Louisburg senior running back Ben Wiedenmann carried the ball 34 times for 297 yards and two touchdowns, but the Wildcats saw their season come to a close with a 41-19 loss to St. James Academy.

One by one, the six seniors that suited up for Friday’s first round playoff game against St. James Academy came off the field and were congratulated by their coaches.

It was a bittersweet moment for the eight Louisburg seniors as they got a chance to complete their season, but it came to an end quicker than they would have hoped. The Wildcats didn’t go down without a fight and a couple late touchdowns, but fell to St. James 41-19 at Wildcat Stadium.

“St. James is a good team and they do a lot of things really well,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “Our kids played their heart out, but unfortunately we had the ball three times when it was still a game in third quarter and two of them ended in penalties. We just lacked the explosive touch on offense to make up for those.

“The effort was there, the passion was there and I am glad these kids got to experience their season. We have a great group of kids who are going to be leaving, but a lot of great kids coming up through the program.”

One of those seniors was Wildcat running back Ben Wiedenmann, who saved his best performance for last. Wiedenmann carried the Louisburg offense as he racked up 297 yards on 34 attempts and scored two touchdowns.

Wiedenmann and the Wildcat coaches were able to expose a weakness in the St. James defense. With the help of senior lineman Alec Younggren, and senior fullback Andy Hupp, Wiedenmann found some holes to run through.

“Ben ran hard, and honestly we put Younggren in the spot to be the key blocker, Hupp in the spot to be the key second blocker and Ben ran the ball hard,” Ebenstein said. “As coaches, we kind of thought they were weakest in A and B gaps and that is where we tried to focus. Ben had a great game and executed very well.”

St. James opened the game with a touchdown on its opening possession and the Wildcats had a tough time slowing down the Thunder offense as quarterback Dakota Burritt and running back La’James White accounted for more than 400 yards.

Burritt threw his first of three touchdown passes to Jacob Boone to go up 7-0 in the first quarter, but the Wildcats (4-5) didn’t take much time to answer.

Wiedenmann broke free for a 77-yard run that set himself up a 1-yard touchdown run. Louisburg went for 2 points, but the pass fell incomplete.

The Thunder would go on to score two more touchdowns in the first half and take a 20-6 halftime lead. Louisburg was still in the game, but its offense wasn’t able to get going and was hurt by penalties that allowed St. James to expand its lead even more.

Defensively, sophomore Jase Hovey led the Wildcats with seven stops on the night and also blocked an extra point on special teams. Senior Justin Collins and junior Aiden Barker both had six stops, while senior Weston Guetterman and Younggren had five. Guetterman also recorded an interception.

Guetterman, Younggren, Wiedenmann, Collins, Hupp, Konnor Vohs, Jay Scollin and Will Patterson all played their final game for the Wildcats, but Ebenstein was happy these seniors were able to have a season despite all the restrictions placed on them.

“It has been crazy,” Ebenstein said. “I am so over COVID right now, but I am glad the kids got these opportunities. I feel bad these seniors had a season where there was less than 500 people in the stands and all the extra stuff that went with it. At the same time, they are going to grow up to be resilient men and fathers. They will be productive members of society, I have no doubt. It is all part of the process.”

LOU               6             0             0             13 – 19

SJA                 14           6             7             14 – 41

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

S: Jacob Boone 12 pass from Dakota Burritt (Joshua Kirby kick)

L: Ben Wiedenmann 1 run (pass failed)

S: La’James White 1 run (Kirby kick)

Second quarter

S: Tyler Claiborne 28 pass from Burritt (kick blocked)

Third quarter

S: White 4 run (Kirby kick)

Fourth quarter

S: Claiborne 2 pass from Burritt (Kirby kick)

L: Wiedenmann 21 run (Layne Ryals kick)

S: Tiave Watts 9 run (Kirby kick)

L: Kolby Kattau 9 run (run failed)

LOUISBURG STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 34-297; Weston Guetterman 8-12; Kolby Kattau 2-8; Justin Collins 2-8; Andy Hupp 5-6.

TACKLES – Jase Hovey 7, Justin Collins 6, Aiden Barker 6, Weston Guetterman 5, Alec Younggren 5, Andy Hupp 4, Kolby Kattau 4, Konnor Vohs 3, Ben Wiedenmann 3, Isaiah Whitley 1, Tom Koontz 1, JR Rooney 1, Wyatt Holland 1, Declan Battle 1.

A host of Louisburg defenders try to bring down Paola quarterback Garrett Williams last Friday during the Wildcats’ final regular season game at Paola.

It was a result that no one on the Louisburg sideline was hoping for – nor expecting.

The Wildcats traveled to Paola last Friday in hopes of knocking off the No. 1 team in the state, and rival, Paola. No matter the records, it has historically been a competitive game – and for a little while – it was looking like it was going to be a defensive battle.

In the final three quarters, Paola quickly dashed any of hopes of the Wildcats pulling off the upset. The Panthers scored 49 straight points to open the game and handed Louisburg a 49-7 defeat. Paola also clinched the Frontier League title in the process.

