Braden Yows has had a ball at his feet for as long as he can remember.

Soccer has been a big part of Yows’ life and he always had dreams of playing in college one day.

On Nov. 10, which was National Signing Day, Yows put pen to paper and those dreams officially became a reality.

In a room full of family and friends, Yows signed to play Division I with the University of Missouri-Kansas City men’s soccer program.

“It was fantastic,” Yows said of his signing day. “I was able to have family, coaches and close friends at the signing. That was important to me. A lot of have been instrumental in helping me get to this point, so it was good to say thank you to all of them on that day.

“I started playing soccer when I was 3 years old. It’s been a game that I’ve loved my whole life. I just enjoy everything about the game. So sure, getting an opportunity to play at this level is exciting and has always been a goal of mine.”

Yows took a few visits and had offers from other schools, but the Kansas City program stood out, especially its head coach, Ryan Pore.

Pore, who just finished his second year as the Roos’ head coach, has a deep soccer background. He played for the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting KC) for four seasons and played professionally for seven years.

He started his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Tulsa before getting the Kansas City job in 2020. Pore went on to win the Summit League Coach of the Year in 2020.

“He’s played at the highest levels and is well respected within the soccer community,” Yows said. “Without question, he’s a winner. When he started recruiting me, he talked about his goals about wanting to win championships and talked about his plan to get there. 

“Their style of play fits the way I like to play and the things I do well. He’s placed an emphasis at recruiting at a high level. Hopefully I can go in and work hard and be a part of that success.”

Yows built an impressive resume the last three years for the Wildcat program. He has earned first team all-league and all-state honors in those three seasons and was named to the preseason All-American watch list in the state of Kansas earlier this year.

He is the program leader in assists with 46 and also holds the single season record with 21. This season, Yows finished the year with 17 goals and 11 assists.

It is that attacking style that Yows hopes to use to make an impact with the Roos program.

“I connected well with all the coaches,” Yows said. “Their style of play includes a lot of combination play, which is one of my strengths. They see me playing one of their attacking positions, either in the midfield, on the wings, or up top. They rotate a lot of their players through attacking positions, so hopefully I can be part of that rotation and make an impact.”

As for what he wants to accomplish, Yows just wants to enjoy the college experience and help his team in anyway he can.

“Anyone who’s been around me first and foremost knows I want to win,” Yows said. “I’m gonna listen to the coaches, and do they what they ask me to do, and compete every day at a high level. I’m looking forward to learning from the current players and coaching staff to help get better. It’s gonna be fun playing some of the best programs in college soccer.”

The Louisburg boys soccer team finished the season as the co-Frontier League champions and the Wildcats were recognized as such.

The all-league soccer teams were released early this week and the Wildcats earned nine spots, including two on the first team.

Senior midfielder Braden Yows and junior midfielder Cade Gassman were selected to the first team. Junior forward Colin McManigal, senior defender Michael Seuferling, senior midfielder Isaac Guetterman and junior goalie Mack Newell were second team honorees.

Senior midfielder/defender Hunter Rogers, junior defender Matthew Sword and junior forward Ethan Ptacek were named to the honorable mention team.

“I felt we had a lot of guys receive honors, in fact it was the most players we ever had get recognized in a single year,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “As a team that only lost one official league game and held their opponents to less goals per game, scored the most, etc…,I thought our boys deserved a better representation on the first team. We are way too good of a team only to get two players to receive first team All Frontier.

“We were a really good team and to get nine players recognized was that is pretty impressive. Just thought some of our players deserved a higher honor. Our league was wide open in regards to the middle of the pack and that had a big influence on how the voting went.”

Yows, a UMKC signee, wrapped up his final season as a Wildcat in impressive fashion. He led Louisburg with 17 goals on the season, 11 assists and 48 shots on goal.

Gassman, who started out at forward, moved to the midfield halfway through the season. He finished with 11 goals, nine assists and had 34 shots on goal.

“Braden and Cade have been two of the best players in our league over the past few years,” Conley said. “They are incredibly talented players and were fantastic for us this season. Those two did a very good job of breaking down our opponents and we flat out just attacked from everywhere. Braden and Cade have unbelievable individual skills and they both had great years. Those two guys made our team so dynamic on the ball and created so many chances.”

