Maverick Rockers knocks down one of his three 3-pointers Thursday at Harrisonville High School during the Wildcats’ 74-59 overtime win.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — They were they types of shots that have been known to bring down the Louisburg boys basketball team throughout the season and Harrisonville had three of them in one game.

Whether it was a three-quarter court heave that hit the backboard and right into a teammate’s hand for a layup at the buzzer right before halftime, or a buzzer-beating half-court shot to end the third or a game-tying 3-pointer with 7 seconds left in the fourth quarter — Harrisonville tried everything it could to knock off the Wildcats.

“This season it seems like we have always had those shots go against us and sometimes those plays have deflated us and we have struggled to come back when the other team gets that momentum,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Our kids really responded this time.”

Louisburg persevered in a way it hadn’t much all season.

The Wildcats scored 17 points in the overtime Thursday at Harrisonville High School and pulled away for a 74-59 victory over Harrisonville in its regular season finale.

It was a must-win game for Louisburg as the Wildcats needed a win Thursday to have a chance to get into the sub-state tournament. They also had to have help as they needed both Ottawa and Fort Scott to lose their games on Friday. The two teams on each side of the state with the worst record are eliminated from the postseason.

Both of those scenarios happened and now the Wildcats (5-15) are the No. 16 seed and will travel to No. 1 Eudora on Wednesday to begin sub-state action.

The Louisburg players knew Thursday’s game was important and they treated it just like a playoff game.

“You could definitely tell they had that energy,” Pfannenstiel said of his players. “They were in good spirits and positive, even when things weren’t going our way. They knew their season was on the line, and for those five seniors, their careers were on the line. For them to make big plays and run away with it in overtime, was just huge for us.”

The Wildcats outscored Harrisonville 17-2 in the overtime after Harrisonville stole all the momentum with a game-tying 3-pointer toward the end of regulation.

Louisburg didn’t waste any time taking it right back. Senior Isaac Guetterman knocked down a 3-pointer to begin overtime, and junior Mack Newell responded with back-to-back baskets to help the Wildcats go on a 7-2 run.

The free-throw line was a strong point for the Wildcats and they iced the game there, as they converted 23 of 31 attempts for the game.

“Isaac hit a big shot in overtime to help get us going and it was a great team win,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got contributions from all of our guys and we played good enough defensively and was one of our better nights offensively.”

Newell and junior Colyer Wingfield played big on the inside for Louisburg and provided a lot of scoring in the paint. 

Newell finished with a double-double as he led the Wildcats with 21 points and 10 rebounds, despite dealing with foul trouble. Wingfield was also key for Louisburg as he had 17 points and five rebounds.

The Wildcats also got strong play from the perimeter as Maverick Rockers finished with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Senior Michael Seuferling had 14 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists.

Guetterman, who hit the big 3-pointer at the beginning of overtime, had a team-high six assists.

Louisburg held the lead for much of the contest, despite getting down 6-0 early, but had to face adversity late as both Newell and Rockers were saddled with four fouls. Seniors Carson Kern and Hunter Rogers provided the Wildcats with significant minutes down the stretch.

“I don’t know if we can say Mack has foul trouble anymore, that is kind of just the norm for him,” Pfannenstiel said. “Mav is a smart player and we trusted him in that situation, but it does get dicey when you have two guys like that with four fouls. It was a good team win though and everyone kind of pulled together when we needed it the most.”

The Wildcats will now travel to Eudora (16-3) on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tipoff with their season on the line in the first round of sub-state. The winner of that game will play the winner of Labette County (11-9) and Independence (10-7) on Saturday for the sub-state championship.

LOU 12 18 15 12 17 — 74

HAR 11 16 15 15 2 — 59

LOUISBURG (5-15): Mack Newell 6-8 8-11 21; Maverick Rockers 4-10 6-8 17; Colyer Wingfield 8-12 1-2 17; Michael Seuferling 3-8 8-10 14; Isaac Guetterman 2-4 0-0 5. Totals: 23-45 23-31 74. 3-point field goals: 5, (Rockers 3, Newell, Guetterman)

Upset-bid of Paola falls short for Louisburg

Louisburg had every intention of handing No. 3 Paola a loss on its Senior Night on Tuesday in Paola, but the Wildcats couldn’t complete the job.

Paola used a big fourth quarter to rally and defeat Louisburg, 54-43, to end its Frontier League schedule.