Penalties cost the Wildcats (4-4) in several of their drives as they were flagged eight times for 60 yards and Louisburg had a tough time slowing down the Paola rushing attack.

“To be honest, there were no specific problems other than the ones we created for ourselves,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “Penalties killed us. We have to be better and that falls directly on my shoulders to get us prepared and able to use good technique. We also did a poor job on the attention to detail aspects of the game. We played with poor technique and attention to detail. When you play a very good team with that type of mental approach you lose by a lot, and that is exactly what happened.”

The Panthers (8-0) amassed more than 400 yards of total offense and 394 of those yards came on the ground – many of which were courtesy of running back Jovanni Blackie and quarterback Garrett Williams.

Blackie rushed for 204 yards to go along with three touchdowns, while Williams carried the ball 14 times for 142 yards and two scores.

It was a close game in the first quarter as the Wildcats trailed just 6-0 heading into the second period. Louisburg forced a fumble on Paola’s opening possession, but mistakes and penalties stalled many of the Wildcats’ offensive drives and were unable to find the endzone.

“I was proud of our fight in the first 18 minutes of the game, for sure,” Ebenstein said. “Then we got down by 14 and had trouble on a kick return and had some poor field position and our focus went away. The first quarter our energy was high, but the execution was still poor. We had way too many penalties to take advantage of what opportunities we had. Playing behind the sticks is never easy.”

Paola would score two touchdown in each of the next three quarters to pull away from the Wildcats.

Senior running back Ben Wiedenmann prevented the shutout when he broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats their lone score of the game. He led Louisburg with six carries for 90 yards, while quarterback Weston Guetterman had 64 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, Guetterman led Louisburg with eight tackles on the night, while seniors Konnor Vohs and Andy Hupp each added seven stops. Senior Justin Collins also forced a fumble for Louisburg.

The Wildcats will get a fresh start to their season as they are the No. 8 seed in the Class 4A playoffs and will host No. 9 St. James Academy (3-4) at 7 p.m. this Friday. The winner of that game will play the winner between No. 1 Paola and No. 16 Ottawa next week.

“St. James is a very solid team and their only losses have come to the other big private schools in the metro (St. Thomas Aquinas, Rockhurst, Miege), and 6A powerhouse Blue Valley,” Ebenstein said. “This is the first year for them being back down in 4A, so we will have our work cut out for us. If we focus on what we can control, we have a very good chance of beating any team in 4A.” 

PAO               6             15           14           14 – 49

LOU               0             0             0             7 – 7

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

P: Jovanni Blackie 5 run (kick failed)

Second quarter

P: Blackie 4 run (Brock Pitzer pass from Garrett Williams)

P: Garrett Williams 1 run (Ian Heid kick)

Third quarter

P: Fletcher Aude 2 run (Heid kick)

P: Blackie 37 run (Heid kick)

Fourth quarter

P: Williams 3 run (Heid kick)

P: Aude 1 run (Heid kick)

L: Ben Wiedenmann 69 run (Layne Ryals kick)

LOUISBURG STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 6-90; Weston Guetterman 16-64; Justin Collins 7-37; Andy Hupp 7-14; Konnor Vohs 1-6

PASSING – Guetterman 2-12-22

RECEIVING – Vohs 2-22

TACKLES – Weston Guetterman 8, Konnor Vohs 7, Andy Hupp 7, Justin Collins 4, Kolby Kattau 4, Ben Wiedenmann 3, Jase Hovey 2, Aiden Barker 2, Alec Younggren 2, JR Rooney 2, Jay Scollin 1

Louisburg’s (from left) Jay Scollin, Konnor Vohs (11) and Aiden Barker (54) celebrate JR Rooney’s touchdown in the third quarter of Friday’s 35-7 win over Ottawa.

From the start, it was obvious it was going to be Louisburg’s night.

Louisburg, which celebrated fall homecoming Friday against Ottawa, had everything go its way in its final regular season home contest. Whether it was a score on their opening possession, a touchdown by two different linemen, or an impressive defensive performance, the Wildcats made for a memorable homecoming night.

The Wildcats scored 35 unanswered points to start the game and never looked back in a 35-7 victory at Wildcat Stadium. The win improved Louisburg’s record to 4-3 on the season as it gets ready for its final regular season contest.

“It was a good win for sure, especially with it being homecoming week, not having school Monday and coming off a loss,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “We put a week’s worth of practice together and we came out and did what we anticipated and hoped we could do. It was good to see them execute.”

Louisburg had it going from their opening drive as quarterback Weston Guetterman broke free for a 27-yard run to put the Wildcats up 6-0 in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, the Wildcats all but put the game away as they scored three touchdowns. Justin Collins and Ben Wiedenmann recorded back-to-back 25-yard runs to begin the quarter and then Wiedenmann ended the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. Guetterman ran in the 2-point conversion to put Louisburg up 14-0.

