Louisburg continued its unbeaten start to the season Friday night, defeating Bonner Springs 47–21 and improving to 4–0 on the year.

The Wildcats’ offense put together its highest-scoring performance of the season, building on previous wins over Tonganoxie, Paola and Chanute. Louisburg entered the game averaging 32.0 points per game and finished the night with 47 points.

The Wildcats started off hot with a first-play pass from Max Amren to John Guetterman. Guetterman broke a tackle and exploded for 74 yards to start the drive. A few plays later, Tate McGreer finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run. The Wildcats then forced a quick three-and-out and capitalized on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Amren to senior Cole Heinrich. The Cats continued to stay hot, forcing another three-and-out by the Braves. Amren then ran for a 64-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive to put Louisburg up 21–0 early in the first quarter.

Will Norton then forced a fumble on the next defensive drive, but the offense couldn’t convert the turnover into points.

The Cats continued their hot start by coming up with another defensive stop. McGreer then took off for his second score of the night, this time on a 15-yard touchdown run. Soon after, once again senior linebacker Will Norton forced another fumble, and senior Bryce Thompson picked up the loose ball and took it to the house, extending the lead to 33–0 with a minute and a half left in the first quarter.

The defense stayed hot and forced another Bonner Springs punt. Amren then threw a shovel pass to junior John Guetterman, who took it to the 3-yard line and set up a 3-yard touchdown run by junior Mathias Wright.

With the Wildcats leading 40–0 and under 10 minutes left in the first half, they didn’t let off the gas. Bonner Springs was forced to punt again. After the Braves stopped Louisburg on fourth down, they looked to score before halftime, but the Wildcats’ defense held strong on fourth down and got the ball back in good field position.

The offense faced a third-and-11, but Amren found junior wide receiver Braxton Eastland for a 31-yard reception. The momentum stayed with the Cats as McGreer found the end zone for the third time, putting Louisburg up 47–0 going into halftime.

“The ability we had to start fast and play a complete game and thought we executed that well,” head coach Drew Harding said.

That fast start was something the Wildcats had emphasized throughout the week in practice. “Come out and dominate and do that for a full game,” Harding said.

The Wildcats also had to stay focused despite the distractions that come with a homecoming game. Harding said the team understood the importance of starting fast instead of letting the atmosphere affect its performance. “It’s always a big risk with a homecoming game and we don’t want to come out slow or sleep walk through the first quarter and I thought we did a good job of coming out fast as we scored 33 points in the first quarter,” Harding said.

Louisburg will now look to build on the win as it faces a new challenge against Harrisonville. Harding said the Wildcats will have to prepare for things they haven’t seen yet this season.

“It’s fun for us as coaches to sit and watch someone new and try to figure them out. That’s one of the things I really enjoy about my job and I know other coaches do too,” Harding said when asked about preparing for a new team. “Trying to figure out keys and tendencies of other teams and trying to get in the mind of what they are trying to do and coming up with a gameplan to try to stop it. Somebody new is fun and gives you a little energy boost in the middle of the season.”

The Wildcats have been led by a strong defense this season, with their offense also showing major improvements every week. Quarterback Max Amren, and running backs Mathias Wright and Tate McGreer have all made huge impacts on the ground. It all begins with the tough offensive line Louisburg has shown. 

Through the air, Louisburg has been continuing to establish their pass game every week. Braxton Eastland is leading the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while John Guetterman and Cole Heinrich have made a big impact in giving the Wildcats momentum. 

Louisburg’s defense faces a strong offense in Harrisonville which will be a new challenge for the team. Harrisonville has an “explosive quarterback who can make plays through the air and on the ground,” Harding said.

Kickoff is at 7 PM tonight at Harrisonville.

– Braxton Eastland, Bo Ballard

After a tough, 29-28 loss against Chanute to end the season last year, the Wildcats got their revenge last Friday, winning 33-20 and continuing to exceed expectations.

“We had a really fast start, came out, got an interception on the first possession and the offense turned it around and scored a touchdown that kicked off our first half,” head coach Drew Harding said. “We started the game really well, obviously going into halftime 19-0 was exciting for us.”

As Harding said, Louisburg started off hot defensively when Briggs White intercepted Chanute on the first drive of the game, which put the Wildcats in good field position for Max Amren to throw a touchdown to Braxton Eastland putting them up 6-0 early in the first quarter. The Wildcats stopped the Blue Comets on defense and took over with good field position once again. Mathias Wright capped off the drive with an 18 yard rushing touchdown putting Louisburg up 13-0 to end the first quarter.

Louisburg forced a punt to start the second quarter and Chanute made a defensive stop. Amren then forced a fumble which was recovered by the Wildcats, setting them up at Chanute’s 27 yard line. The Wildcat offense took advantage of the forced fumble, establishing their run game with Amren rushing the ball into the endzone extending their lead to 19-0 going into halftime.

Chanute came out strong after half making a couple defensive stops and two explosive offensive plays scoring on both making the score 19-14. Momentum shifted back to the Wildcats when Cole Heinrich took a handoff and passed it to Braxton Eastland for a near 60 yard gain. This put Louisburg inside Chanute’s 10 yard line setting Wright up to rush it in for his second of the game bringing the score to 26-14. The Wildcat defense forced a quick punt giving Louisburg possession going into the fourth quarter.

