There hasn’t been a year like 2020, and for most people, they are ready to put it behind them and forget it ever existed.

Still, with all the challenges that 2020 brought, there were still plenty of positives to talk about when it came to Louisburg High School sports. History-making state places and state medals were plentiful on this list, but it wasn’t all positive. Louisburg had to say goodbye to a beloved town figure and athletes had to deal with the loss of spring sports.

Below are the top stories from 2020, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.

When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site. Thanks to the cancellation of spring sports, I don’t have the top 10 like I normally do, but I got close.

This year was a blast to cover, when I had the opportunity, anyway. Still, I am looking forward to what 2021 will bring. Thank you for everyone’s support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

8. Ratliff-Becher wins state powerlifting title

After winning a state championship in 2019 Reilly Ratliff-Becher had every intention of backing up her performance during the Class 4A State Powerlifting Championships on March 7 at Piper High School.

In fact, the Louisburg senior wanted to improve it. Last season, Ratliff-Becher took first in everything but squat, which she got runner-up.

This time around, she got the clean sweep.

Ratliff-Becher took first in bench, squat and clean and that led to her second straight state championship in the 180-pound class.

“It means a lot to me that I was able to win the state title again,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I set a goal for myself to win first in everything since I had got second in squat last year and I achieved it. Even though it wasn’t my best showing with the numbers I got on my lifts.

“The competition was very good this year, as it always is. But, fortunately with all the work I put in to at least maintain my numbers from last year, meant I was able to lift bigger amounts than my competition.”

7. Conley named state and midwest coach of the year

After a third place finish to end the year, Louisburg boys soccer coach Kyle Conley was recognized among the state’s best.

Conley was named as the Class 4-1A Coach of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association in November.

He guided the Wildcats to a 16-2 record on the season and the team’s highest finish in program history when Louisburg ousted Rose Hill, 3-0, in the state third-place game.

Just a few weeks later, Conley was honored once again – this time on the girls’ side.

Despite the lost season, the United Soccer Coaches wanted to recognize coaches for their past accomplishments and for what this past spring was supposed to hold.

Atop that list was Conley as he was named as the Small School Midwest Coach of the Year. 

“I am absolutely honored to receive this award,” Conley said. “There are so many great coaches in the Midwest, but to me this is a program award. None of this is possible without everyone involved; girls coming to work their tails off everyday, parents traveling and supporting us anywhere and everywhere, community helping with supporting the program, the school supporting the girls, etc. Without the support and buy in from the girls, parents and community none of this is possible.”

The Wildcat girls program has had a successful start in its four years. Conley has a 54-22-2 record during that span, that included two state runner-ups and another state final four appearance. 

6. Louisburg cheer places third at state

The Louisburg cheer squad had to do its postseason competition a little different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It didn’t seem to bother them much as the defending state champions found themselves right in the thick of things again.

Although they didn’t repeat as champs, they were still among the state’s best as the Wildcats cheerleaders finished third in the state back in November.

Unlike performing in front of judges like they did in 2019, the Wildcats had to video tape their performance and send it in to be judged. It fared well as they tallied 83.35 points to finish in the top 3.

Baldwin earned the state title with 88.85 points and Abilene was second with 85.25.

Members of the Louisburg cheer squad are Bella Feikert, Addison Drake, Brooklyn Harmon, Jayden Trester, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Sophie Katzer, Sammy McDaniel, Julia Arriola, Andrea Gaza, JoJo Hendrickson, Sydney Dudzik, Abby Bradley, Anna Poe, Sienna Finch, Mable Graham, Audrey Anderson, Zoe Weers, Anna Morrison and Maggie Madison

5. Holtzen, Owens earn state medals for Wildcat wrestling

Ryan Owens and Cade Holtzen both had their own agendas going into the state wrestling tournament.

Owens, qualified for state last year, but left without a win and he vowed to fix that this time around. As for Holtzen, he came up short in his efforts for a second state medal as a sophomore last season and had all the motivation not to come home empty-handed again.

Both wrestlers more than made up for their rough patches a year ago.

Owens and Holtzen left Salina with a state medal during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. 

Owens made it to the semifinals and wound up earning a fourth-place medal at 120 pounds, while Holtzen finished fifth at 126 pounds.

It also marked the first time since 2016 that Louisburg finished the season with multiple state medalists, when Nathan Keegan and Mason Koechner each brought home medals.

The Wildcats nearly had three medalists as sophomore Brandon Doles finished one win shy of a state medal at 160 pounds with a 2-2 record.

4. Dennis steps down as LHS team doctor

Almost every day of the week, if you were looking for Damon Dennis, he could be found at his office on 11 S. Broadway St., helping treat those pesky aches and pains, taking X-rays, or mending those beaten up athletes after a game.