The Wildcats were well represented on the second team and it started in goal with Newell. Despite missing a few games, Newell was one of the top goalkeepers in the league with 68 saves and gave up just 13 goals.

McManigal was also among the top scorers on the team as he tied Gassman for second on the team with 11 goals and he also had two assists.

Seuferling and Guetterman were key pieces to a Louisburg defense that gave up few chances during the league season.

“These young men had really good years and did so well,” Conley said. “They were all key parts of our team and had really solid years. Michael was one of the best, if not the best, outside back in our league. He literally shutdown that side of the field. He made it really tough for teams to break down and expose us. Isaac had a great year in the middle of the field and moved the ball well in starting out possession. He also wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in tackles either. He never backed down from a tackle. 

“Colin finished the year on a high note and scored a lot of goals. His pressure and creating turnovers was great for us. He really took a big step this season and I can’t wait to see what he becomes next year. Mack was a rock for us in goal. He was really good to start the year, but missed some time due to covid. It took him a little time to get his mojo back and he was really, really good. Can’t wait to have him for a full year next year.”

Rogers and Sword were vital pieces to the Wildcat defense this past season, while Rogers was active in the midfield as well and scored two goals and had two assists. Sword played starting center back for the first time this year.

As for Ptacek, he complemented the Wildcat scoring as he finished the year with five goals and four assists.

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOCCER

First Team

Braden Yows, Louisburg, senior

Daniel Stone, Eudora, senior

Caleb Brueckner, Spring Hill, junior

Devin Prather, Baldwin, senior

Cade Gassman, Louisburg, junior

Parker Hurla, Eudora, junior

Caleb Carr, Baldwin, junior

Lukas Parizek, Tonganoxie, senior

Rocco Russo, Spring Hill, senior

Utah Hester, Baldwin, sophomore

GOALIE: Nate Steinlage, Eudora, freshman

Second Team

Mayson Sprague, Bonner Springs, senior

Daniel Zesati, Tonganoxie, senior

Camden Ridinger, Eudora, senior

Kaden Kerr, Eudora, sophomore

Reece Fogle, Ottawa, senior

Zach Brueckner, Spring Hill, freshman

Colin McManigal, Louisburg, junior

Brenan Kuzmic, Tonganoxie, junior

Michael Seuferling, Louisburg, senior

Isaac Guetterman, Louisburg, senior

GOALIE: Mack Newell, Louisburg, junior

Honorable Mention

Dom McCoy, Paola, senior

Hayden Worden, Paola, junior

Garrett Shoemaker, Eudora, senior

Christian Koehn, Eudora, sophomore

Adam Novak, Piper, senior

Carlos Renteria, Piper, sophomore

Brady Johnson, Piper, sophomore

Jacob Mena, Piper, sophomore

Francisco McGuinness, Baldwin, senior

Jesse Hopper, Baldwin, junior

Josue Navarro, Ottawa, sophomore

Hunter Rogers, Louisburg, senior

Matthew Sword, Louisburg, junior

Ethan Ptacek, Louisburg, junior

Cuyler Kietzmann, Tonganoxie, senior

Tavian Cruse, Bonner Springs, junior

Timmy Shockey, Bonner Springs, sophomore

Jorge Diaz, Bonner Springs, senior

GOALIES: Blake Ramsey, Paola, junior; Caden Englert, Baldwin, junior; Jackson McWilliams, Tonganoxie, sophomore; Otto Flach, Spring Hill, senior

Louisburg goalie Mack Newell reaches out for a save Friday during the Class 4-1A regional championship game against Bishop Miege at Wildcat Stadium.

It had the drama of a state championship match, but instead the No. 1 and 3 ranked teams in the state were playing for the Class 4-1A regional championship title.

Louisburg hosted Bishop Miege on Friday in hopes ending the Stags’ string of consecutive state championships.

Instead, the Wildcats once again saw their season come to a close after a 2-0 loss to the Stags at Wildcat Stadium and ended their season with a 12-5-1 record.