On the Wildcats’ next possession, Wiedenmann answered the bell again as he broke free for a 59-yard touchdown. For the game, Wiedenmann carried the ball just seven times, but had 112 yards to go with his two touchdowns.

It was the defense’s turn to find the endzone as junior lineman Aiden Barker picked off an Ottawa pass and ran it back for a 20-yard touchdown to put Louisburg up 28-0 after a Layne Ryals extra point.

The lineman touchdowns continued in the second half. Louisburg had the ball on the 2-yard line, but Guetterman fumbled the snap that went into the endzone and center JR Rooney jumped on the ball for the touchdown and a 35-0 Louisburg advantage.

“I wanted to yell at JR because I thought the snap was his fault that we fumbled it, but Weston took the blame for it, so he gets to be happy with his touchdown,” Ebenstein said.

Louisburg’s defense caused Ottawa problems most of the night as the Wildcats held the Cyclones to just 69 yards of total offense, most of which came in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore safety Jase Hovey had a big game as he recorded one of three Louisburg interceptions on the night, along with a sack, a forced fumble and two tackles for a loss.

Barker and Wiedenmann accounted for the other two interceptions, while Barker also added a sack to his stat line.

“They were playing with a lot of energy and were really flying around out there and hitting people,” Ebenstein said. “The air was brisk out there, it is mid-October and it is time to fly around and it was good to see them have fun out there.”

Louisburg will wind down its regular season this Friday when it travels to Paola for their annual rivalry showdown. It will be a difficult test for the Wildcats as Paola is currently ranked in the top two in many of the Class 4A rankings.

“Paola and Louisburg is old school,” Ebenstein said. “It really doesn’t matter what the records are. Both schools have had good teams over the years and it seems like we have gone back and forth as far as wins go the last few times. It will be a lot of fun and I am excited for the kids to get that game.”

LOU               6             22           7             0 – 35

OTT               0             0             0             7 – 7

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

L: Weston Guetterman 27 run (kick failed)

Second quarter

L: Ben Wiedenmann 8 run (Guetterman run)

L: Wiedenmann 59 run (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Aiden Barker 20 interception return (Ryals kick)

Third quarter

L: JR Rooney 0 fumble recovery (Ryals kick)

Fourth quarter

O: Wyatt Sink 2 run (Reese Fogle kick)

LOUISBURG STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 7-112; Weston Guetterman 11-98; Justin Collins 3-26; Andy Hupp 2-10; Carson Wade 2-5.

PASSING – Riley Van Eaton 1-2-6

RECEIVING – Mason Dobbins 1-6

TACKLES – Ben Wiedenmann 3, Andy Hupp 3, Nathan Vincent 3, Carson Wade 2, Jase Hovey 2, Layne Ryals 2, Aiden Barker 2, Alec Younggren 2, JR Rooney 2, Isaiah Whitley 1, Konnor Vohs 1, Kaven Bartlett 1, Tom Koontz 1, Dominic Owens 1, Jay Scollin 1.

The 2020 Louisburg High School fall homecoming candidates are (front row, from left) Jadyn Amren, Megan Foote, Madi Quinn, Alyse Moore; (back row) Weston Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Ben Wiedenmann and Jay Scollin.

Homecoming week at Louisburg High School kicked off Monday and events are in full swing. With something going on every day this week, it will be a busy time for students. All of it is, of course, centered around the crowning of the 2020 fall king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday before the Wildcats’ home football game with Ottawa. Kickoff for that game is set for 7 p.m., with the crowning to take place at 6:30. Good luck to all the participants and make sure to come out on Friday to support the Wildcat football team if you have the opportunity.

Jadyn Amren

Jadyn is the daughter of Mark and Carmen Amren. She has been involved with choir for four years. Jadyn has participated in cheerleading, FFA, FBLA and National Honor Society for two years. She also was a member of FCCLA for one year. Following graduation, Jadyn plans to attend Missouri State and major in nursing.

Weston Guetterman

Weston is the son of Mike and Jodi Guetterman. Weston has been involved for football, basketball and FFA for four years. He was also a member of the baseball team for two years and track for one year. After graduation, Weston plans to attend college and major in Ag Business.

Megan Foote

Megan is the daughter of Jim and Dana Foote. Megan has participated in basketball for four years, FBLA for three years, National Honor Society, choir and cross country for two years. She has also been a member of the Louisburg Interact Club and softball team for one year. After graduation, Megan plans to go to college and major in psychology or nurse anesthesia.

Konnor Vohs

Konnor is the son of Kevin and Cassi Vohs. Konnor has participated in football, basketball and FFA for four years. He has also been a member of National Honor Society and the baseball team for two years. Following graduation, Konnor plans to attend college and major in business and will shoot competitive shotguns.

Madi Quinn

Madi is the daughter of Danny and Mary Quinn. Madi has participated in volleyball, basketball, softball, student council and band for four years. She has been a member of choir/select choir for three years, along with a member of FBLA, forensics and National Honor Society for two years. Madi is has also been in the Interact Club and debate for one year. Following graduation, Madi will attend Kansas University and major in exercise science.

