Louisburg sophomore Ryan Haight heads the ball away from a Paola defender Tuesday in Louisburg. Haight and the Wildcats rolled to a 4-0 victory over the Panthers and are 3-0 to start the season.

Winning doesn’t always come easy, but it has so far for the Louisburg High School boys soccer team and it continued Tuesday against Paola.

The Wildcats picked up their third consecutive win on the season as they scored three first half goals to knock off the Panthers, 4-0, and Louisburg picked up its second Frontier League win in the process. In its three wins to start the season, Louisburg has outscored its opponents 19-1 and now has back to back shutouts.

Louisburg also handed Paola its first loss on the season, in which the Wildcats put the Panthers in a hole early and Paola didn’t have an answer.

“Paola is a team that was playing really well and had a couple of really nice wins under their belt,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “I think it is very impressive how the boys came out to start the game. We played quick and attacked. Paola was getting on teams early and we stressed how imperative it is for us to come ready to play. We did a very nice job executing and taking advantage of what they gave us.”

Opportunities were aplenty early in the first half and the Wildcats were able to find the back of the net often.

Junior Brock Bila, who finished the game with two goals, scored first as he received a pass from sophomore Landon Johnson into the box and shot it past the Paola goalie for the lead.

Moments later, it was Jarod Rose’s turn. Senior Grant Ryals sent a booming kick from midfield into the box, where Rose beat a Paola defender and the goalie for his first varsity goal and the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead less than 15 minutes into the contest.

“Brock is off to a great start thus far for us,” Conley said. “It was also really good to see Jarod get that goal. He has been getting really close for us the past couple games. It was great to see all of his hard work pay off. Jarod is a testament to what a kid with a great work ethic and hard work can achieve.”

Midway through the first half, senior Raistlin Brewer took a pass from Eli Minster for the Wildcats’ third score and all but sealed the win for Louisburg.

Defender Kris Light heads the ball away from the goal Tuesday against Paola.

Senior goalie Ambrose Stefan picked up his second consecutive shutout as the Wildcat defense allowed Paola only five shots on goal and Stefan had four saves. The back line of Kyle Allen, Kris Light, Scott Murphy and Will Frank didn’t give up many Panther attacks.

“Our defense is improving each and every day,” Conley said. “We are still trying to gel as a unit, but I am very pleased with how we are playing right now. We have not been truly tested to this point. The (upcoming) game against Spring Hill will show us where we are as a team and how our defense ranks up.”

Conley also liked what he saw out of sophomore Ryan Haight and his defensive midfield spot. Haight, along with Ryals, were marked up on Paola’s top scorers and didn’t allow many possessions on the defensive side of the field.

“Ryan was fantastic,” Conley said. “He was responsible for taking away their best player and he did exactly that. Ryan and Grant Ryals are playing really, really well right now. I am pleased with how they are working together and playing off of one another.”

Louisburg will try and keep its undefeated season going tonight when it travels to Spring Hill. The varsity match is set to begin at approximately 6 p.m.

Louisburg senior Jarod Rose wins a 50-50 ball from a Fort Scott player during the Wildcats’ season opener on Aug. 29. Rose and the Wildcats got their first road win of the season Thursday with a 4-0 win over Ottawa.

Two days after coming off an easy win in its opener, the Louisburg High School boys soccer team faced its first road test of the season Thursday in Ottawa.

It may not have been pretty at times, but the Wildcats put it together in the final 50 minutes as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over Ottawa and captured their first Frontier League victory.

“We started out playing very flat and selfish,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “After about the first 20-30 minutes we played much better and moved the ball very well! We played with a massive amount of energy and at a high pace.

“I think our midfield was the key and we finally finished some of our opportunities. I think it was important that we played a complete game and controlled the flow of the game.”

A big piece of that midfield was sophomore Landon Johnson as he was involved in each of the team’s four scores. Johnson finished with a pair of goals and assisted on the other two.

