Louisburg junior Emmett White earned second team honors for the Wildcats after he led the team with eight goals on the season.

Louisburg might not have had the season it wanted record-wise, but that didn’t mean the Wildcats didn’t have success. 

Individually, several Wildcats had strong seasons and it showed when the All-Frontier League soccer team was released.

Louisburg, which finished with a 4-13 record on the year, had five selections to the all-league squad, including a second team honor in junior Emmett White.

“Just like any other year, our league was pretty tough,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Small schools around the KC or Wichita metro areas are bound to be tough and attract talent. Once again, our league had a representative in the state quarterfinals with Baldwin, and two other teams were regional finalists (Eudora and Tonganoxie). I wish we’d been able to get more of our guys represented on the all-league team, but we did have a lot of talent in the league. Half of the first and second team members are seniors, so there’s room for our guys to move up next year.”

White led the Wildcats all season from the forward and midfield spots. He led Louisburg in scoring with eight goals, including three game-winners, and also finished with two assists.

He drew a lot of attention from the opposing defenses all season, but White still made a big jump from his sophomore to junior year.

“One thing that’s difficult for people outside the program to see is how much our guys have grown over this season,” Bovaird said. “We didn’t quite have the stats to back things up, but offensively and defensively, we made huge strides forward. Emmett was one player who showed the most growth. He’s been a starter since his freshman year, but he hadn’t gotten many goals until this year. He was also such a big motivational presence on the team as well. A silent leader whose work ethic was very inspirational.”

The Wildcats also had four honorable mention selections. Junior midfielder Colton Blue, junior defender Will Showalter, junior forward Jose Cuevas and senior forward John Powls.

Blue, who was a starter all season and a team captain, provided a steady influence in the midfield and finished the season with two goals and two assists. He also led the Wildcats with 17 shots on goal.

“Most of our successful offensive attacks began in the middle with Colton,” Bovaird said. “He’s also been the epitome of hard work. He had zero absences from practice, and battled through a nagging injury all season. His work ethic in the weight room in the off-season shows how hard work pays off. He showed true grit throughout the season, whether it was practice or games, and his teammates were rallied behind his example.”

Showalter was another team captain for the Wildcats and one of the leaders on the back line. He earned all-league honors as one of the team’s top defenders.

“Despite his size, Will proved that he can hang with the best players out there,” Bovaird said. “He combined his soccer talent with his smarts and his wrestling toughness to become an outstanding stopper for us. He rarely came off the field this season because of that.”

Powls’ season was cut short early in the year due to a knee injury, but the Louisburg forward was still recognized on the all-league list as he finished with a pair of goals.

“I’m very thankful for the league coaches selecting John to get honorable mention,” Bovaird said. “His senior season was shortened unfortunately, but he scored our first goal of the season against Leavenworth and also put us ahead of Bonner Springs in his final game before hurting his knee. He’d made huge strides despite also missing his freshman and junior seasons due to injuries.”

Cuevas filled in for Powls in the starting lineup after that and made an impact for the Wildcats. The Louisburg junior had four goals, including 11 shots on target.

“While Jose could always be depended upon to give 100 percent, he had a huge impact on the team with his overall positivity,” Bovaird said. “Nearly every game, he was the one lifting up his teammates, encouraging them, and cheering them on.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOCCER

