For the sixth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the nominees for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

Emma Lohse – Senior – Basketball and Track and Field

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse was a big varsity contributor for the Lady Cat basketball team and blazed the track for the Louisburg girls as the team’s top sprinter.

On the track, Lohse recorded three state medals, including a pair of individual medals. She was the state runner-up in the 100-meter dash and later finished seventh in the 200 dash. Lohse was also a part of the 4×100-meter relay that medaled third and broke the school record in four straight meets. She also qualified for state in the 4×400-meter relay.

On the basketball court, Lohse was one of the Lady Cats’ top defenders as she played a big role on a team that reached the sub-state championship game.

Emma Prettyman – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman was a starter, or key contributor on three different Wildcat teams this past school year, including the volleyball, basketball and track and field programs.

On the volleyball court, Prettyman was one of the Lady Cats’ middle hitters as she helped Louisburg to a fourth place finish at the state tournament. She finished with a team-high 60 blocks and had 166 kills.

Prettyman was the starting center for Louisburg basketball as the Lady Cats earned a spot in the sub-state championship game. She was among the team leaders in rebounds with 6.5 a contest and had two assists a game. She was named to the All-Frontier League Defensive Team.

Prettyan was also the top thrower on the Lady Cat track and field team and earned a spot at the state meet in the discus. It was there where she earned her first state medal as she took sixth overall.

Adyson Ross – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross started for three different Wildcat programs this past season and it all started last fall in volleyball.

Ross, who started the season as an outside hitter, made the move to libero halfway through the year and thrived in her new role. She recorded 363 digs on the season to go along with 67 kills and 41 aces. She helped the Lady Cats to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament and earned second-team all-league honors.

On the basketball court, Ross was a starting wing for the Lady Cats as she helped them advance to the sub-state championship game. She was the team’s leading scorer at 12.5 points per game and averaged nearly seven rebounds a contest, to go along with two assists and 1.6 steals. Ross was selected first team all-league and earned a spot in the Missouri vs. Kansas all-star game. She also earned second team all-state honors.

On the pitch, Ross was one of the top goal scorers on a Wildcat team that reached the regional championship match. She finished the season with 16 goals and 21 assists to go along with 35 shots on goal. Ross later earned first team All-Frontier League honors and was also named second team all-state.

Rowan Yows – Sophomore – Soccer

Lady Cat sophomore Rowan Yows was a key part of the Louisburg girls soccer team this past season that saw the Lady Cats reach the sub-state championship game.

Yows, who played in the midfield, was the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals on the season and led the team with 50 shots on goal. She also tallied 11 assists on the season.

Louisburg boys basketball coach Ty Pfannenstiel will take over the school’s activities director role next school year. He also resigned his basketball position after coaching the Wildcats for the last six years.

Beginning next school year, Louisburg High School activities will have a little different look to it — especially at the top.

Ty Pfannenstiel will serve as the school’s new activities director and will take over for current AD, Michael Pickman, who will focus on his assistant principal duties and curriculum. 

Pfannenstiel, who has been the boys basketball coach for the last six years, resigned his post to take on the activities director position. He also stepped down as an assistant football coach.

Currently the weight room instructor, Pfannenstiel will spend half his day teaching and the other half in the AD role.

All of the moves were approved during Monday’s meeting of the USD 416 Board of Education.

“This is very exciting for me,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I have been a teacher and a coach for 18 years. I still get to be a teacher half-time, and now I get to step into a new role as an administrator. It is going to be all sports and activities and I am looking forward to the new direction.”

As for Pickman, he gets the opportunity to focus more on the academic side as a full-time assistant principal. He was hired as an assistant principal/ activities director in April of 2020.

“I am very excited to commit more fully to the assistant principal role as education and curriculum have always been my true passion,” Pickman said. “Being able to support the teachers, students, and administrative staff by providing data, feedback, and assessing teaching and learning goals and initiatives in the building and district aligns with that passion and the opportunity arose to allow for that. I hope to enable and promote continued growth in the various curriculums and initiatives and structures that make Louisburg a fantastic district in a supportive community.

