Junior Julian Margrave hi-fives teammate Ben Guetterman (22) towards the end of the Wildcats’ 62-30 win over Parsons on Monday in the Class 4A state quarterfinals at Louisburg High School.

It has been 73 years since the Louisburg boys basketball team placed third at a state tournament.

In 1948, the Wildcats took third place overall, which is considered the best finish in school history and also took fourth in 1979. Those are the only two times a Wildcat team has placed at state.

This year’s version of the Wildcats have duplicated that feat, and have the chance to better it, following their 62-30 state quarterfinal win Monday over Parsons.

For the first time in school history, Louisburg hosted the Class 4A state quarterfinal and the victory moves them to the state semifinals starting Thursday in Salina.

“Not many teams have made it up in the state column banner in the LHS gym,” senior Konnor Vohs said. “Our success is among very few and we are very thankful for the chance to be the third team to make it this far. The feeling is beyond imaginable and we look forward to taking Louisburg to its first state championship in basketball history.”

The Wildcats will have to win one more game to get there as Louisburg, which earned the No. 3 seed, will face off with No. 2 Augusta at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.

The winner of that game will face the winner of No. 1 Bishop Miege and No. 4 McPherson at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the championship.

“It feels good to be a final four team in Kansas,”  junior Julian Margrave said. “All our hard work is definitely paying off and people are starting to take notice of who we are.”

Parsons got a first-hand look at a Wildcat team that has now won nine out of its last 10 games and has been dominant in the postseason. 

Louisburg, which took 23-16 halftime lead, broke the game open in the second half as it outscored the Vikings, 39-14, in the final two quarters to cruise into the semifinals.

It started on the defensive end of the floor for Louisburg as the Wildcats held Parsons to just 24 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers. They also out-rebounded the Vikings, 39-20.

“Defense was our focus to start the game,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We kind of challenged them to hold Parsons to single digits each quarter. You know you say that and hope that it can be done, but then you go out and do it and it is just a great testament to our players.

“I think we held them to 8, 8, 5 and 9, so you know we did we did a good job defensively. We want to make things tough for them and to contest their shots. Their shooters didn’t get many open shots and we didn’t let them get to the paint. It was a good effort all-around.”

Margrave and senior Ben Guetterman got the Wildcat offense going in the third. Guetterman knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half and Margrave followed with a run of his own.

With the Wildcats up 10, Margrave scored six straight points, including two on a breakaway dunk after a steal. Louisburg ended the quarter on a 12-4 run.

Senior Dawson Barnes and junior Michael Seuferling combined to score the first eight points of the fourth quarter to help the Wildcats pull away.

“I think that we played a good all-around game,” Louisburg senior Weston Guetterman said. “Everyone played a great game and we all played to our roles and it lead to us pulling away there in the second half.

“Our defense has really come on this season. Our mentality is that we can always control how our defense plays so if we have an off-night offensively we feel like we will still have a good shot to win because of our defense.”

Margrave led the Wildcats with a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Guetterman also scored in double figures with 13 points, six rebounds and a team-high three steals.

Seuferling finished with eight points, while Weston Guetterman had a big night at the point guard spot with 11 rebounds and a team-high seven assists to go along with five points.

Vohs was second on the team with four assists, including one where he saved the ball from going out of bounds and found an open teammate for an easy score.

“Going into the game, the whole team was pumped and ready to play,” Vohs said. “We were confident in the game plan and we came out and executed. I think we played aggressive which allowed us to take a lead. The second half just brought more energy that allowed us to feed off of and let us get the win.”

Now Louisburg will focus on trying to get to the school’s first state championship. The Kansas State High School Activities Association will not play third place games this year, and instead will award the loser of each semifinal a third place trophy.

However, that is not what the Wildcats want.

“It is nice to know that we have already at least tied the best finish in school history, but we aren’t satisfied with third,” Weston Guetterman said. “Especially since there isn’t a third place game, we want to advance to the championship and play for a title.”

LOU 14 9 16 23 — 62

PAR 8 8 5 9 — 30

LOUISBURG (17-6): Julian Margrave 8-14 2-3 20; Ben Guetterman 4-12 3-4 13; Michael Seuferling 4-4 0-0 8; Dawson Barnes 3-4 0-0 6; Weston Guetterman 2-9 1-2 5; Maverick Rockers 2-4 0-0 5; Mack Newell 1-1 0-0 3; Konnor Vohs 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 25-53 6-9 62. 3-point field goals: 6, (B. Guetterman 2, Margrave 2, Rockers, Newell)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week twelve of the winter sports season.