Ben Wiedenmann

Ben is the son of Bill and Vickie Wiedenmann. Ben has been a member of the football, wrestling and track teams for four years. He has also been a part of student council for four years. After graduation, Ben plans to attend college and is undecided on his choice.

Alyse Moore

Alyse is the daughter of Tommy and Alison Moore. Alyse has been a member of the volleyball and basketball teams for four years and has also participated in choir, the musical and student council for four years. She has been a part of the track team for three years and softball for two years. She has also been a member of National Honor Society for two years and band and FFA for one year. Following graduation, Alyse plans to attend college to continue her athletic and academic career.

Jay Scollin

Jay is the son of Jason and Kashena Scollin. Jay has been a member of the football, track and chess club for four years. He has participated in FBLA and boys volleyball for three years, along with National Honor Society an yearbook for two years. He was a member of student council, the basketball team and debate and forensics for one year. Following graduation, Jay plans to attend the University of Central Missouri and major in safety management.

Louisburg senior Alec Younggren fights through the Smithville offensive line to get to the quarterback last Friday in Smithville.

SMITHVILLE, Mo. – For the first time in several decades, the Louisburg football team traveled across the state line to face off against a Missouri high school.

The Wildcats were scheduled to host Bonner Springs in a Frontier League matchup last Friday, but the Braves team was forced to quarantine and the Louisburg coaches had to scramble to find an opponent.

They found one in Smithville High School and the Missouri Class 5 program hosted Louisburg in a last minute contest. As unique as the matchup was, the Wildcats left Smithville with a bad taste in their mouths.

Smithville scored 35 unanswered points in the final three quarters and handed the Wildcats a 35-7 loss. It was a difficult challenge for the smaller Louisburg program, but the Wildcats (3-3) tried to make the best of a bad situation.

“I think they were up for the challenge and I am proud of the way that they accepted it for what it was,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “You lose a home game against a league team that we wanted to play and one that we have never played before. I would have liked a week to prepare for Smithville, but it is what it is. I am proud of the boys for playing hard.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Smithville scored on two big pass plays in the second that gave the Warriors some momentum going into halftime. The combo of quarterback Andrew Hedgecorth and Keltin Nitsche connected on a pair of touchdowns on almost the same play.

Nitsche caught a 23 and 22-yard touchdown pass on a fade to the endzone on both occasions and the Warriors took a 14-0 halftime lead.

Louisburg’s offense had a tough time getting much going until late in the game, by then the Wildcats found themselves down 35 points.

Smithville (5-2) opened the second half with a touchdown that was aided by three Louisburg penalties and Wildcats were down three scores and was difficult to come back from. The Warriors ran a spread offense, which was tough to prepare for in a short amount of time.

“We gave up 45 yards of penalties in that drive, so that was kind of tough,” Ebenstein said. “That was a killer for sure. But right before halftime, we had a chance to get at least 3 on the board and we threw an interception and that kind of hurt us a little.

“It was a weird week for sure. It was one of those things where we got the exact opposite for what we were preparing for and what we planned on. It is what it is though. We came over here and Smithville has a good team. It was a short week to prepare and it was kind of tough as the scoreboard kind of reflected that.”

Louisburg’s offense got going in the fourth quarter when quarterback Weston Guetterman found Konnor Vohs on a pair of long passes, including one where Vohs made a one-handed grab.

Guetterman then ended the shutout with a 45-yard touchdown run and the Layne Ryals extra point made it 35-7.

Along with his two catches, Vohs also had a big game on defense as he led the Wildcats with 11 tackles on the night. Sophomore Jase Hovey and seniors Ben Wiedenmann and Jay Scollin each finished with six stops and Wiedenmann also had sack.

Louisburg will try and get back on the winning side of things this Friday when it hosts Ottawa for homecoming in a Frontier League matchup. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the crowning will take place at 6:30.

LOU               0             0             0             7 – 7

SMI                0             14           14           7 – 35

SCORING SUMMARY

Second quarter

S: Keltin Nitsche 23 pass from Andrew Hedgecorth (Michael Tyhurst kick)

S: Nitsche 22 pass from Hedgecorth (Tyhurst kick)

Third quarter

S: Adin Murawkski 15 pass from Ryan Pestano (Tyhurst kick)

S: Hayden Sigg 1 run (Tyhurst kick)

Fourth quarter

S: Samuel Calvert 2 pass from Hedgecorth (Tyhurst kick)

L: Weston Guetterman 45 run (Layne Ryals kick)

LOUISBURG STATISTICS

RUSHING – Weston Guetterman 8-82; Ben Wiedenmann 16-76; Kolby Kattau 2-10; Justin Collins 3-4; Andy Hupp 1-2

PASSING – Weston Guetterman 2-10-55

RECEIVING – Konnor Vohs 2-55

TACKLES – Konnor Vohs 11, Jase Hovey 6, Ben Wiedenmann 6, Jay Scollin 6, Kolby Kattau 5, Weston Guetterman 4, Justin Collins 4, Andy Hupp 4, Aiden Barker 4, Alec Younggren 3, Tom Koontz 1, Nathan Vincent 1, JR Rooney 1.