“Man, we competed,” Pfannenstiel said. “I thought our kids executed our defensive game plan very well.  What we’ve done defensively against Paola is pretty unorthodox, so hats off to our kids for buying in and executing.”

The Wildcats concentrated on slowing down Paola senior Trey Moala, and did so again, holding him to seven points thanks to the defense of senior Michael Seuferling.

However, several other Panthers hit big baskets down the stretch, including Caden Marcum, who had a team-high 14 points and Dalton Picek who finished with 10.

Paola was able to rally thanks to its ability on the offensively glass as the Panthers pulled down 16 offensive rebounds and finished with 15 second chance points.

Add in foul trouble that Louisburg had to deal with on the inside, and the Panthers were able to take advantage.

“Paola has good size, strength and athleticism on the inside so they definitely took advantage of that,” Pfannesntiel said. “We’ve struggled with giving up offensive rebounds all season. When Mack and Colyer picked up some early fouls, they probably had to play a little more cautious which hurt us. I thought Hunter Rogers did a nice job of coming in and helping us on the boards.”

Louisburg held a 34-32 lead going into the fourth quarter, but Paola outscored the Wildcats 22-9 in the final frame to avoid the upset.

Mack Newell led Louisburg in scoring with 12 points and five rebounds and Colyer Wingfield added 10 in the loss. Maverick Rockers just finished out of double figures with eight.

Despite the loss, there were positives to takeaway as the Wildcats focus on the rest of the their season, including Seuferling’s defensive performance.

“Sci Fi has been really good all year. He logs almost every minute of the game and he’s always guarding the best player. It’s impressive to think how well he guarded Moala both games this year giving up 7 inches in height. He held him to 9 the first game and then 7 this time. Michael did exactly what we asked of him — keep him out of the paint and force him to shoot perimeter shots and mid range jumpers. He played about as well as you possibly could on defense.”

LOU 14 4 16 9 — 43

PAO 13 11 8 22 — 54

LOUISBURG: Mack Newell 5-7 1-2 12; Colyer Wingfield 4-5 2-3 10; Maverick Rockers 3-6 0-0 8; Michael Seuferling 1-8 4-4 6; Isaac Guetterman 1-3 2-2 5; Carson Kern 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 14-33 11-13 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Rockers 2, Newell, Guetterman)

Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted splits two Paola defenders as she goes up for a shot Tuesday at Paola High School.

PAOLA — The Louisburg girls basketball team picked a good time to play one of its best game of the season — if not THE best.

Louisburg traveled to Paola on its Senior Night and left with a 51-33 victory over the Panthers on Tuesday to complete a season sweep. The Lady Cats also snapped a 5-game losing streak in the process.

The Lady Cats led by just five points going into the fourth quarter, but Louisburg scored 21 points in the final period to pull away.

“The girls had so much team energy going into the fourth quarter, but we also played together as a team,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “In my opinion this was the best team win we have had all season.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats (8-11) made things difficult on the Panthers as they held Paola to just 18 percent shooting. They were also able to keep Paola senior Kate Ediger in check.

Ediger, who still scored 16 points and had seven rebounds, found it difficult to score thanks to the defense of junior Adyson Ross as the rest of the team.

“Adyson did a great job guarding Ediger,” Lane said. “She contested every one of Ediger’s shots and then she did a great job boxing her out and rebounding when she missed. The rest of the team did a great job rebounding and helping when Adyson needed it.”

Despite missing on its first attempt, the Panthers had second-chance opportunities with 18 offensive rebounds, but the Lady Cats didn’t allow the easy shot.

Louisburg also forced 16 Paola turnovers and turned those into 12 points, which also played a big role in the victory.

The Lady Cats had small lead at halftime and led 30-25 after the third quarter, but the Lady Cats hit several big baskets and made their free throws down the stretch. Louisburg was 19 for 24 from the free-throw line for the game.

Senior Jordan Mynsted and Ross helped carry the Lady Cats offensively. Mynsted finished with a game-high 18 points, pulled down six rebounds and was 10-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Ross also finished in double figures with 11 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists. Junior Delanie Tally had eight points in the win.

“The win was huge for our team,” Lane said. “We came in with energy and we played hard the entire game. This was a total team win, this win was earned and felt by the entire team. This win will help the girls go into the post season with positive attitudes and the will to win.”

Louisburg got a late minute addition to its schedule as the Lady Cats will host Chanute in a girls-only game Friday that will end its regular season. Freshmen will start at 4:30, while JV and varsity will follow.

With its regular season nearly in the books, the Lady Cats are still waiting to see who their postseason opponent will be. 