Ben Guetterman, Senior, Boys Basketball

Louisburg senior Ben Guetterman had a big week last week and Monday for the Wildcat boys basketball team as he helped them to a sub-state championship and state quarterfinal victory. In the sub-state championship against Iola and the state quarterfinal against Parsons, Guetterman combined to scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds to go along with a team-high seven steals during that stretch. He also finished with seven points and seven rebounds in a sub-state semifinal win over Paola.

On the season, Guetterman is third on the team in scoring as he is averaging 11 points a game and is second on the team in rebounding with nearly five a game.

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: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker

Week 10: Weston Guetterman

Week 11: Alyse Moore

Louisburg seniors (from left) Alyse Moore, Brooklyn Diederich, Megan Foote and Madilyn Melton hoist the Class 4A sub-state championship trophy Saturday following the Lady Cats’ 51-27 win over Fort Scott.

Back in middle school, six future Louisburg girls basketball players wrote down their basketball goals on a note card.

Their coaches at the time, Jim Foote and Andy Wright, asked them to set goals for themselves and what they wanted to accomplish on the basketball court.

It was an overwhelming majority – they all either wanted to make it to state or win a state title. State was always their goal.

So following their 51-27 win over Fort Scott in the Class 4A sub-state championship game Saturday, Foote dusted off those cards and showed them to the girls.

It was a blast from the past of sorts. For the last six or seven years, they wanted to be the ones to break the program’s long state drought.

So when seniors Megan Foote, Brooklyn Diederich, Alyse Moore, Madilyn Melton and juniors Delaney Wright and Jordan Mynsted read those cards, there was an obvious sense of achievement.

“It has been our goal for as long as I can remember,” senior Megan Foote said. “I can’t stop smiling. I’m so proud of this team. We have been through so much together, and to be able to win sub-state is a huge accomplishment.”

Yes, in anti-climatic fashion, the Lady Cats became the first team since 1974 to earn a state bid and ended the program’s 47 year absence. Years of hard work led to this moment.

“We wanted nothing more than to get our year on that (state) board,” Melton said. “With a year like the one we have had, it is a great feeling to know we have brought excitement into the school and community. Breaking the drought is a great achievement. Many great players have come before us and I feel like we won it for them.”

In a year where the Lady Cats didn’t even practice as a full team until after their first game, they rallied to put together one of the best season’s in school history as they moved their record to 18-4 after their victory Saturday.

Three of those losses have come at the hands of a Class 6A program, two Class 5A teams and a ranked 3A squad in Nemaha Central. They did all this under a first-year head coach in Adrianne Lane.

“I am so proud to be a part of this team,” Lane said. “The girls are fighters and they deserve to make history. It has been so much fun seeing the girls come together this season. We have overcome several obstacles, but this team’s perseverance has taken us to where we are.”

The Lady Cats have persevered and battled to get to this point, but it has been their defense in the last couple of months that has helped them get to where they are and it showed again Saturday.

Louisburg held Fort Scott to just 21 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers. It is that kind of pressure that has put the Lady Cats in this position.

“I think our defense is the key to us winning most of our games,” Diederich said. “We all give 110 percent when we are on defense and we are always hustling.

“It is a super exciting feeling to go to state. We have always had this goal from day one to go to state. So, finally achieving this goal was a huge accomplishment.”

The Lady Cats held Fort Scott to single digit scoring in each of the four quarters, including a five-point fourth that helped Louisburg pull away.

“Man, this team is good at defense,” Lane said. “I love coaching teams that battle and play hard like this group. No matter what team we are playing I feel that we have someone on our team that can guard the other team’s best player. 

“A big part of our success on the defensive side of the ball is the way we help each other, and box out. This shows how unselfish the girls are. They are willing to step and help and box out in all situations.”

Both Moore and Mynsted almost had double-doubles to help lead Louisburg. Mynsted finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Moore had nine points and 10 rebounds.

However, it was Melton that achieved a big milestone for the Lady Cats. She joined Moore as she recorded her 500th career rebound in the fourth quarter.

Melton finished with a team-high 11 rebounds and had seven points and two blocks.

Foote added eight points to go along with a team-high six deflections and four steals. Moore and Wright led Louisburg with three assists each.

“I am honestly super proud of my team,” Moore said. “It’s amazing to be able to say that we made history in Louisburg and that we can make our community proud, especially our school and just represent them well.”

Now the Lady Cats will try for the best finish in school history tonight when they travel to Labette County (19-2) for the Class 4A state quarterfinals. A win would give them the best finish in school history and they are looking forward to the challenge.