“Ty has experience and is passionate about athletics and activities. As it is where his passion is, I have every confidence he will do a fantastic job in his new role and look forward to witnessing where he takes our programs moving forward.”

Pickman took over LHS activities at a difficult time as the school was coming back from COVID-19 and the all challenges it presented. As tough as that situation was, he appreciated the relationships he built.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as activities director and was presented a fantastic growth opportunity and am grateful for being given it,” Pickman said. “I had a goal of being present for athletes and coaches and for the patrons, so I hope people saw that presence. I was blessed to have great leadership in place in our coaches and sponsors, and tried to support them best by advocating for their needs and supporting them to do their job of being great role models and passing on their passion and knowledge to students.

“Ultimately, I am most proud of our student athletes and activity participants and being part of their journey. I believe that sports are an extension of the classroom and I wanted to help ensure that character and sportsmanship were just as important and success, and I am overjoyed to have a wealth of memories where our fans, students, participants, and coaches and sponsors proved that to be true of LHS.”

While taking on the challenge of being a new administrator is one he is looking forward to, leaving his coaching roots behind was a difficult decision for Pfannenstiel.

In 2021, Pfannenstiel led the Wildcat boys basketball team to the Class 4A state championship game and finished as the state runner-up.

“That was definitely the biggest thing that was holding me back,” Pfannenstiel said. “I love basketball and the kids that I have worked with. There is a group coming up that I really enjoy coaching, and leaving that behind was one of the biggest challenges for me. Whoever takes over the program, I think it will be good transition for them because they will have a great group of kids to work with.

“Originally, I was going to be allowed to coach a sport and they didn’t want to take coaching away from me. The more I thought about it, if I want to do a good job at this, I need to focus on being the AD and that will be something that will benefit me and all the other activities.”

Pfannenstiel believes the move is a good one for the school in general as it will allow Pickman and principal Amy VanRheen to focus more on the academic side of things.

“This is something that is definitely needed,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our administrators are so busy with all the stuff they do during the school day, but they are also going to all the activities as well. Hopefully this will be a big help for Mrs. VanRheen and Mr. Pickman.”

Although he won’t official start his new position till next school year, Pfannenstiel is already starting to transition into his new role — one that is looking forward to.

“My job in the weight room and coaching has all been about sports,” he said. “That is what entices me about this job is that I am still going to be all about sports and activities. I just want to be a support for our coaches and our athletes and be advocate for our students.” 

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross was named to the All-Frontier League first team earlier this week. Ross led the team in scoring and rebounding.

After finishing with 15 wins on the year, and as one of the top teams in the Frontier League, postseason honors are starting to roll in for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

The Lady Cats earned four sports on the All-Frontier League team that was released earlier this week, and another on the newly formed All-Defensive Team that was put together by the coaches.

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross was named to the first team, while senior Brianne Kuhlman was a second team selection. Seniors Ava Baker and Delanie Tally were named honorable mentions.

Senior forward Emma Prettyman was the All-Defensive Team selection from Louisburg as each coach nominated a player from their respective team.

“Having four girls get votes for all-league shows how much of a team effort this season was,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had girls step-up at different times throughout the season and it is so awesome to see so many of our girls get recognized.

“The Frontier League is very competitive and most league games are very intense and tough match-ups. Every game we had to battle till the end.”

Ross was a big part of the Lady Cats’ run to the sub-state championship game this season as she led her team in scoring and rebounding. 

The Louisburg senior averaged 12.7 points a game to go along with 6.7 rebounds per contest. She also averaged 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals a game.

“Adyson had a great year,” Lane said. “She did a great job getting offensive rebounds and easy put backs all season. Her first team selection was for sure earned. She was a hard matchup for most teams because she did such a great job rebounding in the lane.”

Kuhlman served as the Lady Cats’ starting point guard for the last three seasons and was also an important part to the team’s success. 