Doc D – as he his affectionately known – opened Louisburg Chiropractic Office 28 years ago and has served as the Louisburg High School athletic team doctor for almost that same amount of time.

Dennis has seen it all. The walls in his office are lined with mementos from his years of service to both the community and the high school.

He has taped thousands of ankles, seen even more patients and has touched many lives during his time in Louisburg. That is why this week is one of the more emotional times in his life.

In May, he left Louisburg Chiropractic Office and handed the reins over to Dr. Jake Polzin. Add to that, Dennis also stepped away as LHS’ team doctor and left an absence on the sidelines and behind the mic that many in Louisburg have come to know.

“My decision to step down and sell the practice has turned out to be the hardest thing I have ever done,” Dennis said. “I have poured everything I have into my job and community. It has become my entire existence. I was taught from a young age to serve others and your community. I feel like the pressures I have put on myself have become unhealthy. I have put about 40 years work in to 28 and feel like there is never going to be a good time to make such a huge life change. 

“That being said, I feel like I need to make changes while I am still able to do the things that will be best for my family. Dr. Polzin came along and I think he will carry on the work at the office wonderfully. We are a lot alike in many ways. I could not have found anyone better to replace me.”

For many, Dennis has been a big part of people’s lives, especially in the athletic arena. He has served as the LHS team doctor since 1992 and has treated many athletes in those 28 years.

3. Girls Cross Country Takes Third at State

For 23 years, the Louisburg cross country program has been chasing a top three finish at the Class 4A meet.

The Wildcats have had several teams qualify, especially in the last few seasons, but have always come up short of their goal. Following Saturday’s race in Wamego, the Wildcats can finally stop running after it.

The Louisburg girls put together an historic performance at the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships at Wamego Country Club. The Lady Cats earned a state plaque with a third place finish as they surpassed Buhler by eight points to record the school’s first top three state finish.

Junior Reese Johnson, sophomores Claire Brown, Bree Gassman and Nova Ptacek, along with freshmen Lola Edwards, Maddy Rhamy and Erin Apple, will all go down in school history as they became the first Wildcat team to bring home state hardware.

“It means the world to me to be a part of the first team ever to place at state,” Rhamy said. “Coming into the state meet, I was just hoping our team would be in the top half, so you could imagine my excitement when our team placed third. I didn’t even know we made school history until our coaches told us.”

Rhamy was one of two freshmen who earned top 10 finishes individually, along with Edwards. Rhamy finished eighth overall in 20 minutes and 58 seconds, while Edwards was right behind her in 10th in 21:02.

Junior Reese Johnson also garnered a state medal as she was 15th in 21:28 to help the Lady Cats to an historic performance.

It was a proud moment for many in the Louisburg program, and included in that is John Reece. The longtime Wildcat head coach was all smiles following his team’s performance.

“It is 23 years the making,” coach Reece said. “You always have the plans and goals to get to state and then you get a group to go to state and do something great. This year was one of those. With the Frontier League as tough as it is, and then getting third there, put it in our heads that maybe we could do this. They all went out and ran their races, and that just shows their grit and determination and who they are.”

A week earlier, the Wildcats also made history as its was the first time in school history when they qualified the entire boys team to the state meet as they took third at regionals.

2. Boys Soccer Finishes Runner-Up At State

As the Louisburg players huddled around their state plaque, many of them looked at it in awe and wonder.

“Hey guys, we won this,” a player shouted.

The statement was obvious at the time, but nonetheless, their excitement was more than warranted.

For the first time in program history, the Louisburg boys soccer team brought home a plaque from the state final four as the Wildcats defeated Rose Hill, 3-0, on Saturday in the third place match of the Class 4-1A state tournament at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

It was only the second time in school history that the Wildcats had it made it this far, with the other being in 2016, when they finished fourth.

“There are only six teams in the entire state that get to end their year with a win and we wanted to be one of those teams,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We want to be able to hang up a banner on our field and we wanted a plaque so that no one can forget what these kids earned and what they did this season. I am so proud of all of them.”

It was a program defining moment for the Wildcats as they began the weekend searching for a state championship, but lost 2-0 to Bishop Miege on Friday in the semifinals. Still, recording the best finish in school history is nothing for someone to hang their head about, and the Wildcats came out Saturday wanting to make sure they brought some hardware home.

“It’s absolutely crazy to think about what we have accomplished this year, partly because I have only played soccer in high school,” senior captain Logan Faulkner said. “Bringing a state plaque back will just be a reminder of what we did and how we reached our goal.”

1. COVID-19 Cancels Spring Sports

In March, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly closed all schools for the rest of the 2019-20 school year due to the spread of COVID-19.

When most students hear school has been closed, especially in the winter, cheers erupt. In this case, however, the tone was much more somber – especially among the senior class.

