The Louisburg bench was all smiles after senior Sierra Hahn knocked down her first 3-pointer of the season Tuesday against Paola. The Lady Cats used to a big second half to get a 48-44 win over the Panthers.

It wasn’t exactly the start the Louisburg girls basketball team envisioned prior to Tuesday’s matchup with Paola.

The Panthers jumped out to a double-digit lead to start the game and the Lady Cats quickly found themselves in a hole.

However, the finish was just what Louisburg was hoping for.

After Paola scored 19 first quarter points, the Lady Cats held the Panthers to just 25 points the rest of the game. Louisburg knocked down free throws in the final minutes and held on of a 48-44 comeback victory over its rival.

“This was a big win for our program,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like we played well as a team and the girls played great the second half. They came out after halftime and battled to come back and win.”

Louisburg (6-7) had to overcome the hot start of Kate Ediger. The Paola senior scored the team’s first 10 points and had the Lady Cats down 10-1 in the first couple minutes of the game.

From then on, Louisburg held Ediger to just five points the rest of the way thanks in part to the defense of junior Adyson Ross.

“I was very proud of the girls for keeping their composure and not getting down when Paola started 10-1 on us,” Lane said. “The second half we played a box-and-1 on Ediger and Adyson did a great job guarding her one on one. The rest of the team did a great job communicating with each other and doubling Ediger when needed.”

The Lady Cats, which found themselves down 26-20 at halftime, had a big response in the third quarter. Louisburg outscored Paola 18-7 in the frame and opened the quarter on a 15-1 run.

Ross and Tally each hit 3-pointers during that stretch, while Ross was fouled on a 3-pointer and make all three free throws to put Louisburg up 35-29. Jordan Mynsted and Brianne Kuhlman each hit baskets during that stretch as well.

Paola cut it to 35-33 late in the quarter, when the Lady Cats got the big shot they were looking for and it came from their bench. Senior reserve Sierra Hahn knocked in a 3-pointer, her first of the season, to put Louisburg back up five.

“Sierra’s 3 pointer was awesome,” Lane said. “She made it at an opportune time too. The team fed off this shot and gained energy to finish the game.”

In an evenly-played fourth quarter, Paola tied the game at 39-all, but Louisburg scored seven straight points to pull away for the win as the Lady Cats knocked down their free throws when it counted.

“Free throws win games,” Lane said, “We shoot lots of free throws in practice and I do see it is paying off. When the girls step to the line, I am confident in each of them, because I know they can make them.”

The Lady Cats also had a big night on defense as they forced 20 Paola turnovers that turned into 12 points on the other end.

Ross led the Lady Cats in scoring with 15 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Mynsted had nine points and a team-high six rebounds

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins tonight when it travels to Ottawa for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 9 11 18 10 — 48

PAO 19 7 7 11 — 44

LOUISBURG (6-7): Adyson Ross 4-10 6-8 15; Jordan Mynsted 2-10 5-8 9; Delanie Tally 2-8 0-0 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-1 3-4 5; Emma Prettyman 1-4 3-8 5; Ashley Branine 2-3 0-1 4; Sierra Hahn 1-1 0-0 3; Emma Lohse 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 13-39 18-31 48. 3-point field goals: 4, (Tally 2, Ross, Hahn)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week seven of the winter sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank of Louisburg.

JORDAN MYNSTED, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted made the most of her week at the Top Gun Tournament last week at Wellsville High School. Mynsted scored in double figures in two of the three games, including a 19-point performance against Jefferson West and 18 points in the tournament opener against Nemaha Central.

Mynsted averaged 15 points a game as the Lady Cats took sixth place overall and also pulled down 15 rebounds and had four blocks. For her efforts, Mynsted was named to the Top Gun All-Tournament Team.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Elijah Eslinger

Week 2: Maverick Rockers

Week 3: Aiden Barker

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Michael Seuferling

Week 6: Cole Brown

Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted was named to the Top Gun all-tournament team following the Lady Cats’ loss to Jeff West in the fifth place game Saturday at Wellsville.

