Louisburg junior Luke Hill connects on one of his four 3-pointers Tuesday at home against Baldwin. Hill finished with a team-high 14 points.

For the first three quarters, everything was going how the Louisburg boys basketball team had hoped.

The Wildcats led the Bulldogs going into the final quarter and were aiming for their fourth straight win to start the season. 

Baldwin quickly dashed those hopes once the fourth quarter began.

The Bulldogs scored 10 straight points to open the final period and handed Louisburg its first loss of the year, 56-45. The Wildcats held the Bulldogs to 35 points through three quarter, but Baldwin exploded for 21 in the last frame.

“Well we played pretty well defensively again,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Baldwin had been scoring in the 70s all season so we were able to slow them down a bit. We never did get into any type of rhythm offensively. We struggled on that end of the floor. We have to do better.”

Louisburg (3-1) trailed 14-11 after the first quarter, but used a strong second quarter to take the lead at halftime. The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs 11-5, thanks to three 3-pointers off the bench from junior Luke Hill.

Hill gave the Wildcats a lift offensively. He led the team with 14 points on the night to go along with four 3s.

“Luke played really well and gave us a great spark,” Pfannenstiel said. “I’m hoping that jump starts him and he starts playing more consistently. We could really use that type of offensive production. He can really shoot the ball, so he needs to look to get his feet set and put the ball in the hole. It was a big night for Luke.”

After an even third quarter between both teams, Baldwin took off to start the fourth. The Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run to grab the lead and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer offensively.

For the game, Louisburg shot 35 percent from the field and turned the ball over 17 times. Baldwin was also able to score 16 points in transition.

“We can’t have those kind of stretches,” Pfannenstiel said.

Along with Hill’s 14 points, senior Colyer Wingfield also finished in double figures with 12 and had a team-best four assists. Senior Mason Dobbins recorded a team-high eight rebounds.

Baldwin’s Cooper and Caleb Carr gave the Wildcats fits at times as both scored in double figures. The two combined for 28 points and Cooper led all scorers with 17.

The good news is the Wildcats will get a chance to bounce back today as they host Frontenac in their final game for the holidays. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“I’m excited to see how our team responds,” Pfannenstiel said. “Hopefully we can learn from our loss, get things corrected, and play a complete game against Frontenac.”

LOU 11 11 15 8 — 45

BAL 14 5 16 21 — 56

LOUISBURG (3-1): Luke Hill 5-10 0-1 14; Colyer Wingfield 5-17 2-4 12; Conlee Hovey 2-2 2-2 6; Trey Myers 2-4 0-0 4; Nathan Parker 1-2 0-0 3; Cade Gassman 1-7 0-0 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-2 0-0 2; Mason Dobbins 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 18-51 4-7 45. 3-point field goals: 5, (Hill 4, Parker)

Louisburg senior Delanie Tally scored 18 of her game-high 20 points in the second half Tuesday and led the Lady Cats to a 72-44 win over No. 8-ranked Baldwin.

It may have been just its fourth game of the season, but the Louisburg girls basketball team looked like its was in midseason form.

The Lady Cats picked a good opponent to do it against Tuesday.

Louisburg hosted No. 8 Baldwin and put together a 72-44 victory thanks to its best shooting performance of the season. The Lady Cats knocked down 10 3-pointers and shot better than 50 percent for the game.

It was the second half where the Lady Cats shined the most as they scored 45 points in the final two quarters. Louisburg took its eight-point halftime lead and ran with it.

“I was so proud of them,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “At halftime, I told them that we cannot come out and let them get back in the ballgame. They definitely put on a show. Everyone was making shots and we weren’t just settling either. We were passing the ball around and getting layups or wide open looks. They were working together and was great to see.”

The instigator of that second half for Louisburg was Delanie Tally. She entered the locker room with just two points and found herself a little frustrated.

The Lady Cat senior guard was a different person in the second half as Tally scored 18 of her game-high 20 points in the final two quarters and knocked down four of the team’s 10 3-pointers. She also finished with a team-high in steals (3) and assists (3).

