Louisburg senior Brady Hickey pulls up for a shot Tuesday at Burlington. Hickey scored a team-high 12 points in the Wildcats’ 63-51 loss.

BURLINGTON — Before Louisburg tipped off with Burlington on Tuesday, the Wildcats were faced with a little bit of adversity.

Louisburg found itself down a starter and a main player off the bench, and the Wildcats found themselves a little short-handed for their first road tilt of the season.

Not being at full strength, and some foul trouble, hurt the Wildcats as they fell, 63-51, to Burlington.

“We missed two of our ball handlers and that was evident, especially when we got into foul trouble when they were pressuring us,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “Our biggest thing was we just didn’t play a very tough style of basketball when there were 50-50 balls or rebounds that we needed to get. We had plenty of moments where we got it to 10 or under, but then they would get a bucket and we can’t win that way.”

In the absence of Luke Hill and Myles Vohs, who were out with an injury and illness, a pair of Louisburg seniors stepped up. Brady Hickey and Brock Vohs played all 32 minutes and were scoring options for the Wildcats.

Hickey finished with a team-high 12 points and Vohs added 11 points to go along with six rebounds.

“Brady did a good job and I don’t think he ever came out of the game and I don’t think Brock did either,” Doll said. “We used some timeouts to try and get them a break, but there was never a moment where they were gassing and saying they needed to come out. That was awesome to see and they played tough. Once we are at full strength, it will be fun to see how good those guys can be when they get a little bit of a break.”

Burlington started out strong offensively as it scored 21 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Louisburg found itself down 34-22 at halftime.

The Wildcats tried to make a couple different runs in the second half, as it trimmed the Burlington lead to under 10, but Burlington had an answer on every occasion.

Burlington’s Sage Fejfar scored 19 points to lead the Wildcats and was one of four players to score in double figures.

“Part of the problem that they gave us was they just hit open shots,” Doll said. “(Fejfar) was solid and we knew they were going to run stuff for him. But then when we focused on him, we lost track of a few of their others guys and they hit open jumpers. At this level, playing varsity basketball, that is something you should do. Our rotations weren’t good and a lot of things just hit us.”

For Louisburg, senior Nathan Parker just missed double figures in scoring as he finished with nine points, to go along with five rebounds and three assists.

Junior Conlee Hovey finished with seven points and seven rebounds, while junior Gavin Lohse registered a team-high nine rebounds.

Louisburg will try and bounce back tonight when it hosts Anderson County. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 13 9 15 14 — 51

BUR 21 13 11 18 — 63

LOUISBURG (1-1): Brady Hickey 4-11 2-2 12; Brock Vohs 5-10 1-3 11; Nathan Parker 4-15 0-0 9; Conlee Hovey 3-5 1-2 7; Gavin Lohse 3-7 0-3 6; Bristol Barbour 1-3 1-2 3; Ethan Kush 1-4 0-0 3. Totals: 21-56 5-12 51. 3-point field goals: 4, (Hickey 2, Parker, Kush)

Louisburg junior Addy Stohs goes up for a basket during Tuesday’s road contest at Burlington. The Lady Cats fell 43-38.

BURLINGTON — For one quarter, anyway, the Louisburg girls basketball team had everything working.

It was the kind of start the Lady Cats were hoping for after a disappointing loss in its opener. Louisburg nearly had a double-digit lead on Burlington in the first quarter Tuesday, but couldn’t hang on.

Burlington eventually surpassed the Lady Cats and handed Louisburg a 43-38 setback.

“I thought our team saw a huge improvement from our first game,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They seemed to play more confident overall and I felt like they played more as a unit versus individuals.”

The Lady Cats jumped out to an 8-0 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Ashlyn Kuhlman and Ally Brown, and a basket by Shylar Whiting. Louisburg went up 11-2 after a 3-point play by Sabra Brueggen.