“It will be a tough week for sure, but I believe we’re ready,” Foote said. “Right after the game on Saturday, we scheduled a film session for the next day. We take it one game at a time. Once one game is over, we move on to the next. Obviously we’re very excited and hyped up, but I think that’ll make us even better because we have something to prove. 

“We are focused and coming into practice to compete. Labette is a talented team and has a great atmosphere to play in. I believe we play better on the road as well. We are 100 percent focused and we will be using the momentum from Saturday to our advantage.”

Labette County is an experienced postseason team that has been to state five of the last seven seasons. Louisburg has spent the last two days trying to prepare for a team they haven’t seen before, but it is excited for the opportunity.

“Labette County is a solid team and they have experience playing in the state tournament,” Lane said. “That being said, I think the girls are ready for the challenge and I think we will show up and play hard. I feel that some of our best games of the season were played on the road, so the girls will be mentally ready. It will be a fun day for the girls, and we plan to enjoy it and battle every possession.”

LOU 13 16 7 15 — 51

FS 6 8 8 5 — 27

LOUISBURG (18-4): Jordan Mynsted 4-9 3-3 12; Alyse Moore 3-9 3-3 9; Megan Foote 1-5 5-6 8; Madilyn Melton 3-6 1-2 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-8 0-0 5; Adyson Ross 2-4 0-0 4; Emma Lohse 1-2 0-0 2; Delanie Tally 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 18-55 12-16 51. 3-point field goals: 3, (Diederich, Mynsted, Foote)

Members of the Louisburg sub-state champion basketball teams are (front row, from left) Emma Lohse, Maverick Rockers, Sierra Hahn, Cade Gassman, Brooklyn Diederich, Isaac Guetterman, Delanie Tally, Michael Seuferling; (middle row) Andy Hupp, Delaney Wright, Ben Guetterman, Megan Foote, Konnor Vohs, Brianne Kuhlman, Weston Guetterman, Adyson Ross; (back row) Emma Prettyman, Julian Margrave, Jordan Mynsted, Mack Newell, Alyse Moore, Colyer Wingfield, Madilyn Melton and Dawson Barnes.

Almost a year ago I was sitting at the first round of the Big 12 tournament, excited for my favorite time of the year — March Madness.

Life has changed a lot since then.

I still vividly remember a phone call from my wife while watching hoops from the now T-Mobile Center. There was a lot of worry in her voice.

She had no idea why people were fighting over toilet paper in Price Chopper. Why were they panicking over something they had no idea what it was yet? It wasn’t food or water for heaven’s sake!

The next day was even more puzzling. Tournaments across the country were cancelled. State high school events were stopped in their tracks and never finished.

Even worse news came as spring sports were later cancelled and were people were forced to shelter in their homes. We more or less become a ghost country.

A year later, our lives are completely changed. We are having to do things differently, be more cautious and for some, outlook on every day life is incomparable to what we had before.

One thing that has risen back is March Madness and Louisburg is right in the thick of it all.

In a year where they have been challenges with practices and playing games due to COVID-19, both the Wildcat boys and girls basketball teams have put together one of the best seasons in school history.

It was an incredible weekend at Louisburg High School as the boys won their first sub-state title since 2017 on Friday. The girls earned a state berth for the first time since 1974 – breaking a 47 year drought – on Saturday.

Both teams are currently ranked in the top five in the state and are one of eight teams left standing in Class 4A. It is something that has never been done in school history.

That is a feat among itself, but do it in these challenging times says a lot about the players and coaches of both programs.

Boys head coach Ty Pfannenstiel and girls head coach Adrianne Lane have done a great job keeping their players focused and limiting distractions throughout the season.

For the girls team, though, it didn’t start out that smoothly.

Many members of the Lady Cats were forced to quarantine when practice began in November and they didn’t have their complete team on the court until the first game in early December. They never got a chance to practice together as team before that season opener against Tonganoxie.

Despite that, they won their first eight games and ended the season with an 16-4 record and finished second in a tough Frontier League.

They are now onto the state tournament for the first time since 1974 – the second year of the girls state basketball. 

As for the boys, they have faced an up and down season of their own, but the Wildcats have to put together a strong finish to a year that put them as the No. 2 team in the state rankings.

Louisburg has won eight of its last nine games, with the Wildcats’ only loss coming to state ranked Shawnee Mission South, a Class 6A program.

Both teams are loaded with talent, but the one thing the two have in common is a strong senior class. In most years, seniors provide leadership and it is evident on both sides.

Weston Guetterman, Ben Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Andy Hupp and Dawson Barnes have all played vital roles on this year’s boys team. Add in juniors Julian Margrave – who is the team’s leading scorer – Michael Seuferling and Maverick Rockers and the Wildcats have a solid rotation that stacks up with some of the best in the state.