Louisburg running back Ben Wiedenmann breaks a tackle during a game earlier this season. Wiedenmann rushed for 171 yards in the Wildcats’ win over Eudora last Friday.

EUDORA – Just like the previous week, the Louisburg football team was forced to prepare for its upcoming game short-handed.

The Wildcats didn’t have a scout team to work with during practice in an effort to prepare for their game with Eudora, as much of the team was still under quarantine. The big difference was most of those players were able to play Friday against Cardinals.

It turned out to a big help for the Wildcats as they pulled out a 14-8 win over Eudora on Friday at Eudora High School. Louisburg converted the game-winning score midway through the fourth quarter and the Wildcat defense turned Eudora over on downs on its final possession.

“I am very proud of these kids,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “They bought in to our identity, they strap it up and play tough football for four quarters. Any Frontier League game is tough, especially on the road.”

It was a defensive battle, and a fast-moving game, from the start as both teams tried looked to run the ball early and often.

The game was scoreless until the second quarter when Eudora quarterback Zeke Reazin threw for a 22-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. The Cardinals converted the 2-point conversion and took an 8-0 lead.

Louisburg (3-2) was able to bounce back on its next possession. Quarterback Weston Guetterman found the endzone on a 10-yard run and then ran in the 2-point conversion to tie the game at halftime.

Both defenses made things difficult as the Wildcats held Eudora to just 151 yards of total offense, while Louisburg was unable to get anything going through the air. The game came down to the final two possessions.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Wildcats put together a 12-play drive that ended on a 1-yard run from Ben Wiedenmann. It was Wiedenmann that carried the load for Louisburg as he ran the ball 11 of the 12 plays.

Wiedenmann finished with 171 yards on 32 carries, while Guetterman carried the ball 13 times for 89 yards.

The offensive line of Alec Younggren, Dominic Owens, JR Rooney, Nathan Vincent and Jay Scollin, along with tight end Aiden Barker, helped pave the way. Running backs Andy Hupp and Kolby Kattau also found themselves in the front of a lot of those runs as well.

“We have been searching for our identity up front all year, and we found something that gave us success all night on the ground,” Ebenstein said. “Our running backs, Hupp and Kattau, did a great job blocking all night long as well and Weston and Ben were running hard.  All those things combined gave us a 7 yard average per play on the ground.”

Eudora had one final opportunity to tie or take the lead late in the game, but the Wildcat defense came through and forced a turnover on downs with two minutes left. Louisburg was able to run out the clock from there.

“Defensively we played tough and smart all night,” Ebenstein said. “We again had to prepare most all of the week without a scout team, so the speed they were running their flexbone hit us quick on that first drive, then on fourth down they threw a simple slant and we missed a couple tackles and gave them their only score. Still, our defensive backs shut them down in the air pretty much all game.”

Guetterman led the Wildcat defense with six tackles on the night, including two stops for a loss. Sophomore Jase Hovey, Kattau and Barker each finished the night with five stops, while Hupp, Wiedenmann and Scollin tallied four tackles. 

Louisburg was scheduled to play Bonner Springs this Friday at home, but Bonner Springs is currently under quarantine and the school is in the process of trying to find a replacement for the game. Louisburg Sports Zone will keep you up to date with any changes to the schedule.

LOU               0             8             0             6 – 14

EUD               0             8             0             0 – 8

SCORING SUMMARY

Second quarter

E: Zeke Reazin 22 pass (2-point conversion good)

L: Weston Guetterman 10 run (Guetterman run)

Fourth quarter

L: Ben Wiedenmann 1 run (2-point failed)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 32-171, Weston Guetterman 13-89, Kolby Kattau 5-9, Andy Hupp 2-7.

TACKLES – Weston Guetterman 6, Aiden Barker 5, Jase Hovey 5, Kolby Kattau 5, Ben Wiedenmann 4, Andy Hupp 4, Jay Scollin 4, Justin Collins 3, Konnor Vohs 2, Alec Younggren 1, JR Rooney 1.

Running back Justin Collins looks for some running room Friday against Piper at Wildcat Stadium.

The thought of preparing a football game with just 15 players had never crossed Robert Ebenstein’s mind.

The same could be said for the rest of his coaching staff.

But early last week, that is where Ebenstein found himself. All but 15 members of the Louisburg football team were forced to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 result, and therefore, left the Wildcats a little short-handed for their game with Piper on Friday.

Despite all that, the Wildcats found themselves in a tie-game at halftime with the Pirates at Wildcat Stadium as they tried to defy the odds. In what was a defensive battle for most of the night, the Pirates used one big play to come out on top and handed Louisburg a 21-14 loss.