The top four teams by record on each side of the state will host the sub-state tournament. Brackets are schedule to be released Saturday.

LOU 8 14 8 21 — 51

PAO 8 8 9 8 — 33

LOUISBURG (8-11): Jordan Mynsted 4-12 10-11 18; Adyson Ross 3-13 4-6 11; Delanie Tally 2-5 2-4 8; Emma Prettyman 3-6 0-0 6; Brianne Kuhlman 1-3 3-3 5; Ava Baker 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 14-43 19-24 51. 3-point field goals: 4, (Tally 2, Ross, Baker)

Louisburg’s Jordan Mynsted (left) and Emma Prettyman go up for a rebound Friday against Bonner Springs.

The Louisburg girls basketball team had a chance to end its home schedule with a pair of victories, but came up just short in each occasion.

The latest loss came Friday as the Lady Cats fell in a tough 47-43 contest to Bonner Springs. It also marked the final home game for seniors Jordan Mynsted, Delaney Wright and Sierra Hahn.

It was a close game throughout, but Louisburg had a slight lead at halftime thanks to a 3-pointer in the final seconds from Delanie Tally. The Lady Cats also had a two-point lead going into the final quarter.

Bonner Springs, however, opened the fourth on an 8-0 run to take a six-point advantage. Louisburg was able to cut it to two late, but Bonner Springs converted its opportunities at the free-throw line to seal the win.

Louisburg struggle from the field as it shot just 25 percent from the floor, but were able to get 19 offensive rebounds to help the Lady Cats stay in the contest.

Mynsted had a big day in her final game on her home floor as she finished with 20 points, while junior Delanie Tally had 12 points, five rebounds and four steals. Juniors Emma Prettyman and Adyson Ross each had a team-high nine rebounds.

LOU 15 8 13 7 — 43

BON 10 12 12 13 — 47

LOUISBURG (7-11): Jordan Mynsted 6-18 8-11 20; Delanie Tally 4-11 2-2 12; Emma Prettyman 2-7 2-2 6; Adyson Ross 2-11 1-2 5. Totals: 14-56 13-17 43. 3-point field goals: 2, (Tally 2)

Louisburg falls to No. 3 Eudora

Louisburg had its hands full on Feb. 15 as the Lady Cats hosted No. 3 Eudora on Senior Night.

Eudora came in with just one loss on the season and the Lady Cats nearly gave the Cardinals their second.

The Lady Cats used a 12-point third quarter to tie the game heading into the fourth, but the Cardinals held Louisburg to just two points the rest of the way and gave them a 36-25 setback.

Eudora outscored Louisburg 13-2 in the fourth quarter to pull away behind an 18 point, 11 rebound performance from senior point guard Harper Schreiner.

Defensively, the Lady Cats played well most of the night and limited the Cardinals to just 29 percent from the floor.

Unfortunately, Louisburg couldn’t get its offense in a rhythm as it made just 11 field goals on the night.

Senior Jordan Mynsted had seven points to lead Louisburg , while junior Emma Prettyman had six points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

LOU 5 6 12 2 — 25

EUD 10 10 3 13 — 36

LOUISBURG: Jordan Mynsted 3-15 0-0 7; Emma Prettyman 3-10 0-0 6; Delanie Tally 2-7 0-0 5; Adyson Ross 2-7 0-0 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-5 0-1 2; Delaney Wright 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 11-49 1-3 25. 3-point field goals: 2, (Tally, Mynsted)

Louisburg sophomore Michael Seuferling puts up a runner in the lane Friday during the Wildcats’ loss to Bonner Springs in Louisburg.

The Louisburg boys basketball team had a chance to close its home schedule with a pair of games last week, but the Wildcats didn’t get a chance to go out on the note they would have liked.

Louisburg lost both games last week, including a 72-52 setback to Bonner Springs on Friday. 

The losses were exactly memorable, however, the Wildcats still had a chance to honor its seniors — Isaac Guetterman, Carson Kern, Maverick Rockers, Hunter Rogers and Michael Seuferling — on Senior Night last Tuesday against Eudora.

It is a group that certainly left its mark on a Wildcat program as some of them were a part of last year’s state runner-up team.

“This is a great group of kids,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I know we all would have liked to win more games, but they have really battled this year. The Frontier League is a beast night in and night out, and with the mid-season tournament and Shawnee Mission South on the schedule, they’ve really played some great competition this year. 