FIRST TEAM

Cooper Carr, Baldwin, sophomore

Jake Rainforth, Spring Hill, junior

Josue Navarro, Ottawa, senior

Derek Lehmann, Eudora, senior

Timmy Shockey, Bonner Springs, senior

Zach Brueckner, Spring Hill, senior

Kaden Kerr, Eudora, senior

Dylan Kuntz, Baldwin, junior

Josh Audiss, Ottawa, junior

Andrea Columbano, Tonganoxie, senior

GOALIE: Angelo Giron, Bonner Springs, senior

SECOND TEAM

Emmett White, Louisburg, junior

Dylan Patterson, Baldwin, senior

Gavin Shupe, Tonganoxie, senior

Christian Koehn, Eudora, senior

Seth Oberkrom, Spring Hill, junior

Owen Andrewjeski, Bonner Springs, senior

Lachlan McRae, Tonganoxie, sophomore

Ethan Smasal, Baldwin, sophomore

Gabe Luna, Bonner Springs, sophomore

Aidan O’Dell, Spring Hill, freshman

GOALIE: Nate Steinlage, Eudora, junior

HONORABLE MENTION

Nicholas Johnson, Baldwin, junior

Tito Biles, Baldwin, junior

Ayden Ramirez, Eudora, senior

Leo Schoenberger, Baldwin, sophomore

Jason Jones, Bonner Springs, sophomore

Caleb Hepner, Ottawa, junior

Ian Rimmer, Baldwin, senior

Conner Barnum, Paola, senior

Jose Cuevas, Louisburg, junior

Jack Reed, Bonner Springs, senior

Kenny Grimm, Bonner Springs, senior

Colton Blue, Louisburg, junior

Carter Hepner, Ottawa, junior

Sawyer Holdsworth, Paola, sophomore

Emery Weiser, Tonganoxie, junior

Parker Simon, Spring Hill, junior

Oscar Pinela, Bonner Springs, freshman

Aiden Jameson, Baldwin, senior

Brayden Hayes, Eudora, junior

Will Showalter, Louisburg, junior

Seth Lovitt, Spring Hill, junior

John Powls, Louisburg, senior

Joe Ziembicki, Baldwin, senior

Sergio Medrano, Eudora, senior

Daniel Peterson, Eudora, junior

GOALIES: Jackson McWilliams, Tonganoxie, senior; Gus Boyle, Baldwin, junior

ROELAND PARK — The Louisburg boys soccer had the unenviable task of squaring off with the defending state champion, Bishop Miege, in the first round of the Class 4-1A regional tournament. 

The difficultly level went up a couple notches as the two teams played the entire 80 minutes in a downpour Tuesday at Bishop Miege. 

The Wildcat hopes of an upset was washed away early as the Stags poured on the goals en route to a 10-0 loss for Louisburg. Miege went on to win the regional title over Eudora on Thursday.

“The conditions were absolutely miserable, but we were in the same boat as the majority of the teams in the state,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Some teams played Monday night, but I’m glad we had the chance to get one more practice under our belts before we took on Miege. Tuesday’s weather definitely changed the way we played. We were soaking wet and our cleats were heavier than usual. The ball wasn’t moving the same, and with the wind sending the rain down in diagonal sheets, it made it tough to see the full field. 

“We’ve been very fortunate this season with weather, and we just weren’t prepared for how Tuesday’s conditions would impact the game. Taking on the 7-time state champs was also a tough reality. For the third time in four years, we saw our season hopes dashed by Miege. That doesn’t make it any easier. They were bigger, faster, and more experienced. No one wants to see their season ends to a team like Miege in conditions like what we had Tuesday night. It’s got to be something we learn from, though. The guys have to remember how that game felt and use it as motivation in the off-season.”

Both teams had trouble finding their footing in the first half, but the Stags still took a 3-0 lead at halftime. 

Miege opened up the scoring in the second half with seven goals and Louisburg ended its season with a 4-13 record.

Although the record wasn’t what the Wildcats were hoping for, Bovaird saw a lot of progress from a team that featured just three returning varsity players from the year before.

“The team we finished with in October was much different from the team we started with in August,” he said. “Everyone made so many huge strides. The reality of things is that we began the season with two returning starters (Emmett White and Colton Blue) and one player with significant varsity time last year (Jacob Brown). A few others received some playing time in 2022, but not much. Essentially, our team this year was a group of kids with junior varsity experience. We were underdogs from the start, but we managed to do some outstanding things along the way. Our first game of the season saw a heroic comeback for a 3-2 victory. We held off Spring Hill to win 1-0 at home. We dominated our opponent at home for the Cancer Awareness Game. Several other games were winnable for us — Independence (2-1), Pittsburg (2-0), Bonner Springs (2-1 in OT), Eudora (1-0), Ottawa (2-4), and Tonganoxie (1-0) were all games that could have gone either way, in my opinion. 