WELLSVILLE — It was certainly an eventful Top Gun Tournament for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

Sure, the Lady Cats’ sixth-place finish might not be exactly what they wanted going in, but they found out a lot about themselves.

They had to battle through adversity when they lost a starter due to injury, and saw other players step up in the process. In fact, they saw themselves get better throughout the tournament.

So despite their 49-41 loss to Jefferson West on Saturday in the fifth-place game at Wellsville High School, the Lady Cats took away positives, especially on offense, where they have struggled at times this season.

“Our offense has been much better and I do feel we have gained confidence,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Our team has so many offensive threats, I hope that we can continue to score consistently and gain confidence as the season continues.”

Saturday’s matchup with the Tigers provided some dramatics as the Lady Cats trailed just 40-39 late in the first half. Louisburg found themselves on the wrong end of foul calls in the final three minutes, which allowed Jeff West to go on a 9-1 run to end the game.

“The girls played well together on Saturday,” Lane said. “I felt like this was one of the first games we were confident on the offensive end and I felt like we did a great job taking the ball to the basket which resulted in shooting free throws. This was a tough loss. We played point for point with this team until the last minute of the game and mentally this loss hurt.”

Senior Jordan Mynsted and junior Delanie Tally did all they could to keep the Lady Cats in the game as the two combined for 34 of the team’s 41 points.

Mynsted finished with a team-high 19 points, including 12 of 14 from the free-throw line, and added five rebounds. She was also the lone Lady Cat to be named to the all-tournament team.

“Jordan was very strong during the tournament,” Lane said. “I felt her confidence and leadership increase and the team felt it too. She did a great job working through the tough defense and she found ways to score. Jordan also did a great job of rebounding and playing tough defense, but not fouling.”

Tally, who was filling in for injured starter Delaney Wright, hit several big shots for the Lady Cats as she finished with 15 points.

Junior Emma Prettyman was a force on the glass for Louisburg as she recorded a game-high 13 rebounds, while junior Adyson Ross had seven from the guard spot.

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight when the Lady Cats host rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 8 13 10 10 — 41

JW 8 10 14 17 — 49

LOUISBURG (5-7): Jordan Mynsted 3-8 12-14 19; Delanie Tally 3-8 7-8 15; Adyson Ross 1-8 1-3 3; Emma Lohse 1-4 0-0 2; Ashley Branine 1-2 0-1 2. Totals: 9-36 20-25 41. 3-point field goals: 3, (Tally 2, Mynsted)

Lady Cats down Baldwin to halt losing streak

Shortly before Thursday’s consolation semifinal game against Baldwin, Louisburg found out it would be without starter Delaney Wright, who suffered an injury during the team’s shoot-around.

Not the news the Lady Cats wanted to go hear going into a game where they had lost five straight, and had lost twice to Baldwin already this season.

As it turned out, the team rallied in Wright’s absence.

Junior Adyson Ross scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Lady Cats to a 44-41 win in Wellsville.

Another junior, Delanie Tally, started in place of Wright and scored 10 points and had eight rebounds in the big win for the Lady Cats.

“When Delaney went down in shoot around,I knew the team would feel her absence,” coach Adrianne Lane said. “Delanie Tally was thrown into the starting line-up and she did a great job stepping up for the team. Delanie’s presence was felt on both sides of the ball, she played smart defense and looked to score.

“Adyson had a heck of a game. The first half she did a fantastic job rebounding offensively and getting some easy put backs. She also did a great job handling the basketball and she hit some big free throws.”

Louisburg led 40-39 late in the game, when Tally got an offensive rebound and put back to give the Lady Cats a 3-point lead. Baldwin would again cut it to one, but with under a minute remaining, Ross hit two free throws to keep the Bulldogs at bay.

Baldwin tried for a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but couldn’t get a good look .

Senior Jordan Mynsted had nine points to also aid the Lady Cat win, as did Emma Prettyman, who finished just behind Ross with 13 rebounds. 