For the girls, Madilyn Melton, Megan Foote, Brooklyn Diederich and Alyse Moore have played basketball together since the seventh grade when they recorded a perfect season for LMS. Many of them have played basketball since they were little and have a deep love for the game.

It shows on the court as those four girls, along with juniors Delaney Wright, Jordan Mynsted and sophomores Brianne Kuhlman and Adyson Ross, play with a reckless abandon – especially on the defensive end of the floor.

Folks, this type of stuff doesn’t happen every year when it comes to state basketball – unless your name is Bishop Miege or McPherson. For a school to put two teams in the state tournament is a remarkable story.

School history had already been made, but there is much more to be had.

If the boys win tonight, the Wildcats will — at worst — tie for the best finish in program history when Louisburg took third in 1948.

As for the girls, well if they haven’t already accomplished enough to break a long state drought, a win over Labette County on Tuesday would give the Lady Cats the best finish in school history for a program that began in the early 70s.

Louisburg already made history in the fall when the girls cross country and boys soccer team each finished third at state and had the best season in its program’s tenure.

So, why not them?

Wildcat fans, for those of you who haven’t joined the hype train yet, there is still plenty of room. Find yourself a voucher and come out and support both teams as they both try to accomplish something that is unprecedented for Louisburg athletics. 

Enjoy these teams while we have them — they don’t come around often.

The Louisburg boys basketball team hoists the Class 4A sub-state championship trophy Friday following its win over Iola.

A year ago, with its season on the line, the Louisburg boys basketball team came out slow against Iola and the Fillies ended the Wildcats’ season in the sub-state semifinals.

It was a heartbreaking loss to many on the team as the Wildcats rallied to score 32 points in the fourth quarter, only to fall in overtime.

Fast forward to the present and Louisburg had the opportunity to exact revenge against Iola – this time in the sub-state championship.

There was no slow start this time around. 

Louisburg’s defense frustrated Iola for much of the game as it held the Fillies to nine first half points and the Wildcats cruised to a 57-32 sub-state championship victory Friday in Louisburg.

“We needed no other motivation because we knew from last year that this was the game we wanted,” Louisburg junior Julian Margrave said. “Weston (Guetterman) and I were talking before the season started about wanting to see them again and we finally got it. We proved that we are a state team.”

The Wildcats, who are currently ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, earned their first state berth since 2017 and there are plenty of family connections between the two teams.

Ben and Isaac Guetterman’s brother, Sam, played on the 2017 squad, as did Michael Seuferling’s brother, Alex. The Guetterman’s and Seuferling’s are also distant cousins.

“Earning a state berth is great and I have always wanted to do this ever since I saw my brother (Sam) go in 2017,” Ben said. “I have waited four years for this and we have all put in a lot of hard work. To go to state and have a winning record like we do feels awesome. There are lots of memories being made right now.”

To go back even further in Wildcat lore, Konnor Vohs’ dad, Kevin, was the starting point guard for the 1999 state team. His uncle, Rob, was a starter on the Wildcats’ 1991 state team.

“It’s something else,” Konnor said. “He (Kevin) talks about it all the time and I need to live up to that I guess. I’m wearing No. 11, same as him, and it’s just huge and it’s sweet to be able to share something like that with him. It’s a pretty awesome feeling.”

The Wildcats (16-6) played like a family in the sub-state tournament as they defeated a good Paola team in the semifinals and then exacted revenged with a 25-point win Friday.

“Our kids really enjoy being around each other and we played our best by just playing unselfish basketball,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “They’ve really bought into the defensive side of it  because that’s something that all five guys on the court have to buy into for you to be successful.”

Louisburg had no problem on that end of the floor as the Wildcats held Iola to just 32 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers. Those Iola mistakes turned into 14 Louisburg points and were just one of the many reasons the Wildcats were successful.

The Wildcats held the Fillies to nine first half points and held them to single digits for three of the four quarters.

“We played great as a team and it carried over from our defensive performance the game before,” Weston Guetterman said. “To hold both Paola and Iola to single digits in the first half is a nice accomplishment. I feel like we did a good job defending their best offensive player and it was a good night.”

Their defense allowed them to get some rhythm offensively early on.

Louisburg scored 18 first quarter points, 11 of those coming from Margrave who scored the final seven of the quarter. Two of those points brought the crowd to its feet when Weston Guetterman threw an alley-oop to Margrave, who dunked it home.

“We’ve had that play in all season and we have been just been looking for the right time,” Weston said. “There was just a little time on the clock and just felt it was a good time to take a chance on it and it ended up working out. It gave everyone energy, the crowd went wild and we fed off that and it carried with us the rest of the game.”