“Delanie was very upset at halftime,” Lane said. “I told her that we don’t need her to score a lot, but that she needed to keep playing like she was and that it would eventually come. Then she went off and it was great to see. She plays more confident when she make some shots. It was awesome.”

Tally was one of three Wildcats to score in double figures and one of those players made her season debut.

Senior Ava Baker played in her first game back from injury and certainly left her mark. Baker finished with 11 points and knocked down three 3-pointers in what was a memorable opening game for her.

“It was very nice to have Ava back,” Lane said. “She is so excited when she gets out on the court and she brings a spark out there. The girls just love her and they are happy to see her back out there playing. She made a basket right away, hit a couple 3s and it was fun to watch her have success.”

Another senior, Adyson Ross, was a focus of the Bulldog defense, but that didn’t stop her from getting on the scoreboard. Ross was second on the team with 15 points and had team-highs in rebounds (7), assists (3) and steals (3).

Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman also had a good outing with eight points and also tallied three assists to go along with six rebounds.

“When all the girls contribute like that, we are going to be really hard to guard,” Lane said. “They were all making baskets, making good back door cuts and were all driving to the basket. It is very hard for teams to pick who they want to guard. They started to face guard Adyson, but I thought she did a good job getting easy baskets as well, and posting her defender up. She learned and scored a lot too.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats held Baldwin to 40 percent shooting and wanted to try to take away the team leading scorer — Karly Neufeld. Although she scored 14 points, the Washburn signee had most of her points from the free-throw line. 

Louisburg senior Emma Lohse was given the job of shadowing Neufeld and helped limit her to only six shots.

“We wanted to face guard Karly as much as possible and Emma Lohse did a great job on her,” Lane said. “Eight of those points she got were from the free-throw line so Emma did a good job on her and Tally did great as well when she was guarding her.”

The Lady Cats took a 27-19 lead into halftime before exploding for 23 third quarter points. Louisburg put the game away as it outscored Baldwin 22-10 in the final period.

Lane was able to empty her bench and sophomore Ally Brown put the icing on the cake as she knocked down a 3-pointer late in the fourth to score her first varsity basket.

Louisburg will try and stay undefeated as it hosts Frontenac tonight in its final game before the holiday break. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 17 10 23 22 — 72

BAL 11 8 15 10 — 44

LOUISBURG (4-0): Delanie Tally 6-13 4-6 20; Adyson Ross 6-9 3-7 15; Ava Baker 4-5 0-1 11; Brianne Kuhlman 3-6 1-3 8; Ashley Branine 3-4 0-0 6; Emma Lohse 2-9 0-0 5; Emma Prettyman 0-1 3-3 3; Ally Brown 1-2 0-0 3; Mackenzie Rooney 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 25-49 12-22 72. 3-point field goals: 10, (Tally 4, Baker 3, Lohse, Kuhlman, Brown)

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross pulls up for a shot Friday against Anderson County. Ross finished with 12 points on the night.

GARNETT — It shot under 30 percent and Anderson County outscored Louisburg in two of the four quarters during Friday’s contest in Garnett.

Despite those things, the Lady Cats found a way to win thanks to their defense. Louisburg forced 15 turnovers and held Anderson County to just 29 percent shooting as the Lady Cats left with a 38-31 victory.

“Our defense was big on Friday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “With the height on the other team, our girls had to fight and be physical the entire game. Their fight and hard work paid off.”

It certainly did. 

The Lady Cats (3-0) turned those 15 turnovers into 14 points and it was one of the biggest differences in the game.

Seniors Adyson Ross and Delanie Tally gave the Lady Cats the spark they needed offensively at the start of each half. Ross scored seven points in the first quarter to help Louisburg to a 12-4 lead.

After Anderson County outscored Louisburg in the second quarter, and cut the Lady Cat lead to just two at halftime, it was Tally’s turn to shine.

Tally scored nine points in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers. She finished with a team-high 15 points, four 3-pointers and four steals.

As for Ross, she added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

“Adyson and Delanie did a great job getting us going on offense,” Lane said. “Adyson hit a couple shots early to get the scoring going and Delanie did the same in the third quarter. Delanie had three huge 3’s in the third quarter that gave us the edge over Anderson County.”

