie Van
Driel.
The honors certainly didn’t stop there as Dixon was
all named to the All-Frontier League first team as she helped guide the Lady
Cats to an undefeated league season.
Dixon led the Lady Cats in kills with 584 in 105 sets
played. She also finished with 325 digs, as she played all six rotations and
also had 50 aces and 42 blocks.
In her four years with the program, Dixon finished
with 2,003 kills, which would place that total among the best the school has
ever seen.
“I have always known Kansas State was going to be my
home,” Dixon said. “Even since I committed as a sophomore, I always wanted to
go up to Manhattan and see the girls and spend time with the team. K-State is where
I need to be.”
6. Louisburg wrestling sends six to state, Holtzen
earns first state medal
SALINA – As the final
whistle sounded in his blood round match, Cade Holtzen looked up into the
rafters of the Tony’s Pizza Events Center and smiled.
“It is one of the best
feelings that I have had in my life,” Holtzen said. “Just knowing that I’m
going to place – you just can’t match that with anything else.”
It certainly wasn’t
easy for the Louisburg freshman as he faced a win or go home with nothing
scenario heading into his match with Porter. Holtzen pulled out the victory and
eventually finished sixth overall at 113 pounds to give Louisburg a state
medalist for the third consecutive season.
“It is pretty cool,”
he said. “I have been working for this all season, so to get a state medal is
great. It may not have been as high as I wanted, but any state medal is pretty
amazing.”
Holtzen had a special
year for the Wildcats as he finished with a 45-6 record and broke the school
record for most wins in a single season. He won four different tournaments and
was a Frontier League and regional tournament runner-up.
To add to his resume,
he became only the second freshman in school history to earn state medal –
second to only Austin Hood, who would go on to with three state titles.
Austin Moore finished
one victory shy of earning his first state medal, while Ryan Adams, Thad
Hendrix and Blue Caplinger also picked up wins at the state tournament.
5. Moore, Johnson
finished in top 10 at state cross country, girls qualify for second straight
year
WAMEGO – It was going
to be hard for the Louisburg High School girls cross country team to duplicate
its magical season of 2017.
Not only did the Lady Cats qualify their team for state for the
first time in program history, but they also had a top five finisher in Trinity
Moore.
Fast forward to 2018, Louisburg wasn’t able to match that successful
run – the Lady Cats took it a step further.
Moore, along with freshman Reese Johnson, each had a top 10 finish during the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships at Wamego Country Club, and it is the first time in school history that two female runners had medaled at a state meet. Louisburg added on to that as the girls finished fifth in the team standings with 154 points, which is also the highest finish in school history.
Moore, who finished
fifth at state a year ago, bested her performance by one place as she took
fourth with one of her better performances of the season. Johnson was right
behind her as she crossed the finish line in sixth.
Shaylor Whitham, Carlee Gassman, Kaitlyn Lewer, Delaney Wright and Kennady Wilkerson were also members of the Lady Cats’ team to run at state. Emily Williams was a member of the regional team that finished second overall.
4. Louisburg track
earns six state medals, Gassman state runner-up in 300 hurdles
WICHITA – Carlee Gassman had broken the Louisburg High School 300-meter hurdle record three different times in 2018 prior to the state track meet.
She picked the perfect time to make it a fourth.
Gassman broke her own school record in the 300 hurdles in May at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships in Wichita as she ran a time of 45.68 seconds to earn a silver medal as she was the Wildcats’ top performer on the weekend. Andale’s Abby Smarsh, who is a senior, won the event in 44.73.
It was the Louisburg sophomore’s first time competing at the
Kansas meet as she transferred in from Iowa last year, where she qualified for
the state meet there in the 400 hurdles.
Gassman’s medal in the 300 hurdles was just one of six the
Wildcats were able to bring home following the two-day meet. Those six medals
were the most Louisburg has earned since 2011, when the Wildcats combined to
medal in 10 events and the boys won their first team state title.