Burlington started to claw its way back, but the Lady Cats still led 16-11 after the first quarter. Unfortunately for Louisburg, the offense didn’t carry over to the second.

The Lady Cats scored just two points in the second quarter and Burlington was able to tie the game at halftime.

“It was so important to get out and score early, more so for our confidence and team morale than anything,” Lane said. “It showed the girls that we can score.

“Only scoring two points in the second quarter hurt us. I felt like we stopped taking chances on defense, which led to a slow down on the offensive end of the court. We are best when we get out in transition. We need to continue to get out and run and try and catch the defense off guard.”

The game was still tied at 27-all going into the fourth quarter, but Burlington took a four-point lead to start the final frame. A basket by Addy Stohs, a 3-pointer from Kuhlman and a running shot by Brown brought the Burlington lead back to one.

Junior Jillian Asher hit a free throw to tie the game at 35-all with 3 minutes left, but Burlington would end the game on a 8-3 run to seal the win.

Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in scoring with nine points and two blocked shots. 

Stohs and Brown each finished with seven, including a team-high seven rebounds each. Stohs also added a team-high two blocks, while Brown and Asher each finished with a team-best three assists.

Sophomore Morgan Latham came off the bench for Louisburg and also tied for a team lead seven rebounds. Brueggen finished with six rebounds. Whiting and Sami Lane finished with five and four points, respectively.

The Lady Cats will try for that first win Friday when they host Anderson County. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 16 2 9 11 — 38

BUR 11 7 9 16 — 43

LOUISBURG (0-2): Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-11 0-0 9; Addy Stohs 3-5 1-2 7; Ally Brown 3-6 0-0 7; Shylar Whiting 1-4 3-4 5; Sami Lane 2-7 0-0 4; Jillian Asher 0-9 3-6 3; Sabra Brueggen 1-5 1-1 3. Totals: 13-51 8-13 38. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 3, Brown)

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

MYLES VOHS, JUNIOR, BASKETBALL

Louisburg junior Myles Vohs came up big for the Louisburg boys basketball team Friday in its season opener against Tonganoxie. The Wildcats scored only four points in the fourth quarter, but all four were big points from Vohs.

The biggest shot of the game came with 15 seconds left as Vohs hit a game-winner to give the Wildcats a 53-51 victory over Tonganoxie. Vohs was 4-for-4 from the field and had nine points on the night, including two steals.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman pulls up for a shot Friday during the Lady Cats’ season opener against Tonganoxie.

It was not the ideal scenario for the Louisburg girls basketball team going into its season debut Friday against Tonganoxie.

Louisburg struggled to get going offensively early, and couldn’t play catch-up in a 48-28 loss to the Chieftains. All of the Lady Cat players saw their first significant varsity minutes on what is a senior-less team.

“I would say on Friday all of us were a little nervous — well a lot nervous,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I think Tongie has a tough team this year and I bet they win a lot more games this year than they did last year. Our team had a rough start and Tongie started off super fast. We never got into our game because we were playing catch up.”

Tonganoxie jumped out to a big lead early as the Chieftains outscored the Lady Cats 18-3 in the first quarter and took a 20-point lead into halftime.

Although the Lady Cats faced a big deficit, Louisburg did its best chip away at the Tonganoxie lead as it scored 19 second half points.

“I think a positive is the girls never quit,” Lane said. “I felt like they played hard the whole game and every girl that got in the game came in off the bench and played hard. I also thought they played together. We kept running offense and working together.”

Junior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in three different categories. Kuhlman scored a team-high eight points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Ally Brown and Jillian Asher were each second on the team with five points. Sami Lane finished with six rebounds and a team-high three assists.

Morgan Latham tallied five rebounds, Addy Stohs had four and Shylar Whiting had a team-high two steals. Sabra Brueggen had two rebounds, two assists and a steal in the loss.

Louisburg had a tough time containing Tongie point guard Alyssa Schoeneck as she tallied a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and also had five steals.