The loss was heartbreaking defeat for the Wildcats, who had their sights set on another state final four — and possibly — a state title. To make matters worse, it was to a Miege team that has handed Louisburg a loss in five of the last six postseasons.

“Miege is the best team in the state year in and year out.,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They are incredibly talented and their historical accolades are incredible. Such as 26 straight 4A-1A playoff wins in a row, 10 straight regional championships and 21 regional championships overall, and won five straight state championships. This game should be been played much later in the season, but it is what it is. 

“This will be the toughest game they play in the East side of the bracket and maybe even in the whole tournament. With that being said, our boys absolutely battled and didn’t back down. They kept fighting and playing for each other. The amount of effort and heart we played with was incredible. Just would have been nice if we finished our chances.”

Unlike in year’s past against Miege, the Wildcats had their fair share of chances. However, it was the chance that never was that seemed to change the course of the match.

Midway through the first half, the center referee called Miege for a penalty in the box on a takedown of Ethan Ptacek. However, after consulting with the side official, he decided to reverse the call.

Instead of a possible one goal advantage for Louisburg, it turned into a one goal lead for the Stags when Victor Lopez dribbled down the field and found the back of the net with 11 minutes left in the first half.

It could have also played another big role as the Stags were issued a red card early in the second half after a player threw a punch. The Stags had to play a man down the rest of the match.

“If that PK was called and we capitalized on it, we would have changed our defensive strategies and would have ensured one of their players would have never touched the ball,” Conley said. “Even if it is 2-1, getting the red card would have added way more pressure on them to defend. Also, when a team goes down a goal, you never know how they will respond, but I felt that call that was ridiculously overturned by a lineman that changed the outlook of the game tremendously.

“When you go down a goal in a game, it would have created a massive amount of pressure and you never know what would have happened. I am not saying the overruling cost us the game, but it definitely changed the outlook of the game and how the game would have been played.”

The Wildcats took another blow as Miege scored on a shot from 30 yards out to go up 2-0 at halftime and put the pressure on Louisburg.

Despite that, Louisburg did what it could to try and find the back of the net. The Wildcats had 13 shots to 17 for Miege, including four on goal.

Junior Colin McManigal had four of the Wildcats’ shots and senior Braden Yows had three. Junior Gavin York had a team-high two shots on goal, including a header that almost found the back of the net.

Louisburg also had six corner kicks to try and find a way to get on the scoreboard. Although there were some close opportunities, Conley was happy with the way his team responded throughout the night.

“We played really well and created a lot of dangerous opportunities, but we just could not get one to go,” Conley said. “We had a penalty kick taken away from us, which was an obvious penalty. We just kept fighting and playing with so much energy. Then after their red card for throwing a punch at one of our players, we had so many opportunities. We just could not find the back of the net. We hit the post several times, we hit defenders, or we hit it right to their keeper. We just couldn’t get one to go.

“The boys absolutely battled and left it all out there. They have nothing to hold their head about. They represented their families, the school, community, and our program in the absolute best possible way. This was a very special group and did some very special things. This game was as close as a state final four game as you will ever see. Both teams played really well and neither team backed down from the other. It was a great game, but we just couldn’t find the net.”

What made the loss even more difficult to take was the five Wildcats seniors who played their last match, including four starters. Yows, Michael Seuferling, Hunter Rogers, Isaac Guetterman and Aidan Cannon.

It is a group of players that helped Louisburg to a program-best finish a year ago with a third-place finish at state.

“Our seniors were special,” Conley said. “Every day they came ready to go and gave their all each and every night,” Conley said. “They were always prepared and led our team as well as any coach could have imagined. They are going to be missed dearly. I am so proud of everything that they accomplished as a team and individually. They are going to be very hard to replace and they definitely left their impact on this program.

“This group helped lead this program to its best finish in school history (third in 4A-1A), won three straight Frontier League titles, and two regional championships. These young men are great leaders and are going to go on to do great things in their lives. I am honored to have the opportunity to be their coach. I will never forget this group of seniors.”

Louisburg junior Colin McManigal heads the ball away during Tuesday’s regional semifinal game against Paola. McManigal recorded a hat trick in the 9-0 win.

On paper, Tuesday’s regional semifinal match between Louisburg and Paola was more of a means to an end for the Wildcats.

