Louisburg seniors Isaiah Whitley (left) and Nathan Vincent celebrate a big play during Friday’s 49-0 homecoming win over Tonganoxie.

With just one team left between Louisburg and being all alone atop the Frontier League standings, the Wildcats made sure they got that top spot all to themselves.

By time Friday’s game with Tonganoxie was over, the Wildcats left no doubt who is the top team in the league.

Both Louisburg and Tonganoxie entered the Wildcats’ homecoming contest undefeated in league play, but it was the Wildcats who stayed that way as they rolled to a 49-0 rout of the Chieftains. 

“One of our goals was to win a league title,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “This was an undefeated league team that came in and obviously we had to win to keep those hopes alive. The boys really stepped up to the challenge.”

It started on the defensive end for the Wildcats as the pitched a shutout and never gave the Chieftains a good look at the endzone. Louisburg forced two turnovers and also had two sacks on the night.

Senior safety Jase Hovey recorded an interception, while senior Nathan Vincent got a sack and a forced fumble, that was recovered by Mack Newell. Vincent led the Wildcats with 10 tackles, including four for a loss, and Newell also finished with sack.

Junior linebacker Wyatt Holland was second on the team with eight stops. As a team, the Wildcats also had 11 tackles for a loss.

“I think we are negative this year in the turnover battle, so this week we made it a priority to win the turnover battle,” Harding said. “We got a lot of short fields out of it and that obviously helps the offense.”

Special teams also played a factor as Holland got a hand on a punt that gave Louisburg a short field to work with. Kicker Layne Ryals was 7-for-7 on extra points and also had a punt downed inside the 5.

Combine that with more than 350 yards of offense, and the Wildcats put together one of their more complete performances of the season.

“I think it is close,” Harding said of his team playing a complete game. “We still have things that we can improve upon, but that has been our goal all year is to play a complete game. We played well tonight on offense, defense and special teams. We started the game strong in the first half and just carried it over in the second.”

The Wildcats forced a punt to open the game and Holland tipped the ball to give Louisburg good field position to start. Quarterback Declan Battle put Louisburg up early with a 5-yard touchdown pass to senior Mason Dobbins.

It was the first of several touchdown for Battle and the Wildcats. Battle, along with senior running back Riley Van Eaton, finished with three touchdowns each as Louisburg took control early.

Battle broke free for several runs and finished 204 yards on the ground on 10 carries and two rushing scores. Van Eaton had 82 yards rushing to go along with his three touchdowns.

Louisburg controlled the line of scrimmage despite missing starting right tackle, Will Hutsell, who was out with an injury. Senior Christian Golladay filled in and joined J.R. Rooney, Jaymes Melton, Brayton Brueggen, Vincent and Newell paved the way for the Wildcat attack.

The Louisburg defensive front did the same as the Wildcats were able to control all the action at the line.

“Offensive line did a good job of firing out and we were able to just run down hill,” Harding said. “Defensively, I think we really controlled the line of scrimmage and limited their ability to get explosive plays in the run game. The big boys up front played well.”

The Wildcats took a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter on scores that were helped by two Tonganoxie turnovers. The Hovey interception led to a 5-yard touchdown by Van Eaton.

Vincent’s strip sack would help set up a 10-yard touchdown by Van Eaton and the Wildcats had a firm hold of the game from there.

In the second quarter, Battle broke free for a 45-yard run that set up a 3-yard score by Hovey, and after another Van Eaton touchdown, the Wildcats took a 35-0 halftime advantage.

Battle had a big third quarter as he scored on runs of 65 and 27 yards to ice the game for Louisburg.

“We had some really good individual performances, but as a team we played really well,” Harding said. “Our defense played phenomenal and really complemented our offense. Special teams was phenomenal and I just felt like our guys were selfless. They were excited for the team success over their individual success and if we keep doing that then I think we can be pretty good. 

Louisburg, which has now won five straight, will try to make it six this Friday when the Wildcats travel to Ottawa. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

“We still have work to do,” Harding said. “We are getting closer to the playoffs and it is time for us to peak. I think we took a step in that direction.”

SCORING SUMMARY

LOU 21 14 14 0 — 49

TON 0 0 0 0 — 0

First quarter

L: Mason Dobbins 5 pass from Declan Battle (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Riley Van Eaton 5 run (Ryals kick)

L: Van Eaton 10 run (Ryals kick)

Second quarter

L: Jase Hovey 3 run (Ryals kick)

L: Van Eaton 1 run (Ryals kick)

Third quarter

L: Battle 65 run (Ryals kick)

L: Battle 27 run (Ryals kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING — Declan Battle 10-204; Riley Van Eaton 15-82; Jase Hovey 1-3; Darby Van Eaton 2-1

PASSING — Declan Battle 9-14-67

RECEIVING — Mason Dobbin 4-35; Jackson Kush 1-13; Caden Caplinger 1-10; Mack Newell 1-5; Riley Van Eaton 2-4

TACKLES — Nathan Vincent 10, Wyatt Holland 8, Ashton Moore 6, Brayden Yoder 6, Isaiah Whitley 5, Mack Newell 5, Erik Lien 5, Reid McCaskill 4, Brady Hickey 4, Carson Wade 3, Conlee Hovey 3, Mason Dobbins 2, Layne Ryals 2, Christian Golladay 2, Hunter Heinrich 1, Jase Hovey 1, J.R. Rooney 1

Louisburg head coach Drew Harding poses with his team for a picture after he was awarded the Kansas City Chiefs Coach of the Week award prior to Tuesday’s practice.