The 300 hurdles wasn’t the only event Gassman found success in
as she also medaled in the long jump. Gassman, who hadn’t competed in the event
prior to this year, finished fifth with a mark of 17 feet, 0.25 inches.
Isabelle Holtzen
would go on to finish sixth in the pole vault, the boys 4×400 team of Chris
Williams, Blue Caplinger, Ben Wiedenmann and Justin Collins went on to take
seventh. Williams finished eighth in the 400-meter run and Trent Martin medaled
eighth in the boys pole vault.
3. Louisburg
volleyball takes runner-up at state for second straight season
HUTCHINSON – The
feeling was much of the same.
The pride of finishing as a state-runner up was a popular one
among the members of the Louisburg volleyball team. At the same time, the
frustration of taking second in state in back-to-back seasons was just as
prevalent.
Louisburg wasn’t quite sure what to feel following its 25-13 and 25-14 loss to Bishop Miege in the championship game of the Class 4A state tournament Saturday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
In 2017, the Lady
Cats fell to Rose Hill by two points in the championship match, and fast
forward to the present, they were in the same spot – holding the state
runner-up trophy. It was the 15th time in
program history that Louisburg finished in the top four at state.
The Lady Cats rattled off four straight wins to start
the tournament, including knocking off No. 1 seed Independence, and defending
state champions Rose Hill and Topeka Hayden. Louisburg then battled back to
defeat Andale in the state semifinals.
“The loss was tough,”
Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “To come so close to a state title two
years in a row, only to come up short is tough. But with that being said, it is
a huge accomplishment for this team to get back to the state championship and
make it two years in a row. Finishing second is nothing to hang our heads on.
Last year’s finish fueled the fire for the team this year, and I challenged the
returning players to use this loss and feeling to fuel them for next year.”
Louisburg has been
one of the more dominant teams in Class 4A in the last decade as the Lady Cats
have made the state tournament seven out of the last nine years and have
finished as a state runner-up on three different occasions, along with several
third and fourth place finishes. They finished 2018 with a 36-9 record.
2. Louisburg girls
soccer advances to title game, has best finish in program history
NORTH NEWTON – The obstacle
seemed insurmountable – and it was.
The Louisburg High School girls soccer team found itself in the
Class 4-1A state championship match in the program’s third year of existence,
but if they wanted to take it another step further, the Wildcats were going to
have to knock the defending state champion of its perch.
Unfortunately, Bishop Miege wasn’t about to be moved.
In a state title game that was played in the sweltering heat in late May at Bethel College, the Wildcats couldn’t stay with the Stags in a 5-0 defeat. It was the third consecutive title for Bishop Miege, while Louisburg earned a state plaque for the first time in its short history.
It was special season for the Wildcats as the night before they knocked off Topeka Hayden, 1-0, in the state semifinals to secure the program’s first state plaque. In 2017, Louisburg both games in its state tournament appearance and finished fourth.
The road to this state
championship appearance has been an interesting one for the Wildcats. More than
three years ago, a group of Louisburg parents and citizens raised enough money
to begin the girls soccer program and fund it for three years.
Louisburg was in the final year of that funding, and while the
program isn’t going away, the team realized they needed to play for more than
themselves.
“We played for the community tonight,” Louisburg senior Bailey Belcher
said after the Hayden win. “We have to remember that when they raised money for
this program, it was just through this year, so I think we owed it to them to
play well. I really think it might have helped with how we played and I think
it was one of the best games we played all season.”
“It is a third-year program
with 41 wins, three regional championships, two state final fours and now a
state runner-up,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said after the title game. “We
just have kids who come in and work their butt off. They are not soft, they
aren’t weak and from top to bottom they are going to work hard.
“We worked hard, but we just played Miege. That is one of the
best teams in the state, and that stinks, but our kids played hard, worked
their tail off and it was a great year. We had people criticize us for how we
got there, but we won games and that really motivated the kids. It got them
fired up to go do something bigger than themselves. I couldn’t be more proud of
they stuck together and what they accomplished.”