Proms were canceled. Any plans they had for a graduation ceremony were put on hold, and for more than 30 seniors, their last opportunity at playing a sport at Louisburg High School was taken away.

In fact, close to 200 students were planning on participating in an activity in the spring, but with no school, the Kansas State High School Activities Association followed suit and canceled the spring season the day after Gov. Kelly’s declaration.

Students, parents and coaches alike have had to come to grips that a season they had been looking forward to all year, was never going to happen. Tears flowed, walls were punched in frustration and some were left speechless.

There would be no game days, no Senior Nights and no postseason runs. Athletes had to figure out how to cope with this fact and it was a challenge for the Louisburg girls soccer, track and field, baseball, softball, golf and swim teams.

Many of those teams had big postseason aspirations after success in 2019 and were left wondering what could have been.

Louisburg senior Dawson Barnes goes up for two points during a game earlier this season. The Wildcats fell to Shawnee Mission East on Thursday, 74-50.

With its next opponent, Piper, in quarantine due to COVID-19, Louisburg worked to find an opponent the Wildcats could play before the holiday break.

The Wildcats found a talented one in Shawnee Mission East. Louisburg traveled to the Lancers on Thursday and went up against the No. 7 team in Class 6A. Louisburg quickly found out why they are one of the teams to beat in the state’s largest classification.

Shawnee Mission East took a 12-point lead at halftime, but it extended it even more in the second half and the Wildcats fell, 74-50.

“SME was a good challenge for us,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Their length and ball pressure caused us some problems, but I thought we competed hard. It was a much more physical game in how it was called, so it took our boys a while to adjust to that style of play. We probably won’t see another team with that much size across the board, but I think we will definitely learn from this game. 

“East is ranked in 6A for a reason. They’ve got a nice team. When you play against good teams, they expose your weaknesses. We have some things we need to clean up and work on moving forward. We are definitely better for having played a good team like them”

Senior point guard Weston Guetterman provided a bulk of the Wildcat offense as he scored nearly half of the team’s points. Guetterman finished with a team-high 23 points and also had two assists and a pair of steals.

Junior forward Julian Margrave also had a big game for the Wildcats as he added 17 points and seven rebounds. Michael Seuferling and Ben Guetterman each had five points to round out the Louisburg scoring.

The Wildcats (3-2) still found themselves in the game and were only by 12 at halftime, but the Lancers’ offense had the Wildcats on their heels as they scored 44 in the second half to pull away.

Louisburg will now have the challenge of going on a long winter moratorium that won’t allow the Wildcats to practice together until Jan. 5. Three days later Louisburg will travel to Eudora for its first game of 2021.

Still, Pfannenstiel is happy with where his team is at heading into the new year.

“I think our season is off to a good start,” he said. “We’ve already had a few hiccups to our schedule because of COVID, but our kids have rolled with it and made the most of their opportunities. We’ve played a tough schedule so far. I don’t think we are satisfied with being 3-2, but we know where we are and where we need to improve. Our team will never shy away from a challenge, so I think this season is going to be a lot of fun because the Frontier League is a dog fight each night. 

“Once we get a chance to get back together after the KSHSAA mandatory two week moratorium, it will be a grind the rest of the way. With all things considered, we are happy and fortunate to be playing basketball and hopefully our hard work and effort on the court will display that.”

LOU 7 11 12 20 – 50

SME 14 16 20 24 – 74 

LOUISBURG (3-2): Weston Guetterman 9-12 2-2 23; Julian Margrave 6-15 5-5 17; Michael Seuferling 2-6 1-2 5; Ben Guetterman 2-9 1-4 5. Totals: 19-46 9-13 50. 3-point field goals: 3, (W. Guetterman 3)

Senior Alyse Moore goes up for two of her 12 points during the Lady Cats’ 60-20 win over Coffeyville-Field Kindley on Thursday in Louisburg.

About 24 hours prior to its final game before the holiday break, the Louisburg girls basketball team had a change in its schedule.

The Lady Cats were scheduled to play Piper, but the Pirates were forced to go into quarantine, which left a hole in Louisburg’s schedule. It didn’t take long to find a replacement and the Lady Cats hosted Coffeyville-Field Kindley.

Louisburg found the perfect way to end the 2020 part of its season. The Lady Cats took care of business as they rolled Field Kindley, 60-20, on Thursday at Louisburg High School and moved to 5-0 on the season.

Not only are the Lady Cats unblemished to start their season, but they are currently ranked No. 7 in the Class 4A poll put out by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

“The girls are super excited to be 5-0,” Lane said. “It is a great start, especially with how the season began and us not being able to be together to practice to start the year. I think they have done a great job coming back together after we were quarantined and getting the whole team thing down.”