If winning an overtime game on the road last week wasn’t good enough, the Louisburg football team got even more good news Tuesday — more specifically the coaching staff.

Louisburg head coach Drew Harding was named as the Kansas City Chiefs Coach of the Week for the state of Kansas after he led his team to a 28-27 overtime win over previously unbeaten Eudora last Friday.

Harding has guided the Wildcats to four consecutive wins after losing their first game of the season to Rogers Heritage (Ark.). Louisburg now sits atop the Frontier League standings with a 4-0 record in league play.

Former Kansas City Chief player Gary Spani presented Harding with the award prior to the team’s practice Tuesday and the Louisburg first-year coach knows this is more than just about himself.

“I would say I was surprised to receive the award and it is an honor,” Harding said. “However, this is much more of a team award than it is a me award.  The award should go to the players who worked hard all week to learn and execute the game plan on Friday night. 

“All the assistant coaches should also be highlighted as they were the ones who taught the game plan to players throughout the week.  We are happy to receive this award to highlight the players’ hard work and preparation for last Friday’s game.”

With the honor, Harding received a plaque from the team, along with a signed ball from Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

It didn’t stop there. 

Louisburg High School will receive a $500 grant from the Hunt Family Foundation. Harding is now qualified for the Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award, which will be voted on later this fall. The Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award is selected by a panel comprised of the Missouri and Kansas Boards from the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association. 

In its 26th season, the 2022 High School Coach of the Week is a joint initiative of the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League. This program is designed to recognize and reward Kansas City area high school coaches for superior performance on a weekly basis while honoring individuals who are shaping today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders.

The Kansas City Chiefs partner with PrepsKC to select Coaches of the Week from Missouri and Kansas each week.

Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent celebrates with his teammates after the Wildcats earned a 28-27 overtime victory Friday at Eudora.

EUDORA — As Layne Ryals took the field with just seconds left in regulation Friday in Eudora, he was ready to convert the ultimate walk-off.

Louisburg drove down the field against Eudora to set up what would be a game-winning 55-yard field goal to cap what would be an epic win for the Wildcats. Ryals lined it up and gave it his best shot.

“I have made a 55-yard field goal in practice, so I knew I had the capability to do it so I went out there telling myself I can make it,” Ryals said. “If you don’t believe in yourself being able to do it then you definitely won’t make it.”

The belief was there, but the kick sailed just wide to the right and the game — which had big Frontier League implications — went to overtime. It wasn’t more than 10 minutes later and Ryals had the chance again to win the game for his team.

After Eudora scored first in the overtime and failed on its 2-point conversion, Louisburg quarterback Declan Battle found Mason Dobbins in the corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass to tie it up.

It gave Ryals one more chance to win it for his team, this time from a much closer distance. The Louisburg senior converted the extra point and the Wildcats captured the 28-27 overtime win and gave the Cardinals their first loss of the season.

“Standing on the sideline, it’s nerve racking for sure, but once I step out on the field and take a couple of practice swings I forget everything and just focus on kicking the ball,” Ryals said. 

The kick put the Wildcats (4-1, 3-0) atop the Frontier League standings as they vie to get their first league title since 2018.

“This game wasn’t easy and it was a challenge for both teams,” Dobbins said. “Eudora is a really good team and we came in knowing that. We just had to play sound defense and play well on offense and that is what we did.

“It is an amazing feeling, almost surreal. I wanted to win really badly and I know the rest of the team did as well. To make that come true, it really meant a lot.”

It was a contest full of big plays, twists and turns and a number of opportunities — for both teams — to win the game. For awhile, it didn’t appear to be the Wildcats’ night.

Louisburg turned the ball over three times, had a number of penalties and couldn’t take advantage of a Eudora muffed punt late in the fourth quarter. It had all the markings of a game the Wildcats weren’t supposed to win.

“It felt like we were spoiling opportunities that were given to us,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “We had like three turnovers, there was a muffed punt that we couldn’t take advantage of and there were so many things that weren’t going our way. For our players to keep battling, for our coaches to keep battling, it was awesome and I’m very proud of all these guys.”