The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight as they travel to Burlington. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 3 6 10 9 — 28

TON 18 11 14 5 — 48

LOUISBURG (0-1): Ashlyn Kuhlman 3-13 2-2 8; Jillian Asher 2-3 0-0 5; Ally Brown 2-8 1-3 5; Shylar Whiting 1-5 2-4 4; Morgan Latham 2-4 0-0 4; Sami Lane 0-6 2-2 2. Totals: 10-47 7-13 28. 3-point field goals: 1, (Asher)

Louisburg junior Myles Vohs drives in for a basket Friday during the Wildcats’ season opener against Tonganoxie.

The Louisburg boys basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to its season. 

Louisburg jumped out to a fast start, took a big halftime lead and everything was primed for a big celebration after the game was over. The Wildcats still got to celebrate, but getting the win Friday over Tonganoxie wasn’t easy.

The Chieftains rallied from a double digit deficit to tie the game in the second half, but Louisburg junior Myles Vohs hit a runner with under 15 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 53-51 victory.

“I am really proud of them,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “There is definitely stuff we can learn from. However, we would definitely rather learn from a win than a loss, so we will take it.”

Not only did the Wildcats open with a victory, Doll, who is in his first season as Louisburg’s head coach, earned his first varsity win after spending 20-plus years as an assistant coach at Blue Valley North and Lansing.

Throw in a dramatic game-winner and the Wildcats had plenty to celebrate in their season season opener.

“It is awesome,” Doll said. “I have been an assistant coach for a long time and have had a lot of big wins, so this one feels like a lot of those. It never seemed like the situation was overwhelming, but at the same time I had my family there and everyone was telling me congratulations and that is different from other big wins that I have had. 

“It was a lot more special, especially for a game in December and not one in March. I told the guys after the game that I thank them. You only get one first win and it is with these guys, so I really appreciate how hard they played and how they stayed within the game.”

Louisburg struggled offensively in the second half and scored just four points in the fourth quarter, but those two baskets — both by Vohs — were in big moments.

With the game tied at 49-all, Vohs drove the lane for a basket to give Louisburg a 51-49 lead midway though the quarter. Then, the game was tied at 51-all, and after the Wildcats worked the ball around, Vohs found an opening in the Chieftain zone and hit a runner with 15 seconds left.

Tonganoxie tried to win the game, but the 3-point attempt at the buzzer rolled off the front of the rim and the Wildcats were able to survive.

“It was obviously huge,” Doll said of Vohs’ game-winner. “He did a good job of penetrating the zone and trying to get guys to collapse. On that possession, we did a really good job of doing that, especially Myles. It was a big shot by him and he was clutch.”

Louisburg jumped on Tonganoxie in the first half as the Wildcats scored 12 unanswered points to start the game and eventually took a 39-26 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats were scoring at a frantic pace and Tonganoxie needed to try something to slow them down. The Chieftains put in a 1-3-1 zone and the Wildcats scored just 14 second half points.

“It is really tough to adjust to that after playing like we were, and that was great coaching by them,” Doll said. “As a coach you reach a point sometimes where you have to throw a change-up and see if it works. It worked really well on us. Our goal was not to turnover the ball and that isn’t a great way to play offense. It is just something we have to work on.

“The one positive about going against that zone is I think we got better at attacking it as the game went on. We had to play against it for much of the second half and I think that enabled us to attack it better.”

Despite battling some foul trouble, senior Nathan Parker provided the Wildcats with a spark on offense as he scored a game-high 13 points, including 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. 

Senior Luke Hill also found a lot of success from the outside as he finished with 10 points, including three 3-pointers. 

The Wildcats did a lot of work on the glass as they outrebounded Tonganoxie 36-20, including 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 12 second chance points.

Senior Brock Vohs did a little bit of everything for the Wildcats as he finished with six points, six rebounds and six assists.