The thought of a moral victory wasn’t on the Wildcats’ minds when it was all said and done, but Ebenstein was pleased with his players and coaching staff.

“For the most part our effort was there, the part we struggled with was staying checked in to our assignments mentally in all three phases for the entire game,” Ebenstein said. “Typically we have people who play special teams, and that is a mental play off for the two-way guys, but we just didn’t have that. 

“As for preparing with 15 players left, we did the best we could.  We were right there. We were prepped for assignments, but Piper’s speed and size was something that a bunch of old coaches would not imitate. It took us a bit to catch up to their speed and our tackling looked like something we didn’t focus on all week.”

Defensively, the Wildcats stood tall at times as they held the Pirates under 300 yards of total offense and forced a turnover that Louisburg turned into a touchdown.

The game was tied at 14-all at halftime, and in the third quarter Piper quarterback Cory Macon broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run that turned out to be the difference in the game.

Senior linebacker Jay Scollin led the Wildcats with 13 tackles on the night and senior Andy Hupp had eight tackles to go along with a sack and a forced fumble.

Alec Younggren, a senior transfer from Olathe South who has been out with an injury, played his first game as a Wildcat and finished with 10 stops.

“The unfortunate thing about football is you can do so many things well, but that one bad play, or the one mental mistake can lead to a score,” Ebenstein said. “Their long run was a mixture of good execution by them, and us having a couple players with a mental lapse.  That’s how it works, and their first drive they had some success because it took us a few plays to catch up to their speed. A bunch of old coaches can’t recreate that. Other that, we really played good defense outside of three drives. We will keep getting better.

“As for Alec I was really excited to see him get to play. He wants to be out there so bad. I am happy he is getting his opportunity to play this game. He is a good kid and is going to do great things.” 

Piper opened the game with a touchdown on its opening drive to go up 6-0, but the Wildcats bounced back with two straight scores to take the lead in the second quarter.

The Wildcats (2-2) put together a 14-play drive that ended on a 1-yard touchdown run from senior Ben Wiedenmann, who carried the ball six times on the drive.

It was Wiedenmann who would come up big again just minutes later.

On Piper’s ensuing possession, Hupp stripped the Pirate ball carrier to force a fumble and Wiedenmann was there to scoop it up and return it 30 yards for a touchdown. Wiedenmann ran in the 2-point conversion and the Wildcats were up 14-6.

Piper answered just before halftime with a touchdown of its own to tie it at 14-all.

Offensively, it was tough for the Wildcats to move the ball on the Pirates as they totaled 182 yards of offense – all of which came on the ground.

“Piper’s defense was solid, but we honestly moved the ball and then we were killing ourselves with penalties,” Ebenstein said. “But they do have very skilled kids in the secondary, so throwing against them is always tough.”

Louisburg will try and bounce back this Friday when the Wildcats travel to Eudora. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU               0             14           0             0 – 14

PIP                 6             8             7             0 – 21

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

P: Kennon Malahki 24 pass from Logan Ladish (2-point fails)

Second quarter

L: Ben Wiedenmann 1 run (2-point failed)

L: Wiedenmann 30 fumble recovery (Wiedenmann run)

P: Cory Macon 10 run (2-point conversion)

Third quarter

P: Macon 53 run (kick good)

LOUISBURG STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 19-94, Andy Hupp 8-40, Weston Guetterman 7-26, Kolby Kattau 8-21

TACKLES – Jay Scollin 13, Alec Younggren 10, Kolby Kattau 9, Ben Wiedenmann 9, Andy Hupp 8, Aiden Barker 7, Konnor Vohs 3, Justin Collins 2, Weston Guetterman 1

Louisburg quarterback Weston Guetterman sheds a tackler during Friday’s game with Baldwin.

As happy as Louisburg was following its 32-6 win over Baldwin on Friday, there was still a level of concern over one of their teammates.

Junior Brandon Doles, the team’s starting tight end and linebacker, had to be taken off the field by an ambulance in the first quarter due to a leg injury. Doles sustained the injury following a 40-yard pass play.

Further tests revealed that Doles suffered a broken fibula and a dislocated ankle. He will be out for the season.

“Brandon going down is a huge loss for us,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “He is a great kid and always has a fun, upbeat presence, and a good leader on and off the field.  As for football, he started both sides of the ball as well as he was our long snapper. Those are some big shoes to fill.” 

Other than Doles’ injury, it was a successful night for the Wildcats as they were able to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season to Tonganoxie. Louisburg scored three second quarter touchdowns and held the Bulldogs to just a single score late in the game.

Louisburg’s defense came up big throughout the game as it forced two turnovers, one of which was a touchdown. The Wildcats held Baldwin to 171 yards of total offense, many of those coming late in the contest.

“Coach (Drew) Harding is doing a great job organizing a game plan and teaching it to our kids,” Ebenstein said. “The kids had a great week of practice and film study and did a solid assignment job all game long.”