Louisburg, which is the No. 1 seed, hosted 2-win Paola in what could have been a look-ahead to the championship game. However, the Wildcats didn’t treat it that way.

The Wildcats dominated play from the opening whistle and advanced with a 9-0 victory over the Panthers. The win puts Louisburg in the regional championship game Friday against Bishop Miege.

“I thought the boys played really well,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We moved the ball well and did a nice job of taking away the things they wanted to do. We dominated from start to finish.  It was really nice to get all 22 boys into the game and allow them to gain some playoff experience. We did a nice job of not letting them take us out of our game with their behavior and style of play. We created a lot of really nice chances.”

The victory now puts Louisburg up against the No. 1 ranked team in Class 4-1A, Bishop Miege.

Miege has won the last five state championships, 12 of the last 13 regional championships and has won 26 playoff games in a row. The Stags will travel to Louisburg on Friday for a 5 p.m. start.

Louisburg fell to Miege in the state semifinals last season and the Stags have handed the Wildcats a loss in the postseason in four of the last five years. The Wildcats know the challenge ahead of them.

“Bishop Miege is a fantastic team that is really well coached,” Conley said. “It is no secret how successful they have been over the past 20 years. They are an incredible team and they are always the favorite in 4A-1A. We know if we ever want to win a state title, it will go through Bishop Miege. 

“This is a match up that should be happening in Topeka at the State Final Four, but it is a match up that we are excited to see how we do. They are loaded at every position and it will be a great opportunity for our boys.”

Against Paola, the Wildcats got things going in the opening minutes as Braden Yows and Colin McManigal each scored to put the Wildcats ahead. With 14 minutes left in the first half, Cade Gassman scored to make it 3-0.

Junior Gavin York found the back of the net late in the first half to give Louisburg a 4-0 halftime lead.

The Wildcats kept the scoring going in the second half as McManigal opened with a pair of goals to give him a hat trick for the game. Yows followed it up with his second goal to make it 7-0.

Late in the second half, senior midfielder Isaac Guetterman scored his first varsity goal and his teammates celebrated right along with him.

Louisburg emptied its bench and freshman Colton Blue ended the scoring wit his first goal of the contest.

“It was great watching the boys play for each other, regardless who was on the field,” Conley said. “The team played really well and did a nice job of taking what they gave us. At the beginning of the season, Isaac said he had never scored a goal and that is something he would like to do before he graduates. Some member of the team heard him and it was something they wanted for him. So when we could, we moved him to forward to give him the chance. Throughout the season, he had some fantastic chances, but he finally got one to go. The boys were more excited than he was. I think that shows you how special this group is.”

Louisburg junior Cade Gassman tries to dribble past a Piper player Thursday during the Wildcats’ home contest against the Pirates. Louisburg won the match, 4-1.

Before the start of the season, the Louisburg boys soccer team made several goals for itself.

The Wildcats checked one of those off Thursday and did it on Senior Night. Louisburg hosted Piper and picked up a 4-1 victory to finish with a share of the Frontier League title.

Louisburg tied with Spring Hill atop the league standings. In the process, the Wildcats improved their record to 11-4-1 and earned the No. 1 seed in the Class 4-1A playoffs with the win.

It was a game the Wildcats dominated from start to finish. Louisburg had 26 shots on the night and got production from several different players.

“The boys were ready to go,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We were able to work on a lot of things and move some kids around. The boys were ready from the beginning and played really well. We controlled the tempo of the game and moved the ball very well. We made sure we were balanced and did a great job for playing for each other. We dominated the majority of the game and it was a great way to send off our seniors.”

Prior to the match, the Wildcats recognized seniors Michael Seuferling, Isaac Guetterman, Braden Yows, Aidan Cannon, Hunter Rogers and manager Sierra Hahn for their time with the program.

It was a senior class that experienced a lot of success. They posted a 48-19-3 record during their time with the program, earned two league titles, two regional championships and a third place finish at state a year ago.

“These five boys have spent the past three years preparing for this time,” Conley said. “They are all great young men that absolutely give everything they have for this team. They show up everyday to work and to get better. That 100 percent sets the tone for the rest of the team. They are all ready for the playoffs and to play their very best for their school and their teammates. This group has played a big role for some time now. Their hard work is paying off.”