The match was scoreless just before halftime as Johnson made a pass to senior Raistlin Brewer. The Louisburg senior then found the back of the net to give the Wildcats the lead.

Louisburg (2-0) doubled that lead just three minutes later as Johnson scored his first goal of the night, which gave the Wildcats momentum going into halftime.

About 10 minutes into the second half, Louisburg struck again as junior Brock Bila made it 3-0 off an assist from Johnson. Bila has now scored six goals in two games after his big performance earlier in the week against Fort Scott.

Johnson sealed the win late in the second half with his second goal as the Wildcats left Ottawa with two-game winning streak.

The Louisburg defense limited Ottawa’s chances to just six shots on goal and goalie Ambrose Stefan earned his first shutout of the season with five saves.

Louisburg returns to action tonight when it hosts undefeated Paola. Junior varsity will play a shortened game at 4:30 p.m. and varsity will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m.

JV wins first two games to start season

The Louisburg junior varsity has done its best to mimic the varsity players as the Wildcats opened their season with a pair of wins, as well.

Most recently, Louisburg defeated Ottawa 3-0 on Thursday behind goals from Deven Wieland, Jacob Andersen and Eli Minster. Treston Carlson, Haden Yeager and Minster each added assists as well.

Sophomore goalie Thomas Arnett earned the shutout for the second straight game.

The Wildcats had an easy time in their opener on Aug. 29 as they rolled Fort Scott, 6-0.

Minster led Louisburg with three goals as he recorded his first hat trick and Andersen found the back of the net twice. Eric Vazquez finished the contest with a goal and an assist, while Minster, Andersen and Carlson each had an assist.

Louisburg junior Brock Bila makes a Fort Scott defender miss before one of his five goals Tuesday during the Wildcats’ season opener against the Tigers. The Wildcats rolled to an 11-1 win. 

Brock Bila hasn’t had a lot of time to acclimate himself to the Louisburg High School boys soccer program.

The transfer from Blue Valley Northwest is in his first year with the Wildcat team, but all that didn’t seem to bother Bila during Louisburg’s season opener against Fort Scott.

Bila, a forward, scored five goals and helped the Wildcats to an 11-1 win over the Tigers on Tuesday in Louisburg. It was a great start for the Wildcats and their newcomer.

“Brock has been working really hard to figure out our system and expectations of his position,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “He did have quite the debut. He did a very nice job making adjustments and playing unselfish towards the middle to end of the game. He is still learning and will still improve quite a bit throughout the season.”

Bila was one of many positives for the Wildcats in their opener as they took the attack to Fort Scott and never let up. Louisburg scored four second half goals, but it really picked up the pace in the second half as it scored seven times to end the game with the mercy rule.

“It is always a great feeling to start the season off with a win,” Conley said. “I felt we started off playing a little uptight and nervous. I felt we forced the issue a little bit and kids were trying to do too much. After about the first 20 minutes of the game we settled down and started to play our game. We moved the ball and made a lot of diagonal runs. I was pleased with the adjustments we made throughout the game and how we played together and as a unit.”

The Wildcats (1-0) got good play out of its midfield as four different players scored from that spot. Sophomore Landon Johnson scored a pair of goals, while seniors Grant Ryals, Raistlin Brewer and junior Jacob Anderson also found the back of the net.

Senior defender Kyle Allen also got in on the scoring fun with the game’s second goal in the first half. Senior Jarod Rose, junior Eli Minster, Johnson, Ryals and Andersen each added an assist as well.

Louisburg sophomore Ryan Haight slides in to take the ball away Tuesday against Fort Scott.

Louisburg accomplished all this with having several players out due to injury and Conley liked what saw from his team overall.

“I felt that the boys played as a unit and played hard,” Conley said. “With being short on substitutes because of injuries, we are playing with more of a next man up attitude. I felt that Ryan Haight played really, really well. He seemed to be all over the field making plays. Grant did a very nice job controlling the pace of play starting our possession.”