The Wildcats put together a strong opening drive that ended on a 2-yard run from Andy Hupp and quarterback Weston Guetterman ran in the 2-point conversion. It was all set up on the 40-yard pass from Doles before his injury.

Louisburg (2-1) put the game out of reach in the second quarter as it found the endzone on three different occasions.

Senior Konnor Vohs set up the first score as he hauled in a 47 yard pass from Guetterman to give the Wildcats a first-and-goal from the 3. Junior Kolby Kattau took it from there for the touchdown.

Normally a team that likes to run the ball, the Wildcats were able to take advantage of some things through the air as Guetterman threw for 148 yards. Vohs was his main target as he had three catches for 86 yards.

“We do want to run the ball and control the tempo of the game,” Ebenstein said. “We honestly want to take what people will give us, and if teams want to challenge us one on one on the outside, we take those chances.”

After the Wildcats threw an interception on their next drive, it was Vohs who picked off a Baldwin pass to give Louisburg the ball back. Vohs also ignited the offense once again as he broke free for a 35-yard run and the drive ended on a 6-yard touchdown run from Guetterman.

The Louisburg defense came through again for the Wildcats as Hupp scooped up a fumble caused by senior Jay Scollin and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to give Louisburg a 26-0 halftime lead.

Senior Justin Collins added a 21-yard run in the fourth quarter to take 32-point advantage to all but seal the win for Louisburg.

A few days after the game, the team was informed that all but 15 players will have to quarantine due to a positive case of COVID-19. With Doles being out with an injury and another player out with an illness, the Wildcats will have 13 rostered players for Friday’s game with Piper.

Many of those are varsity players and Louisburg will have a challenge ahead of itself at home against the Pirates.

“As for Piper they are big, strong, athletic and fast,” Ebenstein said. “My biggest concern right now is that we only have 13 players. As for difficulties for this week, one injury we are in trouble, two injuries and we are out of subs, three injuries and we are playing with 10. Not having a scout team all week is not ideal.”

LOU               8             18           0             6 – 32

BAL                0             0             0             6 – 6

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

L: Andy Hupp 2 run (Weston Guetterman run)

Second quarter

L: Kolby Kattau 3 run (conversion failed)

L: Weston Guetterman 6 run (conversion failed)

L: Hupp 25 fumble return (conversion failed)

Fourth quarter

L: Justin Collins 21 run (conversion failed)

B: Cole Mahaffey 40 run (conversion failed)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Weston Guetterman 9-69; Ben Wiedenmann 6-46; Konnor Vohs 1-35; Justin Collins 1-21; Andy Hupp 6-20; Kolby Kattau 8-16; Carson Wade 1-3.

PASSING – Weston Guetterman 5-14-148

RECEIVING – Konnor Vohs 3-86; Brandon Doles 1-40; Mason Dobbins 1-25

TACKLES – Ben Wiedenmann 6, Jase Hovey 5, Aiden Barker 4, Jay Scollin 4, Will Patterson 4, Konnor Vohs 3, Justin Collins 3, Andy Hupp 3, Nathan Vincent 2, Weston Guetterman 1, Kolby Kattau 1, JR Rooney 1

Louisburg High School has confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 on the Wildcat football team that will force nearly 50 players to quarantine.

The quarantine does not include 15 athletes, many of whom are on varsity. However, due to a player suffering a season-ending surgery and another out with a separate illness, the Wildcats will be down to just 13 active players for Friday’s contest with Piper.

“There was a JV roster of kids, with nine players who were ‘swing players,’ who would practice with the varsity and the JV,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “We also have a freshman group that practiced separately. So basically we tried to prevent one positive case from bringing down all programs. 

“Well, the freshman game was cancelled last Thursday so we had our freshman team scrimmaging our JV team in the first practice. So the one positive case brought down basically everyone from that practice with the county/s interpretation of the close contact rules – which was all the JV players and the nine players who were playing both JV and varsity. “

Almost two weeks ago, the entire Louisburg boys soccer team was forced to quarantine due to an infected player participating in a practice. The Wildcats were able to come back from their quarantine last Thursday.

According to the Miami County Health Department, any player in active participation when the infected player was on the field had to be quarantined unless they wore a mask and goggles.

“It is as broad and simple as that,” Ebenstein said in an email to the football parents. “I have gone through to remove as many players as possible with certainty they were not active participants during those specific plays on last Wednesday. Even if a kid were to be an active participant with a mask on they would not have been safe from close contact quarantine. A mask and a face shield would not make them safe as it does not “seal around the eyes”. Masks and goggles would, but you are not allowed to wear goggles under your facemask as they are not NFHS certified.”

More than a week ago, a member of the Tonganoxie football team tested positive prior to Louisburg’s game with the Chieftains in week two, and only that infected player was forced to quarantined due to different conditions stated by the Leavenworth County Health Department.

“I want all of our kids to be safe in the classroom, but for some reason wearing a mask inside keeps a kid safe, but wearing a mask outside during sports does not,” Ebenstein said. “I don’t understand any of it.