Chanute made a defensive stop early in the fourth and Louisburg’s defense followed it up with Gaston Schleicher and Amren getting to the quarterback on fourth down to force a fumble which was recovered by the Wildcats. Louisburg drove down the field and Amren rushed it in 6 yards for the score making it 33-14. The Blue Comets put together a strong drive late in the fourth, scoring making the final score 33-20.

The preparation for the game was a major factor in the strong showing for the Wildcats. “It was good, I thought we had good energy. It seemed by Tuesday we had everything pretty well lined out,” said Harding. “We just had to clean up a few things and then we were ready to go. I thought we had a really good week of preparation going into Chanute.”

“I think it was really a team effort.” Said Harding. “We were able to get sacks and were able to get after their quarterback. Our defensive line and linebackers did a good job and so did our DBs. On the offensive side we were able to run the ball effectively and that starts with our offensive line and continues with the quarterback being able to run it well and our running backs being able to make plays.”

Louisburg plays Bonner Springs at home this week looking to improve to 4-0 and continue to play good football on both sides of the ball.

It is homecoming night for the Wildcats and they look to impress fans and fellow students. Despite how well the team has played, they look to improve every week. “Consistency no matter what the situation is, being the same football team, having the same attitude, same mindset, and going out as competitors,” said Harding.

The Wildcats have looked great on both sides of the ball and have really established a dangerous run game as well as an impressive pass game.

“Hopefully our mindset is that we have a lot to prove, we played well in the first half against Chanute,” said Harding when asked about what Louisburg needs to do to win. “We didn’t play as well in the second half so hopefully we have the mindset of getting better and we have to play a complete game. That’s what we’re striving to do.”

The team has already proved a lot and they have shown improvement every week. Ranked #4 in 4A Louisburg hopes to ride this strong start into something even bigger. 

– Bo Ballard

Last Friday the Wildcats went on the road to Paola and took over, showing they are going to be a problem to the rest of the Frontier League.

Louisburg rallied behind a strong run defense against an explosive offense in Paola. The Wildcats improved their record to 2-0 with a dominant 35-13 win.

“I felt like it was pretty evident that we had a lot of competitors on the field. Our energy was high the whole game,” head coach Drew Harding said. “They made some plays, we made some plays. It felt like we stayed pretty level-headed and continued to compete and that’s always something you want to see.”

Although the Wildcats played very well week 1, they made improvements in week 2. “We did a much better job playing to our concept,” Harding said. “Against Tonganoxie at times our heads were spinning a little bit, and we were doing things out of character for us. This week we put a big emphasis on playing to our concept and we played faster.”

Momentum shifted early in the first quarter after an interception by Briggs White. After that, Louisburg never looked back.

Not too long after the interception, Max Amren aired it out to Braxton Eastland for a 50 yard touchdown putting the Wildcats up 7-0. The Panthers put together a strong drive, tying the game 7-7.

The Panthers and Wildcats went back and forth with punts until late second quarter when Cole Heinrich made a huge special teams play for the Wildcats returning a punt 64 yards for a touchdown putting the Wildcats up 14-7 going into half time.

Louisburg forced a quick punt after halftime, then put together an impressive drive led by Tate McGreer establishing the run game in the third quarter. Mcgreer capped off the drive with a two yard touchdown that put the Wildcats up 21-7 early in the third. With a minute left in the third, John Guetterman had a great one-handed interception that set the Wildcats up in good field position.

Early in the fourth the Wildcats used the momentum from Guetterman’s interception to extend the lead to 21 where Bryce Thompson found the endzone with a one yard rushing touchdown making the score 28-7. Paola tacked on a touchdown making the score 28-13. Louisburg closed the game out by marching down the field and scoring the final touchdown scored by Guetterman.

“Bryce had a huge impact. He ended up with 18 tackles. He was flying all over the field. Bryce has done a really good job of reading his keys and playing fast,” Harding said. “John played some really good football and made big plays on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Max did a really good job playing quarterback, being able to run the ball and throw the ball. Braxton had a big time catch for us. Tate was running the football well. Cole Heinrich was able to make plays on special teams for us. Our offensive and defensive lines did a really good job of controlling the game for us. We just had a lot of people.”

Despite the Wildcat’s success last week, the team is looking forward and is preparing for this week’s game.

“We have to do a good job this week of turning the page. Last week was great, but we are on to a new week and we have a good opponent coming up this Friday. We will need to do a good job of preparing this week for Chanute,” said Harding.

Louisburg faces a tough opponent this Friday as they face Chanute. The Wildcats are looking to win this year after last year’s playoff loss, in which the Wildcats lost 29-28 to the Blue Comets.

“Chanute always does a good job of getting their skill players space,” said Harding. “They have some really good athletes and so we will have to limit their opportunities for big plays. Defensively they do a good job of reading their keys and then flying to the football.”

The Wildcats are not only preparing with practice, but are also preparing by watching film. The Wildcats watch film has a group but are also assigned to watch film outside of practices.

“I think having a good week of preparation leads to confidence going into Friday night,” Harding said. “We will have to do a good job of film preparation as well as have a good week of preparation to have confidence and play fast on Friday.”

The Wildcats offensive and defensive lineman have been a big part of the Wildcats success. Their offense has collected a total of 257 rushing yards and 176 passing yards behind the offensive line. The Wildcats defense has only allowed a total of 20 points in their two games.