“We had three freshmen with considerable varsity time, as well as a very solid bunch of sophomores. In goal, Evan Moreland went from a first-year player who split time on JV to having over 130 saves his sophomore year. Next year, we don’t have to reload and replace a bunch of graduating seniors. We have the chance to reflect on our season and make improvements for next year. We’ve had some special teams over the years, but something about this group gives me the feeling that the 2024 season will be just as special as any other.”

Louisburg junior Ethan Sharp heads the ball away Tuesday during the Wildcats’ home contest against Piper.

It wasn’t the Senior Night the Louisburg boys soccer team was hoping for Tuesday.

In what was the Wildcats’ final game of the regular season, they were tasked with going up against a talented side in Piper — a Class 5A program. 

Louisburg lost the regular season finale, 5-1, to the Pirates but the Wildcats showed a lot of fight as they fell to 4-12 on the season.

“I think we definitely kept a competitive mindset going into the game,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Piper had a lot of speed, height, and experience on us. Everyone but their goalie and one of their subs was a senior. Our guys showed some grit, though. They didn’t back down from Piper’s physical style of play, and I’m pretty proud of how they didn’t let themselves get bullied.”

The Wildcats did get a chance to celebrate their senior class as they honored their lone player — John Powls — and two managers Lexi Hampton and Ava Halbert.

Powls suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the year, but got a chance to suit up and start. He was introduced with his teammates before being subbed out shortly after the start of the match.

“John has had such a rough go with injuries during his high school career,” Bovaird said. “His sophomore year was really the only season he played a full season. This year started off so well for him, being a starter up top and scoring two goals in our first four games. He would have been making a big difference for us throughout the season, so I’m really glad that he got the chance to suit up and be a part of the opening kickoff Thursday night.”

Piper jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage, but the Wildcats were able to cut into the Pirate lead as junior Emmett White dribbled into the box in the 27th minute. White’s shot hit off a Piper goalie, but he was able to get the rebound and took advantage of the empty net for the goal.

The Pirates added another score to take a 3-1 lead at halftime. Piper had two more second half goals to seal the win over the Wildcats.

Now, Louisburg will focus on the postseason as it begins the Class 4-1A regional tournament next week. Tournament brackets will be announced Saturday.

“The thing is, we just need to keep the right mindset as a team,” Bovaird said. “We can step out there and play against anyone, whether they’re 4A or 6A, on turf or on grass. It’s been a season full of progress and growth. From game 1 to our final game against Piper, it’s a much different and improved team. They’re excited to see what we’re capable of doing, and that’s all I can ask of the team.”

Sophomore Owen Marsh dribbles past the Paola defense Tuesday during the Wildcats’ 5-0 victory over the Panthers.

After being on the wrong end of a pair of close matches, the Louisburg boys soccer team wanted to get back in the win column.

The Wildcats did that and then some Tuesday when they hosted rival Paola in a Frontier League match. Louisburg scored four second half goals and came away with a 5-0 victory over the Panthers.

Louisburg improved its record to 4-10 as the Wildcats got a big boost of confidence as the regular season inches toward a close.

“We’ve been itching to get back into the win column since we lost to Ottawa and then Tonganoxie,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “It’s been rough this season taking so many losses, but when you look at it, there were many winnable games that could have gone our way if a few things had gone differently. We just needed to get that confidence boost, and doing so against our rival Paola was a nice touch.

“Against Paola, we were able to get off more shots and crosses than we’d done in any other game this season. That’s one thing we really needed — to be able to have those offensive attacks in a live game situation. Doing them at practice in scrimmages is one thing, but getting the experience against an opponent is where we really get to figure things out.”

The Wildcats dominated possession from the opening whistle and had plenty of opportunities to score early. Louisburg only found the back of the net one time in the first half on a goal from Jose Cuevas on an assist from Emmett White.

Louisburg picked up the scoring in the second half as White added two goals, including one that was assisted by Cuevas. Freshman Brody Bovaird scored his first varsity goal, while Cuevas also added another to give himself two scores in the contest.

On the night, the Wildcats took 41 shots and had 14 that were on target. White led the way with 12 shots, while Cuevas and Owen Marsh each had eight.

Marsh, White and Jacob Brown each had an assist for Louisburg.