Louisburg certainly played like a team against Field Kindley as eight different players scored, and even ones who didn’t, contributed in other ways.

Junior Jordan Mynsted came off the bench to lead the Lady Cats in scoring with 22 points and also had a team-high five steals on the defensive end.

Senior Alyse Moore also sparked the Lady Cats with her play on both ends of the floor as she finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals.

“Alyse did awesome,” Lane said. “She will guard anyone that I ask her to, she will bang on them, box out and rebound. She gets on the floor and runs the floor hard. Couldn’t be happier with her.”

Another senior, Madilyn Melton, also scored in double figures with 10 points and had team-high six deflections. Senior Megan Foote had seven points, four deflections and four steals.

Senior Brooklyn Diederich had a team-high five assists and also had two steals.

It was the Lady Cats’ defense that stole the show against Field Kindley as they forced 32 turnovers on the night, which turned into 22 points for Louisburg. The Lady Cats also tallied 23 steals and dominated on the inside.

Louisburg led 14-5 at the end of the first quarter, but went on a 20-2 run before halftime to all but seal the win.

“They did great and I really thought we played as a team, maybe more than any other game so far this season,” Lane said. “Hopefully we will continue to see that as the season goes on – looking for each other up the court, making good passes to the weak side. I thought we did a great job.”

The Lady Cats are now on moratorium until Jan. 5, which means no contact with coaches. Louisburg will get three days to practice before its first game back, which is Jan. 8 against No. 4 Eudora.

Still, Lane believes her team will get the work in on their own so they don’t lose too much of what they have already built.

“I know the girls are going to try and get some shooting in over break on their own and still run to stay in shape,” Lane said. “Hopefully they can do that and work together somehow. It is going to be tricky only having three days of practice before our first game back, but we have done before and maybe this is how this season is going to go. I think we will be fine.

“Starting this way has developed a lot of team unity. We are very proud of them as a coaching staff with the way the girls have been working, especially since we are always throwing new stuff at them. Hopefully we can keep this going after Christmas.”

LOU 14 20 17 9 – 60 

CFK 5 2 9 4 – 20

LOUISBURG (5-0): Jordan Mynsted 9-16 4-4 22; Alyse Moore 6-9 0-3 12; Madilyn Melton 5-8 0-0 10; Megan Foote 3-5 0-0 7; Adyson Ross 1-1 1-2 3; Brianne Kuhlman 1-4 0-0 2; Sierra Hahn 1-2 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 0-2 2-4 2. Totals: 26-57 7-14 60. 3-point field goals: 1, (Foote)

Megan Foote (left) and Brooklyn Diederich celebrate Foote’s made basket and the foul Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ home game with Baldwin.

When you pair your worst offensive performance with the best team you have played to date, it usually doesn’t work out well.

The Louisburg girls basketball team were facing both of those Tuesday when it hosted Baldwin. The Lady Cats struggled to score against one the Frontier League’s best teams.

So, the Lady Cats leaned on their defense and it paid off in a big way. After scoring just 11 points in the first half, Louisburg came to life with 31 in the second half and held on for a 42-39 victory over the Bulldogs.

It was the first time since 2014 that the Lady Cats had defeated Baldwin and they stayed perfect on the season in the process.

“I could tell they really wanted this game, maybe more than the others, just because they were super hungry and they had their eyes set on the prize,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I was so proud of them of how we came back after only scoring 11 points in the first half and not quitting. Baldwin’s defense was very good and didn’t allow us to do much, but that third quarter was huge and our defense was a big reason why.”

Down 21-11 at halftime, the Lady Cats ramped up their defense and held the Bulldogs to just six points in the third quarter and that allowed them to creep back in the game.

In all, Louisburg forced 26 Baldwin turnovers, which turned into 16 points and the Lady Cats put it all together in the fourth quarter. The Lady Cats scored 19 points in the final quarter to pull in front.

“This was a huge win for us,” Lane said. “The girls were so excited after the game was over and they just played super hard. They deserved it and the defense won us the game. Offense was a little tricky at times, and we will get better at that, but our defense and rebounding were key for us. I think a win like this sets the tone for the rest of the season.”

Senior Madilyn Melton sparked the Lady Cats’ rally as she scored 10 of her team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter and was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Melton also had 11 rebounds to record the double-double and had five blocked shots.

The Lady Cats were bothered at times by the length of Baldwin’s post players, but Melton made an adjustment and attacked.

“Madilyn made a lot of big baskets for us and it was probably her best game of the season so far,” Lane said. “She battled against their post the whole game and she fought. To start she was kind of fading away from her, and we just told her to go into her and shoot it. She got some big points in the fourth quarter that way and she never quit.”

To start the fourth, Louisburg found itself down four, but Melton helped bring them Wildcats back with six straight points. Sophomore guard Brianne Kuhlman also hit a jumper in the lane to give the Lady Cats a 32-31 lead.