“I always think games are won and lost up front in the trenches,” Harding said. “Our defensive and offensive lines have to play well in order for us to perform well on Friday night.”

-Bo Ballard, Payton Crooks

It wasn’t the season that Louisburg football wanted to have, but they believe last year’s season will be a valuable experience for the team.

The 2026 Louisburg High School Varsity Football team kicks off their season at home against Tonganoxie on September 4th. Kickoff is set for 7:30 at Wildcat Stadium.

The team is led by head coach Drew Harding, with assistant coaches Nick Chapman, Alex Gentges, Jake Hinson, Kade Larson, and Joel McGhee. The team is expecting to use last season as a learning experience and motivation for the upcoming season.

“We had a small senior class last year so we had a lot of people that were playing that were underclassmen, that maybe weren’t quite ready to play,” said Harding. “This year, coming back, hopefully they can use that experience to their advantage and we can put a better product on the field.”

During the summer, players were expected to continue their work on and off the field. They were expected to attend weights, practices, and scrimmage sessions, totaling 40 dates to help improve and prepare for the next season. Players were able to gain additional experience, and help build the new team. 

“Honestly, there’s quite a few (players) that can be beneficial for us, and that have made a lot of progress over the summer and put themselves into a good position to succeed,” Harding said. A large group of seniors headline the team this year, including Max Amren, Bryce Thompson, Cole Heinrich, Eli Roth, Owen Ebenstein, and Colin Schleicher. These seniors played a majority of snaps and are all expected to use their experience and become vital parts of the team. Alongside them, Judah Adams, Cole Lanz, Braxton Koechner, Noah Kush, Tate McGreer, Preston Miller, Freddy Moreau, Will Norton, Cole Poindexter, and Gaston Schleicher will also contribute in vital areas as well. 

One of the Wildcat Football team’s biggest challenges this season is continuing to grow and develop. Working as a group, along with improving individually is a main focus for the team.

“Throughout the season, continuing to grow and become better and not only as a team but as individuals, each day is an opportunity and we want to make sure we’re taking opportunity and continue to get better so when it comes to playoff time we’re playing our best,” Harding explains.  The team is willing to improve and take every chance they can get to get better this season. 

You can see the Wildcat Football team showcase their hard work this Friday against Tonganoxie at home. 

– Addy Wiese

Eleven years ago, I was a nervous wreck.

I had just been laid off from my newspaper job, one where I had spent seven years covering Louisburg. Like so many others in this profession, I suddenly found myself staring at an uncertain future as newspapers continued to disappear. Jobs were scarce. Stability was gone. And I had a family to support.

I knew I was probably going to have to take a job I didn’t want — something far from journalism — just to make ends meet.

Then an idea hit me.

With news media shifting more and more online, I wondered: Would Louisburg support something like this? Would the community care enough about local sports to follow an independent site dedicated solely to their athletes?

As it turned out, the answer was an overwhelming yes.

Because of the relationships I had built during my first seven years here, there was an appetite from local businesses to support the idea — and many of them never wavered. Eleven years later, a lot of those same businesses were still standing beside Louisburg Sports Zone, believing it was an important piece of the community.

They were right — and I couldn’t agree more.

This past decade-plus has been some of the best years of my life. Through Louisburg Sports Zone, I formed incredible relationships with coaches, athletes, administrators, parents and community members. Even as a graduate of rival Paola, the Louisburg community adopted me as one of their own.

For those of you around my age or older, this might resonate.

I often felt like Norm from Cheers.

Every time I walked into a gym, stadium or field, I’d hear, “Hey Andy!” or “Thanks for coming!” or “We appreciate you.” So many people knew my name — even people I didn’t know — simply because they appreciated what I did.

Instead of an icy cold glass in my hand, I carried a camera. My barstool wasn’t at a counter — it was on the sideline, capturing moments as they happened. And there were plenty of them.

State championships. State tournament appearances. Individual champions and medalists. Record-breaking performances.

I was lucky enough to see it all.

But my favorite part was always watching kids grow — seeing freshmen mature into seniors and leave as confident, capable young adults. That transformation never got old.

My very first event as Louisburg Sports Zone was a home basketball game. I was only a couple months removed from being laid off and still unsure if this idea would work or if anyone would even care.

Those worries disappeared quickly.

As I walked into the gym, Natalie Moore, Kirstin Lowry and Kallie O’Keefe stopped their warmups to smile and wave. Coach Shawn Lowry walked clear across the court to shake my hand and welcome me back.

More than a decade later, I still get those same smiles from athletes and handshakes from coaches and parents alike. Those connections are what made this decision so difficult.

Six months ago, I was offered a position with KSHSAA Covered and the Kansas High School Activities Association. Honestly, I never thought I’d have another writing job outside of Louisburg Sports Zone. I fully intended to keep doing this until the appetite for it simply wasn’t there anymore.

But the opportunity was too good to pass up — and it was the right move for my family.

I knew the connections wouldn’t be the same. Starting over is hard, especially when you know what you’re leaving behind. My favorite part of this job was feeling the appreciation from the community and knowing I was giving people something positive to read.

I wasn’t perfect. I made mistakes along the way. But this community allowed me to grow — as a writer, photographer and a person. I always tried to do the best I could and to cover every sport as fairly and equally as possible.