The game was almost out of reach at halftime as the Wildcats took a 32-9 advantage. The Fillies cut the Louisburg lead to 20 on a couple different occasions, but could get no closer.

Margrave led Louisburg with a team-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Ben Guetterman also scored in double figures with 12 points, five boards and a team-high four steals.

Weston Guetterman nearly had a double-double with nine points and a team-high seven assists. Michael Seuferling had seven points and six rebounds.

“It’s been a quite awhile since we’ve been there (state) and being a senior and having some seasons where we didn’t get too many wins, this is huge,” Vohs said. “We have a hell of a team this year and we are ready for the next one.”

That next one for the Wildcats will be a tough test as they will host Parsons at 6 p.m. on Monday for the state quarterfinals. The Vikings have now qualified for the state tournament four years in a row.

“We just have to stay focused,” Margrave said. “Some people might go out and celebrate, but I’m not. I just want to stay humble and be ready to go for Monday. I know Parsons is a good team, but we have to be ready.”

As much as the Wildcats are happy to earn the school’s 13th state appearance, there is much more they want to accomplish.

A victory over Parsons would be just the third time in school history that the Wildcats would be guaranteed a place at state. Louisburg placed fourth in 1979 and third in 1948.

The Class 4A final four will be held on Friday and Saturday in Salina.

“Honestly, right now I am just excited for the next game,” Weston said. “We are not done here and we want to win the next one. We have bigger goals for ourselves. The feeling gets better and better every time we win.”

LOU 18 14 10 15 — 57

IOLA 5 4 14 9 — 32

LOUISBURG (16-6): Julian Margrave 5-11 3-4 16; Ben Guetterman 5-11 0-1 12; Weston Guetterman 3-5 3-3 9; Michael Seuferling 1-5 5-6 7; Maverick Rockers 1-3 2-2 5; Konnor Vohs 1-1 0-0 3; Andy Hupp 1-6 1-2 3; Dawson Barnes 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 18-48 14-18 57. 3-point field goals: 7, (Margrave 3, B. Guetterman 2, Rockers, Vohs)

Members of the Louisburg girls basketball team celebrate Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal win over Ottawa.

With its season on the line, the Louisburg girls basketball team had to find a way to gut out a win against a physical Ottawa team.

The same two teams had a close matchup about a month ago, and it was much of the same Wednesday in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

In a game that featured a fair amount of free throws, the Lady Cats were able to overcome a slow start and pull away for a 44-34 victory over the Cyclones. It puts Louisburg in the sub-state championship Saturday against Fort Scott.

“We are extremely excited to make the finals of substate,” senior Megan Foote said. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to compete every day and every chance we get to play. I can’t express how proud I am of our team for the fight and focus we give everyday. I believe our team played very well on Wednesday. 

“Of course we had our ups and downs, like every team does, but we never gave up. We were on edge at the start of the game but we finally settled down and started playing our game. Once we adjusted to their offense and press, we were good to go.”

Ottawa made things difficult on Louisburg early as the Cyclones pressed the Lady Cats for much of the game and didn’t allow them to get into a flow offensively.

It worked for awhile as Ottawa took a 10-7 lead into the second quarter, but the Lady Cats outscored the Cyclones 13-5 the rest of the first half and took a 20-15 lead at halftime.

Louisburg’s defense came up big as it forced 26 Cyclone turnovers, which led to 20 points. The Lady Cats took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Cyclones didn’t go away.

Ottawa (8-13) tied the game at 30 midway through the quarter, but the Lady Cats came up big at the free-throw line. Louisburg scored 12 of its final 14 points from the line as Ottawa tried to get back in the game.

“Our free throw shooting is what sealed the win for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Making 15 total in the 4th quarter was a huge accomplishment and I felt the girls went to the line with confidence.”

The Lady Cats ended the game on a 14-4 run to earn a spot in the sub-state title game.

“Ottawa is a very well-rounded and good team,” Foote said. “Their record definitely doesn’t show how good they really are. They’re a very physical team filled with athletes. Their offense is tough to guard with all the picks and cutting that they do as well. They have very talented players who are fast and know where the ball is at all times. They’re a well coached team, that I believe will be dangerous in upcoming years. It was a tough battle to the end, but we pulled through and that is what matters most.”

The game was physical from the start as both team had a high number of fouls, which resulted in a combined 49 free throws between the two teams.

Senior Alyse Moore played a big role in the Wildcats’ victory as she scored a team-high nine points and also pulled down 14 rebounds. Foote finished with eight points and four rebounds.