Senior Brooklyn Diederich hit her biggest of the shot of the night on a 3-pointer with three minutes left in the game to put Louisburg up four. Melton and Kuhlman combined for the final seven points.

Baldwin had one final chance to tie the game as they had the ball with 10 seconds left, but the Bulldogs were unable to get shot off.

“The goal of that was to not foul the 3-point shooter and rebound.,” Lane said. “They didn’t even get a shot off and the girls really played that perfectly.”

Diederich was second on the team in scoring with eight points, but she also did it on the defensive end with four deflections, four steals and four blocks.

Senior Alyse Moore was second on the team with six rebounds, while senior Megan Foote led the offense with five assists and also had three steals. She also converted two 3-point plays.

Louisburg will try and stay perfect as they host Coffeyville-Field Kindley tonight in a replacement game for Piper, who was forced to quarantine. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 9 2 12 19 – 42

BAL 9 12 6 12 – 39 

LOUISBURG (4-0): Madilyn Melton 5-16 6-6 17; Brooklyn Diederich 3-9 0-0 8; Brianne Kuhlman 3-6 1-2 7; Megan Foote 2-5 2-4 6; Alyse Moore 1-7 1-6 3; Jordan Mynsted 0-7 1-3 1. Totals: 14-56 11-21 42. 3-point field goals: 3, (Diederich 2, Melton)

Louisburg senior Weston Guetterman drives to the basket for two of his team-high 19 points Friday against Baldwin.

It wasn’t the start the Louisburg boys basketball team had hoped for Tuesday against Baldwin.

Baldwin scored the first eight points of the game to take a decent sized lead, but it was the way the Wildcats finished that more than made up for the slow start.

The Wildcats scored 27 points in the fourth quarter and held the Bulldogs to 28 points in the final three quarters to pick up a 70-41 win at Louisburg High School. It was Louisburg’s third straight victory since its season opening loss to Tonganoxie.

“We definitely struggled out of the gate getting down 8-0, but managed to work our way back into it,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We were pretty effective defensively all night, but it took us awhile to get things going offensively. Defense has to be a constant each night. There will be nights that things don’t go your way offensively, but if you play well defensively, you’re always going to have a shot.”

It was the defense that sparked the Wildcats when they didn’t have their best night offensively.

Louisburg forced 20 turnovers on the night that turned into 27 points and outscored the Bulldogs in transition, 18-0. The Wildcats also controlled the glass as they outrebounded Baldwin 44-31.

“We want to really pressure teams with our defense,” Pfannenstiel said. “We’ve done a pretty good job of that the last few games. If we can make teams uncomfortable, that usually results in some turnovers that can jump start our offense. 

“I thought we are pretty good on both ends in the second half. I really liked the tempo of the game in the second half. That’s how we want to play this year. Our hope is that our style will wear teams down late in games. So far it’s been positive for us.”

Down 8-0 to open the game, it was senior point guard Weston Guetterman that helped bring the Wildcats back. Guetterman scored eight straight to tie the game and then Maverick Rockers knocked down a 3-pointer to complete the 11-0 run.

The Wildcats (3-1) were down two points going into the second quarter and it would be the last time they trailed.

Louisburg took a 10-point lead into the final quarter and then the Wildcats took off as they outscored Baldwin 27-8 to end the contest. The Wildcat did a lot of their damage inside as they outscored the Bulldogs 40-10 in the paint.

Guetterman led the Wildcats in scoring as he had a good night from the field. He finished with a game-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals.

Two other Wildcats also scored in double figures. Junior Michael Seuferling scored 15 points, while senior Ben Guetterman added 12 points and six rebounds.

Junior Julian Margrave was big on the glass for Louisburg as he pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds and added two steals and a block.

“Weston has been great for us all year,” Pfannenstiel said. “He really sets the tempo for us and picked us up offensively. It was a good team win. Everybody contributed and played great team basketball. Time to get back to the practice court and prepare for the next one.”

That next one is tonight when the Wildcats travel to Shawnee Mission East for the final game before the holiday break. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

LOU 11 13 19 27 – 70

BAL 13 9 11 8 – 41

LOUISBURG (3-1): Weston Guetterman 8-16 2-3 19; Michael Seuferling 6-12 2-3 15; Ben Guetterman 3-11 5-6 12; Maverick Rockers 3-6 0-0 7; Julian Margrave 3-13 0-1 6; Dawson Barnes 2-2 0-0 4; Konnor Vohs 1-2 1-1 3; Andy Hupp 1-1 0-0 2; Isaac Guetterman 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 28-64 10-14 70. 3-point field goals: 4, (Seuferling, W. Guetterman, Rockers, B. Guetterman) 

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

JULIAN MARGRAVE, JUNIOR, BOYS BASKETBALL

Louisburg junior Julian Margrave had a big week for the Wildcat boys basketball team as he helped the Wildcats to their first two wins of the season. His biggest game came last week against Harrisonville as he scored 26 points in an overtime victory, which was the Wildcats’ first of the season.