“This group has put in a lot of hours to make themselves the best basketball players they could be. People show up and watch on game nights, but they have no idea how much time and commitment these kids have put in when the bright lights weren’t on. I’m proud of this group and I’m always proud of their effort.”

The Wildcats (4-14) battled against Bonner Springs, but had problems with the Braves’ athleticism. Bonner Springs was able to score 25 points off of Louisburg turnovers.

Louisburg also found itself down 17-6 at the end of the first quarter and the Wildcats couldn’t get enough offensive consistency to get back in it.

Rockers and Guetterman each scored 10 points to lead the Wildcats, while Seuferling and junior Colyer Wingfield each finished with eight. Newell led the way with a team-high 11 rebounds, while Seuferling had seven and four assists.

“We struggled to find consistency,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got down early which made it tough on us.  Bonner was athletic and really does a good job of getting out in transition. We just turned the ball over too many times early and gave up way too many offensive rebounds. We have to do a better job in those phases of the game.”

Louisburg will try to end the regular season with a win as the Wildcats travel to rival Paola for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

LOU 6 15 9 22 — 52

BON 17 19 15 21 — 72

LOUISBURG (4-14): Maverick Rockers 4-12 1-1 10; Isaac Guetterman 4-6 0-3 10; Michael Seuferling 3-11 2-3 8; Colyer Wingfield 4-8 0-1 8; Carson Kern 2-4 0-0 6; Mack Newell 2-5 1-4 5; Hunter Rogers 1-3 0-0 3; Nathan Parker 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 20-53 6-14 52. 3-point field goals: 6, (Kern 2, Guetterman 2, Rockers, Rogers)

Wildcats fall on Senior Night to No. 1 Eudora

Louisburg faced one of its more difficult tests of the season last Tuesday when it hosted No. 1 Eudora on Senior Night.

The Wildcats played Eudora even for three quarters, but the other ended up being Louisburg’s undoing.

Eudora held the Wildcats to six points in the second quarter and used that to hand Louisburg a 60-42 loss.

Despite being down 16 at halftime, the Wildcats battled back to cut the Cardinal lead to nine on a couple different occasions, but could get no closer.

“I thought we played pretty tough,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We played well in the 1st quarter, but then struggled to score in the 2nd which allowed Eudora to stretch out their lead.I was proud of how we came out in the second half. We had it to single digits, but had a tough last couple minutes of the 3rd quarter which hurt us.  

“Eudora is a good team. There is very little margin for error when playing them, so we just needed to be a little more consistent. Overall though, I thought we played hard and shot the ball well from the perimeter.”

The Wildcats, despite only making six two-point baskets, knocked in nine 3-pointers on the night, including four from Maverick Rockers.

Rockers finished with a team-high 15 points and junior Colyer Wingfield had nine. Michael Seuferling had a team-high six rebounds and six assists.

LOU 10 6 16 10 — 42

EUD 13 19 18 10 — 60

LOUISBURG: Maverick Rockers 5-11 1-1 15; Colyer Wingfield 3-8 1-2 9; Michael Seuferling 2-12 1-4 5; Carson Kern 2-3 0-0 5; Isaac Guetterman 1-4 0-0 3; Hunter Rogers 1-3 0-0 3; Mack Newell 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 15-44 3-7 42. 3-point field goals: 9, (Rockers 4, Wingfield 2, Kern, Guetterman, Rogers)

Louisburg senior Carson Kern puts up a runner in the lane Friday against Spring Hill at Louisburg High School.

There became a point in Friday’s game with Spring Hill, more specifically the third quarter, where the Louisburg boys knew it wasn’t going to be their night.

Spring Hill scored 26 points in the third quarter and knocked down 10 3-pointers for the game in a 71-50 victory over the Wildcats on homecoming. The Broncos just couldn’t seem to miss.

“We obviously struggled to get stops defensively, Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We have to be better as a team in that regard. We have to do a better job of keeping guys out of the middle of the floor where they can kick out to shooters. We also have to be better with our defensive rotations. 

“Spring Hill had one of those nights, where things were pretty easy for them offensively. We have to do a better job of making them uncomfortable on that end of the floor. That definitely didn’t happen.”

Spring Hill shot nearly 60 percent from the floor as the Broncos broke open a 3-point game at halftime. They outscored the Wildcats 26-9 in the third quarter, took a 20-point lead and the Broncos never looked back.

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling was the lone Wildcat in double figures with a team-high 16 points, while junior Colyer Wingfield and senior Carson Kern had eight and seven points, respectively.