Sophomore Brianne Kuhlman finished with seven points all coming from the free-throw line. Those free throws were important as six of them came late in the fourth quarter.

Louisburg also got good play from its bench as sophomore Adyson Ross provided some key minutes. Ross also hit a big 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to put the Lady Cats up by eight points at the time.

Today, the Lady Cats will try and make history as they host No. 3 seed Fort Scott at 3 p.m. in the sub-state finals. A victory would give Louisburg its first state berth since 1974.

“The girls are so excited to play in the sub-state championship,” Lane said. “We are going into the game with the mindset of winning, we are going to do everything we have to do to win. “

Louisburg defeated Fort Scott 58-24 earlier this season, but the Lady Cats know it will be a tougher game this time around.

“Words cannot describe how happy I am that our team is one step away from state,” Foote said. “We have not been to state in 47 years. That has been our goal since being little kids, to break that streak. The energy and connection this team has right now is unmatched and we truly are ready. We are coming into Saturday with level heads and knowing that it will be a tough battle.”

LOU 7 13 7 17 — 44

OTT 10 5 4 15 — 34

LOUISBURG (17-4): Alyse Moore 3-4 3-10 9; Megan Foote 2-7 3-3 8; Brianne Kuhlman 0-3 7-9 7; Brooklyn Diederich 2-7 1-2 6; Adyson Ross 1-2 2-2 5; Madilyn Melton 2-9 1-2 5; Delaney Wright 0-4 2-2 2; Jordan Mynsted 1-6 0-0 2. Totals: 11-42 19-30 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Ross, Diederich, Foote)

Louisburg senior Konnor Vohs pulls up for a 3-pointer Tuesday against Paola during the Class 4A sub-state semifinals in Louisburg.

For the first half anyway, Louisburg was playing some of its basketball at the right time.

The Wildcats jumped out to an 18-point halftime lead over rival Paola on Tuesday in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals. The next two quarters seemed more like a formality the way Louisburg had dominated the first half.

As it turned out, it was much more than a formality as Paola, with its season on the line, charged to cut the Louisburg lead to just four. Still, the Wildcats were able to make plays down the stretch and pull away for a 51-44 victory.

“We came out with a lot of energy and played great defense,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We pride ourselves on our defense and the first half we executed our defensive game plan and we were playing hard. To hold a team to single digits at halftime is pretty good, and most of the time you are happy if you do that in a quarter. To hold them to eight in the first half was a big accomplishment. 

“It was a good thing we got a good lead because they made a run in the second half. It was kind of a reverse for us in the second half as we struggled offensively and we couldn’t get stops on defense.”

The one constant for the Wildcats was their aggressiveness on the boards, which turned out to be a big difference in the game. Louisburg outrebounded Paola by 14.

Along with its strong defense in the first half, the Wildcats were able to jump out to a 26-8 halftime lead on their rival.

“We just made a point to box out their two big guys and we had the mentality that we were going to go get every rebound,” senior Weston Guetterman said. “We played great pressure defense. With our season on the line, you have to play tough all four quarters. Obviously, we let them back in it a little bit, but we were able to finish strong.

“I was proud of the way we finished and we found a way to win, which is all that matters. Whether it is by 30 or 2, you just have to find a way.”

Louisburg was able to snap Paola’s big rally in the second half with several crucial plays down the stretch.

Paola went on a 15-0 run to get back in the game, a run that started in the third quarter and ended midway through the fourth. The Panthers cut the Wildcat lead to four, but Louisburg junior Julian Margrave stopped the run with a jumper.

The Wildcats kept it a six-point advantage on a floater in the lane from senior Konnor Vohs. After a basket from Paola’s Trey Moala, junior Michael Seuferling calmly knocked down two free throws to keep the Panthers at arm’s length.

Free throws from Margrave and Weston Guetterman, along with a basket from Seuferling, pushed the Louisburg lead to double digits and the Wildcats were able to hold on.

“Our kids played hard and it got to a point where we needed to make some plays,” Pfannenstiel said. “We had a lot of kids make plays for us down the stretch. Konnor’s little floater in the lane was really big and I was happy with how we played defensively overall. At this point in the season, we are going to get everyone’s best shot, no matter what the score is. Everyone is fighting for their seasons and it is all about surviving and advancing.”

Margrave led the Wildcats in scoring with 16 points to go along with eight rebounds. Weston Guetterman also scored in double figures with 10 points, but also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Senior Ben Guetterman also had seven points and seven rebounds in the win.