Junior Gavin Lohse had a team-high eight rebounds and junior Conlee Hovey had seven.

Louisburg will try for back to back wins Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Burlington for their first game of the season. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

LOU 20 19 10 4 — 53

TON 13 13 17 8 — 51

LOUISBURG (1-0): Nathan Parker 3-10 6-7 13, Luke Hill 3-9 1-4 10; Myles Vohs 4-4 0-2 9; Brock Vohs 3-8 0-0 6; Conlee Hovey 3-5 0-2 6; Gavin Lohse 1-5 3-6 5; Brady Hickey 1-5 0-0 2; Jaymes Melton 0-1 2-2 2. Totals: 18-47 12-23 53. 3-point field goals: 5, (Hill 3, Parker, Vohs)

Louisburg’s Luke Hill is one of five seniors on the Wildcat basketball team this season as they open play at home tonight against Tonganoxie.

The Louisburg boys basketball team will have a little different look to it this season after losing its leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago.

The Wildcats will also have a new leader on the bench in head coach Ben Doll. Despite some of those changes, Louisburg returns nine players that either started, or saw major varsity minutes a season ago.

It is that experience that has helped Doll’s transition be a smooth one so far.

“It has been really good,” Doll said. “We started by not having to make any cuts on the JV and varsity level, which was good. We were able to get into practice sooner and they have done really well so far. We have thrown a lot at them because it is a new system. We have had some really good practices and the jamboree we had was good for us too. I feel pretty good and I am hopeful we can get off to a good start before the break.”

The Wildcats feature five seniors that will help lead the way this season as they try to improve off an 8-13 finish a year ago. Guards Luke Hill, Brady Hickey, Nathan Parker, along with forwards Brock Vohs and Jaymes Melton, will look to help the Wildcats get off to a good start.

Doll, who took over from former coach Ty Pfannenstiel, has liked what he has seen out of his senior class so far.

“They are going to be really important,” Doll said of his seniors. “We have the right number of seniors and we are going to rely on them. Luke is recovered from his injury, and even though he hasn’t really played high level basketball for 11 months, he has done a really good job at practice. Excited about all of them and we have a really good junior class as well. It really helped when Coach Pfannenstiel gave a lot of those JV guys some varsity minutes last year so they know what to expect.”

Juniors Conlee Hovey and Gavin Lohse will give the Wildcats some big minutes underneath the basket, while guards Myles Vohs and Luke Schultz will also play significant minutes throughout the season.

Although many players will be returning, the team will look a little bit different offensively as they have to replace an all-league player in Colyer Wingfield, who was their leading scorer last season. 

“The basic offense stuff is about the same,” Doll said. “Last year they had a really good player (Wingfield) that could score in a bunch of different ways, but we aren’t going to have that this year and we don’t need to have one guy do all that. That has been a little bit of an adjustment for them. 

“It wasn’t a bad thing for them last year because he was a really good player. The guys this year realize that we need to move the ball a little bit more and we will be better when we screen and come off screens, rather than just get the ball in our hands and create things that we don’t want.”

As important as the offense is, Doll knows the defensive end of the floor is just as important — if not more early on.

“Before the break, offenses won’t be very advanced and most teams will have some inexperience out there,” Doll said. “We need to be up in people’s business and pressure defensively and create offense off turnovers. I think defenses will be ahead of offenses and we have to be good defensively in order to take advantage of that. We want to play fast and be able to run. People enjoy watching an up and down game and players like that. We are going to go 9-10 deep to start the year, so that will allow us to pressure more and guys can get more minutes.”

A new rule for the high school level this year is the elimination of 1-and-1 opportunities at the free throw line. The new rule states each team will be given five fouls a quarter, and after that, each team will shoot two free throws and the team fouls will be reset after each quarter.

That change had led to different ways teams have approached those free shots going into the season.