Despite the mistakes, the Wildcat defense kept Louisburg in the game as they held Eudora to just one touchdown in the final three quarters. Louisburg came up with big stops and limited the Cardinals’ explosive plays.

Louisburg sophomore Ashton Moore led the team with tackles from the linebacker spot with 18 on the night, including 11 solo stops. Junior Wyatt Holland also registered double digit tackle numbers with 11.

Senior Nathan Vincent finished with nine tackles and a sack, while senior Mack Newell also recorded a sack. Battle and Ryals each forced a Eudora fumble.

“We gave up some big plays and they are a really explosive team,” Harding said of Eudora. “Their backs are fast and their offensive is such where all 11 guys on defense have to do their job, and if you don’t, they are going to get a big play. That happened a couple times, but for a majority of the night the defense did a phenomenal job. Coach (Ty) Pfannenstiel and the rest of the assistants did a good job preparing them and getting ready for his test.”

Eudora scored on the first play of overtime as tight end Jaden Hamm made a juggling 10-yard catch in the corner of the end zone on a pass from quarterback Kole Manley to give the Cardinals the lead. Eudora, however, failed on its 2-point conversion, and left the door open for Louisburg.

The Wildcats took advantage, and after a pair of Jase Hovey runs, Battle found Dobbins on the 4-yard touchdown to tie it on a third down.

“Coach called the play, and at first I thought that I was going to have to run it in,” Battle said. “But Mason really sold the post corner on that and I was just able to float it into his arms and he made the play.”

Dobbins wasn’t about to drop the pass in what was pivotal moment in the contest.

“When coach called the pass play, I knew I had the talent to beat the corner,” Dobbins said. “When Declan threw that ball up, I just told myself that this was game. I practice every day to catch balls and make big plays like that. Before the game, our group always breaks down on ‘playmakers’ and that is what I was trying to be.”

Then came Ryals’ extra point, which to many of the players and coaches, seemed more like a formality than anything else.

“I knew we won,” Dobbins said. “I trust Layne 100 percent and he is a great kicker. It was great to celebrate after he made it.”

Still, there might have been a little uneasiness with the game on the line.

“I was very nervous,” Harding said. “Eudora usually gets a good rush and they have some athletic kids over there, but to see it go through and see all the kids celebrating, was a lot of fun.”

Eudora opened the game with the touchdown when Manley found Hamm for a 32-yard touchdown pass to put the Cardinals up 7-0. The Wildcats put together a drive of their own late in the first quarter, and after a couple of long completions to Dobbins, scored on a 1-yard run by Hovey to tie it up.

The Cardinals quickly grabbed the lead back as Octavius Lyles broke free for a 77-yard touchdown run as time expired in the first quarter.

Louisburg would tie it up again in the second quarter when Moore scored on a 7-yard touchdown run to even the score at 14-all and it remained that way till halftime.

The Wildcats opened the second half with another strong drive that ended on a 1-yard touchdown by Riley Van Eaton and gave Louisburg a 21-14 advantage. It was also the first time Eudora had trailed all season.

Late in the third, the Cardinals responded when Manley found Brayden Hoobler for a 33-yard touchdown pass to tie it 21. It stayed that way till the overtime.

There was still big moments in the fourth quarter when a Louisburg punt hit off the back of a Eudora player and Moore recovered the loose ball to give the Wildcats new life.

Although they wouldn’t score, the Louisburg defense held firm and gave the offense another chance to score on Ryals’ long field goal attempt to the end the fourth quarter.

“We felt like we had a better chance of him making that than trying a Hail Mary,” Harding said. “I think he had the leg on it, but it was just a little bit to the right. That is obviously a really tough kick to make, but to bounce back and make the extra point with everything on the line was huge.”

The Wildcats will try for their fifth straight win this Friday when they host Tonganoxie (3-2) for homecoming, who is also unbeaten in the league standings.

“Hopefully this just gives us more confidence,” Harding said. “We have not played a complete game yet and that is something we are striving to do. We have another great test against Tonganoxie coming up, and they are also undefeated in league, so another big game next week and we have to be ready to go.”

SCORING SUMMARY 

LOU 7 7 7 0 7 — 28

EUD 14 0 7 0 6 — 27

First quarter

E: Jaden Hamm 32 pass from Kole Manley (kick good)

L: Jase Hovey 1 run (Layne Ryals kick)

E: Octavius Lyles 77 run (kick good)

Second quarter

L: Ashton Moore 7 run (Ryals kick)

Third quarter

L: Riley Van Eaton 1 run (Ryals kick)

E: Braylen Hoobler 33 pass from Manley (kick good)

Overtime

E: Hamm 10 pass from Manley (2-point failed)

L: Mason Dobbins 4 pass from Declan Battle (Ryals kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING — Riley Van Eaton 17-58; Jase Hovey 10-54; Ashton Moore 5-23; Declan Battle 5-17