LOU 15 7 11 11 — 44

BAL 9 12 13 7 — 41

LOUISBURG: Adyson Ross 5-12 6-7 18; Delanie Tally 4-8 0-1 10; Jordan Mynsted 3-6 3-4 9; Ava Baker 2-7 0-0 4; Emma Prettyman 1-8 0-0 2; Brianne Kuhlman 0-8 1-2 1. Totals: 15-56 10-15 44. 3-point field goals: 4, (Ross 2, Tally 2)

Nemaha Central hands Louisburg loss in opener

Louisburg matched up with one of the top teams in the Top Gun Tournament, Nemaha Central, last Tuesday in a rematch of last year’s tournament championship game.

Although the Lady Cats put up a fight, they couldn’t keep up in a 54-47 loss.

Jordan Mynsted had a big night for the Lady Cats as she finished with 18 points, including five rebounds. Sophomore Ashley Branine come off the bench to provide a spark for Louisburg as she had eight points.

The Lady Cats stayed in the game from behind the 3-point line as they knocked down eight 3-pointers on the night, including three from Mynsted and two from Ava Baker.

LOU 11 8 11 17 — 47

NC 13 14 16 9 — 54

LOUISBURG: Jordan Mynsted 6-15 3-4 18; Ashley Branine 2-5 4-4 8; Adyson Ross 2-8 2-5 7; Ava Baker 2-7 0-0 6; Delaney Wright 1-3 0-3 3; Delanie Tally 1-1 0-0 3; Emma Lohse 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 15-48 9-15 47. 3-point field goals: 8, (Mynsted 3, Baker 2, Wright, Ross, Tally)

Louisburg junior Brianne Kuhlman drives the lane Wednesday against Spring Hill during the Lady Cats’ 40-32 loss to the Broncos.

SPRING HILL — So far in 2022, the Louisburg girls’ offense has been unable to find its footing.

However, in the first quarter of Wednesday’s road contest against Spring Hill, the Lady Cats appeared to be coming out of their slump with a 15-point opening frame.

Unfortunately, the hot start didn’t last as Spring Hill rallied to defeat Louisburg 40-32. The Lady Cats scored just 17 points after that first quarter.

“We are still trying to find our rhythm on offense,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The guards shot well in the Spring Hill game and I hope that will help give us some confidence going into this week.”

Louisburg got out to a good start as the Lady Cats took a 15-8 lead on the Broncos, but Spring Hill flipped the script in the second quarter and took a one-point halftime lead.

Spring Hill led by four going into the final period, but did just enough offensively to hold off Louisburg. 

The Lady Cats provided stingy defense once again as they held Spring Hill to just 31 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers.

However, the Broncos did their damage on the inside as they outscored Louisburg 26-4 in points in the paint. Louisburg knocked down six 3-pointers, but couldn’t get the looks to go inside.

“The girls play so hard, their defense is great and they battle every possession,” Lane said. “Their work ethic never fails. Because we play such good defense, we have been able to compete with some really good teams.”

Junior Adyson Ross led the Lady Cats in scoring with eight points and fellow junior Ava Baker finished with seven. Junior Emma Prettyman had a team-high five rebounds and junior Emma Lohse finished with four steals.

Spring Hill freshman Sydney Buscher had a big game on the inside as she led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jenna Weber also had a double-double for Spring Hill with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Cats will try and stop their four-game losing skid today as they open play in the Top Gun Tournament at Wellsville High School. Louisburg will face off with Nemaha Central at 6:30 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s tournament championship game. 

LOU 15 4 5 8 — 32

SH 8 12 8 12 — 40

LOUISBURG (4-5): Adyson Ross 3-11 0-0 8; Ava Baker 2-9 2-2 7; Brianne Kuhlman 2-6 1-2 6; Emma Lohse 1-3 2-2 5; Delanie Tally 1-4 0-0 3; Jordan Mynsted 0-12 3-4 3. Totals: 9-51 8-14 32. 3-point field goals: 6, (Ross 2, Lohse, Kuhlman, Tally, Baker).