Louisburg was on the attack early as junior forward Colin McManigal found the back of the net 10 minutes into the match for his first of two goals.

Junior Gavin York followed suit five minutes later as he headed a Braden Yows pass to put the Wildcats up 2-0 at halftime.

McManigal added another goal early in the second half and Yows sealed the win midway through the second half. Yows also finished with two assists on the night.

Cade Gassman and Guetterman led Louisburg with five shots on the night and three of Gassman’s shots were on target. 

Rogers finished with three shots, while Yows, McManigal, Austin Jamison and York each had two. Freshmen Colton Blue and Emmett White also had shots on goal.

Louisburg goalie Mack Newell didn’t allow a goal in the first half of action, but left at halftime with a leg injury. Piper scored a goal late in the contest to prevent the shutout.

The Wildcats now want to check more goals off their list as they aim for a regional championship, but it won’t be easy.

Louisburg will host No. 16 Paola at 5 p.m. today for the regional semifinals and then could host Bishop Miege in the regional title game on Thursday. Miege is the defending state champion and has ended Louisburg’s hopes for a state title the last three years.

“The playoffs are the best time of the year,” Conley said. “This is what every team plays for. In the playoffs anything can happen and records get thrown out the window. This year has been so up and down for every week in regards to teams results. With injuries and Covid, a lot of teams barely had their team together for the majority for the season and we were no different. 

“The best part is to hope to have all your players available for this time of year. Postseason is a lot of fun and it is the part of the season you want to be playing your best and to be healthy. We played seven 5A schools and two 6A schools to prepare for this run. We will see if it pays dividends.”

Louisburg boys and girls soccer coach Kyle Conley was awarded the The High School Coach of Significance Award by the United Soccer Coaches earlier this week.

Louisburg soccer coach Kyle Conley added another award to his mantle on Monday.

The United Soccer Coaches awarded Conley with The High School Coach of Significance Award. Conley was one of 33 recipients of the award throughout the country and was the honoree from the state of Kansas.

“Receiving that award is very humbling,” Conley said. “Being awarded an honor like that is much more than one person. It is the coaches I get to, or have worked with. It is a fantastic support group. I have fantastic parents that are all in, all the time. The community is always there for our programs regardless if they have kids that play soccer or not, and my wife (Kelli Conley) is super supportive and always there to help out regardless of the task. 

“Most importantly, none of this could be achieved without fantastic student-athletes, both past and present, that I get to work with. They give me everything they have each and every night. I am just trying to be a servant leader and teach my players to be the same on and off the field. Louisburg is our town and we want to always represent it in the best way possible.”

The High School Coach of Significance Award, which is in its fifth year, recognizes members who are coaching for character and using the soccer field to teach life lessons at the high school level.

It is an opportunity for each state, in conjunction with United Soccer Coaches, to recognize coaches who are making an impact within their schools and communities well beyond their records of wins and losses.

The fifth annual class represents a total of 33 states. The goal, according to the United Soccer Coaches, is to annually recognize a recipient from all 50 states.

Each of the High School Coach of Significance Award nominees are reviewed by the selection committee comprised of national, regional, and state representation.

Louisburg junior Ayden Deterding (left) celebrates with his teammates after he scored his first varsity goal Thursday at home against Eudora.

For the second time in a week, the Louisburg boys soccer team found themselves up against a state-ranked opponent.

And for the second time, the Wildcats were on the right side of the scoreboard.

Louisburg, which is currently ranked No. 3 in Class 4-1A, outlasted No. 6 Eudora for a 2-1 victory Thursday at the Wildcat Sports Complex. The Wildcats had another win off the field as they wore pink jerseys for their Breast Cancer Awareness game and raised money for a Louisburg family battling the disease.

The victory also left them and Spring Hill tied atop the Frontier League standings. Eudora was tied with the two schools heading into the match.

“If we wanted a shot at the Frontier League title, we needed to beat Eudora,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It is up in the air, but we know what it is going to take and we still have a goal after losing two games in a row. We are starting to get pieces back, we are developing some really good chemistry, but this was a really big win for us.”