PASSING — Declan Battle 11-19-123

RECEIVING — Mason Dobbins 5-77; Riley Van Eaton 2-22; Caden Caplinger 2-16; Jackson Kush 1-5; Mack Newell 1-3

TACKLES — Ashton Moore 18, Wyatt Holland 11, Nathan Vincent 9, Jase Hovey 6, Isaiah Whitley 5, J.R. Rooney 5, Caden Caplinger 4, Declan Battle 3, Layne Ryals 3, Mason Dobbins 2, Carson Wade 2, Mack Newell 1, Will Hutsell 1.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week five of the fall sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

ASHTON MOORE, SOPHOMORE, FOOTBALL

Louisburg sophomore Ashton Moore was all over the field for the Wildcat football team in their 28-27 overtime victory Friday over previously undefeated Eudora. Moore made an impact in all three phases of the game and it started on defense. The Wildcat linebacker led Louisburg with 18 tackles on the night, including 11 solo stops.

On offense, Moore scored one of the Wildcats’ four touchdowns on the night on a 7-yard run in the first half. Then on special teams, Moore recovered a muffed punt late in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a chance to win the game in regulation.

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: Layne Ryals

Week 2: Nathan Vincent

Week 3: Emma Vohs

Week 4: Claire Brown

Louisburg running back Riley Van Eaton gets some running room thanks to offensive linemen Will Hutsell (61) and J.R. Rooney. Van Eaton rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 51-7 win Friday.

For most of the first half in Friday’s home contest against Bonner Springs, Louisburg couldn’t put much together offensively.

Bonner Springs dominated possession in the first half and even took a one-point lead at halftime. The Wildcats just couldn’t get any rhythm offensively.

That all changed in the second half.

Louisburg scored 51 unanswered points — 45 coming in the second half — on its way to a 51-7 rout of Bonner Springs. The Wildcats went from being down at halftime to a running clock in the fourth quarter.

“Honestly there was no magical speech at halftime or anything, we just went in there and told them that we were fine,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “We didn’t play well in the first half and it was stuff we were doing to ourselves, like mental errors and penalties. Once we cut those things out, we were efficient and able to move the football.”

Bonner Springs’ lone score of the game came midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Kahliek Rainey scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 that completed a 16-play drive that started in the first quarter.

From then on, it was all Louisburg.

Wildcat quarterback Declan Battle scored on a 3-yard touchdown run late in the first half, but a failed 2-point conversion left Louisburg still behind at halftime.

Louisburg’s offense got going in the second half. Battle opened the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. Battle then hit Ashton Moore for the 2-point conversion to go up 14-7.

Senior running back Riley Van Eaton also had a big second half with three touchdowns, including two in the third quarter. Van Eaton finished the game with 200 yards rushing on 13 carries.

The offensive line of Nathan Vincent, Brayton Brueggen, Jaymes Melton, J.R. Rooney, Will Hutsell, Christian Golladay and tight end Mack Newell paved the way for 320 yards of total offense.

“Getting that touchdown at the end of the first half was good to see and then we were able to get the ball in the second half and do the same thing,” Harding said. “After that, we got rolling from there.

“The offensive line got it figured out and really started to wear on them in the second half. We blocked well on the perimeter and our backs and quarterback all ran hard, which is good to see.”

The Wildcat defense was flying all over the field and held the Bonner Springs offense in check, minus the one first half drive.

Sophomore linebacker Ashton Moore led Louisburg with 14 tackles on the night. Junior Wyatt Holland finished with 12 and Vincent was also in double figures with 10. 

Vincent also finished with a sack and a forced fumble, while Rooney also had a sack and a tackle for loss.

“We struggled to get the offense going early, but the defense played great all night,” Harding said. “We had one drive where they moved the football on us, but the rest of the time we locked it down.”

After a pair of Van Eaton touchdowns in the third quarter, the Wildcat defense forced a Bonner Springs punt deep in its own territory. The Braves mishandled the snap and the kicked the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

Louisburg kept it moving in the fourth quarter as Moore scored on a 1-yard run, then Van Eaton answered with this third touchdown. Van Eaton reversed fields and scored on a 69-yard run to put Louisburg up 44-7.

His brother, Darby Van Eaton, sealed the win late in the contest with a 9-yard run of his own. Kicker Layne Ryals was also 5-for-5 on extra points on the night.

The Wildcats have now won three straight after losing their week one contest to Rogers (Ark.) Heritage. Louisburg will be tested once again this Friday.

Louisburg will travel to undefeated Eudora in a game that could have big implications on the Frontier League title.

“Week one we made a lot of errors and it was a game we felt like we should have won,” Harding said. “To win three straight feels good, but we have a tough stretch here the rest of the way and that starts with Eudora. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going.

“It is a big game, there is no doubt about that. Eudora is undefeated and they have talented and very skilled kids. It sets up a big game for us and we have to be ready to play.”