“The first half, we had so many shots that were way off target and we weren’t getting the ball out wide for outside attacks in the air,” coach Bovaird said. “Second half was a different story. The guys played with more patience and more focus. We got off twice as many crosses and we had nine shots on target. It was definitely a matter of keeping the guys patient and focused.

“When players start to realize that their attacks aren’t being very effective, they often start thinking too much about it and lose their focus. They start getting desperate and do things that go against their training, and then before you know it, the game looks more like herd-ball than soccer. I’m proud of how the guys stayed focused and disciplined. They did a much better job of playing up to our level Tuesday night.”

The Wildcats weren’t tested much defensively and gave up just one shot on the night to the Panthers. Goalie Evan Moreland earned the clean sheet.

It was also a win off the field for Louisburg as it hosted its annual Cancer Awareness Game and raised more than $1,500 for a local family battling cancer.

“The win against Paola was a pretty big moral victory,” Bovaird said. “It was a game we were able to come out and get some goals, it was against our big rival, and it was on our Cancer Awareness night. The best thing about that game was seeing everyone supporting one another. So much positive energy on the field and on the bench.”

Louisburg is back at it tonight as the Wildcats travel to Turner. Varsity is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Louisburg junior Colton Blue settles a pass during a match earlier this season. The Wildcats earned a 3-0 win Tuesday at Chanute.

CHANUTE — The Louisburg boys soccer team snapped an eight-game losing skid last week, but on Tuesday at Chanute, the Wildcats got a chance to start a different kind of streak.

Louisburg earned — not only its second straight win — but back-to-back shutouts with a 3-0 victory on the road over Chanute.

After earning a big win over Spring Hill last week, Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird was happy to see his team build off it against the Blue Comets.

“That was the sort of win we needed,” Bovaird said. “Getting two in a row is a huge confidence booster. They’d beaten Pittsburg, 2-1, a couple of weeks ago, so on paper, one might assume that they would be a superior team. The thing about our Pittsburg game is that we dominated the game, but they were able to score in the first minute of the game as well as the final minute. We had a ton of shots that we just couldn’t land that game. 

“This was our first road victory of the season, and it’s tough to get a win away from home. There might be hostile crowds, officials who call the game different from what we’re used to, and field conditions that aren’t favorable. Regardless, we stepped up and played with a ton of heart. Before the game, I told the guys that they need to step on the field with confidence, passion, and enthusiasm, and that’s what they did.”

Louisburg junior Emmett White got the scoring started for the Wildcats midway through the first half. White received a pass from Jacob Brown and took the shot from about 25 yards out that curved over the goalkeeper’s head for the opening goal.

The Wildcats (3-8) took a 2-0 lead late in the first half when freshman Brody Bovaird crossed the ball to Jose Cuevas in the box and the Louisburg junior put it away. It would be the first of two goals for Cuevas on the day.

Louisburg sealed the win early in the second half when White dribbled down the left side of the field and made the cross to Cuevas who found the back of the net.

“We were making great connections all night with our offense,” coach Bovaird said. “All summer we talked about playing possession soccer, and when the time is right, the shots will be there. Games like the Chanute one give the guys affirmation that we’re working toward things the right way.”

Wildcat goalie Evan Moreland earned his second straight clean sheet and got some help from his back line of Ethan Sharp, Will Showalter, Dan Minster and Cole Clover.

“Our defense played a very solid game and showed a lot of guts,” coach Bovaird said. “For the second straight game, Evan had a clean sheet, and he’s really connecting very well with our center backs Ethan Sharp and Will Showalter. We got to a point where I started putting in our reserves, and a lot of younger guys got to see some playing time. The whole time they were on the field, the group held their own and contained the Chanute attacks. I’m very proud of what we saw from everyone that game.”

Louisburg will try for three straight victories today when it travels to Ottawa. Varsity is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week four of the fall sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

EMMETT WHITE, JUNIOR, SOCCER

Louisburg junior Emmett White has been the go-to-scorer for the Wildcat boys soccer team this season and White came through in a big way last Thursday in Louisburg’s upset victory over Spring Hill. White converted a penalty kick in the second half to help the Wildcats to a 1-0 upset win over the Broncos at home.