Louisburg falls at home to Shawnee Mission South

A slow start haunted Louisburg in its home matchup against Shawnee Mission South on Jan. 17

The Lady Cats scored eight points in the first half and couldn’t stay with the Raiders in a 38-26 loss at Louisburg High School.

Louisburg, which shot 22 percent from the floor, was able to pick things up a little offensively in the second half with 18 points, but were unable to dig out of its early hole.

Senior Jordan Mynsted had six points and six rebounds to lead the Lady Cats, while junior Emma Prettyman had a team-high seven rebounds.

LOU 4 4 8 10 — 26

SMS 7 12 14 5 — 38

LOUISBURG: Jordan Mynsted 1-8 4-6 6; Emma Lohse 2-5 0-0 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-4 2-2 4; Emma Prettyman 2-6 0-2 4; Adyson Ross 1-6 0-0 3; Ava Baker 0-1 3-4 3; Delaney Wright 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 8-36 9-14 26. 3-point field goals: 1, (Ross)

Louisburg junior Emma Lohse drives around the Baldwin defense thanks to a screen from teammate Jordan Mynsted on Friday in Louisburg.

A month ago, Baldwin and Louisburg found themselves in a tight game going into the fourth quarter.

Fast forward to last Friday, the Bulldogs and Wildcats found themselves in almost the exact situation. Unfortunately for Louisburg, history repeated itself as Baldwin went on a big fourth quarter run.

Baldwin outscored Louisburg by 10 in the final frame and handed the Lady Cats a 45-36 setback at Louisburg High School.

“This was a tough loss for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I felt like we played hard, but again we had a hard time finishing and getting our offense going.”

Louisburg (4-3) took a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter after holding the Bulldogs to just four points in the third.

Baldwin, however, went on an 11-0 run in the quarter, including several opportunities at the free-throw line to put the game away.

“Our defense has been super strong and consistent this season,” Lane said. “I felt like we did a great job pressuring Baldwin throughout the game, and we did a great job rebounding defensively. 

“Baldwin is such a fast team, the pace of the game sped us up offensively and we had a hard time finishing at that speed.”

The Bulldogs went to the free-throw line 34 times on the night and converted 23 of those attempts. The Lady Cats, on the other hand, went to the line just 11 times.

Louisburg junior Emma Prettyman was a factor on the inside for the Lady Cats as she finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, and also had three steals.

“I thought Emma Prettyman had a great game on both sides of the ball,” Lane said. “She did a great job defending and rebounding, and she worked hard on offense to get to the basket.”

Another junior, Adyson Ross, finished with nine points, five rebounds and three steals. Senior Jordan Mynsted was second on the team in rebounding with six.

Although the Lady Cats have shot under 30 percent from the floor in both of their games in 2022, Lane hopes things will turn the corner for them beginning tonight when they host Shawnee Mission South.

“The girls are ready to play tonight,” Lane said. “We are going to try a few new things so hopefully we can find our rhythm offensively.”

LOU 10 10 7 9 — 36

BAL 10 12 4 19 — 45

LOUISBURG (4-3): Emma Prettyman 2-7 7-8 11; Adyson Ross 4-10 1-2 9; Ava Baker 2-7 0-0 5; Jordan Mynsted 2-6 0-0 4; Emma Lohse 1-1 0-0 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-3 0-1 2; Delaney Wright 1-10 0-0 2. Totals: 13-46 8-11 45. 3-point field goals: 2, (Lohse, Baker)

Louisburg junior Emma Prettyman rips the ball away from a Eudora player Friday at Eudora High School. The Lady Cats fell to the Cardinals, 48-34.

EUDORA — Every team coming off a two-week hiatus is bound to be a little rusty here and there, and that was what the Louisburg girls suffered from Friday at Eudora.

In its first game back from the holiday break, the Lady Cats struggled offensively to get any of kind of rhythm – that was until the fourth quarter.

By then it was too late, as early shooting woes and turnovers led to a 48-34 loss to Eudora at Eudora High School.