Another senior came up big late for the Lady Cats. Louisburg led just 32-29 with 2:20 left in the game when Brianne Kuhlman knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats some breathing room.

Louisburg senior Emma Prettyman also did some work on the boards as she finished with a team-high eight rebounds, while junior Ashley Branine had five.

The Lady Cats had to deal with a pair of Anderson County post players that kept the Bulldogs in the game. Caitlyn Foltz led Anderson County with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kylie Disbrow added 12 points and 10 boards.

It was a team effort for the Lady Cats as they got good production from their bench on the defensive end. Sophomores Shylar Whiting, Mackenzie Rooney, Sami Lane and Jillian Asher all gave their team crucial minutes as the Lady Cats were down two players to injury and another was out sick.

“The bench did a great job on Friday, they came in and fulfilled their roles,” Lane said. “They rebounded, pressured the ball and played great help in the lane. The sophomores getting experience is only going to make our program stronger in the future. 

“Friday night’s game was for sure a hard team win, but I was so happy that we pulled together as a team and got the victory.”

Louisburg will try and stay undefeated Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. 

LOU 12 4 14 8 — 38

AC 4 10 5 12 — 31

LOUISBURG (3-0): Delanie Tally 5-15 1-2 15; Adyson Ross 5-13 1-2 12; Brianne Kuhlman 1-5 2-3 5; Ashley Branine 1-5 0-0 2; Shylar Whiting 0-0 2-2 2; Emma Prettyman 1-7 0-2 2. Totals: 13-46 6-11 38. 3-point field goals: 6, (Tally 4, Ross, Kuhlman)

Louisburg’s Mason Dobbins goes up for two of his eight points Friday in the Wildcats’ 36-29 win over Anderson County.

GARNETT — It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but for the Louisburg boys basketball team, the only thing that mattered was the result.

The Wildcats gutted through a physical contest, on what was an off-shooting night, and came away with a 36-29 victory over Anderson County on Friday in Garnett.

“Sometimes you win ugly, and this was one of those games,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “It definitely wasn’t the prettiest of basketball games, but sometimes you have to grind out wins and Friday was one of those nights.”

Neither team could find the shooting touch and Anderson County did its best to slow the Wildcat offense down. The Bulldogs came out in a 3-2 zone to force the Wildcats to beat them from the outside.

Louisburg (3-0) couldn’t get a lot to fall as it shot just 27 percent from the floor and were 5-for-14 from the free-throw line.

All that turned into a single possession game late in the contest.

“They caught us off guard a little with their 3-2 zone,” Pfannenstiel said. “It took us a while to get a feel for how to attack it, but we settled in. We probably settled for too many long shots, but no matter what, we are going to have to shoot the ball better or we are going to see a lot of zone this season.”

With 1:30 left in the game, the Wildcats held just a 31-28 lead, but Anderson County got a steal a had a wide open layup on a breakaway that it missed.

Louisburg took advantage of the missed shot as Trey Myers drove baseline and fed a wide-open Mason Dobbins under the basket. Dobbins made the basket and gave Louisburg a 2-possession lead with a minute left.

The Wildcats led 34-29 with 28 seconds remaining when senior Isaiah Whitley collected a loose ball near the basket, scored and was fouled to all but ice the game.

It was a sigh of relief for the Wildcats to win a game that had several ups and downs throughout. The contest got a little heated in the second half as Louisburg was called for a technical foul and Anderson County was called for an intentional foul as both teams tried to fight their way on top.

“Boy that was a rugged game,” Pfannenstiel said. “Basketball has gotten more physical over the years, but it’s not supposed to be played like that. I was proud of how we kept our composure. We stressed that at halftime that we have no control of how the game is called, but we can’t worry about that and have to adapt to how the game is being called and played. I was proud of our guys.”

With the shots not falling, the Wildcats leaned on their defense to help them through and it did. Louisburg held Anderson County to just 24 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers.

Louisburg also out rebounded the Bulldogs 35-27, including 12 offensive rebounds.

“Our defense has definitely been our strength so far this season,” Pfannenstiel said. “We always stress that if we can be good on defense that we are always going to be in games. It’s been key for us that our defense has been consistent. We are going to need that moving forward.”