She averaged 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. Kuhlman also led the team with 45 assists and had 26 steals.

“Brianne has been such a constant and consistent player for the girls’ basketball program for three years,” Lane said. “I was very excited to see her get recognized this season. Having a point guard who is consistent and takes care of the ball like Brianne did, does not go unnoticed by coaches.”

Tally was second on the team in scoring for Louisburg as she averaged nearly 10 points a contest and led the Lady Cats with 47 3-pointers on the season. She also led Louisburg with 47 steals.

As for Baker, the Louisburg forward averaged almost eight points and had more than three rebounds a game. She also finished with 17 steals and 10 blocked shots.

“Delanie did a great job this season,” Lane said. “Not only is she a great shooter, but she always played hard on defense and always guarded a tough player on the opposing team. 

“Ava is a great shooter and she did a great job getting opportunities to score. She finished the season hard on the defensive side of the ball as well. I was very excited to see both of them get recognized.”

Prettyman, who was in the middle of the Lady Cat defense, was also recognized for her work on that end of the floor as the all-defensive team selection. She led the team in blocked shots with 13 and was second on the team with 6.5 rebounds a game.

“Having an all-defensive Frontier team is a great way to recognize more players in our league,” Lane said. “With our league being as tough as it is, I really liked the idea of recognizing more players and recognizing ones who play hard on defense. I think we could have had three or four girls on there.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL

FIRST TEAM

Mariyah Noel, Bonner Springs, senior

Jenna Weber, Spring Hill, senior

Brooklyn Hadl, Ottawa, senior

Karly Neufeld, Baldwin, senior

Adyson Ross, Louisburg, senior

SECOND TEAM

Sydney Buscher, Spring Hill, sophomore

Maggie Kauk, Paola, senior

Sawyer Schreiner, Eudora, senior

Brianne Kuhlman, Louisburg, senior

Foster Nichols, Ottawa, junior

HONORABLE MENTION

Pirsten Leslie, Bonner Springs, junior

Alyssa Reichard, Baldwin, junior

Ava Baker, Louisburg, senior

Wren VanCleave, Bonner Springs, senior

Delanie Tally, Louisburg, senior

Maddie Pitzer, Paola, senior

Makenzie Yoder, Eudora, junior

Emery Keebaugh, Ottawa, junior

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Emma Prettyman, Louisburg, senior

Emery Keebaugh, Ottawa, junior

Bailey Smith, Baldwin, junior

Jayla Erpelding, Eudora, junior

Jenna Weber, Spring Hill, senior

Wren VanCleave, Bonner Springs, senior

Maddie Pitzer, Paola, senior

Alyssa Schoeneck, Tonganoxie, freshman

Louisburg seniors Delanie Tally (left) and Brianne Kuhlman tries to trap Parsons’ Iniya Hinman on Saturday during the Class 4A sub-state championship at Louisburg High School.

As the final buzzer sounded, reality quickly started to sink in for members of the Louisburg girls basketball team. 

The Lady Cats, who were just one win away from a state tournament appearance, saw their season come to a close in heartbreaking fashion.

Louisburg fell in a close contest to Parsons, 41-39, in the Class 4A sub-state championship game Saturday at Louisburg High School. The loss ended its season with a 15-7 record, while the Vikings made their first state tournament in 30 years.

It was also the final game for seven Lady Cats seniors as Adyson Ross, Delanie Tally, Emma Lohse, Emma Prettyman, Ava Baker, Brianne Kuhlman and Tehya Harvey said goodbye to the program.

“Losing is never fun, but this loss was super tough for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “This team truly loves basketball and spending time together. They will miss more than playing basketball, they will miss each other and the team chemistry.”

The basket was not Louisburg’s friend Saturday as the Lady Cats shot 26 percent from the floor, many of those misses rimming out and open looks not falling.

Still, the Lady Cats did the work on the defensive end as they forced 21 turnovers and also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds. These extra opportunities turned into 12 second chance points, which were big for Louisburg.