The match was scoreless midway through the first half until junior Ayden Deterding scored his first varsity goal from the top of the 18 on an assist from Ethan Ptacek to give Louisburg a 1-0 lead.

Eight minutes later, Eudora tied the match with a goal from Daniel Stone. It didn’t last long as the Cardinals were called for a foul in the box on Louisburg freshman Colton Blue.

Wildcat senior Braden Yows converted the penalty kick late in the first half and it turned out to be the game-winning goal.

Overall, Louisburg controlled possession and outshot the Cardinals, 24-10, but had problems finding the back of the net. Hunter Rogers, Ethan Ptacek, Cade Gassman, Yows, Deterding, Colin McManigal and Isaac Guetterman all had shots on goal.

“Eudora plays hard and did a really good job, but I think we just had the better of play, but we couldn’t finish that third part,” Conley said. “The kids executed really well and I thought we did a really good job of taking away the middle when they got the ball. We got as wide as we could when we got the ball and I think that helped us tremendously. We were able to stretch them a little bit and wear them out.

“We really had a lot of opportunities and it was just shot after shot and that is great, but we just couldn’t get many to go. We would either miss or their goalie just had a great save.”

Louisburg’s defense came through in a big way late in the contest. Eudora had two shots on goal in the final 30 seconds, but junior goalie Mack Newell turned both opportunities away to preserve the win. 

Newell finished the night with eight saves, and got help from his defense as they limited the Cardinals’ opportunities.

“Mack is getting back to form and he is starting to stay disciplined,” Conley said. “He is getting refined and getting reps and is doing a really good job. I’m proud of his focus and determination. In practice we made sure he was ready as we put a shooting gallery on him. We worked on some things and I thought we did a good job.”

Louisburg is back in action this Thursday when the Wildcats host Topeka High. Varsity will begin at approximately 6 p.m.

Wildcats shutout Paola

Louisburg picked up its sixth victory in a row Monday night as the Wildcats blanked rival Paola, 5-0.

The Wildcats, which scored just once in the first half, broke the match open with four in the second half.

“I felt the boys came out and absolutely dominated the game,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We moved the ball very well and the boys attacked all night. We were disciplined in the back and really didn’t let them over midfield very often. I think the boys were sharp and focused. We took care of the ball and did a nice job of taking what they gave us.

“Coach (Bobby) Bovaird and I were on the boys pretty hard to make sure they didn’t look past this game. We have our goals and it is important that we focus each and every game to achieve them.”

Louisburg controlled the match from the opening whistle as it outshot the Panthers, 40-2, and didn’t allow any dangerous opportunities.

“Defensively, we took away what they wanted to do and frustrated them a lot,” Conley said. “I also felt that our press caused a lot of turnovers. We moved the ball very well and took what they gave to us. We were able to move some kids arounds and get some different looks.”

Sophomore Austin Jamison got the scoring started midway through the first half on an assist from Gavin York to put the Wildcats up 1-0.

Junior Cade Gassman scored three straight goals to record the hat trick. Braden Yows also found the back of the net once.

Hunter Rogers, Emmett White and Ethan Ptacek each finished with an assist.

Louisburg senior Braden Yows celebrates a goal with his teammates earlier this season. Yows converted a penalty kick in Tuesday’s game against Spring Hill as the Wildcats left with a 1-0 victory at Spring Hill High School.

SPRING HILL — For the second time in less than a week, the Louisburg boys soccer team had an opportunity to avenge a loss from earlier this season.

Once again, the Wildcats took full advantage.

Louisburg traveled to Spring Hill on Tuesday and left with a 1-0 victory to exact some revenge from a loss just a couple weeks ago. The Wildcats did the same last Thursday when Louisburg defeated Baldwin under the same circumstances.

“It was really nice to get a solid win against a really good team, and a team that beat us earlier in the year,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The boys came out and really controlled the game for the first 55 minutes. We moved the ball well and had a lot of nice chances, but just could not capitalize. We were taking what they were giving us and did a great job of getting quality looks. 

“It was really nice to get a little revenge from the previous game that we absolutely dominated but couldn’t get one to go. The last 15 minutes or so, we stopped playing our game and just defended our butts off. It was definitely not what we wanted to do, but it was what we had to do because our shape fell apart.”