LOU 0 6 24 21 — 51

BON 0 7 0 0 — 7

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

B: Kahliek Rainey 1 run (kick good)

L: Declan Battle 3 run (2-point failed)

Third quarter

L: Battle 10 run (Ashton Moore pass from Battle)

L: Riley Van Eaton 2 run (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Van Eaton 17 run (Ryals kick)

L: Safety (punt out of end zone)

Fourth quarter

L: Ashton Moore 1 run (Ryals kick)

L: Van Eaton 69 run (Ryals kick)

L: Darby Van Eaton 9 run (Ryals kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING — Riley Van Eaton 13-200; Declan Battle 8-70; Jase Hovey 3-14; Darby Van Eaton 2-14; Ashton Moore 3-9

PASSING — Declan Battle 3-8-13

RECEIVING — Mason Dobbins 1-6; Mack Newell 1-4; Ashton Moore 1-3

TACKLES — Ashton Moore 14, Wyatt Holland 12, Nathan Vincent 10, Layne Ryals 8, J.R. Rooney 7, Jase Hovey 6, Caden Caplinger 3, Will Hutsell 3, Brayton Brueggen 3, Declan Battle 2, Mason Dobbins 1, Hunter Heinrich 1, Reid McCaskill 1, Isaiah Whitley 1, Mack Newell 1, Carson Wade 1, Nathan Apple 1, Hunter Moore 1, Brayden Yoder 1

Louisburg junior quarterback Declan Battle scored four touchdowns Friday against Baldwin as the Wildcats cruised to a 41-13 win at Wildcat Stadium.

It had been almost 11 months since the Louisburg football team had a chance to play a game on its home field.

After going out on the road in the playoffs last season, and then starting the first two weeks on the road this year, the Wildcats were looking forward to a return home.

The Wildcats got the homecoming they were hoping for as they rolled to a 41-13 win over Baldwin on Friday at Wildcat Stadium in a game that featured a running clock in the fourth quarter.

“It felt really good to finally play at home,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “With going on the road for our jamboree, and then first two games away, it seemed like it had been forever. We had a really good crowd and it was an awesome environment for us to play in.  

“Overall, I thought we played pretty well. We definitely played sloppy at times and still had some self inflicted wounds with penalties and mental errors. We need to continue to work on limiting those types of mistakes.”

Louisburg quarterback Declan Battle made his presence known early as he hurt the Bulldogs with his legs and his arm.

Battle scored four touchdowns, including two on the ground, to lead the Wildcats. He finished the game with 142 yards through the air and another 137 yards rushing.

“I felt like we had a lot of individuals play well and Declan was one of those,” Harding said. “He did a good job with his reads and he ran the football well when the opportunity presented itself.  He threw some good balls and hit his receivers in stride so they could make yards after the catch.”

Battle got the Wildcats going early as they scored on their first drive that ended on a 44-yard touchdown pass to senior Mason Dobbins.

The Louisburg special teams got involved next. The Wildcats forced Baldwin to punt on its first possession and had the Bulldogs pinned near the goal line. 

Louisburg senior Carson Wade and junior Wyatt Holland converged to block the punt. Junior Brady Hickey then picked up the loose ball in the endzone for the Wildcats’ second score of the game.

In the second quarter, Battle struck again, this time on a 49-yard touchdown run to put the Wildcats up three scores. Senior Riley Van Eaton added a 12-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats up 28-0 at halftime.

For the game, the Wildcats amassed more than 400 yards of total offense, thanks to its offensive line. Nathan Vincent, Brayton Brueggen, Jaymes Melton, J.R. Rooney and Will Hutsell, along with tight end Mack Newell.

“To have over 400 yards of offense is a testament to how the offensive line played,” Harding said. “They did a really good job adjusting to what Baldwin was trying to do up front. I thought they played physical all night. Our perimeter blocking was better as well. In order to have some of those big plays you have to have backs and receivers blocking down field and I thought they did a better job of that this week.”

The Wildcats (2-1) scored two more touchdowns in the second half. Battle opened the third quarter with a 34-yard touchdown run and then connected with senior Corbin Hamman for a 26-yard score to go up 41-0.

Senior kicker Layne Ryals also had a good night as he was 5-for-6 on extra points.

The first string defense pitched a shutout for Louisburg as the Bulldogs didn’t score until late in the third quarter.

Sophomore linebacker Ashton Moore led the Wildcats with 10 tackles on the night, while Vincent finished with seven. Vincent also had the team’s lone sack, while Holland forced a fumble and Ryals earned the recovery.

“I thought we were in a much better position against the pass this week,” Harding said. “We were in their hip pocket for most of the night. We can still improve on playing the ball, but our positioning was much better. There were a few missed tackles here and there, but overall I thought we played the run pretty well. We were also able to score on special teams this week, which is huge.”