The last five or six years put me in an interesting position, as my own kids were playing varsity sports. How do you balance being a supportive dad and a journalist at the same time? I hope I did it right.

One of the biggest perks of this job was getting to write about my kids — their first varsity goal, first basket, first shutout or a big volleyball performance. I know how lucky I was to experience that.

None of this would have been possible without my family — especially my wife, Jennifer. I wasn’t home much in the evenings, especially with young kids, and that wasn’t easy. She never stopped supporting me.

To my kids — Jordan, Ally and Carter — thank you for understanding the crazy hours and for supporting me even when I couldn’t be at everything like other parents. I love you more than you know.

I also want to thank all of my advertisers, past and present. Louisburg Sports Zone doesn’t exist without you. Craig Holtzen and Edward Jones, Dixon Contracting Services, White’s Automotive, Prime Accounting Services, Amborn Stone, Wildcat Vet Clinic, Dr. Andy Hill, Destination Fun Travel, Vance Brothers, Go Brolly, First National Bank, First Option Bank, Landmark Bank, Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics, IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, Louisburg Family Dental, Vohs Pharmacy, Elliott Insurance, Magnum Equipment, Louisburg Athletic Club, Louisburg Library, Tri-County Pest, Midwest Collision — and so many others along the way.

I also wanted to give a big shoutout to a Louisburg graduate – Kenneth Sweeney. He has been my “web guy” this whole time. He helped design the site and has also been there to help me troubleshoot what problems have come up since then. I couldn’t have done it without him.

Thank you to every coach I’ve worked with. Getting to know you and promote your programs has truly been an honor. I appreciate you enduring my countless emails that I send out every week. You have helped make Louisburg Sports Zone what it is as well. I will miss you all.

And finally, the student-athletes — you are the reason this worked. Thank you for letting me into your lives and giving me so many incredible stories to tell. And consider this a long-overdue apology to anyone I ever did “dirty” with an unfortunate action photo.

So here I am, 11 years later, feeling some of those same nerves as I move into something new. The last six months with KSHSAA Covered have been great, and I’ve been welcomed with open arms.

Still, walking away from something I built was not easy.

I only hope that Louisburg Sports Zone has been as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me. These have been some of the best times of my life — and I will treasure them always.

Thank you, Louisburg.

It may not have been the season the Louisburg football team had hoped for with a 3-6 record, but the Frontier League coaches still recognized several talented players when the all-league football team was released earlier this month.

Six Wildcats were selected to the All-Frontier League team and three players — Blaise Vohs, Johnny Hendrickson and John Guetterman — were selected on both sides of the ball.

“The Frontier League is always tough so to get any sort of recognition is a big honor,” Louisburg head coach Drew Harding said. “Overall, I thought our team was represented pretty well. We had good recognition on both sides of the ball as well as on special teams.”

Senior Blaise Vohs led the way, earning First Team All-Frontier League honors at kicker for the second consecutive season while also being named Second Team All-League at running back. Vohs rushed for 737 yards and eight touchdowns, providing a strong offensive presence while also handling kicking duties.

“Blaise is a phenomenal kicker,” Harding said. “This is back to back years being selected as first team all Frontier League. Blaise had another really good year kicking for us. He only missed one PAT and was key in pinning teams deep on kickoffs. Blaise was experiencing a lot more wear and tear as our running back and he still was able to be an extremely good kicker for us.”

As a runner, Vohs returned from injury to give the Wildcats a major lift.

“Blaise was a huge boost for our team when he came back from injury,” Harding said. “He had a knack for making big time plays. He had a heck of game against Ottawa which turned out to be our biggest win of the year. He was a tough runner that had good speed and had a really good year for us.”

Sophomore John Guetterman earned Second Team All-League honors on both offense and defense, being named at wide receiver and linebacker. Guetterman led Louisburg in receptions with 244 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while also pacing the defense with 92 total tackles.

“John played several spots for us on defense and did a good job at all of them,” Harding said. “John plays with a good motor and has a knack for getting to the ball. He was our leading tackler as a sophomore and we are certainly excited to have him again for the next two years.”

Offensively, Guetterman was a focal point in the Wildcats’ passing attack.

“John was a guy we wanted to get the ball to and we did that in a variety of ways,” Harding said. “He was our leading receiver this year and was also a good perimeter blocker for us.”

Senior Johnny Hendrickson was honored as a Second Team All-League selection at both offensive line and defensive end, reflecting his impact on both sides of the ball. Hendrickson anchored the offensive front as a three-year starter while also contributing 42 tackles and 2.5 sacks on defense.

“Johnny always played with tremendous effort,” Harding said. “He did a great job communicating and helping get others aligned properly. Johnny was a really good football player for us and getting recognized as a DE in our league is tough to do.”

Hendrickson’s leadership up front was equally valuable on offense.

“Johnny was our best lineman on the year and he was also our leader up front,” Harding said. “He has been a 3 year starter for us and is truly a selfless football player. Johnny had a really good year for us and we are certainly going to miss not only his skill but his leadership abilities as well.”

Junior Cole Heinrich earned Second Team All-League honors at defensive back, finishing the season with 39 tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles while playing both safety and corner.

“Cole had a really good year for us,” Harding said. “He played both safety and corner. Cole is just a football player and did a good job of picking up on everything in the secondary and was a good communicator for us. We are excited to have Cole coming back to help lead that group again.”