However, the Lady Cats were just a few points short in their goal of getting to the state tournament. 

“The shots not falling were very frustrating,” Lane said. “I felt like we had several shots go in and out. The girls were taking great shots out of the offense, but we had a hard time getting them to fall.”

Parsons jumped out to a quick start as the Vikings led 11-6 after the first quarter, but Louisburg flipped the script in the second quarter and was able to take an 18-16 halftime lead.

The game was tied heading into the fourth quarter, but Parsons’ Iniya Hinman took over as she scored nine of the team’s 13 points in the final period. Parsons eventually built a seven-point lead late in the contest and Hinman finished with a game-high 25 points.

“Parsons was a good team and (Hinman) is a great player,” Lane said. “She was super athletic and was a natural scorer. She did a great job finishing in the lane when she did get looks.”

The Lady Cats tried to rally back. Ross grabbed and offensive rebound and a putback to cut it to five.

Then after a Parsons turnovers, Tally made a runner in the lane to make it a 3-point game with under a minute left. The Vikings then beat the Lady Cat press for a layup on the other end to extend their lead.

Baker kept Louisburg in it with a long 3-pointer to make it a 41-39 game. Parsons would go on to miss free throws and give the Lady Cats a chance to tie or take the lead with 14 seconds left.

Louisburg missed a pair of shots and the Vikings escaped the win.

“The girls tried everything we asked them to,” Lane said. “They worked hard and battled even when shots were not falling. They fought back after a tough first quarter, and never gave in. I know this team will be remembered for battling and fighting.”

Baker led the Lady Cats in scoring with 11 points on the night and also had a team-best seven rebounds and four steals. Ross added nine points and six rebounds in the loss.

Prettyman tallied six points and seven rebounds, while Tally added seven points. Kuhlman chipped in four points and had five rebounds and a team-best three assists from the point guard spot.

“This team has been so fun to coach,” Lane said. “I have coached the upperclassmen for three years, and I can say that I am so proud of them and all of their hard work and effort they put into this program. Their attitudes and their hard work every day set the tone for our team.

LOU 6 12 10 11 — 39

PAR 11 5 12 13 — 41

LOUISBURG (15-7): Ava Baker 4-12 2-4 11; Adyson Ross 3-11 3-4 9; Delanie Tally 3-11 0-0 7; Emma Prettyman 3-8 0-2 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-8 1-2 4; Ashley Branine 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-56 6-12 39. 3-point field goals: 3, (Tally, Baker, Kuhlman)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 12 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Prime Accounting Solutions.

DELANIE TALLY, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg’s Delanie Tally had a strong senior campaign for the the Lady Cat basketball team as she helped the Lady Cats to a 15-7 record on the season and a spot in in the sub-state championship game. On the year, Tally was second on the team in scoring as she averaged nearly 10 points a game. She was also the top outside shooter with a team-best 47 made 3-pointers.

Tally also contributed on the defensive end for Louisburg. She finished the year with a team-high 2.1 steals a game as she was tasked with guarding one of the opponents’ top players.

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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Trace Eslinger

Week 6: Jay McCaskill

Week 7: Andrew Jamison

Week 8: Brianne Kuhlman

Week 9: Colton Prettyman

Week 10: Elijah Eslinger

Week 11: Emma Prettyman

Louisburg senior Brianne Kuhlman knocked down 7-of-8 free throws in the final two minutes to help the Lady Cats to a 51-39 win Tuesday over Chanute in the sub-state semifinals.

Any coach will say how important free throws are in a close game and that was no different Tuesday for Louisburg.

In what was a tight contest in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals against Chanute, the Lady Cats knocked down 10 of 12 from the free-throw line in the final two minutes to earn a 51-39 win over the Blue Comets.

“Free throws are huge and I tell them that all the time,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “It is the difference between winning and losing. We made 10 down the stretch and we won by 12. It is a huge difference there if we don’t make them.”