Senior Isaac Guetterman led the Wildcats in rebounds from his guard spot with six.

“Spring Hill got hot,” Pfannenstiel said of the third quarter. “They knocked down some shots early and then it just kind of snowballed on us. We just didn’t have enough production offensively to keep pace with them.” 

The Wildcats will try and snap their two-game losing streak tonight as they host Eudora for Senior Night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

It is the first of a four-game stretch that will end the Wildcats’ regular season and Pfannenstiel hopes his team can get some momentum going into the postseason.

“These last four games are huge for us,” he said. “Not only from a confidence standpoint, but our season is winding down. It’s crazy how fast the season goes.  We have some really tough opponents to close out the season. We have to go out there and continue to play with great effort, and hopefully put together some good offensive and defensive efforts in these next four.”

LOU 11 17 9 13 — 50

SH 18 13 26 14 — 71

LOUISBURG (4-12): Michael Seuferling 7-15 2-4 16; Colyer Wingfield 3-10 1-4 8; Carson Kern 2-8 1-2 7; Mack Newell 3-4 0-0 6; Maverick Rockers 2-6 0-0 6; Hunter Rogers 2-5 0-0 5; Isaac Guetterman 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 20-53 4-10 50. 3-point field goals: 6, (Kern 2, Rockers 2, Rogers, Wingfield)

Offense goes cold in Wildcats’ loss to Fort Scott

As far as basketball goes, last Tuesday was just “one of those nights” for Louisburg against Fort Scott. 

Nothing wanted to go in the basket for the Wildcats and that allowed the Tigers to hand Louisburg a 44-30 setback on its home floor. Louisburg shot just 24 percent from the floor and could never get any traction offensively.

“That game reminded me a lot of our Frontenac game a couple years ago,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We packed in a zone against them, and they had a rough shooting night. So I’ve seen it (shooting night) happen, but it’s way more fun to be on the winning side of it. “

Louisburg managed just seven points in the first half, before getting something going with 17 points in the final quarter. However, the damage was already done and the Wildcats weren’t able to recover from a 15-point deficit.

Junior Colyer Wingfield accounted for half of the Wildcats’ points with 15 and also had a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Michael Seuferling finished with nine.

LOU 5 2 6 17 — 30

FS 11 7 10 16 — 44

LOUISBURG: Colyer Wingfield 7-13 1-1 15; Michael Seuferling 3-12 2-2 9; Maverick Rockers 1-12 0-0 3; Isaac Guetterman 1-6 0-0 3. Totals: 12-50 3-5 30. 3-point field goals: 3, (Seuferling, Rockers, Guetterman)

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross drives the lane on a Spring Hill defender thanks to a screen set by teammate Jordan Mynsted on Friday in Louisburg.

Coming off a home loss to Fort Scott earlier in the week, the Louisburg girls basketball team wanted to make amends Friday when the Lady Cats hosted Spring Hill on homecoming.

The Lady Cats were on their way to doing that as they jumped out to an early lead, but the Broncos chipped away and eventually took a small halftime lead.

Louisburg couldn’t get over the hump as the Broncos built a six-point lead in the fourth quarter and iced the game at the free-throw line to hand the Lady Cats a 47-43 loss.

“The girls played well against Spring Hill, we played together as a team and we battled until the end,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Spring Hill is a good team and I thought overall we played them well.”

It was a close game throughout as Louisburg jumped out to an 11-5 advantage and led by two points going into the second quarter.

Spring Hill eventually took a one-point halftime lead and the game was tied going into the fourth quarter. It was there where the Broncos built as much as a six-point lead.

Louisburg senior Jordan Mynsted cut the lead to two midway through the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, but the Broncos knocked down their free throws and the Lady Cats couldn’t get baskets to drop.

Friday marked the second time the Lady Cats lost to Spring Hill this season, but Lane said she saw improvements from her team this time around.

“This time against Spring Hill I felt like we had some more experience playing and we learned from playing them the last time,” Lane said. “We did a much better job guarding their bigs and boxing out.”

Still, the Broncos used their size to their advantage as they scored 20 points in the paint and out rebounded the Lady Cats by 10.

Defense was a staple for Louisburg, however, as it forced 13 turnovers, including 11 steals, that helped keep the Lady Cats in the game.

Offensively, Mynsted led Louisburg with 16 points to go along with five rebounds., while juniors Adyson Ross and Delaney Tally each finished in double figures with 10 points.

Junior Emma Prettyman was close to a double-double as she had seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds. She also had a team-best three assists.

