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

MAVERICK ROCKERS, SENIOR, BOYS BASKETBALL

Louisburg senior Maverick Rockers was a big reason for the two Wildcat wins last week against Burlington and Anderson County. Rockers averaged 14 points a game, three rebounds and two steals as Louisburg earned a victory at Burlington and a win over Anderson County in its home opener.

Rockers really came up big for the Wildcats against Anderson County as he scored a game-high 17 points to help Louisburg to a close 6-point win at home.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOU 10 18 7 13 — 48

AC 8 3 3 8 — 22

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

Louisburg senior point guard Maverick Rockers goes up for two of his team-high 17 points Friday in the Wildcats’ victory over Anderson County.

It wasn’t the best of shooting nights for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday in its home opener against Anderson County.

The Wildcats shot just 31 percent from the floor in what was a tightly-contested contest.

As much as they struggled from the floor, the Louisburg defense shined as it forced more than 20 turnovers in their 42-36 victory over the Bulldogs.

“We always talk about how there are going to be nights when you have off nights offensively,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “That’s just how basketball is sometimes. But we can never have a bad night defensively. We feel like if we can be good on the defensive end of the floor each night, we will always be in the game. 

“We wanted to put pressure on their guards and make it tough for them to get into their offense and get it into their big guys. We forced 20 turnovers, so I’d say that was the biggest difference in the game.”

Louisburg (2-1) forced 22 Bulldog turnovers on the night and did it with a pesky defense that recorded 12 steals

The Wildcats did all that while getting out rebounded 35-23 and only converting 12 field goals. Louisburg trailed by two points going into halftime, but held Anderson County to just six points in the third quarter to take the lead back.

“It was a good win for us versus a team that had a lot of size and experience,” Pfannenstiel said. “We haven’t really shot it well so far this year.  I like that we are being aggressive attacking the rim, but with our size, we are going to have to be willing to take some shots from the perimeter and hit some pull up jumpers in the lane.”

When most of the Wildcats were struggling offensively, senior point guard Maverick Rockers was the one who kept his team in the game.

Rockers scored a game-high 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and was 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in 31 minutes of action. He also had a team-high four steals on defense.

“Mav has been great,” Pfannenstiel said. “He’s got a great feel for the game. He can be a real game manager from the point guard position, but we are going to rely on him to score for us this year on offense. As good as he’s been on offense, he’s been equally as good on the defensive end. He’s playing hard on both ends.”

Louisburg led by just four points going into the final quarter, but the Wildcats expanded that lead to nine late in the game. They were able to ice the game at the free-throw line.

Junior Mack Newell was second on the team in scoring with eight points and led Louisburg with six rebounds and had three steals and two blocks.

Senior Carson Kern also helped keep the Bulldogs at bay with three free throws in the final minute.

The Wildcats will try and make it three wins in a row tonight when they travel to Baldwin for a 7:30 p.m. tip.

“We just need to find ourselves offensively,” Pfannenstiel said. “I think if we can be a little more patient and get good looks at the basket, we should find a little more consistency there.  We are going to have two good tests this week.  We are going to have to play well.”

LOU 11 6 12 13 — 42

AC 8 11 6 11 — 36

LOUISBURG (2-1): Maverick Rockers 5-14 5-6 17; Mack Newell 3-6 2-2 8; Michael Seuferling 1-6 4-7 6; Carson Kern 1-2 3-4 5; Colyer Wingfield 1-5 2-4 4; Luke Hill 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 12-39 16-23 42. 3-point field goals: 2, (Rockers 2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOU 10 13 18 2 — 43

BUR 5 10 6 10 — 31

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

Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling (2) was congratulated by his teammates Tuesday at Burlington High School following his game-winning shot with one second left.

BURLINGTON — In a one point game between Louisburg and Burlington, chaos took place in the final 20 seconds.

Missed shots, fighting for loose balls, diving on the floor — both teams left it all out on the floor hoping the game would go their way. With Louisburg down a point, the Wildcats got the bounce they were looking for.

After a couple missed shots, Louisburg senior Michael Seuferling was in the right place at the right time as he got the rebound and scored to give the Wildcats the one-point lead with 1 second remaining.

Burlington couldn’t get a good look and Louisburg got the 52-51 win, which was its first of the season.