Louisburg (15-6) will now try to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2017 when the Wildcats will host No. 2 seed Iola (13-7) at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Iola ended the Wildcats’ season a year ago in the sub-state semifinals, despite a 32-point fourth quarter rally from Louisburg that forced overtime. Louisburg hopes it doesn’t have to resort to such heroics this time around.

“We want Iola and we wanted to see them again before we graduate and that was part of our motivation for this game,” Weston said, “We mainly wanted to win because we haven’t won a playoff game yet in high school.

“I am pumped for it. If we come out and play like we did here, I think we have a good chance.”

LOU 12 14 13 12 — 51

PAO 4 4 17 19 — 44

LOUISBURG (15-6): Julian Margrave 6-11 3-4 16; Weston Guetterman 4-11 2-6 10; Ben Guetterman 2-8 2-2 7; Michael Seuferling 2-6 2-2 6; Konnor Vohs 2-2 1-2 6; Dawson Barnes 2-3 0-0 4; Andy Hupp 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-43 10-16 51. 3-point field goals: 3, (Vohs, B. Guetterman, Margrave)

Louisburg senior Megan Foote tries to call a timeout after diving on the floor for a loose ball Friday against Paola.

On a night where the offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders, the Louisburg defense more than made up for it.

Louisburg, which hosted Paola on Senior Night, leaned on its defense as the Lady Cats held the Panthers to just three points in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 44-26 victory over the Panthers.

It ended the Lady Cats’ regular season with a 16-4 record, which is their best finish since the 2014 season. Louisburg also has the No. 1 seed in sub-state action, but the Lady Cats wanted to make sure they ended on the right note.

“Winning Friday’s game was a goal for the girls,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They set this goal at the beginning of the season and they were very excited to reach that goal and finish the regular season with a win.”

It was also memorable night as the team honored seniors Brooklyn Diederich, Megan Foote, Madilyn Melton and Alyse Moore. Each of the four players played big roles in the victory.

Foote led the Lady Cats with 13 points and also had a team-high six steals to go along with five rebounds.

Melton also had a big performance for the Lady Cats as she recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, three assists and had two blocks.

Moore also scored in double figures with 11 points and had five rebounds and three steals, while Diederich had a team-high four assists and also had two steals.

“Seeing this group of seniors walk out on senior night was very emotional,” Lane said. “They have been big contributors to this program for several years, and they will be missed tremendously by all of us. The team’s grit and constant battle is what won the game for us on Friday, which was a great win for this group of seniors.”

Those 16 wins also have a special meaning for the four Lady Cat seniors. 

The last time they won that many games was when they were seventh-graders and finished with a perfect season, under-then coach Suzanne Reedy.

Reedy would eventually move on to become the principal at Louisburg Middle School, before her untimely passing a year ago.

So following the Lady Cats’ win, the four girls presented a framed picture of the seventh-grade team with Suzanne, to her husband, Jon. It made for an even more emotional evening.

Prior to all the ceremonies, the Lady Cats defended their home court in impressive fashion as they jumped out to a 24-13 halftime lead and never looked back.

Defensively, the Lady Cats never let Paola back in the game as they forced 27 turnovers and held the Panthers to just 22 percent shooting.

“The girls defense was great,” Lane said. “No matter what type of offensive game we are playing, our defense is always strong and the girls will battle and fight every possession. They did a great job pressing Paola and taking them out of their comfort zone.”

It is now postseason time for Louisburg as they Lady Cats are the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 Ottawa at 7 p.m. tonight in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

“Our team is very excited for postseason as this is what we have been working towards all year,” Lane said. “I feel we do match up well against Ottawa and if we stay focused and play together as a team, I do think we can be successful.”

LOU 12 12 6 14 — 44

PAO 9 4 10 3 — 26

LOUISBURG (16-4): Megan Foote 2-6 7-10 13; Alyse Moore 5-7 1-2 11; Madilyn Melton 4-9 2-4 10; Jordan Mynsted 2-9 1-3 5; Delaney Wright 1-5 0-2 3; Brooklyn Diederich 0-6 1-2 1; Brianne Kuhlman 0-2 1-2 1. Totals: 14-45 13-25 44. 3-point field goals: 3, (Foote 2, Wright)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eleven of the winter sports season, sponsored by Vohs Pharmacy.

Alyse Moore, Senior, Girls Basketball

Louisburg senior Alyse Moore put together an impressive week that also included a milestone achievement. Moore helped the Lady Cats to a 2-1 record last week as she combined for 35 points, 23 rebounds and six steals in those three games. Included in that was a 14 point and 10 rebound performance in a loss to Shawnee Mission South.