Harding also had the opportunity to empty his bench and give his reserves some well-earned varsity time.

“I thought it was really good to get some of those younger players in the game,” Harding said. “They work their butt off on the scout team all week, so it was nice for them to get some playing time on Friday. It is good experience for them and hopefully benefits us down the road.”

Louisburg will try for its third straight win this Friday when it hosts Bonner Springs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU 14 14 13 0 — 41

BAL 0 0 7 6 — 13

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

L: Mason Dobbins 44 pass from Declan Battle (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Brady Hickey 0 punt return for TD (Ryals kick)

Second quarter

L: Battle 49 run (Ryals kick)

L: Riley Van Eaton 12 run (Ryals kick)

Third quarter

L: Battle 34 run (Ryals kick)

L: Corbin Hamman 26 pass from Battle (kick failed)

B: Jack Harvey 66 run (kick good)

Fourth quarter

B: Jaiden Michael 6 run (kick failed)

STATISTICS
RUSHING — Declan Battle 9-137; Riley Van Eaton 9-97; Russell Wiseman 2-10; Darby Van Eaton 2-9; Wyatt Holland 2-5; Jase Hovey 1-1

PASSING — Declan Battle 7-11-142; Lane Cunningham 3-4-10

RECEIVING — Mason Dobbins 2-72; Caden Caplinger 2-26; Corbin Hamman 1-26; Mack Newell 1-11; Myles Vohs 1-9; Ashton Moore 1-7; Brock Vohs 1-1.

TACKLES — Ashton Moore 10, Nathan Vincent 7, Isaiah Whitley 6, Wyatt Holland 6, J.R. Rooney 6, Carson Wade 4, Hunter Heinrich 3, Erik Lien 3, Reid McCaskill 2, Brady Hickey 2, Jase Hovey 2, Darby Van Eaton 2, Hunter Moore 2, Brayden Yoder 2, Will Hutsell 2, Declan Battle 1, Mason Dobbins 1, Logan Henry 1, Layne Ryals 1, Brayton Brueggen 1. 

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

NATHAN VINCENT, SENIOR, FOOTBALL

Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent played a big role, on both sides of the ball, in the Wildcats; 35-14 win over rival Paola on Friday. As a defensive end, Vincent led the Wildcats with 13 tackles on the night. He also recorded a sack and had a fumble recovery.

Vincent is also the starting left tackle for the Wildcats. He helped lead an offensive line that paved the way for nearly 350 yards of total offense against the Panthers, including 225 yards on the ground.

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: Layne Ryals

Louisburg sophomore Ashton Moore squeezes through a hole for a touchdown thanks to the blocking of Jase Hovey (22) on Friday in Paola.

PAOLA — Louisburg couldn’t have asked for a better start against its rival on the road.

The Wildcats scored two quick touchdowns against Paola on Friday, but that run was short-lived only to see Paola take the lead back in a matter of minutes.

It was a see-saw battle through the first quarter-and-a-half, but it was the Wildcats who dominated the rest of the way.

Louisburg scored 22 unanswered points and came away with a 35-14 victory over the Panthers. It was the Wildcats’ first win of the season, and for head coach Drew Harding — who is also a Louisburg graduate — it was the perfect time for him to get his first career win as a head coach.

“It is a big time rivalry, so anytime you can beat Paola it feels good,” Harding said. “It is a little different playing them this early in the year, but it is still fun.

“We are never going to be sad about to win, but we know we have some things that we need to clean up. The good thing is it is only the second game of the season and we can hopefully continue to get better.”

Louisburg (1-1) got the opening kickoff and drove right down the field. A 25-yard pass from quarterback Declan Battle to Mason Dobbins, set up a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore Ashton Moore.

Senior Nathan Vincent recovered a Paola fumble on the Panthers first play from scrimmage and the Wildcats took advantage.

Battle hit Mack Newell for a 22-yard pass, which put the ball on the 1-yard line. From there, senior Jase Hovey ran the ball in for the touchdown, and after a failed extra point attempt, the Wildcats led 13-0.

Paola answered as they went on a 92-yard drive to score its first touchdown, then on the first play of the second quarter, quarterback Jett Osbern hit Landon Taylor for a 51-yard touchdown pass and the Panthers took the 14-13 lead.

“We came out hot and drove it right down the field,” Harding said. “We had success right off the bat, but then I felt like we let our foot off the gas pedal a little bit. Paola made some good plays too and you have to give them credit. We responded in the second half, and even though it was still a little sloppy, we were able to put drives together when we needed to.”

One of those drives came midway through the second quarter. Facing a fourth-and-1 on the Paola 36-yard line, Battle ran a bootleg around the left side and went untouched for a 36-yard score and running back Riley Van Eaton ran in the 2-point conversion.