“I felt we played well defensively, but we just couldn’t get our timing down on offense,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had a lot of good looks at the basket, but just couldn’t get shots to fall.”

The Lady Cats (4-2) scored just 12 first half points, but still trailed just 19-12 at halftime thanks to their defense. Louisburg held Eudora to just 23 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers.

One of the differences in the game proved to be Eudora’s Harper Schriener. The Cardinal senior scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down 14 rebounds from the point guard spot.

Delaney Wright and Delanie Tally stayed with Schriener most of the night and made things difficult, but she still found ways to get big baskets down the stretch.

“Harper is a great basketball player, she is very smart and handles the ball so well,” Lane said. “I thought overall, we did do a good job guarding her. We also knew where she was at, and we knew when to double if needed. 

“I felt like Delaney Wright and Delanie Tally did a great job guarding Harper together to help us fight back into the game.”

Louisburg was down 30-13 midway through the third quarter, but the Lady Cats battled back to make it a game. A pair of Jordan Mynsted baskets brought the Lady Cats to within seven on a couple different occasions in the fourth, but could get no closer.

Eudora ended the game on a 9-3 run to seal the win over the Lady Cats. The Cardinals also did some damage at the free-throw line as they converted 23 of 33 opportunities, while Louisburg got to the line just 11 times.

“I was very proud of the girls to not give up and battle back the way they did,” Lane said. “The last nine minutes of the game we executed offensively and made a great comeback.” 

Mynsted led the Louisburg charge with a team-high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds and five blocked shots. Junior Adyson Ross also finished in double figures with 11 and eight rebounds.

Junior Emma Prettyman was also strong on the glass with a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with four points.

Louisburg will have to wait a little longer to rebound from the loss as its game with Bonner Springs that was scheduled for tonight, has been postponed due to a high number of covid cases within the Bonner program.

The Lady Cats will return to action Friday when they host Baldwin as they try to avenge one of their two losses on the year.

LOU 8 4 9 13 — 34

EUD 12 7 14 15 — 48

LOUISBURG (4-2): Jordan Mynsted 6-18 3-5 15; Adyson Ross 5-13 0-0 11; Emma Prettyman 1-7 2-2 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-3 1-2 3; Emma Lohse 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 13-52 7-11 34. 3-point field goals: 1, (Ross)

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

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

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

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

10. Louisburg golf team qualifies for state

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Wildcat wrestling medals two

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Louisburg cheer finishes runner-up at state competition

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

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

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

4. Wildcat girls take fourth at state soccer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She didn’t disappoint. 

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

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

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

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

(From left) Sierra Hahn, Tehya Harvey and Ava Baker celebrate with teammate Adyson Ross (11) following the team’s 29-26 victory over Piper on Thursday in Louisburg.

Offensively, it wasn’t the Louisburg girls’ night Thursday in their home matchup with Piper.

The Lady Cats just couldn’t seem to get much to fall. So instead, they turned to their defense.

Louisburg forced 17 Piper turnovers, and recorded 12 steals, en route to a 29-26 come from behind win over the Pirates to close out the 2021 portion of its schedule.

It was an important win for the Lady Cats after losing their first game of the season in the final seconds, two days earlier against Baldwin.

“Thursday’s win against Piper was a great win for our team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “It showed us that we can win close games and moving forward I hope that win gives us the confidence we need as a team to finish close games.”

The Lady Cats (4-1) were able to get some big minutes for their bench, especially from juniors Delanie Tally and Emma Lohse.

Lohse provided a spark in the first half with a quick four points and two steals to help keep Louisburg in the contest.

Then in the fourth quarter, Tally hit a pair of 3-pointers that accounted for six of the team’s eight points in the final period of a tight contest.

“The bench was great,” Lane said. “Emma and Delanie have played excellent the past two games. Emma’s defense and hustle brings energy to our team and I was so proud of Delanie. She was super confident and stepped up and made two huge 3’s for the team to put us ahead.”