Senior Gage Feldkamp received Honorable Mention All-League recognition at defensive back after totaling 34 tackles and an interception, while routinely drawing the opposing team’s top receiving threat.

“Gage generally rotated to the team’s best WR and we put him on an island most times,” Harding said. “Gage really stepped up for us the last two years and I am glad he got some recognition for his play.”

Sophomore Mathias Wright rounded out the Wildcats’ honorees as an Honorable Mention All-League returner, highlighted by a kickoff return touchdown against Paola.

“Mathias had a really good year for us as a kickoff returner,” Harding said. “He was fearless and would hit the hole running full speed every time,” Harding said. “He started the game off against Paola with a kickoff return for a touchdown which was really cool to experience. He is just a sophomore and we are excited to see him continue to get better over the next two years.”

FIRST TEAM ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE

Offense

• QB: Haydon Hull, Sr. – Ottawa
• RB: Grayson Moody, Jr. – Eudora
• RB: Bohdi Shay, So. – Paola
• RB: Hank Kotchaver, Sr. – Spring Hill
• WR: Jayce Mourning, Jr. – Ottawa
• WR: Sasha Pichnenko, Sr. – Paola
• WR: Jacob Morenz, Sr. – Tonganoxie
• TE: Aiden McCullough, Sr. – Ottawa
• OL: Cage Crabill, Sr. – Eudora
• OL: Leland Bradshaw, Sr. – Eudora
• OL: Luke Anderson, Sr. – Paola
• OL: Duncan Pinkham, Sr. – Spring Hill
• OL: John Golba, Sr. – Tonganoxie

Defense

• DL: Leland Bradshaw, Sr. – Eudora
• DL: Carson Martin, Sr. – Paola
• DL: Mason Harvey, Jr. – Spring Hill
• DE: Brooks Bayer, Jr. – Spring Hill
• DE: Jax Troutman, Jr. – Paola
• LB: Newt Schreiner, Jr. – Eudora
• LB: Liam Marler, Sr. – Ottawa
• LB: Brody Latto, Sr. – Paola
• DB: Dez Hoobler, So. – Eudora
• DB: Jayce Mourning, Jr. – Ottawa
• DB: Syler Stewart, Sr. – Spring Hill
• DB: Brady Martin, Sr. – Tonganoxie

Specialists

• K: Blaise Vohs, Sr. – Louisburg
• P: Martin Guerra, Jr. – Bonner Springs
• RET: Jayce Mourning, Jr. – Ottawa

Multi-Position Offense (MPO)

• Maysen Dodson, So. – Spring Hill
• Keelyn Duncan, So. – Eudora

Multi-Position Defense (MPD)

• Kyle Stewart, Sr. – Spring Hill

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SECOND TEAM ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE

Offense

• QB: Jordan Miller, Sr. – Spring Hill
• RB: Blaise Vohs, Sr. – Louisburg
• RB: Armoni Velez, Jr. – Ottawa
• RB: Blake Riedel, Jr. – Tonganoxie
• WR: Jackson Rood, Sr. – Baldwin
• WR: Preston White, Jr. – Eudora
• WR: John Guetterman, So. – Louisburg
• WR: Cameron Wells, Jr. – Spring Hill
• TE: Colton Collum, Sr. – Baldwin
• TE: Brady Martin, Sr. – Tonganoxie
• OL: Ethan Winton, Sr. – Eudora
• OL: Johnny Hendrickson, Sr. – Louisburg
• OL: Tobias Thompson, Sr. – Ottawa
• OL: Jack Boetel, Sr. – Ottawa
• OL: Jax Troutman, Jr. – Paola
• OL: Tucker Wingerter, Sr. – Spring Hill

Defense

• DL: Ty Daly, Jr. – Baldwin
• DL: Teagan Manning, Sr. – Ottawa
• DL: John Golba, Sr. – Tonganoxie
• DE: Chase Myers, Sr. – Ottawa
• DE: Garrett Golay, Jr. – Eudora
• LB: Brenden O’Connor, Sr. – Baldwin
• LB: Kayne Smith, Sr. – Bonner Springs
• LB: Elijah Clobes, Jr. – Eudora
• LB: John Guetterman, So. – Louisburg
• LB: Brayden Bell, Jr. – Spring Hill
• DB: Cole Heinrich, Jr. – Louisburg
• DB: Gavin Seaton, Jr. – Ottawa
• DB: Blake Costlow, Jr. – Paola
• DB: Mikey Beck, So. – Spring Hill

Specialists

• K: Cody Lobb, So. – Tonganoxie
• P: Brooks Bayer, Jr. – Spring Hill
• RET: Dez Hoobler, So. – Eudora

Multi-Position Offense (MPO)

• Prince Donnell, Jr. – Bonner Springs

Multi-Position Defense (MPD)

• Keelyn Duncan, So. – Eudora

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HONORABLE MENTION ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE

Offense

• QB: Bryis Alford, Jr. – Baldwin
• RB: Kreyton Frost, Jr. – Baldwin
• RB: Mason Stein, So. – Paola
• RB: Bodee Masiak, So. – Tonganoxie
• WR: Prince Donnell, Jr. – Bonner Springs
• WR: Trace Metcalf, Sr. – Paola
• WR: Kipton Harder, So. – Tonganoxie
• OL: Brenden O’Connor, Sr. – Baldwin
• OL: Jake Stevanus, Sr. – Baldwin
• OL: Devin Fleischer, Sr. – Bonner Springs
• OL: Paxton Summers, So. – Tonganoxie
• OL: Max Jones, Sr. – Paola
• OL: Benny Ragan, Sr. – Spring Hill
• OL: Clayton Meek, Sr. – Spring Hill

