Michael Pickman (left) was hired as Louisburg High School’s new activities director and assistant principal last week following the USD Board of Education meeting. Current Louisburg AD, Scott Hinkle (right), will move to the middle school to serve in the same capacity starting next school year.
Louisburg High School will have a little different look to its activities department for the 2020-21 school year.
Following the USD 416 Board of Education meeting on April 13, Michael Pickman was hired to serve as the school’s new assistant principal and activities director. Pickman will replace Scott Hinkle, who has been in that position for the last two years.
Hinkle will remain in the district and will move over to the middle school to serve in the same capacity.
“I had known for a while that I wanted to continue my education by getting a second master’s degree, but I didn’t really know which area,” Pickman said. “I talked with current administration and was both inspired and encouraged to explore administrative leadership. This is the job I wanted because it meant staying in Louisburg and continuing to work with the staff and coaches who I know have, can and will achieve great things when it comes to our students and student athletes.
“We are a Louisburg family and I want my daughter in the Louisburg community and school system, so I wouldn’t have done this anywhere else. The atmosphere from district leadership to the building leadership is top notch and I am ready to grow as an educator and work alongside (principal) Jeremy (Holloway) and the administrative staff at the high school and the amazing coaches and support them.”
Pickman has taught English at the high school for the last seven years and has also worked in the Prairie View, West Franklin and Maur Hill Prep school districts.
He has also spent a lot of time in the athletic arena as he has served as the Wildcat boys and girls soccer assistant coach, alongside head coach Kyle Conley, for the last five-plus years.
“It will be tough to give up all aspects of it, but the magic of these soccer programs will be especially difficult,” Pickman said. “Kyle has been an amazing person to coach with and his passion is contagious. Getting to start the girls program with him and the immediate success has been amazing. State finals and big wins and the atmosphere – some don’t ever get to experience that – and lastly the players, both boys and girls who have graduated and those who remain to carry on the greatness are why I said yes to coaching. They make the whole experience amazing and fun.
“So it will be hard, but I would also not have gone anywhere else to do a different job and so I will still be able to support the soccer players and every other student and athlete through my new opportunity and to do so the Wildcat Way.”
As for Hinkle, he spent the last two years as the LHS activities director after coming from Liberal High School. He is excited that his new position at the middle school will allow him to spend more time with family.
“I really enjoyed my time at the high school, even though it was only two years,” Hinkle said. “I am leaving behind a great workplace with a great culture and an unbelievable staff. It was not an easy decision.
“I made the move to the middle school to get back some evenings and weekends. I have been an athletic director for 11 years at the high school level in my career, and I was ready to free up some time. I know I am joining another great staff at LMS, and look forward to the new challenge ahead of me.”
Dream becomes reality for White after signing with Northwest Missouri
Louisburg senior Brayden White signed his letter of intent to play college football at Northwest Missouri State earlier this month.
On Feb. 5, Brayden White made his
way to downtown Kansas City to join almost a million other fans for a parade to
celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory in the Super Bowl.
For most people, that would be the
highlight of their day – not Brayden’s.
Earlier that morning, White made it official as he signed his letter of intent to play football at Northwest Missouri State on National Signing Day. He followed it up with a gathering of family and friends for a dinner and signing ceremony at Timbercreek later in the evening.
White’s dream of playing college
football is now real.
“The recruiting process is something I really can’t describe,” White said. “It is very weird and it is very, very long and very, very hard. But finding the school that wants you is just an amazing feeling. When you find a school that is good like Northwest, and wins like Northwest, it is also something I was looking for.
“It definitely feels like it hasn’t
happened yet. Once I get on campus and I am there, I think it will start to
feel more real. It feels great right now, but it hasn’t set in yet. It has been
a real good day.”
The Louisburg High School senior
began the recruiting process his freshman year and has traveled across the
country to different camps the last three years.
He made his way to camps at K-State,
KU, South Dakota and Air Force, just to name a few, and tried to get his name
out there as much as possible. It seemed to work as White had interest from
several area programs.