Bila got the scoring started with a goal eight minutes into the contest and Allen followed it up with another goal just a few minutes later. Brewer had the game’s third goal after he ended up with a rebound off a header from Eric Vazquez near the net and put it away.

Ryals then took a free kick from just outside the box and scored to make it a 4-0 game at halftime.

The Wildcats seemed to put it altogether in the second half as Bila scored four times along with two goals from Johnson and another from Andersen. Johnson’s second goal envoked the mercy rule.

“We really made a lot of adjustments at halftime and talked about the looks we need to see,” Conley said. “The kids did a very nice job listening and letting the ball do the work. I feel that was one of the best aspects for us to take away from that game. We did a very nice job adjusting to their style of play and we took advantage of what they gave us.”

Louisburg will try for its second consecutive win Thursday when it travels to Ottawa for its first road contest. Junior varsity will begin at 4:30 p.m. and varsity will follow at 6.

Louisburg High School senior Grant Ryals changes directions with the ball during the team’s scrimmage Friday. Ryals, along with fellow senior Kris Light and Scott Murphy, were named team captains for the upcoming season.

The season for the Louisburg High School boys soccer team might have ended with a pair of losses, but even with that, the Wildcats had the best finish in program history.

Louisburg came in fourth in the Class 4-1A state tournament last season in Topeka and left a lot within the program feeling good about they accomplished.

That feeling has since faded as the Wildcats are more focused on making a second consecutive trip to state this coming season. The players know the road to state is going to be more difficult this time around.

“Last year has given us the confidence to get back there, but we have to fight for what we have,” senior Kris Light said. “Everyone else is going to come for us after placing at state, so we have to uphold what we had last year. Every game is going to be a challenge.”

The Wildcats lost seven seniors off of last season’s team, including a trio of all-state players in midfielder Noah Juarez and defenders Jacob Benne and Curran Conklin. Despite that, Louisburg will suit up 10 seniors this year, including several players who played big roles on last season’s team.

Despite the loss of Juarez, Louisburg hopes to form a strong midfield with seniors Grant Ryals, Raistlin Brewer, Christian Scholtz, junior Eric Vazquez, and sophomores Ryan Haight and Landon Johnson.

Ryals, who was named team captain along with Light and Scott Murphy, returns to lead the Wildcats after earning first team all-Frontier League honors last season and was named second team all-state. Johnson was also selected honorable mention all-league.

“I think this group has a chance to be very special, but unfortunately with injuries, there are going to have to be some changes,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “When healthy though, I think this group will be as good as any midfield that we go against. If these young men stay within themselves and play the system, I honestly feel that we will be a very, very dangerous team.”

Louisburg senior Ambrose Stefan returns as the Wildcat starting goalkeeper.

Louisburg will also feature a lot of experience on the defensive side of the ball. Light and Murphy, both seniors, return to lead the Wildcat back line. Senior goalie Ambrose Stefan also returns for his second year as a starter in the net.

Light and Stefan both earned all-state and all-league honors last season. Seniors Kyle Allen, Jarod Rose and sophomore William Frank hope to fill the void left by Conklin and Benne and Conley knows his defense will be another strength the Wildcats can rely on.

“Unlike last year’s team, we are actually returning some defensive players,” Conley said. “Having some experience in the back definitely helps with the learning curve. We will also have several inexperienced players in the back so communication will be vital. I think losing Curran and Jacob are going to be really hard to replace because they literally shout the outside of the field down.

“With the young men we have filling those roles their work ethic is second to none. It will take some time for us to gel as a unit, but we will be a very determined and fit defense. The expectation is that Ambrose will be even better this year, after his breakout year last year.”

In his second year on defense, Murphy said his group knows what it will take to be successful this year.