“The (assistant) coaches were telling me that we still had a timeout left, but I thought we might be able to get a putback and that might be our best opportunity there,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said of the final 20 seconds. I am glad I didn’t because it worked out.

“We talk about playing hard, smart and tough and you can never fault our kids’ effort. They are always going to play hard, but there will always be mistakes made in games. Burlington is a good team and can do a lot of things. We were able to take advantage of some things and the ball just kind of bounced our way at the end.”

The Wildcats (1-1) struggled at times in the first half and it led to a 26-19 deficit going into halftime, so Pfannenstiel decided to change it up. Louisburg went to a zone defense and it seemed to slow down Burlington.

Louisburg doubled its first half scoring output in the third quarter with 19 points and tied the game at 38-all going into the final quarter.

“We came out in zone in the second half to change things up a little bit and it turned out to be pretty effective and got us back in it,” Pfannenstiel said. “We got stops when we needed to and we made big plays at the end and that was the biggest thing. Things went our way, got some our extra opportunities and we were able to get it done.”

Seuferling, who finished with a game-high 22 points, came to life in the third quarter to help give the Wildcats the boost they needed. The Louisburg senior scored 13 points in the third and later would come up with the late game heroics.

“Michael is someone that plays with a lot of energy all the time,” Pfannenstiel said. “It doesn’t matter if we are up 30 or down 30, you are going to see the same type of player. He just goes about the game the right way. We need him on offense for us this year. This summer he had a lot of really good games and he is good in transition.”

Louisburg was down five points with 45 seconds left, but Seuferling hit a basket to cut it to 3. Burlington then hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it a four point game. 

Junior Colyer Wingfield grabbed the rebound on the miss and went the length of the floor to make the layup and was fouled. He converted the 3-point play to make it a one-point game.

Louisburg fouled again and Burlington missed the front end of the 1-and-1 and the Wildcats had the chance to pull out the win. After a couple missed shots, Seuferling fought for the rebound, got it and drove to the basket to score with one second left.

Several Wildcats hit big shots down the stretch in the second half. Senior guard Maverick Rockers scored in double figures with 11 points and a pair of three pointers, while senior Carson Kern came off the bench to score six.

Wingfield and Mack Newell were big in the rebounding department for Louisburg as Newell had a game-high 13 rebounds. Wingfield finished with nine boards.

“We had a lot of guys really step up for us,” Pfannenstiel said. “Carson Kern gave us good minutes off the bench and Mav was solid for us again. Then Colyer and Mack were both solid for us on the boards. What they did rebounding for us was huge.”

Louisburg will try for back to back wins tonight as the Wildcats host Anderson County for their home opener.

LOU 12 7 19 14 — 52

BUR 13 13 12 13 — 51

LOUISBURG (1-1): Michael Seuferling 9-20 4-7 22; Maverick Rockers 4-10 1-2 11; Mack Newell 3-9 0-0 6; Carson Kern 2-4 1-2 6; Colyer Wingfield 1-2 3-6 5; Isaac Guetterman 0-1 2-2 2. Totals: 19-46 11-19 52. 3-point field goals: 3, (Rockers 2, Kern)

Louisburg junior Emma Prettyman goes up for two of her 10 points Friday at Tonganoxie High School during the Lady Cats’ 36-27 win.

TONGANOXIE — The Louisburg girls basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to its season Friday at Tonganoxie.

The Lady Cats scored 13 straight points to begin the game, and held the Chieftains scoreless in the first quarter, as they won 36-27 to get their season started off on the right foot.

“The girls were super excited on Friday to play our first game, and we were we glad to get our first win,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane. “I do not think the girls were nervous, but they were very excited and so glad to be back on the court together.”

Louisburg was able to control the game inside as forwards Jordan Mynsted and Emma Prettyman recorded a bulk of the Lady Cats’ points in the paint.

Mynsted scored a team-high 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Prettyman had 10 and eight rebounds. Mynsted also finished with four steals and two blocks.

“Jordan and Emma did a great job finishing on the inside, rebounding, and making their put backs,” Lane said. “They both have been working super hard and I think their efforts showed on Friday.”

The Lady Cats also controlled the game on the defensive end as well. Louisburg forced 25 Tonganoxie turnovers and scored 14 points off those Chieftain mistakes.