On the season, the Louisburg forward has scored a team-high five goals to go along with 21 shots on the season. Earlier in the year, White scored two second half goals to give Louisburg a season-opening win over Leavenworth.

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

Previous winners:

Week 1: Declan Battle

Week 2: Megan Quinn

Week 3: Maddy Rhamy

Louisburg junior Emmett White celebrates with his teammates after converting a penalty kick Thursday at home against Spring Hill.

It had been a rough eight-game stretch for the Louisburg boys soccer team.

After winning their season opener, the Wildcats were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak when Spring Hill came to town Thursday.

The streak is no more.

Louisburg upset a Spring Hill squad, that is one of the top teams in the Frontier League, 1-0, as the Wildcats picked up their first league victory. 

The Wildcats scored on a penalty kick early in the second half. The match was then called with 27 minutes remaining in regulation due to inclement weather.

“Getting the win was a huge boost for the guys — one that we really needed,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “LHS soccer hasn’t experienced something a streak like that for a long time, and this program is accustomed to winning games. This year, the mindset has been that while we may run into teams with more talent and experience, we’re not going to let anyone out-hustle us. No one plays with greater heart than we do, and that’s what it took to pull off the win against Spring Hill. That, and a little help from Mother Nature.”

The match was scoreless at halftime, but the Wildcats got on the board just minutes into the second half. 

Junior forward Jose Cuevas was fouled in the box and Louisburg was awarded a penalty kick. Junior Emmett White took the chance and found the back of the net to give the Wildcats the lead.

“Emmett has been a great leader with his work ethic and energy,” Bovaird said. “He’s a silent leader in a lot of ways, but when he scores a goal, you get to see a lot of emotion come out with him. That PK was a big confidence booster, not just for him, but for the rest of the guys as well. 

“We came into the second half knowing that there was bad weather looming on the horizon and that Spring Hill had probably just gotten ripped by their coach. We knew that time was not on our side and that we needed to be ready for them to come at us hard. Jose got a great opportunity to take the ball to goal, he got fouled inside the box, and we were able to have Emmett put it away.”

The match ensued for another five minutes before lightning in the area delayed the match. It was eventually called as one half of completed action is enough for an official game.

However, Spring Hill nearly had a goal early in the first half. The Broncos found the back of the net in the 12th minute, but the goal was disallowed as the Broncos were called for interference with the goalie.

Louisburg goalie Evan Moreland had a busy game with five saves to go along with four blocked shots to earn the clean sheet. One of those saves was just a minute before the match was called as Moreland stopped a shot right before the ball was about to cross the line.

The Wildcat defense of Ethan Sharp, Dan Minster, Will Showalter, Cole Clover and Mika McKitrick tried to hold off the Bronco attack as long as they could.

Spring Hill controlled possession for much of the match and took 21 shots and had six corner kicks during the 53 minutes of action. Still, the Wildcats did enough to get their second win of the season.

The Wildcats (2-8) will try for back-to-back wins Tuesday when they travel to Chanute. The match is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Louisburg falls to Baldwin

Last Tuesday, Louisburg traveled to another one of the Frontier League’s top teams in Baldwin.

The Bulldogs handed Louisburg a 8-1 loss at Baldwin High School after they scored five first half goals.

Louisburg got its lone score in the first half when freshman Fletcher Viterna found the back of the net for his first varsity goal.

Louisburg forward Owen Marsh works for an opening during a match earlier this season.

Ever since its win in the season opener, the Louisburg boys soccer team has faced its fair share of obstacles and tough breaks.

The Wildcats have played overtime matches, suffered other close losses and have gone up against bigger schools and programs. They have also had to deal with their fair share of injuries.

Louisburg just finished up a six-game stretch in 11 days that saw the Wildcats have to fight through those bumps and bruises. It ended this past week with a pair of losses to Eudora and Topeka High.

On Thursday, the Wildcats lost a tough 1-0 match to Eudora, before falling 4-0 on Saturday on the road against Topeka. Louisburg has lost its last seven matches, but for a roster filled with young, inexperienced players, they are battling to the end.

“The Eudora and Topeka games mark the end of a gauntlet that we’ve been running these past two weeks,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “I mean, six games in 11 days is pretty tough for any team, let alone team as young as we are. 