Louisburg took a 18-13 lead at halftime, before Anderson County eventually whittled it to a one-possession game on a couple different occasions in the second half.

Colyer Wingfield led the Wildcats in scoring with nine points on the night, including a team-high seven rebounds and four steals. Dobbins added eight points and four rebounds.

Junior Nathan Parker came off the bench to hit two 3-pointers and finished with six points, as did Myers.

Whitley was second on the team with five rebounds to go along with his game-sealing basket.

Louisburg will try and make it four wins in a row Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“A win is a win,” Pfannenstiel said. “We obviously have areas that we need to improve on, but our kids have been competitive and are looking forward to a good opponent coming in on Tuesday.  It should be another good test for us.”

LOU 5 13 8 10 — 36

AC 5 8 9 7 — 29

LOUISBURG (3-0): Colyer Wingfield 4-16 1-5 9; Mason Dobbins 2-4 4-6 8; Nathan Parker 2-10 0-2 6; Trey Myers 2-7 0-0 6; Cade Gassman 1-4 0-0 3; Conlee Hovey 1-1 0-0 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-3 0-1 2. Totals: 13-48 5-14 36. 3-point field goals: 5, (Parker 2, Myers 2, Gassman)

Louisburg seniors Brianne Kuhlman (left) and Delanie Tally double-team a Burlington player as they try for a steal Tuesday in the Lady Cats’ home opener.

Defense has been the name of the game for the Louisburg girls basketball team and it has led the Lady Cats to a pair of wins to start the season.

The latest came on Tuesday as Louisburg hosted Burlington in its home opener. The Lady Cats held Burlington to just six first half points and ran away with a 56-19 victory.

Louisburg has outscored its first two opponents 111- 30 on the season.

“We are really good at defense,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “These girls work so hard every day and it is really showing in games. Our defense is tough and I think we will just continue to get better as the season goes along. We are so excited to get our first home win and the girls were ready and played hard together.”

The Lady Cats (2-0) held Burlington to just 15 percent shooting and did it thanks to their pressure defense. They turned Burlington over 17 times and scored 21 points off those mistakes.

Louisburg also controlled the glass as it out rebounded Burlington, 38-20.

Offensively, the Lady Cats were just as efficient as they shot 46 percent from the field as a pair of seniors lead them in that category.

Delanie Tally recorded a team-high 17 points, to go along with three 3-pointers and had five rebounds. Adyson Ross was right behind her as she finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds — her second straight double-double — and also had a team-high four steals.

“Adyson and Delanie did a great job offensively I thought they looked to score at the right opportune times,” Lane said. “They didn’t force any shots and they just let the offense work for them.”

Louisburg jumped out to an 18-5 lead to begin the game and then outscored Burlington 14-1 in the second quarter to take a 26-point halftime advantage.

Eight different players scored for Louisburg and senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman was next in line with seven points. Senior Emma Lohse, junior Ashley Branine and sophomore Mackenzie Rooney each finished with four.

Louisburg will try for its third straight win tonight as it travels to Garnett to face Anderson County. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 18 14 14 10 — 56

BUR 5 1 7 6 — 19

LOUISBURG (2-0): Delanie Tally 6-12 2-2 17; Adyson Ross 6-10 3-4 16; Brianne Kuhlman 3-7 1-1 7; Emma Lohse 2-6 0-0 4; Ashley Branine 2-4 0-0 4; Mackenzie Rooney 2-2 0-0 4; Emma Prettyman 0-2 3-4 3; Shylar Whiting 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 21-46 10-13 56. 3-point field goals: 4, (Tally 3, Ross)

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield drives to the basket for two of his team-high 21 points Tuesday against Burlington.

Down a point early in the second quarter, Louisburg found itself in a tight game against Burlington Tuesday in its home opener.

The Wildcats were quick to loosen things up before halftime. Louisburg went on a big run to end the first half and it was enough to hold off Burlington, 52-41, to earn its second straight win to start the season.

“It’s always fun to play in front of the home crowd,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I thought our kids brought good energy to the floor and played pretty well.”