Louisburg stayed calm and collected at the line, especially senior Brianne Kuhlman. The 3-year starting point guard knocked down 7 of 8 free throws to help seal the win for the Lady Cats. Emma Prettyman also hit a pair of free throws and Emma Lohse made one late.

After a close first half where Louisburg led by just three at halftime, it was the Lady Cats’ defense that played a big role in the third quarter. Louisburg held Chanute to just four points in the frame and was able to build an 11-point lead early in the fourth.

The Blue Comets made one final run at it as they trimmed the Louisburg lead to 37-35 midway through the fourth, but senior Delanie Tally knocked in a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats a little cushion.

Louisburg took care of the rest at the free-throw line as it earned a spot in the sub-state championship with the win.

“I was so proud of them to just stick with it and keep playing hard,” Lane said. “Obviously the free throws were huge. I think we made like 10 of them down the stretch. I think in that third quarter too we came out with more energy and got a lead.”

Chanute also employed things the Lady Cats hadn’t seen most of the season, including a zone trap near half-court. On offense, the Blue Comets ran a lot of motion and cuts that allowed them to get some easy baskets.

“Their defense was something we really haven’t seen yet this year,” Lane said. “I was a little worried about it going in because they play that zone defense really high. The second half we did a little better job of knowing when to attack it, versus just passing around it. We got better as the game went on.

“We hadn’t really seen what Chanute does on offense either with all the motion and different cuts they made. That is why we didn’t pressure all that much either. They did a lot of back cuts and that is not something we are used to guarding. I do think that Chanute is developing into a good team. That is the same team that played us here last year and they have gotten better.”

Kuhlman, who did a lot her damage at the free-throw line, led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points and also had four rebounds and three assists. Adyson Ross finished with 13 points and four rebounds.

Prettyman, who was also a factor on the inside, finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Tally added a pair of 3-pointers and three assists, while senior Ava Baker had a team-high three steals and five points. 

The Lady Cats (15-6) are now one game away from the state tournament as they host Parsons (15-6) at 6 p.m. tonight for the sub-state championship. Parsons rallied from 16 points down to defeat Holton, 63-54, in their semifinal contest.

Louisburg knows it will be another tough challenge as it tries for its second state tournament appearance in three years.

“The girls are really excited,” Lane said. “We want to get back to Salina. That is the ultimate goal. Some of them were there two years ago, didn’t get to play a lot, but they felt what it was like. They want a chance to get on that floor and show what they are capable of.”

LOU 10 13 11 17 — 51

CHA 9 11 4 15 — 39

LOUISBURG (15-6): Brianne Kuhlman 3-5 7-8 14; Adyson Ross 6-13 0-0 13; Emma Prettyman 3-6 2-2 8; Delanie Tally 2-10 0-0 6; Ava Baker 2-9 0-0 5; Emma Lohse 1-5 1-2 3; Ashley Branine 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 17-48 10-12 51. 3-point field goals: 5, (Tally 2, Kuhlman, Baker, Ross)

Louisburg head girls basketball coach Adrianne Lane (left) and Harrisonville head coach BryAnn Middleton squared off with one another Thursday as the two sisters led their teams against each other for the first time.

Anchored on opposite sidelines Thursday at Harrisonville High School, Louisburg’s Adrianne Lane and Harrisonville’s BryAnn Middleton had a reunion of sorts.

At a glance, it might not seem that big of a deal for some, but if you were took look a little closer it touches many different levels.

Drexel Bobcat vs. Drexel Bobcat.

Louisburg Wildcat vs. Harrisonville Wildcat. 

Family vs. Family

Or more specifically, sister vs. sister.

That’s right, for the first time in a long while, Adrianne and BryAnn found themselves competing against each other — instead of competing together. Whether it was in high school at Drexel High, or later on in life, they both have had that competitive fire for the game of basketball.

After spending two years in high school on the same team, they went their separate ways to play college basketball. Throughout many of life’s journeys, they found their way back together on the court again — as coaches.

Not only was it a special moment for the two sisters, but it was also a big game for the respective teams.