Tally led the Lady Cats with four steals, while junior Brianne Kuhlman had three of her own.

Spring Hill’s Jenna Weber led all scorers with 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Louisburg will try and end its two-game losing skid tonight as the Lady Cats host Eudora on Senior Night.

“We just have to keep being positive and working hard and getting better in practice,” Lane said. “We have to keep battling in every game and getting better every day.”

LOU 11 6 14 12 — 43

SH 9 9 13 16 — 47

LOUISBURG (7-9): Jordan Mynsted 5-13 5-6 16; Adyson Ross 3-14 3-5 10; Delanie Tally 3-10 2-2 10; Emma Prettyman 3-6 1-2 7. Totals: 14-50 11-15 43. 3-point field goals: 4, (Tally 2, Ross, Mynsted)

Louisburg offense struggles against Fort Scott

The Louisburg girls found itself right with one of the better teams in Class 4A, Fort Scott, in the first half of last Tuesday’s contest in Louisburg.

The Tigers are currently ranked No. 10 in Class 4A, and in the second half, it showed why.

Fort Scott scored 20 points right after halftime and pulled away for a 53-32 victory over the Lady Cats. 

The Tigers knocked down seven 3-pointers on the night, while also winning the rebounding battle and scoring 13 second-chance points.

Senior Jordan Mynsted led Louisburg with 12 points and five rebounds, while junior Adyson Ross tallied eights points and six boards. 

Louisburg trailed by just four points going into halftime, but the Tigers outscored the Lady Cats 34-17 in the second half as Louisburg struggled form the field.

LOU 9 6 8 9 — 32

FS 13 6 20 14 — 53

LOUISBURG: Jordan Mynsted 3-10 6-6; Adyson Ross 3-12 0-0 8; Delanie Tally 1-8 1-3 4; Emma Prettyman 2-4 0-0 4; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 0-0 3; Emma Lohse 0-5 1-2 1. Totals: 10-47 8-13 32. 3-point field goals: 4, (Ross 2, Kuhlman, Tally)

Members of the 2022 Louisburg High School winter homecoming court are (from left) Aubryn Berck, Aiden Barker, Chase Kallevig, A.J. Arriola, Corinna McMullen, Carson Kern, Reese Johnson and Isaac Guetterman.

Homecoming week at Louisburg High School kicked off Monday and events are in full swing. With something going on every day this week, it will be a busy time for students. All of it is, of course, centered around the crowning of the 2022 winter king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday during halftime of the Wildcat boys’ basketball game with Spring Hill. Tipoff for that game is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. Good luck to all the participants and make sure to come out on Friday to support both the Wildcat girls and boys basketball teams.

Aubryn Berck and Aiden Barker

Aubryn is the daughter of Dave and Amanda Berck. Aubryn has been involved with high school volleyball for three years, member of National Honor Society for two years, FCA for two years. She has been a part of FCCLA for one year, track for one year and volleyball manager for one year. Aubryn has played club volleyball for eight years, shown horses for 10 years and a leader in Life Church’s youth classroom for two years. Following graduation, Aubryn is planning to study nutrition sciences to become a registered dietician. She is undecided on her school at this time.

Aiden is the son of David and Gail Barker. Aiden has participated in football for four years, wrestling for four years and National Honor Society for two years. He is currently undecided on his plans following graduation.

Chase Kallevig and A.J. Arriola

Chase is the daughter of Eric and Kara Kallevig. Chase has participated in volleyball for four years, FFA for three year, National Honor Society for two years, FBLA for two years and basketball for one year. Chase is currently undecided on her plans following graduation.

A.J. is the son of Juan Arriola and Shelly Gibson. A.J. has participated in golf for four years, FCA for two years, musical for two years, choir for two years and FBLA for one year. A.J. plans to major in accounting in college, but is undecided on his destination.

Corinna McMullen and Carson Kern

Corinna is the daughter of Scott and Sarah McMullen. Corinna has participated in volleyball for four years, National Honor Society for two years, Interact Club for one year and FBLA for one year. After graduation, Corinna will attend Washburn University on a volleyball scholarship and major in nursing with a specialization in pediatrics.

Carson is the son of Matthew and Veronica Kern. Carson has participated in basketball for three years and golf for two years. After graduation, Carson plans to attend Pittsburg State University.