Junior Brianne Kuhlman led Louisburg with five steals on the night, while juniors Emma Lohse, Adyson Ross and Ava Baker each had two steals. Baker also had a pair of blocked shots.

“Our defense was tough,” Lane said. “Any time we can hold a team to under 30 points shows how tough we are on defense. We started off very intense on the defensive end, we were in the correct spots and we rotated great when we helped and we finished with blocking out. The girls did a great job.”

There were still aspects that Lane would like to see her team get ironed out, especially the offensive side of the ball where the Lady Cats shot just 27 percent for the game.

Still, she knows that will only get better and hopes it starts tonight when the Lady Cats travel to Burlington for a 6 p.m. tip.

“I think the biggest thing we need to work on after our first game is shot selection and having patience on offense,” Lane said. “If we can have more patience, I think we will not be as rushed on offense and in return score more points.”

LOU 13 8 10 5 — 36

TONG 0 9 11 7 — 27

LOUISBURG (1-0): Jordan Mynsted 5-15 2-2 11; Emma Prettyman 4-9 2-2 10; Adyson Ross 2-12 1-2 5; Delaney Wright 1-10 0-0 3; Emma Lohse 1-3 0-0 2; Brianne Kuhlman 1-8 0-0 2; Sierra Hahn 1-1 0-0 2; Delanie Tally 0-3 1-2 1. Totals: 14-51 6-8 36. 3-point field goals: 2, (Mynsted, Wright)

Louisburg junior Colyer Wingfield goes up for a basket and gets fouled Friday in the Wildcats’ season opener at Tonganoxie High School.

TONGANOXIE — Outside of the first quarter, the Louisburg boys basketball team played even with Tonganoxie on Friday in its season opener.

However, that first quarter was something the Wildcats weren’t able to recover from.

Tonganoxie outscored the Wildcats by 16 in the opening frame and handed Louisburg a 61-48 loss at Tonganoxie High School. 

“Tongie came out in a zone defense, which is what we were expecting,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We talked about the importance of attacking the zone, but we struggled to get into any kind of offensive rhythm. I thought we did a pretty good job of being aggressive, but we didn’t get very many clean looks once we got the ball inside. We had some good looks from the perimeter, but we didn’t get any of them to fall.”

Louisburg trailed 22-6 after the first quarter, but a team with just one returning starter, the Wildcats didn’t back down. They trailed 35-17 at halftime, but the Wildcats went on a run to cut into Tonganoxie’s lead.

The Wildcats trimmed the lead to 10 after a pair of baskets from Michael Seuferling, one from Colyer Wingfield and a 3-pointer from Maverick Rockers.

“Even when we got down early, I thought we’d be fine,” Pfannenstiel said. “We just needed to get going offensively and settle in on defense. We came out the second half with a lot of energy and did a nice job of cutting it to 10. But Tongie went on a run to close out the third quarter which put us right back where we started.”

Rockers had a big game scoring the ball for Louisburg with a team-high 15 points, while Wingfield finished with 11. Seuferling also finished in double figures with 10 points. 

Tonganoxie also had three players in double figures, led by Andrew Wilson’s 19 points. Culyer Kietzmann scored 13 points and Zane Novotney had 12. 

“They’ve got two really good guards that can really put stress on a defense,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our on ball defense wasn’t as good as I hoped. I really thought we’d have more success keeping our man in front of us, but when they were able to drive the ball like they were, they were getting to the rim and then started kicking it out to shooters. 

“They hit some big shots on the perimeter which helped them stretch out their lead early. We have to do a better job of closing down those driving lanes.”

Louisburg will try for its first win of the season tonight when the Wildcats travel to Burlington for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

“It’s the first game, so we are so grateful for the opportunity to get back on the court,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our effort was great against Tongie, but obviously we have areas where we need to get better. We will get back to work and look forward to our next game.”

LOU 6 11 11 20 — 48

TONG 22 13 11 15 — 61

LOUISBURG (0-1): Maverick Rockers 15, Colyer Wingfield 11, Michael Seuferling 10, Mack Newell 7, Hunter Rogers 3, Isaac Guetterman 2. Totals 20 3-7 48. 3-point field goals: 5, (Rockers 3, Wingfield, Rogers)

Senior Michael Seuferling is Louisburg’s lone returning starter off last season’s state runner-up team. The Wildcats open their season tonight at Tonganoxie.