“It was real fun and I enjoyed
every bit of it,” White said of the recruiting experience. “I started my
freshman year with all the recruiting stuff and my dad and I did a bunch of
research of when to start and what you are supposed to do. I started going to
camps my freshman year as a nobody, and then started to pick up steam a little
my sophomore year. My junior year, I think the season we had really helped with
the senior class that we had and the undefeated league title. That honestly
probably helped the most.
“I had a lot of favorite camps
that I went to, but I never made it to a Northwest camp, but I wish I would
have. They ended up seeing me at the K-State camp and I am lucky that they saw
enough in me to offer me.”
Northwest Missouri State, which is a perennial national championship contender at the Division II level, made an offer to White that he couldn’t pass up – especially after taking his official visit on campus.
“It was definitely their style of play and the way they portray the team,” White said. “It is a family atmosphere and everyone has the same goal. Everyone wants to win and to do it together. That really stuck out to me and everything they have there from the way the coaches treat you, to the dorms, the other players and the facilities is just great. I would put them up against some Division I schools because they have such nice facilities. It is insane.”
Senior Brayden White held a signing ceremony on Feb. 5 at Timbercreek as he signed with Northwest Missouri in front of family and friends. Sitting next to Brayden (from left) is his mother Melissa, his brother Briggs, his sisters Pippy and Brielle and his father Nick.
White, who has earned All-Frontier League and all-state honors for his work on the offensive line, has played tackle for all of his high school career, but will be asked to move inside on the offensive line for the Bearcats – a challenge he is looking forward to taking on.
“The coaches have told me they
would like to see me at guard or center,” White said. “I am not quite tall
enough to be a tackle, which is a little weird to me because I have always been
one of the taller kids, but I am perfectly fine with being a guard. I think
they saw my film from my junior year when I would pull from the tackle spot to
the other side with Kiefer (Tucker) when we would run a counter tray. They want
a guard that can pull and an athletic lineman on the inside.”
Transitioning from high school
football to the college game is one that takes some time for a lot of athletes
to get accustomed to and a lot of freshman are asked to redshirt, but White is
ready to get to work with the Bearcats and compete for spot.
“They generally told most of us in
the class that we were going to be redshirted,” White said. “They said there
could be a couple of us that get that third spot on the line. More than likely,
I will redshirt, but I am still going to go in and compete for that third or
second-string spot. If I can suit up my first year, that is definitely my goal.”
Harding selected to play in Kansas Shrine Bowl
Louisburg senior Garrett Harding was recently selected to the Kansas Shrine Bowl.
When Garrett Harding received a
text from his coach Robert Ebenstein, he couldn’t believe what he what he was
reading.
It delivered some unexpected – but
welcome – news.
Harding was recently selected to
play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl for the East side of the state after a strong
season for the Louisburg football team. The game will take place on July 18 at
Yager Stadium on the campus of Washburn University in Topeka.
“My first reaction when (coach) E
texted me was my heart skipped a beat,” Harding said. “I felt a rush of
adrenaline I used to get before every football game and it was like was back
out on the field again. It is a tremendous honor for me to be selected to play
with such talented athletes and representing the Louisburg community. I also would like to thank my
parents, siblings, coaches, and teammates for supporting me and pushing me to
be better every day.”
The Kansas Shrine Bowl is
an all-star high school senior, East vs. West, football game put on each year
in Kansas, by the Kansas Shrine. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit charity that
produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners
Hospitals for Children. The Kansas Shrine Bowl has sent over $2M to Shriners
Hospitals for Children.
Notable alumni of the game include current Oakland
Raiders All-Pro Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson, NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders,
former Kansas State and Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Gary Spani, former
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Champion Linebacker Mark
Simoneau and many others.
Harding had a big year for the
Wildcats on both sides of the ball. The Louisburg senior was named to the
All-Frontier League first team as an offensive lineman after he helped the
Wildcats amass 2,822 yards of offense, including more than 2,100 yards on the
ground.
He was also named an all-league defensive
second team player. He was second on the team with 65 tackles on the season,
including 12 solo stops.
The Topeka Capital-Journal also named Harding to the Class 4A all-state first team.
The opportunity to play in the
annual Kansas all-star is one Harding is not about to pass up. He will get to
play along with some of the best senior players across the state.