For Adrianne, her team could clinch a top four seed, which would allow Louisburg to host sub-state.

And for BryAnn, this was a more special moment. Harrisonville had already clinched a conference championship, but it was Senior Night and she had to say goodbye to four players.

Neither team — or coach — wanted to lose and it had nothing to do with bragging rights.

“To be honest I was thinking more about senior night than coaching against my sister,” BryAnn said. “I knew it was going to be really special for our parents and daughters, but I think we both were just very concerned with our teams. We are both focused on the postseason and it was emotional for me because I’m losing 4 amazing players and people next season.”

“I knew going into the game that Harrisonville would play us tough,” Adrianne said. “I knew they would play great defense and would battle every possession. I felt like this was one of our more intense games the whole season.”

So there they were, screaming out instructions to their players in hopes of getting the win. Drawing up plays — plays and fundamentals they learned from when they were young.

You see, Adrianne and BryAnn were a part of state championship team at Drexel in 1996. Big sister BryAnn was a junior and Adrianne was a freshman.

It was see easy to see their competitive fires on the court and their coach had to find out the hard way one day in practice.

As a freshman, Adrianne was a member of the scout team, and with a player gone from practice, her coach, Brent Bartlett, decided to have her guard BryAnn. What happened next was unforgettable, you might say.

“Big, huge mistake,” BryAnn said. “She was not going to let me score and I was not going to let her stop me. It got pretty physical.”

“Let’s just say it ended with me pinning her against the wall, and she spit in my face, because that was her only defense,” Adrianne said. 

That seems pretty accurate.

“I think I put her on the floor and then when she got up she pinned me against the wall,” BryAnn said. “She had my legs and arms pinned so my only defense was to spit in her face. Not my brightest moment, but I didn’t want to lose.”

In the midst of the scrum, their coach — not sure what to do — decided to empty the gym. All except the two sisters. He had other ideas for them.

“After that the coach cleared the gym and made us run sprints,” Adrianne said. “And we ran hard.”

You would think after the tussle, their competitive fire would simmer a little. 

Nope.

“I think it was the hardest we had ever run, because again neither of us wanted to lose,” BryAnn said.

As rough as that day of practice was, it led to bigger and better things for the two sisters. Drexel went on to win the state championship that year and that team was eventually inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. 

BryAnn and Adrianne used all the running in practice and turned it into something good on the track. The two were members of the school’s 4×800 relay that won a gold medal at state that same year and finished second the following season.

“Being able to compete with my sister was always so rewarding,” Adrianne said. “She was quite the athlete and being able to be on her team, whether it was basketball or track relay team, was quite an honor. She worked so hard to be the great athlete she was.”

The two sisters then turned that success into college basketball careers, and then eventually into coaching. On Thursday, they were competing against each other once again.

They both knew their opponent well — not because of their players necessarily — but the two have similar ideas. When they have a chance to have family gatherings, basketball is always on the agenda.

“We are so busy keeping up with our schedules and our daughters’ schedules that we do not get a lot of time together,” BryAnn said. “When we are together that is almost all we talk about though. I love hearing her perspective and getting her advice. I love her take on new drills. I feel our philosophies are very similar and we realize that practice is where it is at and that is what you need to focus on the most to help your team and players level up.”

There to take it all in were their parents, Bryon and Lorrie Cook. Wearing neutral colors, they were there cheering on their daughters the best way they knew how — with smiles.

“I think my parents were probably the most excited they have been in a long time,” Adrianne said. “They spend most weekdays and weekends watching my family or my sisters family playing basketball. So having us all in one building was so exciting for them. I also know they are so proud of us and our programs. They are dedicated fans to both programs so I know they were cheering on every play.”

As the two teams traded shots in the first half, Louisburg got the best of Harrisonville with a big third quarter and held on for a 52-45 win. Adrianne got the bragging rights this time around, but neither coach was about to make this about them.

“I was so proud of the girls for finishing with a win,” Adrianne said. “It was a sweet win, but for me it was more about getting the 4 seed than anything.”