Defense

• DL: Devin Fleischer, Jr. – Bonner Springs
• DL: Reilly Neis, Jr. – Eudora
• DL: Cole Penhallow, Sr. – Spring Hill
• DE: Hunter Barnhart, Sr. – Baldwin
• LB: Landry Quick, Jr. – Baldwin
• LB: Brayden Marx, Sr. – Eudora
• DB: Kasey Hamrick, Sr. – Baldwin
• DB: Wrigley Hamrick, So. – Baldwin
• DB: Dalton Caldwell, Sr. – Bonner Springs
• DB: Spencer Meis, Sr. – Bonner Springs
• DB: Bryce Mulvihill, Sr. – Eudora
• DB: Gage Feldkamp, Sr. – Louisburg

Specialists

• K: Caden Dunback, Jr. – Eudora
• P: Max Harvey, Jr. – Baldwin
• RET: James McConico, Jr. – Bonner Springs
• RET: Mathias Wright, So. – Louisburg

Multi-Position Defense (MPD)

• Carter Raney, So. – Spring Hill

CHANUTE — The Louisburg Wildcats were just two yards away from extending their season.

Instead, their Class 4A playoff run ended in heartbreaking fashion on Halloween night, as a last-second two-point conversion attempt came up just short in a 29-28 loss to Chanute.

The No. 10-seeded Wildcats gave the seventh-seeded Blue Comets all they could handle in a game that swung wildly in the final 90 seconds. Despite the defeat, Louisburg left the field knowing it had given everything it had.

“It was definitely a tough loss,” Louisburg head coach Drew Harding said. “Any time your season comes to an end it is going to be difficult. When you throw in how the game ended, it makes it that much tougher.”

Louisburg’s night began with adversity, as senior captain and starting lineman Johnny Hendrickson went down with an injury on the first play of the game and never returned. The Wildcats could have folded early — instead, they fought.

Behind a balanced attack led by quarterback Max Amren, Louisburg built a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Amren broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, then Blaise Vohs broke free for a 57-yard touchdown run to double the lead. Vohs added both extra points to send Louisburg into halftime with all the momentum.

Chanute began to climb back in the second half behind its quarterback, Kris Harding, who scored on a 9-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. The Blue Comets then tied the game early in the fourth when Asher Love scored from four yards out, followed by a successful two-point conversion.

Louisburg regained the lead midway through the quarter on one of its biggest plays of the season. Facing fourth-and-10, Amren found Rickey Giles for a 28-yard touchdown, then ran in the two-point conversion himself to make it 22-14.

But Chanute had answers. Love punched in another short touchdown run to tie the game at 22 with under three minutes left. The Blue Comets then forced a fumble near midfield, setting the stage for Harding’s heroics — a 37-yard touchdown run with just 32 seconds left to give Chanute its first lead of the night, 29-22.

Louisburg’s response came instantly.

On the ensuing kickoff, Cole Heinrich fielded the ball and raced 80 yards down the sideline for a stunning touchdown, bringing the Wildcats within one at 29-28.

“You know our kickoff return team has been a huge bright spot for us all year,” Coach Harding said. “When they decided to kick it back to our returners, I knew we would have a chance. That was a big-time play by that unit and a great return by Cole to give us a chance there at the end.”

Louisburg could have kicked the extra point to force overtime. Instead, the Wildcats went for the win. After timeouts by both teams, they lined up for the two-point conversion and handed the ball to Vohs. He fought toward the goal line but was ruled short by the officials, ending Louisburg’s season in agonizing fashion.

“We thought that we had an opportunity to go win the game there with one play,” Harding said. “That was kind of the deciding factor in going for two. Unfortunately, we didn’t execute to the best of our ability, and that was the difference.”

Amren completed 12 of 14 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 58 yards. Vohs led the team with 72 rushing yards on 12 carries, and Giles finished with 45 receiving yards and the key fourth-down score.

Defensively, Bryce Thompson led the way with 10 tackles, followed by Devin Goeman with eight. John Guetterman, Will Norton, and Gaston Schleicher each added six stops.

Even though the Wildcats came up short on the scoreboard, Harding said the fight and growth he saw from his team made him proud.

“We lost Johnny first play of the game and that was a huge loss for us,” he said. “I thought we showed a ton of fight. We converted a fourth-and-10 for a touchdown and then had the big kickoff return when things weren’t looking good. We are certainly proud of the fight this team displayed.”

Louisburg finishes the season with its share of adversity, but also with optimism for the future.

“This was certainly a season that provided plenty of challenges for us,” Harding said. “We had a lot of young kids playing on Friday nights and then we also had more injuries than we have had the past several seasons. We appreciate all the time and effort our senior class has put into the program, and we had a lot of kids get good experience this year. Hopefully that’s beneficial for us down the road.”