Reese Johnson and Isaac Guetterman

Reese is the daughter of Matthew and Tiffany Johnson. Reese has participated in soccer for four years, cross country for four years, National Honor Society for two years, band for two years and FFA for one year. Reese plans to attend the University of Central Missouri after graduation, but is undecided on a major.

Isaac is the son of Ted and Lisa Guetterman. Isaac has participated in FFA for four years, soccer for four years and basketball for four years. He has been a part of National Honor Society for two years and participated in track for one. Following graduation, Isaac plans to attend Iowa State University and major in Agricultural Engineering.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the winter sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

ADYSON ROSS, JUNIOR, GIRLS BASKETBALL

Louisburg junior Adyson Ross was a driving force for the Louisburg girls basketball team last week as she led the Lady Cats to a pair of wins over Paola and Ottawa. Ross scored 15 points in each contest and shot better than 50 percent in each game. Against Paola, Ross also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

On the road Friday against Ottawa, Ross helped the Lady Cats to a 26 point second quarter in which they held the Cyclones scoreless. She finished with 15 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists.

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

Week 7: Jordan Mynsted

The Louisburg bench celebrates just as the buzzer sounded in the Wildcats’ 57-54 come-from-behind victory over Ottawa on Friday at Ottawa High School.

OTTAWA — At least when it came to shooting, it appeared that Friday just wasn’t going to be Maverick Rockers’ night.

The Louisburg senior missed his first eight shots and had just one point against Ottawa going into the game’s final seconds.

However, with the game on the line, the Wildcats looked Rockers’ direction — and it paid off in a big way.

Rockers hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to put Louisburg up one. Louisburg senior Carson Kern then stole the Cyclone inbounds pass and scored to ice the Wildcats’ 57-54 win at Ottawa.

“We had that play called and we have a lot of confidence in Maverick,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We wanted to keep with it, the kids ran the play, executed well and the shot went in. It was a big shot and just a great win for the guys. We really needed it.”

The game also snapped a six-game losing skid for the Wildcats. It also marked the first victory for Louisburg in Ottawa in at least two decades.

Louisburg (4-10) had to rally to make that a reality. The Wildcats found themselves down six with a minute remaining, but Michael Seuferling drove the lane, was fouled and converted the 3-point play.

After an Isaac Guetterman free throw cut the Cyclone lead to two, Ottawa made two free throws to go back up four. Then with 30 seconds remaining, Mack Newell knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a one-point contest.

The Cyclones knocked down two more free throws to make it 53-50 with 27 seconds left, but the Wildcats stayed close when Colyer Wingfield had an offensive rebound and put back to keep it a one point game with 19 seconds remaining.

With a pair of fouls by Louisburg within seconds of themselves, Ottawa had a chance to put the game away, but the Cyclones made just one of four free throws.

That all set up Rockers’ heroics and gave the Wildcats the victory they were looking for. Seuferling pushed the ball to the corner and then threw a cross-court pass to Rockers in the opposite corner and the Louisburg senior knocked down the shot.

“Our guys always give good effort and have done so all year,” Pfannenstiel said. “It just comes down to making plays, making some shots and getting some stops. At the end, we got the ones that we needed and things went our way. It was great shots by Mack and Mav to get us there, also a nice putback by Colyer and steal by Carson that made the difference in the end.”

Following Rockers’ 3-pointer, Kern quickly stole the inbound pass as the clock was running down and took it in for the uncontested layup to put the Wildcats up three and sealed the win.

It was quite the victory for the Wildcats, who were coming off some heartbreak of their own last week when they lost at the buzzer to Paola. This time, Louisburg found itself on the winning side.

“I told Coach (Drew) Harding after the game that I didn’t even know what happened there at the end,” Pfannenstiel said. “It was just like a whirlwind. The kids made plays and I am proud of them. They needed this win and they have worked hard. We have played a good schedule, lost a tough one the other night to Paola. We were able to make the plays this time and it was good to see.”

The Wildcats turned up the pressure defensively in the game’s final minute, which helped the rally from seven points down with a 1:21 left in the contest. 

Louisburg scored 13 points off 16 Cyclone turnovers on the night and the Wildcats also found success inside as they outscored Ottawa 34-20 in the paint. Seuferling was a big part of that as he finished with a team-high 22 points and a team-best four assists. 

Wingfield and Newell were also key for Louisburg. Wingfield scored 15 points and Newell added 13, while both finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

“A lot of those points were late, but with Michael you couldn’t tell by his reaction if we were down by 30 or up by 30,” Pfannenstiel said. “He is going to keep playing and he was big for us. Mack had another nice game for us, Colyer was good on the boards and it was just a good team win. The guys did the little things to get us the win.”