Both teams had their opportunities early on, but the Wildcats struck first thanks to a Spring Hill mistake. The Broncos were called for a handball in the box and the Wildcats were awarded a penalty kick.

Senior Braden Yows slotted the ball in the lower right post to give Louisburg an early lead in what turned out to be the game-winning goal 25 minutes into the match.

“The PK was really nice,” Conley said. “We were really pressing them and had a massive amount of pressure on them. We did really well of moving the ball and attacking and I felt the hand ball was a result of that. It took a lot of pressure off of us and we executed well on that opportunity.”

Spring Hill outshot Louisburg 17-11, but the Wildcats had chances to increase that lead as Cade Gassman had two shots on goal, while Colin McManigal, Yows and Gavin York also had shots on target.

Although the Wildcats couldn’t get them to go, their defense held the line as junior goalie Mack Newell earned the clean sheet 

“The last 15 minutes we really defended nonstop,” Conley said. “The line ‘Bend don’t break’ really fit the last 15 minutes. Mack played really well and so did our back line. We showed that we can absolutely defend and defend a team with talent and speed all over the field.”

Louisburg, which is ranked No. 3 in the state, will try for its fifth straight win tonight when the Wildcats host No. 6 Eudora. 

Louisburg senior Braden Yows (left) celebrates with his teammates after his goal in the second half of Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Baldwin in Louisburg.

The last time Louisburg squared off with Baldwin on the pitch, the Wildcats were going through a bit of a rough stretch.

Following their setback to the Bulldogs a couple weeks ago, the Wildcats had lost three of their last four games and were in a bit of rut.

Since that time, Louisburg is a totally different team – healthier and more confident.

“One win changes everything,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They are back to joking around again and just being themselves. Life is good right now.”

It showed Thursday when the Wildcats hosted Baldwin for a Frontier League match in a battle of state-ranked opponents. No. 3 Louisburg got the best of No. 7 Baldwin this time with a 2-0 victory.

“It was nice,” Conley said of the win. “Last time we knew it wasn’t a league game, so we rested some injured guys up and sat some of them. We are still banged up. We got two back, but lost two more. Boys played hard and they were a lot more focused and poised this time around. 

“We didn’t play well. We didn’t play our game and we let Baldwin dictate the style of game, but when we did we looked really good and we broke them down a lot. They don’t go very deep on their bench and we wanted them to chase us and wear them out a little bit.”

The Wildcats (7-3-1) got the scoring started late in the first half when junior Colin McManigal got to a loose ball near the goal and chipped it past the Baldwin keeper to give Louisburg a 1-0 lead at halftime.

“Colin just did a great job of hustling down there for the loose ball and the keeper cheated a little bit and he was able to hit it near post,” Conley said. “He is playing so hard right now. With him and Ethan (Ptacek) up top, they just put so much pressure on the other team. They are doing a good job with that.”

Then with 15 minutes left in the second half, senior Braden Yows got into the scoring column. Yows, who had to sit out with an injury the last time the two teams played, took space in the middle of the field and had a shot near the 18 that found the back of the net.

Yows was a problem for the Bulldogs to defend in the midfield as he led Louisburg with five shots on the night.

“I was trying to get him to attack more because he had all the space,” Conley said of Yows. “I told him to just go at them, and when he does that, he is tough to defend. He had another real good opportunity earlier in the game, but just didn’t get enough on it. His goal, he went at them pretty hard and it was a nice shot.”

Defensively, the Wildcat back line limited the Baldwin opportunities, but goalie Mack Newell turned away the rest as he earned the clean sheet and had five saves, including four in the second half on a couple of dangerous opportunities.

Michael Seuferling, Hunter Rogers, Matthew Sword and Toby Espina-Roca played tough in the back as did midfielder Isaac Guetterman.

“For the most part we made them shoot from deep, but Mack is a shot stopper,” Conley said. “That last ball that got through, the Baldwin kid had a free run, but Mack just did his job and ate it up. It was big for us. He is playing well and I think he is getting back into the flow of things after missing some time earlier in the year. 