When the final buzzer sounded the two teams lined up to shake hands. As the two sisters came together, there was nothing but love between the two of them.

No spitting or pinning each other up against the scorer’s table, just admiration for what both have accomplished.

“From what I have seen, my sister has improved the Harrisonville girls basketball program tremendously,” Adrianne said. “Her work ethic is shown in this program as well as her dedication. I am so proud of her and how she has given herself to this program, the girls on her team are so lucky to have her.”

“I’m very excited for (Adrianne) and her sub-state this season,” BryAnn said. “Sounds like there is a chance we will get to go support them in Salina again this year. We are there when we can be.”

Just like any family would.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 11 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Prime Accounting Solutions.

EMMA PRETTYMAN, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman put together a big week for the Lady Cat basketball team as she helped Louisburg to a pair of wins to end the regular season. Prettyman finished the week with a team-high 23 rebounds and eight assists in wins over Paola and Harrisonville. She also added 14 points.

Prettyman had a big performance against Harrisonville as the Lady Cat forward had a team-high 15 rebounds to go along with seven points and four assists. The victory helped Louisburg earn the No. 4 seed and host the upcoming sub-state tournament.

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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Trace Eslinger

Week 6: Jay McCaskill

Week 7: Andrew Jamison

Week 8: Brianne Kuhlman

Week 9: Colton Prettyman

Week 10: Elijah Eslinger

Louisburg senior Ava Baker (left) celebrates with teammate Emma Prettyman after a big basket Thursday at Harrisonville High School.

HARRISONVILLE. Mo. — There was a lot riding on Louisburg’s regular season finale and it came against a different kind of opponent.

The Lady Cats ventured outside league play Thursday and traveled to Harrisonville. A victory meant they would host the sub-state tournament and a victory is exactly what they got.

Louisburg used a big third quarter to take a 10-point lead and the Lady Cats were able to hold on for a 52-45 victory over Harrisonville.

With the win, Louisburg earned the No. 4 seed in the sub-state tournament and will host No. 13 Chanute on Wednesday. If the Lady Cats advance, they will also host the sub-state championship game on Saturday.

“This was a big win for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We needed the win, and I felt like the girls played like they knew we needed to win. I thought we did a great job finishing the game. We made several free throws down the stretch to finalize it.”

It was close for much of the contest as the Lady Cats held just a one-point lead at halftime, however they put together an offensive showing in the third.

Louisburg responded with 19 points in the frame and took a 10-point lead going into the final quarter. Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman led the charge with seven points in the third and senior Delanie Tally also hit a pair of 3-pointers before having to sit with foul trouble.

“At halftime we talked a lot about finishing better in the lane, and in the second half I thought the girls came out and did a better job of that,” Lane said.

Harrisonville didn’t go away, however, as it trimmed the Louisburg lead to just 48-45 late in the fourth quarter. The Lady Cats were able to seal it late with four free throws from Ava Baker and Kuhlman.

Tally had a big night for the Lady Cats despite dealing with foul trouble. She finished with a team-high 16 points, including four 3-pointers.

Senior forward Emma Prettyman dominated the glass with a team-high 15 rebounds to go along with seven points and a team-best four assists and two steals.

Kuhlman also had a strong outing as she tallied 11 points to go along with seven rebounds from the point guard spot. Senior Adyson Ross added 10 points and three assists.

Baker tallied eight points and three rebounds in the win. 

“Delanie had a great night, with four 3-pointers and had a couple 2’s down the stretch,” Lane said. “She played with confidence and I was so proud of her for keeping her head up even when she got into foul trouble.

“Brianne had a heck of a game, as she scored all her points in the second half and she did a great job getting to the basket. She made four really big free throws for us down the stretch as well. Emma P really dominated the lane and she made some big free throws as well.”

Now all focus is on the postseason as the Lady Cats try to earn a spot in the Class 4A state tournament. Their journey begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday when they host Chanute in the sub-state semifinals.