Louisburg’s defense rose to the occasion next as Hovey scored his second touchdown of the game, this time on a 46-yard interception return for a score. After a Layne Ryals extra point, the Wildcats took a 28-14 halftime lead.

“Jase plays that centerfield safety position for us and he is big, athletic and he can run,” Harding said. “He can make a lot of plays for us and he made a couple big ones for sure.

“As a defense, we started off a little slow, and struggled against their pass a little bit, but we made some adjustments and I thought it was a good defensive game.”

The Wildcats shut out Paola in the second half as they held the Panthers to just 88 total yards in the final two quarters and just 56 yards on the ground.

Nathan Vincent led the Wildcat tacklers with 13 on the night, including a fumble recovery in the first quarter, and a sack. Junior Wyatt Holland and Moore also finished in double digit tackles with 11 and 10, respectively, while senior Will Hutsell added nine of his own.

Louisburg had success moving the ball down the field with their rushing attack — specifically Van Eaton and Moore.

Van Eaton broke several tackles on his way to 111 yards the ground on 25 carries. Moore had four carries for 56 yards, while Battle had 57 yards rushing.

The offensive line of Vincent, Hutsell, J.R. Rooney, Jaymes Melton and Brayton Brueggen provided the open holes to run through.

“We challenged them and we told them that we wanted to see them run the football downhill and for the most part we did that,” Harding said. “Offensive line was firing out and hitting people, so overall it was a good game for us.”

Louisburg will try and make it back-to-back wins this Friday when it hosts Baldwin for its home opener.

“I like where we are,” Harding said. “We are nowhere near a finished product and we aren’t close to our potential. We just have to keep getting better and it will be nice to finally be at home. It feels like we haven’t played a game there in so long, so it will be fun.”

LOU 13 15 0 7 — 35

PAO 7 7 0 0 — 14

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

L: Ashton Moore 4 run (Layne Ryals kick)

L: Jase Hovey 1 run (XP failed)

P: Landon Taylor 11 pass from Jett Osbern (kick good)

Second quarter

P: Taylor 51 pass from Osbern (kick good)

L: Declan Battle 36 run (Riley Van Eaton run)

L: Hovey 46 interception return (Ryals kick)

Fourth quarter

L: Riley Van Eaton 26 run (Ryals kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING — Riley Van Eaton 25-111; Declan Battle 7-57; Ashton Moore 4-56; Jase Hovey 1-1

PASSING — Battle 10-16-119

RECEIVING — Van Eaton 3-36; Mason Dobbins 2-32; Mack Newell 2-27; Moore 2-23; Caden Caplinger 1-1

TACKLES — Nathan Vincent 13, Wyatt Holland 11, Ashton Moore 10, Will Hutsell 9, Carson Wade 5, Jase Hovey 5, Layne Ryals 5, Mason Dobbins 3, Hunter Heinrich 3, Mack Newell 3, Brady Hickey 3, J.R. Rooney 3, Caden Caplinger 2, Declan Battle 1, Jackson Kush 1, Brayton Brueggen 1

Louisburg running back Riley Van Eaton runs for some extra yards despite having his helmet ripped off Friday at Heritage High School in Rogers, Ark. The Wildcats fell to the War Eagles, 20-16.

ROGERS, Ark. — There were a lot of first for the Louisburg football team on Friday.

For one, it was the Wildcats’ first game of the season. Second, for the first time in school history, Louisburg made the 3-hour trip to play a school in Arkansas.

It was also the first game for Drew Harding as the Wildcat head football coach.

A lot of unknowns plagued the Wildcats Friday against Heritage High School in Rogers, Ark. Despite all that, the Wildcats found a lot of positives going up against a 7A program in a different state.

Unfortunately, the one thing the Wildcats wanted to leave with, they couldn’t.

Louisburg nearly came back to Kansas with its first win of the season, but fell short in a 20-16 loss to the War Eagles.

Two turnovers, penalties and miscues all hampered the Wildcats’ efforts to win their season opener. Still, Louisburg found itself with a chance to win the game late and Harding found a lot of positives.

“We saw a lot of really good things,” Harding said. “I am not discouraged at all after this game about what our potential can be. We had a lot self-inflicted wounds that will get cleaned up. That is a big difference from week one to week two. If we clean those up, it is a different ball game.”

After both teams punted on their opening possessions, the Wildcat defense had Heritage backed up once again with a 1st and 20. Instead, the War Eagles connected on a 33-yard short pass that resulted in a touchdown.

The Wildcats appeared they were going to answer as they took the ball to midfield, but fumbled the ball and stopped one of many drives on the night.

The first score of the season for Louisburg came thanks to Ashton Moore, but not from his running back spot. Moore, a linebacker, tracked down a War Eagle running back for a safety late in the first quarter to cut the Heritage lead to 7-2.