It isn’t easy to follow up the best season in program history, but that is the challenge this year’s version of the Louisburg boys basketball team has in front of them.

It was made even more difficult in the offseason when the Wildcats’ all-state and all-league player, Julian Margrave, transferred to a prep school in New Hampshire for his senior season.

Louisburg returns just one starter and two of its top eight players off last season’s state runner-up team. Although the challenge is a difficult one, coach Ty Pfannenstiel is excited to see what his new players can do.

“Obviously we hope the success of last season continues to help us build and develop this program the right way,” Pfannenstiel said. “We have high standards and expectations for our players, which we believe help us out when it comes to wins and losses.  We return two of our top eight players off of last year’s team, so we are going to need some players to step up this year and fill some pretty big shoes.

“Practice has been great. We have a really good group of kids that bring a competitive mentality to practice every day.  I’ve been really please with how things have started this year.”

Senior guard Michael Seuferling is the team’s lone returning starter and will look to lead the Wildcats on the perimeter. Another senior, Maverick Rockers, will run the offense as the starting point guard after serving as a backup role a year ago.

Senior Issac Guetterman will join Seuferling and Rockers at the guard spot, while juniors Colyer Wingfield and Mack Newell will start inside.

Pfannenstiel will also look to senior newcomers Hunter Rogers and Carson Kern to provide big minutes off the bench, along with junior Trey Myers. Juniors Cade Gassman and Layne Ryals could also see time.

“Those three senior leaders are going to be important for us,” Pfannenstiel said. “They know the standards of what it means to be a Louisburg basketball player and they’ve done a tremendous job of displaying that leadership this offseason. We are going to expect a lot out of those three this season.”

Despite all the new faces on the varsity roster, the way Pfannenstiel runs offense and defense will stay the same.

“We really haven’t changed much,” he said. “We plan to stick to what has made us successful in the past — tough, aggressive defense, and a focus on being efficient on offense.”

Since the Wildcats lost a lot of their offensive scoring from last season, Pfannenstiel is hoping the team’s defense can help give the team energy.

Louisburg, which is currently ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, will get to test that out today when the Wildcats open their season at Tonganoxie.

“We aren’t going to have a lot of size, but I do think we have a chance to be pretty good on defense,” he said. “Our guards do a nice job of applying pressure and making teams uncomfortable on that end. My biggest concern is how are we going to be at rebounding on the defensive end of the floor? With our lack of size, we are going to have to make up with being disciplined in blocking out and getting five bodies to the basket.  

“Our expectations are always high. We don’t necessarily set goals when it comes to wins and losses, or where we want to end at the end of the season. Our expectations are to go out every night and play with the type of poise and effort that brings pride to our school and community.” 

Louisburg senior Delaney Wright saves a ball from going out of bounds during the state tournament last season. Wright is one of three seniors returning this season.

It was a season to remember for the Louisburg girls basketball team a year ago.

The Lady Cats reached the state tournament for the first time in 47 years and went on to finish third in Class 4A. It was a great time to be Louisburg fan.

This year’s version of the Lady Cats will look a little different after losing four all-league players to graduation. Despite the losses, Louisburg still has a good foundation to build upon as they return several key pieces from last season’s team.

“Our mindset going into the season is very positive,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “The returners want to continue our successful from last year and build success with the new players.

“Practice has been going well so far. This year being my second year has been easier because the returners know what I expect out of them. The returners can also help the new players when needed as well.”

One of those veteran players is senior Jordan Mynsted. The Louisburg forward was one of the team’s top scorers from a year ago and earned second team All-Frontier League honors.

Mynsted was second on the team as she averaged almost 11 points a game and had four rebounds a contest. She will be asked to do much of the same this year.

“Jordan has been putting in a lot of work in the off season,” Lane said. “I do think she is going to be a huge offensive threat and she is going to be hard to guard. Her work has developed her game and I think it is going to show on the floor.”

Louisburg also returns its defensive stopper from a year ago in senior Delaney Wright. The Lady Cat guard was consistently asked to guard the team’s best player and will be the defensive leader this season.