“We lost some really good outside backs, but I think we have the kids to step up and take care of those spots,” Murphy said. “Communication is the most important thing. If we are not talking and organized, then we are going to give up goal after goal. I learned that my sophomore year. We didn’t talk a lot and we lost a lot of games because we didn’t know what was going on.”

Raistlin Brewer is one of 10 Louisburg seniors this season.

Juniors Eli Minster, Brock Bila and Chris Williams will man the forward spot as the Wildcats begin their journey toward another state tournament appearance.

‘Making it to state was huge for this year,” Ryals said. “We actually saw a rise in attendance and we actually had to make cuts for the first time in a few years. We did lose a lot of seniors, but we also had a lot of juniors, sophomores and a freshman that started for us last year. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the season.

“If we could make it to state again for the second year in a row, I think that would be a huge accomplishment. Our goal is to definitely get a regional championship first, and after that, take it game by game.”

After leading Louisburg to its best finish in school history in just his first season with the program, Conley is excited to see what is in store for his second year.

“I think this team will have a big target on our back,” Conley said. “We will not be able to sneak up on anyone like we did last year. I expect each and every night will be a dog fight. I anticipate us to get everyone’s best shot. We will have a team goal of a regional championship. We will have some additional goals, but with the caliber of teams we play and that are in our league, we will have our work cut out for us.”

Louisburg opens its season Tuesday when it hosts Fort Scott. Junior varsity will play first at 4:30 p.m. and varsity will follow at approximately 6 p.m.

Louisburg senior Dalton Ribordy makes a save during the team’s intrasquad scrimmage Friday. The Wildcats open their season Tuesday at home against Fort Scott.

The Louisburg High School boys soccer team hit the field for a tune-up Friday during the team’s annual scrimmage at the Wildcat Sports Complex.

The Wildcat varsity went up against the junior varsity during the first 40 minutes of the match, before dividing into teams for the second half.

Here are some photos from the action. Louisburg will face Fort Scott in its season opener Tuesday in Louisburg.

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Louisburg drum major Chloe Philgreen directs the band during the Fall Community Pep Rally on Thursday at Louisburg High School.

Parents and students at Louisburg High School flooded the LHS gymnasium Thursday for the 20th Annual Community Pep Rally that was sponsored by First National Bank.

They were all provided with a free meal courtesy of First National and Chris Cakes, which was followed by the introduction of all the fall sports and activities. The LHS cheerleaders and Jazzy Cats performed routines, while the Wildcat band also performed musical numbers throughout the evening.

Below is a photo gallery from the event on what was a great way to kick off the school year.

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Louisburg senior Kris Light goes through a drill during the first day of soccer practice Monday. All four Wildcat teams got their season started with workouts on Monday as the fall sports season kicks off.

Summer time and vacations are coming to an end just in time for fall sports to heat up as four Louisburg High School teams had their first day of practice Monday.

The Wildcat cross country, football, soccer and volleyball teams got the 2017 season kicked off right with either two-a-days or tryouts. Each program also had strong numbers out as they either increased or stayed the same from the year before.

All four Louisburg teams experienced success last season and they hope it carries over into this year.

Louisburg soccer made program history as the Wildcats advanced to the state semifinals for the first time. Cross country also had a big season as it qualified three for the state meet.

Football is coming off a regional championship, while the volleyball team was one victory away from reaching the state tournament.

Louisburg had a lot of positives going its way in 2016, but all four coaches realize it is time to start anew.

The Wildcat football team opened practice with approximately 60 players out as they start two-a-days for the rest of this week under first-year coach Robert Ebenstein. The players will practice in helmets and shoulder pads through Thursday and full pads Friday. They will conclude the week with a scrimmage Saturday morning.

Louisburg junior Austin Moore and the rest of the Wildcat football team begin two-a-day practices this week.

Louisburg, which finished with eight wins last season, is hoping build on that success.