On the week, Margrave averaged 19.5 points a game to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

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

Louisburg senior Brooklyn Diederich gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday against Anderson County.

GARNETT – It became apparent really fast that Friday’s matchup between Louisburg and Anderson County was going to be a high-scoring affair.

The only difference was the Lady Cats were able to slow down the Bulldogs and Anderson County didn’t have much of an answer.

Louisburg scored more than 20 or more points in three of the four quarters and rolled Anderson County in a 75-61 victory that keeps the Lady Cats perfect on the season.

“I was so proud of the girls after the game on Friday,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We started out so hard and played hard the entire game. I felt we played together as a team and worked hard to get a win on the road.

“Scoring 75 points was super exciting for the team. I think it showed them that we can score, and if we are patient and run through our offenses, we will be able to score. We ran several different set plays, some we had never ran before, and I felt the girls did a great job executing and in the end it paid off.”

Several players found the scoring column for Louisburg and four of them reached double figures. One of those was junior forward Jordan Mynsted.

Anderson County didn’t have an answer for Mynsted who finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with five rebounds

“After watching Jordan play last year I knew she was a scorer, but I was not expecting her to score 20-plus in two of the first three games,” Lane said. “The team and myself are very proud of her and we hope she continues to look to score.”

Along with Mynsted’s performance on the inside, senior Brooklyn Diederich keyed the Lady Cats from behind the arc. Diederich finished with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, with 11 of those points coming in the first quarter.

Senior Alyse Moore was big on both sides of the floor as she finished with a double-double. Moore had 13 points and 11 rebounds, while senior Madilyn Melton had 10 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Another senior, Megan Foote, was active all over the floor for Louisburg as she had a team-high nine deflections, seven assists and four steals to go along with six rebounds. 

Sophomore point guard Brianne Kuhlman had eight points with four assists and three steals.

Defensively, the Lady Cats had a big challenge as they had to handle the high-low game of Anderson County’s Rayna Jasper and Cali Foltz. 

Diederich and junior Delaney Wright had the task of slowing down Jasper and making it difficult for the Bulldogs to run their offense. Although Jasper and Foltz scored 24 and 20 points, respectively, the rest of the Bulldogs offense struggled.

Louisburg held a 33-30 lead at halftime, but the Lady Cats held Anderson County to just six points in the third quarter and Foltz had to sit with four fouls. 

The Lady Cats took advantage as it outscored Anderson County 22-6 in the third and all but sealed the win.

“Anderson County had a couple of very key players on their team and Brooklyn and Delaney did a great job guarding their point guard and putting lots of pressure on her,” Lane said. “Our goal was to not let Jasper get the ball back when she passed. When Foltz got her fourth foul in the third quarter, we played a box and 1 on Jasper and doubled her when we could.”

Louisburg will look to keep its perfect record intact when they host a pair of Frontier League teams this week. The Lady Cats will face off with Baldwin at 7:30 p.m. tonight and will host Piper on Thursday at 7:15.

“I think we are really looking forward to the challenge, but it is also fun to play good teams and get better because of the competition,” Lane said. “The girls are ready for this week and to see where we stand.”

LOU 24 9 22 20 – 75

AC 12 18 6 25 – 61 

LOUISBURG (3-0): Jordan Mynsted 8-13 5-10 21; Brooklyn Diederich 5-8 2-2 15; Alyse Moore 6-13 1-2 13; Madilyn Melton 5-9 0-2 10; Brianne Kuhlman 2-4 2-2 8; Delaney Wright 1-4 2-2 4; Megan Foote 1-5 1-3 4. Totals: 28-56 13-23 75. 3-point field goals: 6, (Diederich 3, Kuhlman 2, Foote)

Louisburg senior Dawson Barnes picks off an Anderson County pass Friday in Garnett. That steal was one of 20 turnovers the Wildcats forced on the night.

GARNETT – The Louisburg boys basketball team wasn’t always clicking on all cylinders Friday against Anderson County, but when they were, the Wildcats made things difficult on the Bulldogs.

Louisburg used a pair of big runs – one in each half – to pull away from Anderson County, 63-48, at Anderson County High School and earned their second straight win in the process.

Defensively, it was one of the Wildcats’ better contests of the early season and was able to spur their offense. Louisburg forced 20 turnovers and scored 29 points off those Anderson County mistakes to help get their first road win of the year.