1. Football wins 10 straight, takes Frontier League title and regional championship
It had been almost two
months since Louisburg and Piper squared off on the football field in what was
one of the more entertaining games on the Wildcats’ schedule.
Back in early
September, Louisburg left Piper High School with a seven-point win – a victory
that would help propel them to a Frontier League championship and a perfect
regular season.
The two teams squared
off again and the stakes were a bit higher. The game, at least for Louisburg
anyway, was even more exciting.
The Wildcats dominated action from the opening kickoff and never looked back in a 48-0 win over the Pirates. In the process, Louisburg won the school’s first regional championship since 2016 and are off to a 10-0 start for the first time since 2010.
It was as season
marked with special moments, including a 28-7 victory over then-undefeated
Paola late in the year to secure a league title.
“Being 10-0 and then having
that first loss of the season was very disappointing,” Louisburg coach Robert
Ebenstein said. “Losing always sucks, but losing in the playoffs and having to
wait until next August is the worst. At the end of the day, Miege is a
very good team and we did some good things. We got them to fourth down on
multiple drives in the first quarter, we just couldn’t make the plays on
those big downs. Then we got behind a little and started pressing.
“Overall it was a great year.
I am very proud of our guys and excited for them that they were able to get
double digit wins for only the third time since 2000, and there was a
lot of really good football played during that time period. It was a lot
fun to be a part of.”
Austin Moore was named to the Kansas Shrine Bowl and was a first-team all-state player for the Wildcats. Moore was also named as the Kansas Small-Class Player of the Year by 810 Varsity.
With all that success, honors
started to roll in for its players as running backs Austin Moore and Blue
Caplinger, along with linemen Brayden White and Kiefer Tucker all earned
all-state honors.
Moore and White went on to be
semifinalists for the Simone Awards and Moore was also selected to participate
in the Kansas Shrine Bowl in the summer of 2019. Ebenstein was also named as
coach of the year by the football coaches association.
Most recently, Moore was
named the Kansas Small-Class Player of the Year and Running Back of the Year by
810varsity.com, while White was named the Small-Class Lineman of the Year.
Ebenstein was also named Kansas Small-Class Coach of the Year by 810 Varsity.
Lady Cats end 2018 with blowout win over Turner
Louisburg senior Carson Buffington drives to the basket during the Lady Cats’ home contest against Turner on Tuesday at LHS. Buffington finished with a game-high 12 points.
The best way for the Louisburg girls basketball team to shake off a 40-plus point loss was to record a blowout win of its own.
After losing a tough game to state-ranked Piper last week, the Lady Cats bounced back nicely Tuesday in their final game before the holiday break. Louisburg jumped to an early lead against Turner and never looked back in a 57-23 win at Louisburg High School.
“We will take this one and move on, especially after last Friday’s game and sometimes when you come back like this, you are not sure what to expect after having just one day of practice,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “With all that said, we had moments of playing hard. Over this break, we have to do some things in regards to our team’s toughness and our effort all the time. There are times when it is good, but we have to work on it being good all the time.”
The Lady Cats (4-2) controlled the game from the opening tipoff as they jumped out to a 16-4 lead to start the game. Louisburg used its defense to get out to a big lead as sophomore Alyse Moore recorded three straight steals to end the quarter and give the Lady Cats a 20-8 lead.
It was much of the same in the second quarter as Louisburg outscored Turner 20-6 and built a 40-14 lead at halftime.
Although the game was all but wrapped up, the Lady Cats came out slow to start the second half and scored just one point through the first four minutes of the third quarter. Lowry decided to bring in five new players and it jumped start the Lady Cat offense.
Junior Sydni Keagle, sophomores Megan Foote, Brooklyn Diederich, and freshmen Delaney Wright and Jordan Mynsted gave the Lady Cats a lift as they ended the quarter on an 11-0 run to put Louisburg up 52-22.