“As for difficulties for this week…one injury we are in trouble, two injuries and we are out of subs, three injuries and we are playing with 10. Not having a scout team all week is not ideal.”

According to the school, they are hoping the students will able to return to in-person classes next Thursday, but the official date has yet to be confirmed.

Louisburg senior Andy Hupp brings down Tonganoxie’s Tyler Bowden with help of some teammates Friday at Tonganoxie High School. The Wildcats fell, 24-14.

TONGANOXIE – The Louisburg football team faced one of its more difficult challenges of the season Friday when it traveled to defending Frontier League champion, Tonganoxie.

In the first half, the Wildcats found themselves in the game and were down just 10 points at halftime. Unfortunately, two Tonganoxie touchdowns in the fourth quarter proved too much to overcome in a 24-14 loss.

Louisburg (1-1) found itself down 24-0 in the fourth quarter, before the Wildcats scored two late touchdowns to make the game a little closer.

“They worked too hard to lay down and take a shutout,” Louisburg football coach Robert Ebenstein said of his players “The frustrating thing is we were hoping we could learn some things before the fourth quarter and try to figure things out. They fought hard and they worked hard. We are young and we were kind of exposed there for a little bit. Tongie is a heck of a team, but honestly we just kept beating ourselves. We just have to keep getting better.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Tonganoxie struck first on a 25-yard field goal from Jackson McWilliams, but the Wildcat defense came up big late in the second quarter. Junior Brandon Doles recovered a Tonganoxie fumble on the Chieftain 35-yard line and gave the Wildcats a short field to try and take the lead.

The Wildcats weren’t able to take advantage of the opportunity as the Chieftains picked off a Louisburg pass with under three minutes left in the first half. That gave Tonganoxie an opportunity and it took advantage as it scored on a 20-yard run from Sam Kleidosty with 58 seconds left and took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

“We get that turnover and then the first thing we do is jump offsides and then it is first and 15,” Ebenstein said. “Honestly, first and 15 is bad for us. We are not that kind of team. We just need to make sure we are focused in. It was a turning point in that game, but I thought Coach (Drew) Harding had a heck of a game plan, but that is a tough, physical team we are playing. We got a little gassed, but a lot of our kids are on the field the whole game and they played hard.”

Tonganoxie running back Tyler Bowden found success in the second half. Bowden, an all-state transfer from Lawrence Free State, scored twice in the fourth quarter – including a 51-yard touchdown – to help the Chieftains all but seal the win.

“(Bowden’s) last run, we were just completely misaligned,” Ebenstein said. “It was one of those things where if we were lined up right then we make that tackle. He is tough, their system is good and they have a lot good seniors. Tongie is a good team.”

Louisburg didn’t give up, however, as the Wildcats put two drives together to score a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes.

Quarterback Weston Guetterman found Konnor Vohs on a 23-yard pass, and that set up a 9-yard touchdown run from senior Ben Wiedenmann. Sophomore Layne Ryals added the extra point to make it 24-7.

Ryals came through for the Wildcats in just his second varsity game as he put down a good onside kick, that was recovered by Louisburg and the Wildcats had another opportunity.

Running back Kolby Kattau found Vohs on a 25-yard halfback pass on a drive that ended up on a 12-yard touchdown run from Wiedenmann, who finished the game with 91 yards on the ground.

Defensively, senior Andy Hupp was all over the field for the Wildcats as the defensive lineman recorded a team-high nine tackles, while junior Aiden Barker and sophomore JR Rooney each added a sack.

Kattau and Wiedenmann both had six tackles from the linebacker spot. Guetterman, Justin Collins, Vohs and Barker each finished with five.

Louisburg will try and bounce back Friday when it host Baldwin. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

“We have to focus on us,” Ebenstein said. “We just have to get better and work on what we do. Our kids’ heart is the positive. It is easy for any team to lay down when you are losing 24-0, but we were able to put up 14 points in those five minutes to finish strong. These kids are going to keep learning and build off this. We are going to get better.”

LOU               0             0             0             14 – 14

TON              0             10           0             14 – 24

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

T: Jackson McWilliams 25 FG

T: Sam Kleidosty 20 run (McWilliams kick)

Fourth Quarter

T: Tyler Bowden 3 run (McWilliams kick)

T: Bowden 51 run (McWilliams kick)

L: Ben Wiedenmann 9 run (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Wiedenmann 12 run (Ryals kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 16-91; Andy Hupp 8-19; Kolby Kattau 4-7; Weston Guetterman 8-5; Justin Collins 1-4

PASSING – Guetterman 2-7-26; Kattau 1-1-25

RECEIVING – Konnor Vohs 2-48; Jase Hovey 1-13

TACKLES – Andy Hupp 9, Kolby Kattau 6, Ben Wiedenmann 6, Weston Guetterman 5, Justin Collins 5, Konnor Vohs 5, Aiden Barker 5, Brandon Doles 3, Jase Hovey 3, Nathan Vincent 3, JR Rooney 3, Dominic Owens 1