Also in that game, Moore joined an elite club in Louisburg history. She recorded her 500th career rebound against Shawnee Mission South. Moore has played a key role in helping the Lady Cats to the No. 5 ranking in Class 4A and to the No. 1 seed in sub-state.

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: Jordan Mynsted

Week 2: Julian Margrave

Week 3: Alec Younggren

Week 4: Megan Foote

Week 5: Madilyn Melton

Week 6: Michael Seuferling

Week 7: Cade Holtzen

Week 8: Ryan Owens

Week 9: Aiden Barker

Week 10: Weston Guetterman

Louisburg senior Andy Hupp dives on the floor for a loose ball with Paola’s Trey Moala on Friday during the team’s Senior Night game in Louisburg.

With the game hanging in the balance on Senior Night, who else but a senior to help pull his team through.

Louisburg hosted rival Paola on Friday in hopes of, not only ending its regular season with a victory, but winning for its five seniors.

One of those seniors, Weston Guetterman, came through when his team needed him most.

With under two minutes left in the contest, and the Wildcats only up two points, Guetterman knocked down 5 of 6 free throws help seal a 58-54 victory.

It was the perfect ending to a night that honored seniors Konnor Vohs, Weston Guetterman, Andy Hupp, Ben Guetterman and Dawson Barnes prior to the contest.

“We knew it was going to be a tough,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We played really well the last time we played them and Paola didn’t have a great night. We knew we were going to get a good contest and they are a good team. They have a lot of talent, length and can really jump. Their athleticism is tough, but for our kids to battle was good for us and we had to make some plays down the stretch. A lot of those were at the free-throw line and Weston stepped up and knocked down some shots.”

It was back and forth for much of the contest as the two teams were tied at the end of the first quarter.

Paola actually held a one-point lead late in the first half, but Weston Guetterman got the lead back on a 3-pointer, and Ben Guetterman scored a quick two points to put the Wildcats up 26-22 at halftime.

Louisburg (14-6) struggled to get going offensively in the third quarter and the Panthers used the opportunity to go on a 8-2 run and take a 39-37 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Then it was junior Julian Margrave’s turn to get the Wildcats going. Margrave, who scored a game-high 24 points and had four 3-pointers, hit two back-to-back early in the fourth quarter.

Junior Michael Seuferling followed up with a basket of his own to put the Wildcats up 45-41. Louisburg knocked down 9 of 10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to keep the Panthers at arm’s length the rest of the way.

“Julian is a good shooter and scorer,” Pfannenstiel said. “He played well for us and we need something offensively to get us going. This is a night that we weren’t great on offense or defense, necessarily. We weren’t bad by any means, but we have to be better. Those shots definitely jump started us for sure.

“Paola played pretty well defensively. They have length inside and they can contest shots, so it was a well-executed game plan by them and we were fortunate to get the win. But we made the plays when we needed to.”

Weston Guetterman also scored in double figures with 15 points to go along with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Seuferling just missed double figures with nine points.

Barnes did a lot of the dirty work for the Wildcats as he pulled down a team-high six rebounds and also had three assists and two blocks. Senior Ben Guetterman also played well defensively with a team-high four steals.

It was a bittersweet night for many of the Wildcats. They know the playoffs are still on the horizon, but they do know their time is coming to a close.

“This is a great group of kids,” Pfannenstiel said. “They are the first group that I have had for all four years. At the end of practice the other day in the auxiliary gym, we were reminiscing a little bit and it doesn’t seem like four years ago that as freshmen Ben went for 32 against Paola and Weston would hit a half-court buzzer beater to win the game. 

“Time flies, and it is kind of cliche, but this group works so hard. When you work hard good things happen and they have had a really good season and we hope to be playing basketball for quite a bit longer.”

Louisburg earned the No. 1 seed in substate and will once again play for Paola with their season on the line. The Wildcats, who are also the No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A, will host the Panthers (8-11) at 7 p.m. tonight in the Class 4A sub-state semifinals.

“That is always tough playing a team for a third time, much less playing them twice in less than five days,” Pfannenstiel said. “We will see what happens and our kids will be ready to play. We just have to get ourselves prepared and get ready to play. It is do our die from here on out, but we are looking forward to it.”

LOU 13 13 11 21 — 58

PAO 13 9 17 15 — 54

LOUISBURG (14-6): Julian Margrave 8-12 4-4 24; Weston Guetterman 3-12 7-8 15; Michael Seuferling 4-7 1-2 9; Ben Guetterman 2-11 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 1-2 0-0 2; Dawson Barnes 1-1 0-0 2; Andy Hupp 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 20-46 12-14 58. 3-point field goals: 6, (Margrave 4, W. Guetterman 2)