“I thought practice went well,” Ebenstein said. “The guys and coaches were excited to get going and the guys brought a ton of enthusiasm and had a great first day of practice.”

The Wildcat soccer team saw a big jump in numbers as they had 45 players sign up to play this season and the team will be going through tryouts through Wednesday.

Practice opened at the track as the players ran the mile at 7 a.m. Monday, watched a concussion video in the afternoon and hit the practice field for the first time shortly after. The Wildcats are hard at work under second-year coach Kyle Conley, making sure they use the momentum they created after their fourth place finish at state last season.

“I know for the boys and coaches it is fantastic to get back to the field,” Conley said. “We are very excited and anxious to prove last year was not a fluke. We will have to work even harder than we did last year, because we will not be able to fly under the radar. The boys are ready for that challenge and I think they are going to give it their all to see how this journey transpires. The boys are focused and determined. I am really excited to also see what this group can achieve as a team.”

Sophomore Trinity Moore is one of three returning state qualifiers for the Louisburg cross country team.

The cross country team also has high expectations for itself as the Wildcats return three state qualifiers in seniors Wyatt Reece, Tim Smith and sophomore Trinity Moore. Moore garnered a state medal after finishing 19th as a freshman at the Class 4A meet and became the first female runner in Louisburg history to earn a state honor.

Runners hit the streets around town on Monday for a 30-minutre workout to begin to build their base for the season and will progress as the season goes along. Head coach John Reece has 35 runners out this season, which is close to last year’s number, as the Wildcats prepare for what they hope is a special season.

“My summer crew of runners are excited to get going, some even started altering their summer runs on their own to start preparing for the season,” coach Reece said. “We are working on duration runs vs. miles. Instead of going for a 5-mile run, I will have them run for a minimum of say 45 minutes and allow some to extend up to 60 minutes of training, which some runners could reach close to eight miles within the hour. Our non-duration days will be focused on speed and lots of repeats with active recovery. There will be no walking for us.”

The Lady Cat volleyball team felt out of place at the end of last season. Louisburg’s year ended sooner than it would have liked after losing in the substate championship game and didn’t qualify for state for the first time in five years.

Louisburg senior Sophie McMullen goes through a drill during the first day of tryouts Monday at Louisburg High School.

Louisburg is hard at work in hopes of earning a state tournament bid. Head coach Jessica Compliment has 35 players out this season, and after two more days of tryouts, will get practice in full swing.

The Lady Cats open their season at home on Aug. 26 when they host the Frontier League preseason tournament and the junior varsity will compete in Paola. All three teams will play again at home on Aug. 29 against Blue Valley Southwest.

“The coaching staff is excited to get the season started and begin preparing for the preseason league tournament for varsity and junior varsity,” Compliment said. “We are looking forward to a lot of home matches this season and the athletes were ready to start tryouts and get the season kicked off.”

Louisburg High School activities director Jeremy Holloway is looking forward to his new position as he starts his 17th year in the USD 416 school district. 

Growing up, Jeremy Holloway wasn’t one to stay in a place for too long.

Holloway spent most of his childhood and young adult life moving from place to place. He wasn’t the type of person who envisioned himself putting down roots.

“I was a constant migrant,” Holloway said.

That was until he moved to Louisburg with his wife Megan. Now instead of a migrant, Holloway is deep-rooted in a town he loves.

It made his decision, almost two months ago, an easy one.

Back in June, Holloway was hired as the new Louisburg High School activities director and assistant principal, following the resignation of former activities director Darin Gagnebin. Holloway, who has spent the last 16 years as a teacher at Louisburg Middle School, is ready for the new challenge.

“I am really looking forward to it,” Holloway said. “I have been here in Louisburg for 17 years. I never lived anywhere for more than four years in my life until I came to Louisburg. I never knew what it was like to be a part of a community and when I got here I just fell in love with the town. I was excited to become a part of it and Louisburg became important to me. The teaching was great and getting to know all the kids and see them grow up all the way through college was fun. Now I see some of my former students teaching in the building here and it is an amazing feeling. It just felt like home to me.”