Louisburg (2-0) found itself down 14-13 in the early stages of the second quarter, but the Wildcats went on a 15-6 run to end the first half and took a 10-point halftime lead.

The lead ballooned to 16 points on a couple different occasions in the second half and the Wildcats made sure the result was never in doubt.

Senior Colyer Wingfield provided Louisburg with a boost on both ends of the floor. Wingfield led the Wildcats with 21 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had a pair of steals.

The Wildcats were without their starting forward — and tallest player — Mason Dobbins (6-7) who was out with an illness. So leave it to one of their shorter players — Cade Gassman (5-10) — to pick up the rebounding slack.

Gassman tied Wingfield for the team lead in rebounds with eight and he also finished with eight points. Nathan Parker, Luke Hill and Trey Myers were third on the team in scoring with five points each.

“It was a total team effort,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had lots of guys contribute in different ways. We stress to our guys playing to their role and so far our kids have done well with that. Cade was great. 

“With Mason out, we were concerned with how we would rebound. Cade provided us a nice spark with his defensive presence, rebounding, and energy.  Cade has stepped up as a leader for us. He’s always positive and brings good energy each day. He had a big night for us.”

Defensively, the Wildcats held Burlington to just 30 percent from the floor and forced 10 turnovers in the process.

“Anytime you hold a team to 41, you have to say we played pretty well defensively,” Pfannenstiel said,. “I’d still like to see us keep our man out of the paint a little better and our transition defense wasn’t great. But those are areas we can work on in practice and hopefully fix for the next time out.”

Louisburg will try for three straight wins tonight when the Wildcats travel to Anderson County for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

LOU 13 16 12 11 — 52

BUR 12 7 9 13 — 41

LOUISBURG (2-0): Colyer Wingfield 10-23 0-1 21; Cade Gassman 2-5 4-4 8; Nathan Parker 2-4 0-0 5; Luke Hill 2-3 0-0 5; Trey Myers 2-4 1-1 5; Isaiah Whitley 2-6 0-0 4; Brock Vohs 1-3 0-0 2; Conlee Hovey 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 22-49 5-6 52. 3-point field goals: 3, (Wingfield, Parker, Hill)

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

ADYSON ROSS, SENIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Louisburg girls basketball team got its season off to a dominating start Friday with a road win over Tonganoxie and senior Adyson Ross was a big reason for that. Ross recorded a double-double that included a team-high 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds — all offensive — in the team’s 55-11 win over the Chieftains.

Ross is one of seven returning seniors for the Lady Cats and was an honorable mention all-league selection a year ago. She is also the team’s leading returning scorer from last season.

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.

Louisburg junior Ashley Branine drives to the basket Friday at Tonganoxie High School. The Lady Cats rolled to a 55-11 win in their season opener.

TONGANOXIE — The Louisburg girls basketball team put together a season opener to remember Friday at Tonganoxie.

Louisburg held Tonganoxie scoreless in two quarters and allowed just 11 total points in its 55-11 victory over the Chieftains on the road. The Lady Cats scored the first 26 points of the game and never looked back.

“I thought the girls played very well on Friday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Our defense was fantastic and the girls did a great job finishing in transition.”

The Lady Cats opened the game with a full-court press and it paid dividends. For the game, they forced 33 turnovers and turned those into 40 points.

Louisburg also controlled the paint as it out rebounded Tonganoxie 52-24. Although the Lady Cats shot just 33 percent for the game, they controlled the game from the opening tip.

“The starters began the game in full speed and they did a great job setting the pace,” Lane said. “Once we got started I felt like every sub that went in felt the energy and kept the pace.

“I was so proud of the girls and their efforts in the full court. We have been working hard and changing up our defenses and they executed well.”

Senior guard Adyson Ross had a big game for the Lady Cats and was a factor on both ends of the floor. Ross finished with a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds — all of which came on the offensive end. She also had four steals.

“Adyson was ready,” Lane said. “She has been working so hard in practice. She had a great game and her leadership was felt by the entire team.”

Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman also finished in double figures with 10 points. Kuhlman pulled down seven rebounds and a team-high seven steals.

Delaney Tally finished just shy of double figures with nine points and she added five rebounds and four steals. Senior Emma Lohse knocked down a pair of 3-pointer and tallied eight points.