Louisburg scored just five points to open the game, but rallied to tie the game at 15-all before halftime. Piper took a one-point lead going into the fourth before Tally hit a pair of 3-pointers to put the Lady Cats ahead.

Louisburg’s defense took care of the rest as it held Piper to just four points in the final period and ended the 2021 year on a good note.

“Piper’s defense was very tough,” Lane said. “They were solid on the inside and they did a great job rebounding. As the game went on I thought the girls adjusted to the zone and did better moving the ball and looking for the open player.”

Junior Adyson Ross led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points, while junior Emma Prettyman had a team-high six rebounds. Junior Brianne Kuhlman also had a team-best three steals.

Louisburg is back in action on Jan. 7 when the Lady Cats travel to Eudora for a Frontier League matchup. 

LOU 5 10 6 8 — 29

PIP 9 6 7 4 — 26

LOUISBURG (4-1): Adyson Ross 5-12 0-0 10; Delanie Tally 2-4 0-0 6; Emma Lohse 1-4 2-2 4; Emma Prettyman 2-4 0-0 4; Delaney Wright 1-6 1-2 3; Ava Baker 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 12-41 3-5 29. 3-point field goals: 2, (Tally 2)

Baldwin edges Louisburg on free throw in final seconds

Everything seemed to be going Louisburg’s way on the road at Baldwin.

The Lady Cats held a 12-point lead early in the second half and were well on their way to fourth straight win.

Baldwin had other ideas as it scored 25 second half points and rallied to defeat Louisburg, 35-34, in the final seconds.

With one second remaining in regulation, Baldwin’s Riley Smith was fouled. She made 1 of 2 free throws and the Lady Cats didn’t have time to get another shot off.

“Losing to Baldwin was very hard,” Lane said. “I felt we played great and did everything we needed to do until the last 2 and half minutes. We executed our offense, and defensively the girls played so well as we held Baldwin’s best two girls to 16 points total. Losing is always tough, but we will learn from this loss and become a better team from it.”

Louisburg held a 5-point lead late, but Baldwin eventually tied it on a 3-pointer from Karly Neufeld. After a couple missed Louisburg free throws, Smith drove the lane and was fouled with one second remaining.

The Lady Cats had big second quarter as they scored 16 points in the frame to take a 20-10 halftime lead. Louisburg, however, scored just four points in the fourth to allow Baldwin to get back in it.

Senior Jordan Mynsted led the Lady Cats as she posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Emma Prettyman had nine rebounds.

Emma Lohse finished with six points, while Adyson Ross and Delaney Wright each finished with four. Delanie Tally had a team-high three steals.

LOU 4 16 10 4 — 34

BAL 3 7 14 11 — 35

LOUISBURG: Jordan Mynsted 4-10 2-2 10; Emma Lohse 3-5 0-0 6; Adyson Ross 2-8 0-1 4; Delaney Wright 1-5 2-4 4; Emma Prettyman 1-6 2-3 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-6 1-2 3; Delanie Tally 1-2 0-2 3. Totals: 13-44 7-14 34. 3-point field goals: 1, (Tally)

Junior Ava Baker records one of Louisburg’s 12 steals on the night Friday in the Lady Cats’ 48-22 victory over Anderson County in their home opener.

The Louisburg girls basketball team didn’t have the best start to its home opener Friday against Anderson County.

In the second quarter, however, the Lady Cats flipped a switch and never looked back.

Louisburg outscored the Bulldogs by 15 in the second quarter and held the Bulldogs to just six points combined in the second and third quarters. It all added up to a 48-22 rout over Anderson County.

“Our defense was great again,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had great ball pressure and caused several turnovers. Once we figured out that we needed to adjust to their height, we did a great job offensively.”

The Lady Cat defense caused the Bulldogs fits most of the night as they forced 27 turnovers, which led to 13 Louisburg points. They also held Anderson County to just 21 percent shooting.

Louisburg (3-0) led just 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, but came to life in the second as it outscored Anderson County 18-3 to end the first half with a 28-11 lead.

Defense was again front and center in the third quarter as the Lady Cats held the Bulldogs to just three points again and all but sealed the win.