LOU                         0               14            0               14 — 28

CHA                        0               0               7               22 — 29

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

L: Max Amren 38 run (Blaise Vohs kick)

L: Blaise Vohs 57 run (Vohs kick)

Third Quarter

C: Kris Harding 9 run (kick good) at 4:25

Fourth Quarter

C: Asher Love 4 run (Kasen Audiss pass from Harding)  at 11:58

L: Rickey Giles 28 pass from Amren (Amren run) scored on a 4^th and 10 at 6:57

C: Love 3 run (kick good) scored at 2:52

C: Harding 37 run (kick good) scored with :32 seconds left

L: Cole Heinrich 80 kickoff return (run failed) :20 seconds left

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Blaise Vohs 12-72; Max Amren 7-58; Gage Feldkamp 1-6; Cole Heinrich 2-2

PASSING – Max Amren 12-14-102

RECEIVING – Rickey Giles 2-45; John Guetterman 5-14; Blaise Vohs 1-14; Bryce Thompson 1-12; Eli Roth 1-9; Braxton Eastland 2-8

TACKLES – Bryce Thompson 10, Devin Goeman 8, John Guetterman 6, Will Norton 6, Gaston Schleicher 6, Max Amren 4, Cole Poindexter 4, Cole Heinrich 3, Coiln Schleicher 3, Gage Feldkamp 2, Ayden Spradling 1, Maddox Day 1, Gavin Manson 1.

Louisburg didn’t just win Friday night — the Wildcats proved they’re starting to find their stride.

Behind a punishing ground game from Blaise Vohs and a defense that came up clutch when it mattered most, the Wildcats held off Ottawa, 20-13, to notch their second straight victory on Senior Night.

“This was definitely a big win for us,” head coach Drew Harding said. “We’ve been getting better the past several weeks, and it’s nice to see it pay off on the scoreboard, not just in practice. I thought this was our best game of the year in terms of executing our game plan.”

Louisburg didn’t start fast, but it finished strong. Ottawa struck first with a 4-yard touchdown run from Aaron Blaine to take a 6-0 lead in the opening quarter. The Cyclones threatened to add more points early, but the Wildcats’ defense refused to let the game get away.

A key fourth-down stop midway through the second quarter flipped the momentum, and on the very next play, Louisburg running back Blaise Vohs provided the spark his team needed. Vohs broke free for a 72-yard run down the sideline, setting up his own 1-yard touchdown plunge moments later. His extra point gave the Wildcats a 7-6 lead at halftime, and from there, they never looked back.

In the third quarter, quarterback Max Amren capped another methodical drive with a 3-yard scoring run to make it 13–6. Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ defense continued to shine, creating turnovers that set up the offense with short fields. Louisburg picked off three passes — one each by Cole Heinrich, Gage Feldkamp, and Mathias Wright — and it was Wright’s 40-yard interception return in the fourth quarter that proved to be the dagger.

Moments later, Vohs found the end zone again from a yard out, giving the Wildcats a 20–6 cushion. Ottawa answered late with a 19-yard touchdown run by Armoni Velez, but was too little too late for the Cyclones..

Vohs was the engine that drove the offense, rushing 26 times for 212 yards — including several key runs that kept drives alive. Amren added 22 yards on the ground and completed 8 of 10 passes for 69 yards. John Guetterman led the receiving corps with six catches for 68 yards, while Feldkamp anchored the defense with 10 tackles. Guetterman also had nine stops in the win.

Harding praised both his defense and his senior leaders for setting the tone in a high-stakes game.

“We had some key defensive stops early in the game,” Harding said. “They had jumped out early and were in good position a couple of times to score again, but our guys kept battling and got some key stops to keep it close. I think this team has shown all year that they’ll continue to fight regardless of the situation.”

Vohs’s impact, Harding said, has been a major factor in the team’s recent surge.

“Blaise has been a huge boost for us offensively since he came back from injury,” Harding said. “He has a knack for breaking tackles and has the speed to make big plays. He made several big runs for us tonight, and we’re excited to see him continue to get better.”

The win was especially meaningful as it came on Senior Night, giving the Wildcats’ upperclassmen a fitting send-off as Johnny Hendrickson, Michael Foote, Ayden Spradling, Martin Soto, Rickey Giles, Blaise Vohs and Gage Feldkamp played their final home game.

“The seniors have put in a lot of effort and time into the program,” Harding said. “It was fun to get those guys a win on their senior night.”

With the victory, Louisburg improved to 3–4 on the season and now turns its attention to the final game of the regular season this Friday as the Wildcats travel to Spring Hill.

LOU       0               7               6               7 — 20

OTT        6               0               0               7 — 13

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

O: Aaron Blaine 4 run (kick failed)

Second Quarter

L: Blaise Vohs 1 run (Vohs kick)

Third Quarter

L: Max Amren 3 run (kick failed)

Fourth Quarter

L: Vohs 1 run (kick good)

O: Armoni Velez 19 run (kick good)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Blaise Vohs 26-212; Max Amren 9-22

PASSING – Max Amren 8-10-69

RECEIVING – John Guetterman 6-68; Braxton Eastland 2-21

TACKLES – Gage Feldkamp 10, John Guetterrman 9, Bryce Thompson 8, Lincoln Nielsen 7, Cole Heinrich 5, Will Norton 5, Johnny Hendrickson 5, Devin Goeman 5, Max Amren 3, Mathias Wright 2, Blaise Vohs 1, Braxton Koechner 1, Colin Schleicher 1

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

JOHN GUETTERMAN, SOPHOMORE, FOOTBALL

In his first year of varsity action, Louisburg sophomore John Guetterman has certainly made an impact on the Wildcat football team. Guetterman, the Wildcat starting linebacker, finished with nine tackles in Louisburg’s 20-13 victory over Ottawa last Friday. On the season, Guetterman has a team-high 82 tackles to go along with five tackles for a loss.