“Our team is going to really rely on Delaney on the defensive side of the ball,” Lane said. “Most games she will be guard the other teams best player. Delaney is very unselfish and her spark on the defensive side of the ball always puts excitement into the team.”

The Lady Cats also bring back point guard Brianne Kuhlman, who started all of last season as a sophomore. Now as a junior, she will continue to run the offense.

Junior Adyson Ross, who provided a spark off the bench as a sophomore, will be in the starting lineup along with Kuhlman, Wright and Mynsted. Junior forward Emma Prettyman will also get the start for the Lady Cats.

Senior Sierra Hahn, along with juniors Emma Lohse, Ava Baker, Delanie Tally and Tehya Harvey, will all look to provide big minutes off the bench.

“The returners are super important,” Lane said. They have done a great job leading our team so far this season. They have been super positive and helpful with all the girls. With the positivity coming from the seniors and returners, our team is really starting to develop and I think they can all see how great we can be.

“Some underclassmen who have done a great job in practice and have really stepped up are Emma Prettyman, Delanie Tally, Adyson Ross and Emma Lohse. It’s going to be fun getting to see them get some game time this year after all their hard work last year and this summer.”

The Lady Cats hope they can end their season at the state tournament again like last year as they begin the preseason ranked No. 5 in Class 4A. Louisburg will also try for its first league crown since 2008 and its first outright title since 1999.

“This season I have big expectations for this team,” Lane said. “I would like to see us win 15-plus games again and I would also like to have a run at the league title.”

Julian Margrave had a senior year to remember for the Louisburg boys basketball team. 

Margrave led the Wildcats to their first ever state championship game appearance and a runner-up finish in Class 4A. He was also a unanimous All-Frontier League selection and an all-state player.

Basketball is life for the 6-foot, 9-inch forward and he wanted a new challenge for himself. As it turns out, growth isn’t always easy.

Margrave recently announced he would be transferring from Louisburg to New Hampton Prep for his senior campaign. 

“It was a very, very tough decision to leave my hometown,” Margrave said. “I’m leaving so many friends and family members that I’ve been surrounded by my whole life, but I believe taking this next step and going to prep school is the right idea and best move for my future.”

New Hampton is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire.

Margrave gave his commitment to New Hampton coach Andrew Gale after exploring the idea of playing his final year of high school outside of Louisburg.

“My AAU coach and I have been taking to each other around April to really get me to go somewhere,” Margrave said. “I told him I wanted someplace to be challenged everyday on and off the court and in and out of the classroom. He gave me a few spots to choose from and after a great zoom call with Andrew Gale, I knew right away that was the place for me.”

Margrave had a busy summer of basketball as he plays for KC RUN GMC, one of the top AAU programs in the country. With a lot of success, also brought some college offers.

He received Division I offers from South Alabama, UMKC, Valparaiso, Radford and Nebraska-Omaha.

“The summer was great,” Margrave said. “I’ve been blessed enough to play for what I think is one of the, if not the best AAU program in the nation, KC RUN GMC. I’ve been able to play with many great players who are going to do magnificent things in the future and it’s so much fun to practice with them and learn so many new things day in and day out. I felt as if I improved immensely,

“I feel that my hard work is definitely starting to pay off and that this is really just the beginning of my career.”

The next stop in his career will be New Hampton and he is looking forward to another challenge.

“There are so many goals that I want to achieve at New Hampton, of course in the everyday aspect I want to get better,” Margrave said. “I’m really trying to take my life day by day and focusing on the present moment and not worrying about the past or future. But most importantly I want to win. New Hampton has a great winning program and I see myself as a valuable piece to helping them win a championship! 

Margrave averaged 17.7 points a game last season for Louisburg, along with 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

The fact he won’t be suiting up for the Wildcats this season was a tough decision for him to make, but he has many fond memories to look back on.

“Man, I’ve had so many great moments with Louisburg,” he said. “Of course my favorite moment is definitely running out of the tunnel at the state championship. Those are one of those moments that are priceless and you can never get back, just the adrenaline and excitement I had to really be in the championship with my hometown team was enormous. But most importantly my favorite moments being at Louisburg were just the everyday events I had at school, being around my friends.

“Going to class, cracking jokes with everyone at lunch, and really just being surrounded by people who make me forget about basketball and focus on having a great time.”