Fate seemed to step in at the right time for Holloway. He entered the summer still planning to teach history at the middle school, but the dominoes quickly started to fall into place.

Holloway was well on his way to getting his administration degree this past school year as he was planning on holding on to it until something in Louisburg came open. He didn’t have to wait long.

“I had to get recertified, so I talked with my wife and I said why get an education masters if it is just going to move me on the pay scale,” he said. “Why not get an administration degree to have options? There are other places near here that are looking for people, but that isn’t what I want. The only move I would make is to stay in Louisburg. I happened to be down in Eureka Springs on vacation and I got a text in middle of night that Gagnebin had resigned. I had just got my diploma the day before we left. I applied and it turned out well and hopefully it was a good thing.”

Louisburg USD 416 superintendent Dr. Brian Biermann had to sift through more than 20 different applicants for the job, but he believes Holloway is going to do great things in the position.

“Jeremy has been a loyal and dedicated teacher and coach in our community for 17 years,” Dr. Biermann said. “Jeremy possesses many strong leadership attributes that will allow him to be a strong, instructional leader at Louisburg High School. He is passionate about education, has a strong work ethic and is committed to our community.

“Jeremy is all about building positive relationships with students, staff and the community. For 17 years he has been building these relationships. Now, he will be able to build upon his unique skill set in a leadership position in our district. I am excited to see the great things Mr. Holloway can contribute to our district and community in this new role.”

One of the first things Holloway wanted to do was to get to know his new coaching staff. Several new coaches were hired this past school year and he wanted to see what they were all about.

“I just want them to feel comfortable with me and let them understand that I am approachable,” Holloway said. “That relationship piece is huge. I am getting to know where they are from, how many kids they have and I want them to feel comfortable coming to me. We do lose some great experience, but we have gained some capable coaches and a lot of enthusiasm. I just want to be a positive impact for them.”

Since he started officially on July 24, Holloway has been hard at work in several different areas, but one of the bigger things going on now is the shuffling of the Frontier League.

The league, which will be at seven schools this year, will move up to nine starting for the 2018-19 school year. Bonner Springs, Tonganoxie and Piper will join the league, while De Soto will depart.

Baldwin, an original league member, is concerned the school will move down to Class 3A starting in 2018-19, thanks to changes in the classification system. If it happens, it will create scheduling conflicts for football.

“The biggest conflict right now is Baldwin is right on the edge of becoming 3A and they think it will happen,” Holloway said. “If Baldwin is in our league, which is what we plan on, they are required to play five district games for football, which only leaves them three league games. If only three league teams play Baldwin, then the rest of the league teams have to find another team to play. I have schools from Lansing, Independence, Coffeyville, Chanute and other schools calling me trying to lock up games. There are so many different scenarios so we just have to wait and see. That is one thing that I am really working on right now.”

With the activity season fast approaching, Holloway is excited for everything to get underway. He is also looking forward to getting to know the fan base more.

“I have always been highly impressed of Louisburg and the support of its teams and the turnout we will get, especially for football games,” Holloway said. “I encourage Louisburg to continue the tradition of being a class act. I think that every town has its own culture and a lot of it starts with the coaches. If your coaches are harassing refs, your players are probably going to start to learn that they can do that and that will trickle down to the parents and crowd. Without pointing fingers, there are certain places where that is the climate. I think Louisburg has been great. There are always going to be situations, but I would encourage fans and parents to support our coaches and let them coach.

“I am looking forward to an exciting year. We have great coaches, that are experienced and they are very innovative. They are organized and they all seem truly excited about what is going on. The community can rest assured that the coaches that are in place right now have the best interest of the kids and the programs.”

The Louisburg High School boys soccer team wrapped up their week-long team camp on July 14 as the Wildcats had close to 36 athletes out a day during their five sessions.