Louisburg then answered on its next drive as senior Riley Van Eaton and Moore broke off big runs that set up a 4-yard score by Van Eaton. The Wildcats went for two points, and a Declan Battle tipped pass found the hands of a diving Isaiah Whitley to give them a 10-7 lead.

Heritage followed that up with a drive of its own that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown by quarterback Carter Hensley. Louisburg senior Jase Hovey blocked the extra point to keep it at a 3-point game.

Right before halftime, the Wildcats drove the ball down the field and was highlighted by a long run by Moore that set up a 25-yard field goal by Layne Ryals to tie it at 13-all.

It was a defensive battle in the second half as both teams had trouble finding the end zone. 

Ryals gave Louisburg the lead for the second time as he converted a 32-yard field goal to put the Wildcats up 16-13 in the third quarter.

Van Eaton and Moore provided a bulk of the offense for the Wildcats as the two combined for 160 yards on the ground. Van Eaton carried the ball 15 time for 109 yards and Moore finished with 51 on just three carries.

Louisburg had to face more obstacles as several players had to leave the game with cramping issues, including Moore and senior tight end Mack Newell.

“Downhill running was our best offense for sure,” Harding said. “We started to get some cramps, and that hurt us as we weren’t able to keep our two-back sets going. We are a better passing team than we showed out there and I think that is going to improve.”

The Wildcats tried extend their lead in the fourth quarter. They drove the ball down the field, including a conversion on fourth down, but a bad snap on the Heritage 30-yard line put the Wildcats out of field goal range at the 45, for a 15-yard loss on a third down with under nine minutes left.

“We were driving and doing well,” Harding said. “We had a third and 8 and had a play called that would get us five yards or so and we were planning on going for it on fourth and short. We didn’t take care of what we needed to and that swung the momentum a little bit.”

Up until that point, the Wildcat defense had only given up one first down in the second half. However, the War Eagles opened their next drive with a 35-yard pass and ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Hensley on third and goal with six minutes left.

The Wildcats had time for a game-winning drive, but Heritage intercepted a Battle pass and the Wildcats didn’t get another chance.

Defensively, the Wildcats held firm against Heritage, but gave up 253 yards through the air, including several big plays that led to scores for the War Eagles.

“At times we struggled to defend the pass a little bit,” Harding said. “You have to give some credit to them as well. They have a good quarterback and some good receivers that can get open. They are a quality team. But we had some misalignment stuff and some of those first game mistakes.”

Against the run, the Wildcats gave up just 56 yards on the ground. On special teams, Lucas Swartz forced a fumble on a mishandled Heritage punt in the second half and Ryals recovered.

Even with the cramping in the second half, Moore led the Wildcats with 13 tackles, including three for a loss. Junior Wyatt Holland and Hovey also finished in double figures with 12 stops each.

Although the Wildcats had a long trip back home, there is a lot of optimism for what lies ahead for the season.

“Obviously we would have liked to win, but I don’t regret the experience at all,” Harding said. “They have a beautiful facility that we were able to come play at and it was a cool experience for the kids. We wanted to finish a little better in the game, but if we correct the things we need to, then I think this will be a positive for us in the long run.”

Louisburg will try for its first win on the season Friday when the Wildcats travel to rival Paola. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

HER 7 6 0 7 — 20

LOU 2 11 3 0 — 16

First quarter

H: Tillman McNair 33 pass from Carter Hensley (kick good)

L: Ashton Moore safety

Second quarter

L: Riley Van Eaton 4 run (Declan Battle pass to Isaiah Whitley)

H: Hensley 1 run (kick blocked)

L: Layne Ryals 25 FG

Third quarter

L: Ryals 32 FG

Fourth quarter

H: McNair 9 pass from Hensely (kick good)

STATISTICS

RUSHING — Riley Van Eaton 15-109; Ashton Moore 3-51; Declan Battle 9-33; Wyatt Holland 1-0

PASSING — Declan Battle 8-21-41

RECEIVING — Mason Dobbins 3-29; Riley Van Eaton 3-7; Caden Caplinger 2-5

TACKLES — Ashton Moore 13, Wyatt Holland 12, Jase Hovey 12, Layne Ryals 9, Nathan Vincent 7, Carson Wade 6, Declan Battle 4, Will Hutsell 4, J.R. Rooney 4, Mack Newell 2, Conlee Hovey 1, Isaiah Whitley 1, Brayden Yoder 1

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week one of the fall sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

LAYNE RYALS, SENIOR, FOOTBALL

Louisburg senior Layne Ryals kept the Wildcat football team in the game with his leg last Friday during the team’s trip to Heritage High School in Rogers, Ark. Ryals converted both of his field goal attempts from 25 and 32 yards in the team’s 20-16 setback.

As the team’s punter, he pinned the opposition inside the 20 on four of his six punts. Ryals also made an impact as the team’s starting safety. He finished the game with nine tackles and had a fumble recovery.

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.