Guetterman has also made an impact as a wide receiver as well as he finished six catches for 68 yards against the Cyclones. The previous week he had 45 yards receiving to go along with two touchdowns in a win over Wichita West.

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: Owen Marsh

Week 2: Caileigh Kilgore

Week 3: Maddox McGhee

Week 4: Blaise Vohs

Week 5: Evan Moreland

Week 6: Max Amren

Louisburg turned in its most complete performance of the season Friday night, overwhelming Wichita West 49–6 in non-league action and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The victory gave them their second win of the season as the Wildcats have had to deal with youth and injuries at the same time. Still, Louisburg put on a show in front of its home fans as it scored 28 first quarter points and never looked back.

“We have certainly needed this,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “We have been in a lot of close games this year. Last week we played a really good team and battled and we have been getting better. To have a game where we can show that on the scoreboard is very rewarding.

“We certainly have been young and when you have injuries it certainly magnifies your youth. But it is the next man up and the positive out that situation is you get kids in and see what they can do on a Friday night. Hopefully it will be beneficial for us down the road.

Louisburg’s defense set the tone early, pitching a shutout until the fourth quarter and forcing three turnovers. Cole Heinrich and Lincoln Nielsen each came away with interceptions, while John Guetterman forced a fumble that Mathias Wright recovered.

The Wildcats’ special teams were just as dominant, blocking three punts. Bryce Thompson led the charge with two blocks — one of which Wright scooped up in the end zone for a touchdown — while Will Norton added another block to keep the Pioneers pinned deep in their own territory.

“Defense played with good energy and effort,” Harding said. “We missed a few tackles on a few drives, but all in all we played well on that side of the football.

Louisburg wasted no time getting on the board, racing out to a 28–0 first-quarter lead. Blaise Vohs opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run and added another from four yards out.

Quarterback Max Amren connected with Guetterman for a 14-yard touchdown, then hit Bryce Thompson for a two-point conversion. Wright capped the explosive opening quarter with the touchdown on the blocked punt.

“We started fairly well against Eudora last week, but this was the best we have started all year,” Harding said. “We talked about how we wanted to get a 3-and out and block a punt and we were able to do those things right away. It was a fun to see the things that we have worked and emphasized on all week come to fruition and we did a good job.

After a quiet second quarter, the Wildcats erupted again in the third. Amren tossed a 20-yard touchdown to Guetterman, broke free for a 50-yard scoring run, and found Ayden Spradling for a 6-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 49–0.

Wichita West’s Colby Eck-Watkins broke the shutout with an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Louisburg’s offense was efficient all night. Vohs rushed for 98 yards on 12 carries and Amren added 89 yards on just four attempts. Through the air, Amren completed all six of his passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper Kilgore added a 38-yard completion in his lone attempt.

Guetterman led the receiving corps with four catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns, while Spradling hauled in two passes for 44 yards and a score.

“We were able to spread the ball around and get it to different playmakers,” Harding said. “They all did a good job with the ball in their hands and none of that is possible without our offensive line playing well. They are getting better and better and had a really good night.”

Defensively, Guetterman also led the way with 11 tackles. Norton added 10, followed by Amren with seven and Wright with six.

Louisburg (2–4) returns home Friday to host Ottawa for Senior Night.

“I think our goal this season was to always be playing our best football at the end of the year, but we know that we have taken some strides and getting better the last few weeks,” Harding said. “We just need to take another step (against Ottawa) and put a good product on the field and compete against a good football team.

LOU       28            0               21            0 – 49

WW        0               0               0               6 – 6

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

L: Blaise Vohs 3 run (Blaise Vohs kick)

L: Vohs 4 run (Max Amren pass to Bryce Thompson)

L: John Guetterman 14 pass from Max Amren (Vohs kick)

L: Mathias Wright 0 run (kick failed)

Third Quarter

L: Guetterman 20 pass from Amren (Vohs kick)

L: Amren 50 run (Vohs kick)

L: Ayden Spradling 6 pass from Amren (Vohs kick)

Fourth Quarter

WW: Colby Eck-Watkins 8 run (kick failed)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Blaise Vohs 12-98; Max Amren 4-89; Tate McGreer 4-15; Bryce Thompson 1-2

PASSING – Max Amren 6-6-53; Cooper Kilgore 1-1-38

RECEIVING – John Guetterman 4-45; Ayden Spradling 2-44; Blaise Vohs 1-2

TACKLES – John Guetterman 11, Will Norton 10, Max Amren 7, Mathias Wright 6, Bryce Thompson 5, Cole Heinrich 4, Gage Feldkamp 4, Johnny Hendrickson 4, Devin Goeman 3, Braxton Koechner 2, Colin Schleicher 2, Maddox Day 2, Eli Roth 1, Cooper Kilgore 1, Cole Poindexter, Riley Barker 1, Jack Flaming 1, Gavin Manson 1, Lincoln Nielsen 1.