The Louisburg High School boys soccer team couldn’t have asked for a much better year than they had during the 2016 season.

All the Wildcats did was make program history and advance to the Class 4-1A state semifinals for the first time and finished fourth in the state. It was a season worth celebrating.

However, all that celebrating had to be put to the side with the start of summer as the Wildcats geared up for the 2017 campaign. Louisburg recently held its week-long team camp that ended on July 14 as the Wildcats had anywhere from 34-36 players show up each day as they prepare for what they hope is another trip to the state tournament.

“I felt camp started off a little sluggish, but we ended playing very well,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It was important for the boys to understand that we needed to do even more this year, because we will have a target on our back and we won’t sneak up on anyone.”

The Wildcats have done a lot of conditioning work since the beginning of the summer period and have also conducted practices several times a week.

Raistlin Brewer and the rest of the Wildcats had to deal with the heat during their week-long team camp earlier this month.

With all the work the Wildcats have put in on the field, the weight room and in conditioning, the hope is they will be ready to go once the first day of practice starts on Aug. 14.

“My expectation is that summer practice is used to develop our base skill set, familiarize them with some of the core drills, develop team chemistry and let them get use to my expectations and standards,” Conley said. “I felt we did a very nice job in each of these categories, in regards to my expectations/standards.

“We worked a lot on our technical ability and speed of play. Playing quicker and faster on the ball. We also focused on our communication and our off the ball movement. I felt we struggled with this at the beginning of the summer, but by the end of camp we were starting to play pretty solid and pretty clean.”

Conley also had his players do something a little bit different this summer. The Wildcats traveled to Paola on a couple different occasions to scrimmage the Panthers on their home field and it gave the players a chance to look at where they need to improve.

The Wildcats lost seven seniors off of last season’s team that finished with a 14-6-2 record, but Conley wanted to use the summer to make sure this year’s group sets their own goals for what they want to achieve this year.

Kyle Allen works on a passing drill during the Wildcats’ team camp on July 13.

“I think the boys understand how special last season was,” Conley said. “I was a little concerned at the beginning of the summer because we were just going through the motions, but after a few coaching moments, they got refocused and worked really hard. They understand how fantastic last season was and they now know it isn’t something that is untouchable. They are determined to get back there this year.

“We have to avoid comparing this team to last year’s team. It is essential this team set their own expectations. We will have a standard of play, but as this team grows and develops, anything is possible. I think it’s vital that these young men play within themselves and do their individual jobs to help with the overall team success. With losing as many seniors as we did, we will have the mentality of next man up. We will do what we can to fill those voids that were left by the 2016 seniors.”

The Louisburg High School football team was one of many bright spots for LHS athletics this past school year. 

We live in a world where, especially in sports, we often don’t take time to reflect on our accomplishments – and instead we are in a rush to move on to the next set of obstacles.

In reality, we are in a “what have you done for me lately” society and sometimes don’t remember, or enjoy, those special moments where our hard work has paid off.

Yes, I understand you don’t want to relish in those accomplishments as that doesn’t make you a better athlete, or whatever your specialty may be, but not taking the time to enjoy the ride can be detrimental.

And what a ride it was for Louisburg High School athletics this past season.

The Wildcats had a special year in several sports, and before we focus on the 2017-18 campaign, we should look back at what the 16-17 season brought us. Just take a look at what these Wildcats accomplished.

• There is probably no better place to start than the Louisburg soccer teams. Both the boys and girls teams earned spots in the state semifinals for the first time in program history and both finished fourth. The boys team made it to state for the first time in their 14 years, while the girls advanced to the state tournament in just their second season. 
  

  The Louisburg High School girls soccer team finished fourth in the state in just their second season. The Wildcat boys also finished fourth as they advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in program history.

• It was quite the season for the Wildcat boys basketball team as they advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2005. Louisburg won its sub-state tournament with a 64-52 win over Fort Scott in the championship game.
  