The Lady Cats opened the game on a 26-0 run and never looked back as they took a 32-7 advantage at halftime.

Louisburg also got good production from their bench as sophomores Shylar Whiting, Mackenzie Rooney, Addy Stohs and Sami Lane all scored their first varsity points.

“Every minute that the bench gets to play is experience for the future,” coach Lane said. “The sophomores did a great job coming in and keeping the pace up and intensity. The sophomore group works very hard in practice against the upperclassmen, they make them better every day, so I was so glad they got the opportunity to get in the game.”

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins Tuesday when the Lady Cats host Burlington in their home opener. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 17 15 10 13 — 55

TONG 0 7 4 0 — 11

LOUISBURG (1-0): Adyson Ross 8-18 0-1 16; Brianne Kuhlman 5-10 0-0 10; Delanie Tally 4-13 0-0 9; Emma Lohse 2-8 2-2 8; Shylar Whiting 1-1 0-0 3; Ashley Branine 1-7 0-0 2; Mackenzie Rooney 1-3 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 1-3 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-2 0-0 2; Sami Lane 0-4 1-2 1. Totals: 24-72 3-5 55. 3-point field goals: 4, (Lohse 2, Tally, Whiting)

Louisburg senior Cade Gassman drives to the basket for two points Friday at Tonganoxie High School. The Wildcats defeated Tonganoxie, 46-32, in their season opener.

TONGANOXIE — It wasn’t the best of shooting nights for the Louisburg boys basketball team, but it didn’t need to be. It did everything else well.

The Wildcats went on the road Friday and out rebounded Tonganoxie and also forced more than 20 turnovers in their 46-32 victory at Tonganoxie High School.

For a Louisburg team that was returning just one starter from a season ago, Wildcat coach Ty Pfannenstiel made sure his team used those hustle plays to come out on top.

“That was a great way to open the season,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our guys came out confident and played with great energy all night. Any time you can win on the road is huge, and to do it the way we did was a good first step for us this season. There were a lot of guys seeing the varsity floor for the first time, so it was great to see them play with confidence and for them to execute like they did.”

Louisburg opened the game with a 1-3-1 press defense, which set the tone for the rest of the night. The Wildcats forced 24 turnovers and never let the Chieftains get comfortable.

The Wildcats turned those turnovers into 21 points, which turned out to be a big difference in the game. Louisburg also held Tonganoxie to just 11 first half points.

“Our defense was great,” Pfannenstiel said. “We always tell the kids that we are going to have some games where we are good offensively and nights that we struggle to shoot the ball, but our defense always has to be a constant.  If we are good on defense, we will always give ourselves a shot to win.

“We forced 24 turnovers, so those are empty possessions for their offense. Combine the turnover and offensive rebound disparity in that game and that makes a huge difference. Now we just have to build off of this.”

Louisburg jumped out to a 19-3 lead after the first quarter thanks to its defense, but also because of its relentlessness on the glass.

The Wildcats pulled down 21 offensive rebounds and got several looks the basket despite shooting just 31 percent for the night. 

Senior Mason Dobbins pulled down seven offensive boards and had nine total rebounds to lead Louisburg. Another senior, Isaiah Whitley, had four offensive boards.

“To have 21 offensive rebounds is unheard of,” Pfannenstiel said. “I guess it means we missed plenty of shots, but it also means we gave ourselves extra opportunities. Tongie sat in a zone most of the night and we told our guys to crash the glass. 

“Zone teams can struggle to rebound, so making an effort to go rebound and get loose balls was the difference. Mason and Isaiah were great on the offensive glass. They gave them problems for sure.”

Senior Colyer Wingfield was consistent presence for the Wildcats all night as he led the team with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

“Colyer had a good night,” Pfannenstiel said. “We need him to get us into our offense and create for us, and he did just that. He’s really worked on his shot this offseason and he looks good out there.”

Trey Myers, another Louisburg senior, provided several big shots from the outside as he knocked down three 3-pointers and finished in double figures with 11 points. He also finished with four steals. 