“Hunter and Michael did a really good job in the back and kept them locked down. I was proud of all those boys on the back line just hustled and busted their butt out there.”

Louisburg will try and make it four wins in a row Tuesday as it tries to exact more revenge. The Wildcats travel to Spring Hill as they hope to avenge a 3-1 loss earlier in the season.

Louisburg junior Ethan Ptacek passes the ball up the field in front of a Baldwin defender last Monday at Baldwin High School. On Thursday, Ptacek scored one of Louisburg’s four goals in its win over Ottawa.

OTTAWA — The Louisburg boys soccer team needed something positive to happen in the worst way. 

The Wildcats had lost two in a row, and three of their last four matches, going into Thursday’s road tilt at Ottawa. Louisburg returned to form against Ottawa as the Wildcats scored two goals in each half and came away with a 4-0 shutout of the Cyclones.

“That win was big for us,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We have been playing well, but were struggling to finish. We have been winning every statistical category in these games, but that means nothing when you lose the game. We have been playing good soccer, but having some very terrible luck. In fact, I was thinking if we didn’t have bad luck I am not sure we will have any luck at all. 

“The boys played free and really attacked well and we had them on their heels all night. Boys did great job executing the game plan and Ottawa made zero adjustments with our formation and how we attacked out of it.”

The Wildcats (5-3-1) were the aggressor the entire night as they put together 24 shots, to Ottawa’s five. 

Louisburg’s defense of Aidan Cannon, Toby Espina-Roca, Michael Seuferling, Matthew Sword and Hunter Rogers kept the Cyclone chances to a minimum. Goalie Mack Newell earned the clean sheet.

“We really locked down their two best players,” Conley said. “We limited their touches and their dangerous opportunities. We were strong and played really hard. It was nice to see them play so well together. This group is talented and they really showed that.

“We came out and played our game and did a nice job of executing. We created pressure all over the field. The defense did a great job of limiting their touches in our half and really limited their shots. They only had one dangerous chance and we did really well in taking them away.”

Juniors Cade Gassman and Ethan Ptacek put the pressure on the Cyclone defense as they had seven and six shots, respectively. Junior Colin McManigal had four and senior Braden Yows finished up with three.

Four different Wildcats scored and it started with a freshman. Colton Blue dribbled down the right side and his shot sailed over the Cyclone goalie to give Louisburg the lead late in the first half.

Yows got into the action a few minutes later as Gassman sent a pass into the middle of the box and found the foot of Yows to put Louisburg up 2-0 right before halftime.

Early in the second half, Ptacek added a goal of his own with shot just inside the 18 and the Wildcats were up 3-0. Gassman added another score 20 minutes later to all but seal the win for the Wildcats.

“We really did a great job of moving the ball,” Conley said. “When we are at our best, we attack from so many different positions. When we do that, we are really hard to defend. I think the best part of our game was they we played with so much energy and pressed all over the field. The boys did a fantastic job of executing our scouting report and taking what they gave us. I felt we were tough and played really well.”

Louisburg will try and make it two in a row Tuesday when it hosts Tonganoxie. Varsity is set to begin at approximately 6 p.m.

Wildcats lose road contest to Baldwin

Louisburg was hoping to get back on the winning track last Monday when it traveled to Baldwin, but instead the Wildcats left with a 2-0 loss.

The match was scoreless in the first half. The two teams then had a 30 minute weather delay before resuming.

Baldwin scored in the first five minutes in the second half and then scored off a header to secure the win over Louisburg. 

The Wildcats were without starting midfielder, and captain, Braden Yows, who was sitting out with an injury. 

“We controlled the game, but we struggled to execute,” Conley said. “We dominated every category, but the scoreboard. I felt we had some great build up, but we just lacked creativity in the final third. They packed it in and they just kicked it as far as they could. It is a very frustrating style to play against, but we needed to execute better.

“Yes, missing Braden has hurt, but we still need to execute and play better. We ended up giving up two bad goals. We refocused and we got better in our two days of practice and we showed that against Ottawa.”

Louisburg had six shots on goal, including two from Cade Gassman. Isaac Guetterman, Ethan Ptacek, Matthew Sword and Gavin York each had one.