“Our emphasis from the start of the season has been to play aggressive and play relentless defensively and I thought we were really good in that area,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We weren’t the best offensively, especially in the half court, but part of it was because a lot of our offense was because of our defense. We were scoring points, but would like to see us a little sharper in the half-court and more patient, but I really thought our defense was great.”

The Wildcats (2-1) took a convincing 37-19 lead at halftime after they outscored Anderson County by 13 in the second quarter. The Bulldogs cut the Louisburg led to 10 midway through the third quarter, but the Wildcats ended the frame on a 15-2 run.

All of those points in the run were from behind the 3-point line as five different players knocked down the perimeter shots. Michael Seuferling, Julian Margrave, Konnor Vohs, Weston Guetterman and Maverick Rockers helped extend the Louisburg lead to 56-31 going into the fourth quarter and the Wildcats never looked back

“We needed it that is for sure,” Pfannenstiel said. “We talked about at halftime that we needed to put this away in the third quarter and we came out about as flat as you can be. I am not sure why, but we answered and responded and that is important. 

“A lot of those were good unselfish plays like drive and kicks and rhythm shots. That is where we were lacking in the first half is we were trying to do too much individually and not enough team-oriented basketball. That run was sparked buy playing team basketball.”

Louisburg had four different players score in double figures and Guetterman led the way with a team-high 15 points. Margrave finished with 13 points to go along with six rebounds and a pair of blocks.

Ben Guetterman added 11 points in the victory and had a team-high three steals. Vohs finished with 10 points.

“That is how it should be,” Pfannenstiel said of the team’s balanced scoring. “If one guys is off, or a couple guys are off, then other guys should be able to step up and they did that. We were very balanced and that was definitely good for us.”

Louisburg will try to make it three in a row tonight and will try for its first league win of year when it hosts Baldwin for a 6 p.m. tipoff. The Wildcats also had to take Piper off its schedule for Thursday due to COVID-19, so instead they will travel to Shawnee Mission East for a 6:30 p.m. start.

“Baldwin had just played Anderson County and played them tough, so it will be a challenge,” Pfannenstiel said. “They are always a hard-nosed team, and then we were able to find Shawnee Mission East to replace Piper and these are two good matchups for us. We tell the boys all the time that we are fortunate that we are getting the opportunity to play and we are going to show that on the court with how hard we play. Hopefully we can have some fun in the process.”

LOU 14 23 17 9 – 63 

AC 9 10 12 17 – 48

LOUISBURG (2-1): Weston Guetterman 6-7 2-2 15; Julian Margrave 5-13 2-3 13; Ben Guetterman 3-6 5-6 11; Konnor Vohs 4-5 0-0 10; Michael Seuferling 2-5 0-0 6; Maverick Rockers 1-1 0-0 3; Dawson Barnes 1-3 1-2 3; Andy Hupp 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 23-47 10-13 63. 3-point field goals: 7, (Seuferling 2, Vohs 2, W. Guetterman, Rockers, Margrave).

Louisburg senior Weston Guetterman drives through the lane for a layup Tuesday at home against Harrisonville.

The Louisburg boys basketball team off to a good start Tuesday in its home game against Harrisonville, but it had an even better finish.

After staking itself an eight point lead after the first quarter, Louisburg found itself down six points early in the fourth quarter. In what was a back and forth contest, the Wildcats were able to force an extra period and eventually win, 67-62, in overtime.

“Harrisonville went on some runs and we answered,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We came up big at the end of regulation and in overtime when we got down. Something about us, when we realize that we have to make plays, that we find ways to do it. I told them right before overtime that this game was going to be won on the defensive end and that is what sparked us. We got a couple steals there and it was huge for us. It was a fun game.”

The Wildcats (1-1) got on a roll to start the fourth when senior Weston Guetterman cut the Harrisonville lead in half as he scored, was fouled and converted the 3-point play. Junior Julian Margrave added six straight points on his own to tie it at 52-all midway through the fourth.

Harrisonville hit a 3-pointer to break the tie, but junior Michael Seuferling knocked down a shot and Weston Guetterman hit two free throws to put Louisburg up one with 2 minutes remaining. Louisburg found itself down two when Ben Guetterman was fouled and hit both free throws to help send it to overtime.

Defense took over for Louisburg as the Wildcats recorded three steals in the extra period. One from Weston Guetterman that led to a runout score, another from Ben Guetterman that led to a layup and the final one from junior Maverick Rockers that led to a Ben Guetterman layup to give Louisburg a four-point lead with 45 seconds left.

Margrave had a big night for Louisburg as he finished with a team-high 26 points, with 13 of those coming in the first quarter. He also added a team-high nine rebounds and three blocks

“Julian had a great night,” Pfannenstiel said. “He is a good player that works hard at it. When we can get the ball in his hands, good things usually happen. I am not sure why he wasn’t able to get as many touches as he did in the first quarter, but this is team basketball. When he gets attention from multiple defenders, that opens things up for other guys. It was a big night for Julian and it is something we expect from him every night.”