Junior Nathan Parker also connected on a pair of 3-pointers, while senior Cade Gassman led the team with five steals. Brock Vohs and Conlee Hovey also scored their first varsity points.

Louisburg will try and make it back-to-back wins Tuesday when it hosts Burlington for its home opener. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 19 10 8 9 — 46

TONG 3 8 9 12 — 32

LOUISBURG (1-0): Colyer Wingfield 8-19 3-4 20; Trey Myers 3-10 2-2 11; Nathan Parker 2-7 0-0 6; Cade Gassman 2-3 0-0 4; Brock Vohs 1-3 2-3 4; Conlee Hovey 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 16-52 8-13 46. 3-point field goals: 6, (Myers 3, Parker 2, Wingfield)

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield is the Wildcats’ top returning scorer and rebounded from a season ago. The Wildcats will feature four new starters to go alongside him this year.

Losing your top two scorers and leading rebounder from a year ago is something no coach wants to have to go though.

It is a reality for the Louisburg boys basketball team in the 2022-23 season. The good thing, however, is several players will get a chance to fill those roles and Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel is excited for what his players can bring to the floor.

“I’d say that it’s pretty normal to lose some key players every year, but it’s so fun to see who’s going to step up and take on those leadership roles,” Pfannenstiel said. “Colyer Wingfield has definitely taken on that leadership role this year, but I think there are going to be a lot of guys that step up to help our team. I think we are going to have some depth this year so we are going to have a lot of options night in and night out.”

Wingfield is the team’s lone returning starter from a year ago and the Louisburg senior will look to lead the Wildcats. He is joined by four other seniors in Cade Gassman, Mason Dobbins, Trey Myers and Isaiah Whitley.

Gassman is other lone senior that saw varsity action year ago, so there will be several new faces on the varsity roster for the Wildcats. Still, it will be Wingfield who will help lead the way as he averaged nearly nine points and five rebounds a game last season.

He will also have a new position as he moves from forward to the point guard spot.

“Colyer’s a very coachable kid,” Pfannenstiel said. “He loves the game of basketball and works hard at it. He primarily played in the post last year, but he’s going to be our point guard this year. That’s been a good transition for him. We are going to need him to create things for us on the offensive end and his skill set and ability allows us to do that. I expect him to have a big year for us.”

The Wildcats also got some size to replace Wingfield as Dobbins returns after a couple years away from the sport. The 6-7 senior will hope to boost the team’s inside play.

“We are glad that Mason is playing again this year,” Pfannenstiel said. “He had a really good summer for us so he’s made a lot of progress just from June to now.  Since he was away from the game for so long, I think he’s going to continue to make big strides as the season goes on. 

“His length and athleticism is going to be a big help for us this year, but his best quality is his motor.  He plays hard all the time. I’m looking forward to seeing his progress this season.”

Gassman will join Wingfield at the guard spot, as will Myers. Whitley will also see time at forward.

Junior Luke Hill played seven games at the varsity level last season and will also give the Wildcats good minutes. He will join fellow juniors Nathan Parker, Brady Hickey, Jaymes Melton and Brock Vohs in the rotation.

“We are still trying to figure this one out.,” Pfannenstiel said of the rotation. “I think it could be a different group each night. I can honestly see 12-14 guys seeing varsity action at some point this season. Our five seniors are our core group, but this sophomore and junior class has a bunch of kids that could compete for varsity time. 

“Each kid has their own strengths that they bring to the court each day, which are valuable to our team. I don’t want to name every kid on the team, but don’t be surprised if you see some different faces out there from game to game.”

The Wildcats will also face a difficult league schedule, that includes Eudora, which is currently the preseason No. 1 in Class 4A. 

Still, Louisburg has high expectations for its season and it begins tonight at Tonganoxie in a Frontier League matchup.

“These guys really bought in this summer,” Pfannenstiel said. “We played some really tough competition all summer so they’ve been tested. As I said earlier, I think depth is going to be a strength for us.  Now the key is going to be everyone playing to their role and playing as a team.  We have to play unselfish basketball and trust our teammates. 

“Goals and expectations have to be realistic. We’d like to finish in the top 3 of our league and we’d like to get back to the state tournament this year. I honestly believe we can do that.”