“It was one of those times where if kids on the floor aren’t giving what I think they need to give, then there are kids on that bench that are willing to give that and they want their opportunity,” Lowry said. “Those girls worked really hard there and gave us a spark.”
Louisburg sophomore Alyse Moore goes up for 2 of her 10 points Tuesday against Turner.
Senior Carson Buffington and Diederich led the Lady Cats in scoring with 12 points. Buffington also added a team-high six rebounds, four assists and four steals, while Diederich recorded a team-high five steals.
Moore also finished in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds and four steals, while sophomore Madilyn Melton had nine points and four rebounds.
The Lady Cats have had a good start to their season as they were able to put together a winning record through their first six games, but they realize the schedule will only get harder.
“To be 4-2, and to have the upside that we have yet to come, I am happy going into break with where we are,” Lowry said. “It gives us some things to work on over break, but overall I am happy with our record and we will see what happens later.”
Louisburg senior Kennia Hankinson looks to make a pass during the Lady Cats’ game with Piper on Friday at Piper High School. Piper handed Louisburg a 66-17 loss.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Louisburg girls basketball team knew it was going to have its hands full when it traveled to Piper to face off with Class 4A’s second-ranked program.
Piper certainly lived up to its ranking as the Pirates caused problems for the Lady Cats and handed them their second loss of the season, 66-17.
The Pirates made things difficult from the opening tip as they outscored the Lady Cats 20-4 in the first quarter and went into the locker room with a 35-6 lead at halftime.
Piper senior Ryan Cobbins celebrated a milestone during the game as she scored her 1,000th career point late in the first quarter. Cobbins was a difficult matchup the entire night as she scored the game’s first seven points and finished with 19 points.
Louisburg senior Kennia Hankinson led the Lady Cats in scoring with six points, while senior Carson Buffington and Haley Cain each finished with three.
The Lady Cats return to action tonight when it hosts Turner in their final game of 2018. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Louisburg High School.
Lady Cats hold off Frontenac for second straight win
Louisburg junior Erin Lemke drives to the basket during a game earlier this season. The Lady Cats earned its second consecutive win Tuesday when it downed Frontenac, 57-51.
FRONTENAC – It was the second straight road challenge for the Louisburg girls basketball team Tuesday when it made the trek to Frontenac, and just like the one last Friday, the Lady Cats passed another test.
The Lady Cats got out to a strong start in the first quarter and they were able to hold off Frontenac for a 57-51 victory and moved their record to 3-1 on the season.
“I was looking forward to playing Frontenac early in our season because it is a tough environment to play in and their kids are always very physical and tough,” Louisburg coach Shawn Lowry said. “This kind of game was going to provide us the opportunity the find out more things about our team.
“The girls embraced the challenge and battled with great toughness and effort. I really like how all the girls are pushing, challenging and competing because of their commitment and their togetherness.”
Louisburg controlled the action early as it took an 11-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and eventually led 24-15 at halftime. Frontenac clawed its way back and eventually took a 48-47 lead with 3 minutes left in the game.
The Lady Cats built a 3-point lead with under two minutes remaining and were able to hold Frontenac off to preserve the win.
Sophomore Madilyn Melton provided a bulk of the scoring for Louisburg as she led the way with a team-high 21 points. Fellow sophomore Brooklyn Diederich finished with 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Alyse Moore, another sophomore, was a force on both ends of the floor for Louisburg as she recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds to go along with four assists. Senior Carson Buffington had eight points and a team-high with 13 rebounds and also had seven assists.
“It was very proud that all three levels of our program competed the way they did and all three came away with wins,” Lowry said.
Louisburg will hit the road again Friday when it travels to Piper for its third consecutive away game. The Lady Cats will face the No. 2-ranked Pirates in a 6 p.m. tipoff at Piper High School.