“Our schedule can be pretty brutal, but our goal is to prepare our guys for each game so that they play their best, regardless of the size of our opponents’ schools.”

Against Eudora, the Cardinals scored the game’s lone goal midway through the first half on a cross into the box.

The Wildcats had their fair share of opportunities as they took 12 shots on the night, including three from Emmett White. Owen Marsh and Colton Blue also had shots on target.

Louisburg goalie Evan Moreland helped keep the game close with six saves and two blocked shots.

“We went head-to-head with Eudora, a team with quite a bit of returning experience and leadership,” Bovaird said. “They’ve had some tough losses this season, and I’m very proud with how we battled.”

On Saturday against Topeka, the Wildcats squared off with the Class 6A team and the Trojans put the pressure on the Wildcats from the start.

Topeka scored two first half goals and took 43 shots on the day, including 19 on target. Moreland was busy in the net with 15 saves, including eight blocked shots.

“Topeka is a very talented 6A team, and they put a lot of speed and power on the field,” Bovaird said. “That team is a shooting team, that’s for sure. We held our own with them the second half of the game and limited their shots from outside as much as we could.”

Louisburg will have another tough week ahead of itself as it will square off with two of the Frontier League’s top teams in Baldwin and Spring Hill. The Wildcats travel to Baldwin today for a league match.

As tough as the schedule is, Bovaird sees his young team improving each time out.

“Each game sees a marked improvement from our guys,” he said. “It’s not evident from the scoreboard or the stat sheets, but you can see growth and development happening all over the field. We’re young, but no one is going to out-work us this season.”

Louisburg’s Caleb Feldkamp pushes the ball up the field during a home match last week. The Wildcats fell to Bonner Springs in overtime on Thursday.

The Louisburg boys soccer team just finished up a stretch of three matches in four days — quite the haul for a team with just two returning starters from a year ago.

After losing the first of those three against Pittsburg last Wednesday, the Wildcats hosted Bonner Springs the very next day in hopes of getting back on track. Unfortunately, the Wildcats fell short following a 2-1 loss in the second overtime. 

The hardships continued Saturday when the Wildcats made the trip to Kansas City to face off with Harmon and lost 10-0 to the Class 6A school.

It definitely took its toll on the Wildcats as they suffered several injuries during that span, including losing starting forward John Powls for the season with a knee injury.

“Three games in four days is tough, and this week, we’re looking at three more games in five days,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “The athletes’ bodies need recovery time, but this year we were constrained with scheduling conflicts as we rebuild our competition schedule. We’re getting dinged up pretty good, and there are some bugs floating around. The kids just get back in school, and I don’t think their immune systems are strong enough to battle some of the bugs and sicknesses. 

“In a perfect world, we would be able to play the appropriate level teams and have the appropriate amount of rest in between games. Hopefully, the guys were able to take Sunday off and let their bodies rest.”

Against Bonner Springs, the Wildcats jumped out in front late in the first half when Powls scored the opening goal on an assist from Colton Blue. Powls’ shot was from just outside the box that found the corner of the net.

Bonner Springs answered with a goal of its own right before halftime to tie it at 1-all. The game then went to double overtime, and it was there the Braves scored with 50 seconds left on a Louisburg own goal to hand the Wildcats the setback.

“The Bonner game was a heart-breaker,” Bovaird said. “To go the distance of a full game and almost all the way through both overtimes, and then to have the game-winning-goal scored with less than a minute left was devastating for the guys. Before the game started, we talked about the key to the game being a mindset of bouncing back. I told the guys to keep a tight hold on their confidence and to trust in the process. 

“The Pittsburg game was a victory for us everywhere except for on the scoreboard, so we needed to bring that same confidence against Bonner. I really felt we did just that. Things happened beyond our control, however. We had two starters go out with serious injuries and you could tell that a few of our other starters were battling some nagging injuries and sickness.”

The Wildcats (1-4) had their chances in the match as Powls and Blue each had two shots on target, while Emmett White and Caleb Feldkamp each had one. 

Sophomore keeper Evan Moreland was busy guarding the net with seven saves and five blocked shots in the match, including three saves in the two overtimes.