“We have focused more on free throws in practice than we normally do at this point in the year,” Doll said. “Free throws are one of those things where you tell them they are important, but don’t do a lot with them in practice and you expect them to work on that on their own. We have had about 1 or 2 parts of every practice where we are doing different free throw type drills. I like to do them after we do something hard when they are tired. If we are up there hitting just 1 of 2 or 0 of 2, that is glaring and costly. You have to make free throws and I think a lot of teams around the state are treating them more seriously.”

Louisburg will try and get in the win column to start the season tonight as the Wildcats host Tonganoxie in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and Doll is knows his team has the potential to do good things this year.

“I just want to them to compete in every game,” Doll said. “There will be games where we are down, but we are going to have to keep fighting. I told them this at one of our team meetings recently, is that you just have to be playing your best at the end. You obviously want to win every game, but it is a process and we are trying to build something.”

Louisburg guard Jillian Asher is one of seven juniors who will lead the Lady Cats this season.

There aren’t many years when a varsity basketball team will feature a totally different look to it going into a new season.

However, it is one of those years for the Louisburg girls basketball team.

The Lady Cats return zero starters from a season ago — and have no players who logged any significant varsity minutes in the 22-23 campaign.

On the other hand, Louisburg will feature a group of seven juniors who are looking forward to putting their fingerprints on the program.

“In my nine years of coaching I have never started a season with zero seniors, and not only that, but zero players with little to no varsity experience,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Of course this is a challenge, but with the group of juniors that I have I know they are ready to step up and give this program all they have. These group of juniors are very competitive and they will battle every game.”

Louisburg reached the sub-state championship game a season ago, but the Lady Cats had to say goodbye to a big class of seven seniors and now they will have a new group looking making their own mark.

With a lot of new players, practice has been important to start the season and Lane has liked what she has seen so far.

“Practice has been going well,” Lane said. “They are hard workers and they bring a lot of energy every day. We have practiced together with all teams a lot so far this season. The freshman group is strong so they make practice very competitive.”

Juniors Jillian Asher, Ally Brown, Sabra Brueggen, Ashlyn Kuhlman, Sami Lane, Addy Stohs and Shylar Whiting will get a bulk of the minutes for the Lady Cats this season, but it is a group that has played together for awhile.

After a solid junior varsity season a year ago, they are looking to find success at the varsity level with the help of some sophomores off the bench. Although they logged a few varsity minutes at times last season, it will be their first opportunity as varsity leaders.

“This group works extremely hard, they have come every day with a positive attitude and they are willing to learn,” coach Lane said. “If they can keep team first, I do believe they will have a successful season.”

Asher will serve as the team’s point guard, while Brown, Sami Lane and Whiting will play on the wing. Kuhlman will split time on the wing and in the post, while Brueggen and Stohs will play underneath the basket.

“They have played together for many, many years, they know each other and they know where each other will be on the court,” coach Lane said. “I think we will be quick and be able to transition well on offense and defense. The program as a whole is strong, our freshmen come in with a lot of talent and there are several JV players who are very strong as well.”

Like most seasons, the Lady Cats will have a difficult schedule, including matchups against Frontier League programs. Louisburg opens its season Friday at home against Tonganoxie.

“I think the Frontier League is tough,” coach Lane said. “I believe Baldwin will be one of the top teams this year. They will be quick and tough. Ottawa will also be a strong team. They are always physical and play extremely hard. Spring Hill will be tough again this year, as they have several returning starters from last year.”

Louisburg’s Ava Baker is looking forward to continuing her basketball career this upcoming season at Coffeyville Community College.

Playing basketball in college has always been on Ava Baker’s to do list, in fact, it is right up at the top.

Thanks to a lot of hard work and dedication, Baker can now check that off.

Back in early May, Baker signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Coffeyville Community College this upcoming season. It was just the opportunity she was hoping for.