  The Louisburg boys basketball team qualified for state for the first time since 2005.

• The Louisburg football team made quite the run in the 2016 season. The Wildcats won their first playoff game since 2012 and earned a regional title in the process with a win over Independence. Even though their season came to an end in the next round to eventual state champion Bishop Miege, the Wildcats’ still finished with an 8-3 record.
• Wrestling had another big season as the Wildcats qualified eight for the Class 4A state tournament in Salina. Although Ryan Adams was the lone state medalist, as he finished sixth overall at 138 pounds, the Wildcats tied a school record for number of state qualifiers that was set back in 1984.
• In cross country, the Wildcats sent three runners to the state meet and had their first state medalist since 2006 when freshman Trinity Moore finished 19th overall, as she, Wyatt Reece and Tim Smith competed at the Wamego meet. Moore was also the school’s first female runner to earn a state medal.
• Freshman golfer Calvin Dillon became the Wildcats’ first state medalist in several years as he finished 10th at the Class 4A state tournament and was one of two Wildcats, along with Ty Martin, to qualify for state. Dillon could quite possibly be the first freshman golfer in school history to get a medal, but since golf stats aren’t quite as well kept, it is hard to tell for sure.
• T.J. Dover and Isabelle Holtzen came through with state medals of their own following the state track meet. Holtzen finished seventh at the Class 4A meet in the pole vault and Dover was eighth in the discus as both medaled for the first time. Holtzen also broke the school record in the pole vault earlier in the season after she cleared 11 feet, 1 inch.
• The girls basketball and softball teams both had big improvements from a season ago as they each reached 10 wins despite falling in the first round of their sub-state and regional tournaments. Softball doubled their win total from 2016, while the girls basketball team improved by seven victories.
• The Louisburg volleyball team advanced to the sub-state championship game against rival Paola and was just a few points away from advancing to its fifth consecutive state tournament. The Lady Cats also finished the season with 23 victories.

Most schools across the state would love to have the kind of success Louisburg experienced this year and to me that doesn’t seem like it is talked about enough.

Sometimes we get caught up in losses or not meeting expectations, when in fact, compared to a lot of schools, Louisburg exceeds expectations – at least it does mine.

Could these programs be better? Sure they could and the coaches would be the first to tell you. At the same time, we all need to take a step back, look at the big picture and enjoy the success we have.

To me, Louisburg athletics is as healthy as it has been in a long time.

A lot has been made about all the coaches that have left recently. Louisburg will have four new head coaches this upcoming school year and several new assistants.

Some people have considered this a mass exodus due problems at the school. It couldn’t be further from the truth. A lot of it is just coincidence. For some it was retirement, others wanted to spend more time with family and a few more just wanted a change.

Former activities director Darin Gagenbin left to be closer to his family and work in the town where he lives. I know all about how great of an opportunity that is and it is the same thing I did almost 10 years ago when I moved here with my family. Working in the town you live in is something you can’t put a value on.

Louisburg found a great replacement in Jeremy Holloway, who has been with the district for 17 years and is invested in the community. The school has also brought it a lot of new, young coaches that have come in with excitement and new ideas.

It is bittersweet for me as a lot of those coaches I had a chance to get to know really well are now gone. Although I am mainly a solo operation, I consider a lot them my co-workers and it stinks to see them move on, but I also know they are doing the best for themselves and their families.

The same could be said for the class of 2017. The group of seniors I worked with this past year were great to get to know, just like all the senior classes before them.

I appreciated all their support and what I do could not be done without those kids. It is great to see them grow up and watch them become successful outside the classroom. I am not a teacher or coach, but still appreciate all they accomplish.

With 2016-17 in the rear view mirror, it will soon be time to focus on the upcoming season and I couldn’t be more excited to see what accomplishments this group of Wildcats have in store. It has all the makings of a fun and special year.