Against Harmon, the Wildcats were playing catchup from the opening whistle as Harmon scored six goals in the first half and ended the game with four more in the second.

“After the Harmon game, I told the guys that this was a new experience for me,” Bovaird said. “I’ve never been on the other end of a game being called due to the mercy rule. It’s humbling, that’s for sure, and I can only imagine how they were feeling. But that’s life, you know? You can’t go through life taking the easy path, and you can’t build a program by scheduling competitions against lesser opponents. You have to be willing to step out there and scrap with the big dogs sometimes, and sometimes you’re gonna get your tail kicked. It hurts and it’s so hard on your pride, but at the end of the day, it’s just a high school sport. 

“I told the guys that they’ll go home and get some rest, and they’ll wake up the next morning and their parents and families will still love them and be proud of them. We’ll get back on the field Monday after school and get ready for the next challenge. Harmon was an incredibly disciplined team on the field. They moved with precision, they passed and moved off the ball better than any team we’ve seen this season or last season, they were patient with their tackles, and they kept their shape and listened to their coach very well.”

Louisburg will try and rebound Tuesday when the Wildcats travel to Lansing. Varsity is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Louisburg midfielder Colton Blue pushes the ball up the field Wednesday during the Wildcats’ home match against Pittsburg.

For 78 of the 80 minutes, Louisburg did exactly what it wanted to do against Independence.

It was the other two minutes that haunted the Wildcats afterward.

Pittsburg scored in the opening minute, and then again in the final minute, to hand Louisburg a 2-0 setback Wednesday in Louisburg.

The Wildcats controlled 60 percent of the possession and outshot the Dragons, but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats suffered their second straight loss.

“We played 78 minutes of solid soccer, but it was the opening minute and the closing minute when they got some great chances to capitalize on our mistakes,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “I feel frustrated, not because of how we played, but I feel frustrated for the guys. That was definitely a game we could have won.”

Despite getting down 1-0 early on in the match, that didn’t faze the Wildcats as they would go on outshoot the Dragons 24-9 the rest of the way.

Louisburg (1-2) nearly tied it up later in the first half when junior Emmett White hit a shot off the crossbar and went straight down, just missing the line.

The Wildcats survived a scare of their own in the second half when Pittsburg was awarded a penalty kick, but could convert as it was knocked away by goalie Evan Moreland to keep the game within striking distance.

Junior Colton Blue led the Wildcats with nine shots on the night, including three shots on target. White finished with seven, while sophomore Owen Marsh had three.

Then with under a minute remaining, Pittsburg iced the match with its final goal to put it out of reach for Louisburg.

“On the stat sheet, there were so many great things for us,” Bovaird said. “We out-shot them 24-10, but we just couldn’t get many on target. Defensively, the guys are coming together and figuring things out. Offensively, we’re gradually making our attacks more and more dangerous.”

Louisburg will try and stop its two-game losing streak tonight as the Wildcats host Bonner Springs in a Frontier League matchup.

Louisburg loses on the road to Independence

INDEPENDENCE — After coming off a thrilling season-opening win against Leavenworth, Louisburg was hoping to make it two in a row last Thursday.

The Wildcats went on the road to square off with Independence, but couldn’t get that back-to-back victory as they fell 2–1 to the Bulldogs in what was a tightly-played contest.

Louisburg had some opportunities and had its fair share of possession, but couldn’t find the back of the net until late in the contest.

“This season is going to be all about learning as we go,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Most of the team is earning their stripes for the first time on varsity. Against Independence, we had over 50 percent possession throughout the game, but we just couldn’t break through with our offense. They played a flat line in defense, and from the sideline they looked very vulnerable. We went down a goal early in the first half, despite controlling much of the game. 

“The start of the second half, we were much smoother and more confident. It got to be a very physical game, so we learned a few things about that style of soccer. The guys played well, but like I said, we’ve got a lot of growth and learning as we go through the season.”

Independence scored a goal in each half to go up 2-0, before the Wildcats were awarded a penalty kick with three minutes left in the match. Junior Emmett White converted the PK, but the Wildcats could get no closer.

Junior Colton Blue led the Wildcats with four shots on the night and White had two. Sophomore Owen Marsh finished with one.