“To be able to sign and play basketball at the next level was a dream come true,” Baker said. “I started playing basketball in the first grade, and playing in college has been my dream ever since.”

Baker, who spent her last two years at Louisburg High School after transferring from Gardner-Edgerton, wanted to find a new home that was similar to Louisburg.

After visiting Coffeyville, it was apparent early on that Baker knew this was the place for her.

“When I went down to Coffeyville, I got to watch in on a practice and a game,” Baker said. “The whole time I was there I just wanted to go out on the court with them, which was a feeling I hadn’t had at a lot of the other schools I visited. They were laughing and having fun the whole time, and in a way it reminded me of Louisburg. 

“Their playing style was also something that stood out to me. On offense they trust their players to take the right shot and on defense they play fast and in your face. It was all very similar to (Louisburg) coach (Adrianne) Lane’s style and I am excited to continue playing that way.”

Baker joins a Coffeyville team that finished with a 21-13 record a year ago and reached the Region VI championship game. 

The Red Ravens are led by Tony Turner, who is entering his fifth season as head coach and he believes Baker will be able to help his team on the wing. 

Baker is also excited about getting started on the academic side as well as she hopes to become an athletic trainer.

“Coach Turner and I have talked quite a bit about where he sees me playing, since I play the 2-5 positions it gets kind of confusing,” Baker said. “He said he sees me going back to a true shooting guard, which I was very excited about. 

“My goals for Coffeyville are to help contribute and build off the successful season they just came off of. They have some good players that graduated and I’m ready to be that role player and do whatever it takes. Outside of basketball I plan to start on my journey of becoming an athletic trainer. They are one of the few community colleges in Kansas that offer special athletic training classes with a hands on program, which I am excited about.”

Baker had a big senior season for Louisburg as she finished as an All-Frontier League honorable mention. She averaged almost eight points and had more than three rebounds a game. She also finished with 17 steals and 10 blocked shots.

It was a memorable two years for Baker at Louisburg, and one she will always treasure.

“I feel my two years at Louisburg have helped turned me into the player I am,” Baker said. “When I first came here I hated everything about defense, which is Lane’s favorite part of the game, and she helped me grow to love it. Towards the end of my senior season I found myself often smiling because I was so eager to try and get the ball back. 

“I also switched positions coming here, which I feel like has helped me grow a ton as a player and helped me get a better understanding of the game. Without coach Lane, coach (Nick) Chapman, coach (Joel) McGhee, and coach (Leanna) Willer, I don’t think I would be where I am today. They have helped me grow and gain a type of confidence within myself to turn into the player I’ve become.”

Louisburg’s Delanie Tally will join the Midland University basketball program this upcoming season after earning all-league honors with the Lady Cats.

Basketball has been a big part of Delanie Tally’s life ever since she was in elementary school.

Starting next school year, its going to be an even bigger part as Tally has seen her dream become a reality — her dream to play college basketball.

Tally signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Midland University, an NAIA program in Fremont, Neb.

“I have been playing club basketball since the fifth grade, so it is really cool that I get to continue playing at the college level,” Tally said. “Club ball during sophomore year is when I first started getting looked at by different schools, and that is when I decided to make it a goal of mine to play in college.”

She achieved that goal and Midland helped make that happen. Tally took visits to several other program, and as it turned out, she saved her best for last.

Once she took the visit, Tally was drawn, not only by the athletic side, but the academic programs as well.

“Midland was actually the last school I visited, after many other potential schools,” Tally said. “I was waiting for something to stand out from the rest of the schools, and while athletics is what brought me to Midland, I soon learned that this was a very academic focused school, which is very important to me. 

“What stood out the most to me was the staff. They were not only very friendly, but they really strive to make a connection with each of their students and make sure they make it far in life following college. One of the first people I ran into on the visit was the President of Midland. She took the time to stop and introduce and welcome me to campus.”

As far as the basketball side goes, Tally enjoyed getting to know the coaching staff and she is excited to see where they will be able to improver her game.