If they advance, Louisburg will plays the winner of Parsons and Holton on Saturday for the sub-state championship.

“We are very excited for the postseason,” Lane said. “If we play well like we have been all season, I feel like we have a great chance to get to Salina. That being said, we will work hard this week and be prepared for whoever we are playing.”

LOU 12 10 19 11 — 52

HAR 11 10 10 14 — 45

LOUISBURG (14-6): Delanie Tally 6-14 0-0 16; Brianne Kuhlman 3-6 4-5 11; Adyson Ross 3-12 4-6 10; Ava Baker 2-8 2-2 8; Emma Prettyman 2-8 3-6 7.  Totals: 16-56 13-19 52. 3-point field goals: 7, (Tally 4, Baker 2, Kuhlman)

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross finished with a double-double Tuesday against Paola on Senior Night and helped the Lady Cats to a 47-39 win.

As the ball was thrown into the air for the opening tip — the whistle blew and a technical foul was called on the Louisburg bench.

Normally, technicals are followed with frustration, anger and probably a bunch of yelling. Not in this case. Instead, the smiles could been seen up and down the Lady Cat bench.

It was Senior Night for Louisburg on Tuesday against Paola and the Lady Cats wanted to honor their seven seniors in the proper way. Only five could start, but that didn’t stop head coach Adrianne Lane from starting all seven.

One of the seven included senior Tehya Harvey, who has been out all season with a knee injury and Harvey was able to suit up and take the floor one last time.

“As a coach I have never had to worry about having too many seniors to start on senior night,” Lane said. “I wanted all of the girls to get the opportunity to start because all seven of them deserved to be honored on Senior Night.

“Tehya was very excited to suit up and be on the court with her teammates. I think this was a very special moment for her and I am so glad she got the opportunity to get on the court this season.”

Along with Harvey, seniors Adyson Ross, Delanie Tally, Emma Lohse, Emma Prettyman, Brianne Kuhlman and Ava Baker made it a memorable one as they left the floor with a 47-39 win over Paola.

The Lady Cats got out to a fast start and never looked back as they took a 17-point lead at one point in the second half. Louisburg has now won five of its last six games as the postseason draws near.

“The girls were very excited to get the win against Paola,” Lane said. “They started off great and played hard. I feel the girls have started playing so well together and their trust for each other is shown on the floor.”

It showed early on as the Lady Cats took a 15-8 lead after the first quarter and then held Paola to just four points in the second quarter. Louisburg led 28-12 at halftime.

Ross was a big part of the Louisburg success as she finished with a double-double to end her regular season home career. She finished with a team-high 14 points and had 10 rebounds.

Baker was second on the team with eight points. Prettyman had a strong performance under the basket with seven points, eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.

With the Lady Cats’ recent success, they have shot up the Class 4A standings and are currently in the mix for the No. 4 seed, which would allow them to host the upcoming sub-state tournament.

Even with all that success, the Lady Cats (13-6) will need to win one more to stay in contention for a top four seed. Louisburg will travel to Harrisonville (Mo.) tonight for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in its regular season finale.

Along with all that, it will also be a special night for Lane. Her sister, BryAnn Middleton, is the Harrisonville head coach and Lane is excited for the opportunity to go up against her big sister.

“It will be a fun game for my family,” Lane said. “Harrisonville won its last game to make them conference champs, so they are having a great season. I think it will be a defensive battle.

“We both coach very similar philosophies, so I think the game will come down to who can take care of the basketball and finish in the lane.”

LOU 15 13 11 8 — 47

PAO 8 4 10 17 — 39

LOUISBURG (13-6): Adyson Ross 6-14 2-2 14; Ava Baker 4-5 0-1 8; Emma Prettyman 3-7 1-3 7; Emma Lohse 2-2 0-0 4; Ashley Branine 2-6 0-0 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-4 2-2 4; Delanie Tally 1-12 1-2 4; Ashlyn Kuhlman 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 19-51 8-12 47. 3-point field goals: 1, (Tally)