The Wildcats will try for back-to-back wins tonight as they host Fort Scott. Pfannenstiel hopes this win can get the Wildcats going in the right direction.

“I told the guys that it is time to go on another run here,” he said. “This was a big momentum builder for us and a great win in a place where we haven’t won in a number of years. That is big for us and something that these kids will always remember.”

LOU 8 10 13 26 — 57

OTT 6 16 10 22 — 54

LOUISBURG (4-10): Michael Seuferling 7-20 7-10 22; Colyer Wingfield 6-7 3-6 15; Mack Newell 6-8 0-0 13; Maverick Rockers 1-9 1-2 4; Carson Kern 1-2 0-1 2; Isaac Guetterman 0-3 1-2 1. Totals: 21-49 12-21 57. 3-point field goals: 3, (Newell, Seuferling, Rockers)

Louisburg junior Ava Baker goes up for two of her 13 points Friday at Ottawa. Baker was one of three Lady Cats to score in double figures in their 53-41 win.

OTTAWA — Louisburg was down a point Friday following one quarter of play against Ottawa.

No one could have guessed what was to come next.

The Lady Cats rattled off 26 consecutive points in the second quarter and held the Cyclones scoreless in the process. All that led to a 53-41 road win for Louisburg and evened its record to 7-7 on the season.

“It was a lot of fun to watch the girls play in the second quarter — they were on fire,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I honestly didn’t know what to think. I just kept calling plays and they kept making baskets. It was so awesome to see them support each other too. They got so excited every time we made a basket. They just kept feeding off of each other.”

After what was a competitive first quarter, the Lady Cats couldn’t seem to miss in the second — and when they did — they were there to get the offensive rebound and putback. Louisburg had 12 offensive rebounds for the game and scored 12 second chance points.

Defense also played a big part in the Lady Cats’ big second quarter. Louisburg forced 20 Ottawa turnovers, with a majority of those coming in the second quarter, and the Lady Cats scored 17 points off those Cyclone mistakes.

“Our defense is great,” Lane said. “From the pressure on the point guard, to the help in the lane, to guarding the weakside, we played some great defense. Each girl playing defense hard and unselfish makes us a much better team. 

“I always tell the girls that defense ends with rebounding, and Friday we did a great job of limiting second chances for Ottawa. But on the offensive end we hit the boards hard, getting offensive rebounds and put backs which I felt helped us get into our scoring run.”

Scoring wasn’t much of a problem for the Lady Cats as they got contributions from up and down their lineup. They also knocked down seven 3-pointers on the night.

Junior Adyson Ross led the way with 15 points to go along with team-high’s in rebounds (6) and steals (4). Another junior, Ava Baker, came off the bench to score a season-high 13 points and she also pulled down six boards.

Senior Jordan Mynsted also scored in double figures with 10 points, while junior Delanie Tally had eight, including a pair of 3-pointers. Junior Emma Prettyman pulled down six rebounds, while junior Emma Lohse had five from her guard spot. Junior Brianne Kuhlman also chipped in five points.

“Having several girls score on Friday was great,” Lane said. “I hope playing like we did in the second quarter will encourage the girls to continue to look for shots when they are open. The more scoring threats we have the better we will be as we finish the season and head into post-season.”

The hot streak cooled off for Louisburg in the second half as the Lady Cats scored 15 points the rest of the way, but the damage was already done after they built a 25-point halftime advantage.

“It is hard to keep up the intensity when you are up by 25 at half, but I knew Ottawa would fight back and they did,” Lane said. “During the second half I thought we were playing to not lose the lead, versus playing to win. We could have played with more emotion, but I was very proud of the girls for keeping the lead and finishing. I did think overall this was the best we had played as a team all season.”

Louisburg will look to continue that momentum tonight as the Lady Cats host Fort Scott (11-3) as they try for their third consecutive win. Varsity is scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m.

LOU 12 26 6 9 — 53

OTT 13 0 10 18 — 41

LOUISBURG (7-7): Adyson Ross 6-10 1-3 15; Ava Baker 3-8 5-8 13; Jordan Mynsted 4-19 2-3 10; Delanie Tally 3-4 0-0 8; Brianne Kuhlman 2-3 0-0 5; Emma Lohse 1-2 2-2 2. Totals: 18-52 10-16 53. 3-point field goals: 7, (Ross 2, Tally 2, Baker 2, Kuhlman)