Weston Guetterman also had a solid outing for Louisburg with 14 points and eight rebounds from the point guard spot, to go along with four steals and three assists. Ben Guetterman added eight points and seven rebounds, most of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Louisburg also got good production from its bench as senior Konnor Vohs finished with seven points off the bench, while Rockers gave the Wildcats good minutes late in the contest and scored five points.

“I thought our bench was huge,” Pfannenstiel said. “Konnor came in early and did a very good job. He shot the ball well and played good defense. Mav is never going to be the biggest kid on the floor, but he always looks comfortable out there. He is our second ball handler and he was big for us late. He played well for us defensively, but he was a lot of the reason why our offense was doing so well at times because other guys are comfortable with him out there.”

Harrisonville’s Brooks Langrehr had a big night for the Wildcats as he scored a game-high 34 points.

Louisburg will try for its second straight win today when it travels to Anderson County for its first road test of the season. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU               22           10           11           15           9 – 67

HAR               14           19           13           12           4 – 62

LOUISBURG (1-1): Julian Margrave 11-16 2-2 26; Weston Guetterman 4-12 6-9 14; Ben Guetterman 3-15 2-2 8; Konnor Vohs 3-5 0-0 7; Maverick Rockers 1-1 2-4 5; Michael Seuferling 2-10 0-0 4; Andy Hupp 1-5 0-0 3. Totals: 25-65 12-17 67. 3-point field goals: 5, (Margrave 2, Rockers, Vohs, Hupp)

Louisburg’s (from left) Delaney Wright, Jordan Mynsted and Megan Foote congratulate Madilyn Melton (20) after a made basket and a foul in the first half of Friday’s home game against Burlington.

The Louisburg girls basketball team already had a comfortable lead going into halftime of Tuesday’s game against Burlington.

Louisburg took it to a whole other level of comfort in the second half.

The Lady Cats locked down Burlington defensively and gave up just 12 points in the second half and rolled to a 59-26 victory at Louisburg High School. It was the second straight win to start the season for Louisburg.

“I thought they did great in the second half,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I told the girls at halftime that we needed to come out hard, because we were a little flat to start. We got a few fouls on us in the first half, but after that I thought our defense was awesome. We played defense without fouling and it was almost perfect.”

Burlington turned the ball over 24 times on the night and the Lady Cats scored 18 points off those mistakes, while the Wildcats scored just two points off Louisburg turnovers. Louisburg was active all over the floor with 13 steals and 22 deflections.

The Lady Cats (2-0) also had to deal with foul trouble in the second half as starters Brianne Kuhlman and Jordan Mynsted had to play with four fouls, but the Louisburg bench came to rescue.

“It is really encouraging to see,” Lane said. “I have 12 on the bench right now and I felt like we played 10 pretty consistently and they all did a great job. We didn’t seem to miss a beat when we would sub and we just kept playing hard and our defense was great.”

Mynsted, a junior, led Louisburg in scoring for the second straight game as she finished with 14 points to go along with eight rebounds. Seniors Brooklyn Diederich and Madilyn Melton also finished in double figures with 10, while Melton added five rebounds, five deflections and three steals and Diederich led the way with three blocks.

Senior guard Megan Foote added eight points in the win to go along with six deflections, four assists and three steals.

“It was good to see them run some offense in that second half,” Lane said. “I thought we were very patient and they found the open person. They did a good job of running the floor and getting to their spots. We passed the ball well and we got open shots. I was very pleased with that.

“I like that the posts did a good job of getting steals in the passing lane, something that maybe we normally wouldn’t have gotten. I really like that we ran some good offense. We ran some pick and rolls, some high-low and that was fun to see.”

Louisburg took a 7-5 lead after the first quarter, but from then on, the Lady Cats had control of the game. The Lady Cats took a 22-14 lead at halftime and then outscored Burlington 37-12 in the second half to pull away.

The Lady Cats will try for their third consecutive win tonight when they travel to Anderson County for their first road contest of the season. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU               7             15           16           21 – 59

BUR               5             9             6             6 – 26

LOUISBURG (2-0): Jordan Mynsted 7-14 0-0 14; Brooklyn Diederich 4-6 0-0 10; Madilyn Melton 5-6 0-1 10; Megan Foote 2-5 4-4 8; Alyse Moore 2-6 1-2; Brianne Kuhlman 2-5 0-0 5; Adyson Ross 1-2 0-0 2; Emma Prettyman 1-1 0-0 2; Delaney Wright 0-4 1-2 1; Sierra Hahn 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 24-49 8-12 59. 3-point field goals: 4, (Diederich 2, Kuhlman, Moore)