“I immediately felt a good connection to this school once meeting the coaching staff,” Tally said. “They were very easy to talk to and mentioned that they liked how much of a ‘pest’ I was on defense. Then went into further detail about how they were looking for someone who isn’t afraid to be competitive, play scrappy on defense, and do what’s best for the team. 

“Once being told this, I knew that I could fulfill this role. I was expecting to talk to them for maybe 30 minutes, but we chatted for much longer, so I knew almost immediately it was a good fit.”

Tally has been one of the Lady Cats’ top 3-point shooters and her ability to score from the outside earned her All-Frontier League honors.

She was an honorable mention selection last season. Tally was second on the team in scoring for Louisburg as she averaged nearly 10 points a contest and led the Lady Cats with 47 3-pointers on the season. She also led Louisburg with 47 steals.

Tally is grateful for all she learned with the Louisburg program as she prepares to take the next step in her basketball journey.

“During my time spent at Louisburg High School, I have learned just how important academics are; not only for college but for shaping one’s life,” Tally said. “I feel like because of the teachers and the classes I took here, they have set me up for success moving forward into college. 

“As far as athletics, I’ve learned so many things about myself that I didn’t realize prior to high school. The Lady Cat basketball players always pushed me to do my very best and became teammates and friends that I will truly never forget.”

After serving as the starting point guard for the last three seasons, Louisburg’s Brianne Kuhlman will join the college basketball ranks at Peru State for the 23-24 season.

Brianne Kuhlman has been a vital part of the Louisburg girls basketball team the last three seasons.

Kuhlman was the Lady Cats’ starting point guard since her sophomore season and helped Louisburg to a third-place state finish back in 2021. Basketball, needless to say, has been a big part of her life.

So much so, that Kuhlman wasn’t ready to leave the sport that she loves behind.

Late in the spring, Kuhlman signed her letter of intent to play at Peru State College, an NAIA program in Peru, Neb., this upcoming season. It took her a little bit of time to decide, but when the finality of her high school career hit, Kuhlman knew she wasn’t ready to be done.

“I had been going back and forth for along time to decide to play or not,” Kuhlman said. “I thought about focusing on my education and just attend K-State for the best path for becoming a veterinarian. But it was around senior night I realized I wasn’t ready to be done yet, and there’s so many ways for my education route, but to have a chance to play basketball is only a one chance thing.”

After deciding to keep playing, Kuhlman needed to decide on where her new home would be and Peru State checked a lot of boxes.

“Peru State was the right fit for me but when I went there, we actually had very low thoughts that it was gonna even be an option,” Kuhlman said. “Then on the visit, the way the teachers and everyone was so welcoming and close, I just knew it was right for me. I only went on a few more visits after that and decided not to go on others. I just knew I loved the environment of Peru State and their science program and pre-vet options.”

Kuhlman was the floor general the past three seasons for Louisburg and was one of the top players in the Frontier League in 2023. She earned second team all-league honors.

On the season, she averaged 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. Kuhlman also led the team with 45 assists and had 26 steals.

“The Louisburg program really helped me to be prepared for the college level with all the extra summer work,” Kuhlman said. ‘The coaching staff was so encouraging and able to give me confidence and push me to play on. The program instills in us the little things that are gonna help me, and also instills in us a strong drive to always give 100 percent. I’m very lucky to have been a part of this program and the lessons it gave me to play on. Coach (Adrianne) Lane made so much possible and cared so much.”

Like she has done the last three seasons, Peru State recruited Kuhlman to be one of the team’s point guards and she is excited for her new opportunity. 

“They see me as a fit to remain as a point guard and being a big control player with leading and doing the little things like I was in high school,” Kuhlman said. “For myself, I just want to fit in with everyone and try new things. It will be super nice to have access to the gym so close anytime I want and have people to do that with, which is super exciting.”