Offensively, it wasn’t Louisburg’s best performance of the season as it just shot 27 percent for the game. However, the Lady Cats knocked down seven 3-pointers from five different players to help open the floor.

Junior Adyson Ross scored a team-high 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and also had five rebounds and three steals.

Senior Jordan Mynsted also scored in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds to go along with four blocked shots. Junior Ava Baker also came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers and also had three steals.

Another senior, Delaney Wright, had five points and three steals, while junior Emma Lohse came off the bench to score five points and also pulled down five rebounds. Junior Emma Prettyman had a team-high seven rebounds.

Louisburg will try for its fourth win in a row tonight as the Lady Cats travel to Baldwin for a 6 p.m. tip.

“Baldwin will be our toughest competition so far this season,” Lane said. “They are super quick and run the floor well. We are planning to slow them down with tough defense and be in control on offense. We also need to be smart on our shot selection.”

LOU 10 18 7 13 — 48

AC 8 3 3 8 — 22

LOUISBURG (3-0): Adyson Ross 3-7 5-7 13; Jordan Mynsted 3-12 4-4 10; Ava Baker 2-4 0-0 6; Emma Lohse 2-6 0-1 5; Delaney Wright 1-6 2-6 5; Emma Prettyman 2-8 0-0 4; Delanie Tally 1-3 0-0 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-8 0-0 2. Totals: 15-56 11-18 48. 3-point field goals: 7, (Ross 2, Baker 2, Lohse, Wright, Tally)

Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted goes up for a shot Tuesday against Burlington. Mynsted finished with a game-high 16 points.

BURLINGTON — The Lousiburg girls basketball team is now 2-for-2 on the young season.

The Lady Cats, the No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A, took care of business on the road as they downed Burlington 43-31. Louisburg used a strong third quarter to pull away.

It was a good mixture of play on both ends of the floor that allowed the Lady Cats to leave Burlington with a win.

“The girls played much better as a team against Burlington,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They didn’t force shots and showed patience on offense. We moved the ball well and our defense was tough again. I thought we did a great job guarding (Caydence) Doebele in the lane. When she caught it, we walled up, doubled her and boxed out.”

Louisburg held a 23-15 lead at halftime, but the Lady Cats blew the game open in the third quarter and never looked back. They outscored Burlington 18-6 in the frame and took a 20-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

“The girls executed well in the third quarter, so it was encouraging to see them battle this early in the season,” Lane said. “We always talk about coming out hard in the second half and they did a great job. If we are going to be successful at the end of the season, we have to be consistent in each quarter, and I do think the girls realize their potential after how well they did third quarter on Tuesday.”

Senior Jordan Mynsted provided a bulk of the scoring for the Lady Cats as she finished with a game-high 16 points to go along with five rebounds.

Another senior, Delaney Wright, was perfect from the floor as she finished with nine points and five rebounds.

Junior forward Emma Prettyman had a big night on the boards as she led Louisburg with eight. Junior point guard Brianne Kuhlman had a team-high three assists.

Louisburg was also strong on the defensive end of the floor as it forced 15 turnovers and had seven steals. The Lady Cats also out rebounded Burlington 37-34.

Now the Lady Cats will get a chance to play on their home floor tonight as they host Anderson County in their home opener. 

“It is going to be a lot of fun for the girls,” Lane said. “They are super excited to play at home and STUCO is having a pep rally during advisory today. Anderson County is very young this year, so I feel that if we play well we have a good chance to pull out a win.”

LOU 10 13 18 2 — 43

BUR 5 10 6 10 — 31

LOUISBURG (2-0): Jordan Mynsted 6-14 4-6 16; Delaney Wright 4-4 0-0 9; Brianne Kuhlman 2-8 1-2 5; Adyson Ross 2-8 0-0 5; Emma Lohse 1-3 0-0 3; Ava Baker 1-3 0-0 3; Delanie Tally 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 17-54 5-8 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Lohse, Wright, Ross, Baker)