“The thing I’m most looking
forward to during the Shrine Bowl is playing some of my friends that I used to
play with on other teams like Gardner and the Topeka Crush,” Harding said. “Also,
I’m looking forward to showing my talents and heart out on the field again,
representing the best of our state.”
Vance earns All-MIAA honors at Pittsburg State
Pittsburg State center Anders Vance recently earned All-MIAA recognition following his performance with the Gorillas this past season.
In his first year starting for the
Pittsburg State football team on a full-time basis, Anders Vance certainly made
his mark on the Gorilla offensive line.
Vance, a 2016 Louisburg High
School graduate, was named to the All-MIAA honorable mention team as he was one
of 17 Gorillas to be given postseason honors when the list was released late
last month.
“It was an incredible to earn that
honor,” Vance said. “I would not have been able to receive that honor without
the amazing athletes that were playing at my side this season.”
Vance, who played center for the
Gorillas, helped Pitt State accumulate 466 total yards a contest as it averaged
nearly 41 points a game. Pitt State finished the season with a 6-5 record.
It has been a long road for the Pitt State junior, but it all seems to be paying off. After redshirting his freshman year, Vance saw action in five games in a reserve role last season, before taking the starting job in 2019 and he never let it go.
“It
was awesome to be able represent Pitt State this season as a starter, and it
wouldn’t have happened without my coaches and teammates pushing and believing
me,” Vance said. “On the season, I played to the best of my ability and tried
to do my job every play. That was the mindset the whole o-line had. We trusted
each other to do our jobs every play and it was smooth running for the most
part up front.”
Vance was a fixture on the offensive line for Louisburg as well as he was an all-league and all-state selection his senior season. He was also named to the 2016 Kansas Shrine Bowl.
There
will be some changes within the Gorilla program next season as they look for a
new head coach, but Vance is looking forward to one more final year no matter
who is leading the team.
“This
upcoming season is going to be exciting,” Vance said. “I look forward to
getting into off-season training with my team and seeing us all grow in strength
and speed, and to see what we can put on the field next year and what damage we
can do.”
Wildcats earn 11 spots on all-league football team
Louisburg seniors Garrett Harding (left) and Madden Rutherford earned first team All-Frontier League selections and the Wildcats were named to 11 spots overall.
Louisburg had an up and down 2019
campaign as the Wildcats had to deal with injury after injury, not to mention a
difficult Frontier League schedule.
Still, the Wildcats finished their season with a 6-4 record and a spot in the regional playoffs. Louisburg had plenty of key pieces help the Wildcats in their run and those players were rewarded for their efforts when the All-Frontier League team was recently released.
Louisburg earned a combined 11
spots on the all-league squad, including a pair of first-team selections.
“The Frontier League is always tough, and this year was no different,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “All of the newly added schools had some of their best seasons – Tongie, Bonner and Piper. Then you throw in an undefeated Paola team and a very solid Spring Hill team and us. Then you look at the talent that Eudora, Baldwin and Ottawa all have, and it is a very tough league. So, considering all those things I think we came out pretty well.”
Senior quarterback Madden
Rutherford and senior offensive lineman Garrett Harding were each named to the
All-Frontier League first team offense after successful seasons.
Rutherford finished the year with
671 yards passing with eight touchdowns and he also added 245 yards on the
ground and four more scores. Harding was fixture on the offensive line as the
Wildcats amassed 2,822 total yards of offense, including more than 2,100 yards
on the ground.
“Very
excited to see first team honors for Madden and Garrett as both players were
totally deserving of it and it is really cool to see the other league coaches
felt the same way,” Ebenstein said. “The system is very tough, especially for
the skill guys. There are only three first teamers for “skill” which
is quarterbacks and running backs combined.
“To
see Madden break first team was a testament to his competitiveness and same
with Garrett. If he didn’t have his injury last year, Garrett is probably first
team as a junior, but to see if pay off for him as a senior is really
cool. I am very happy for both of them.”
(From left) Ben Wiedenmann, Brayden White and Andy Hupp were each named to the all-league second team.
Senior lineman Brayden White was
selected to the second team offense, as was junior running back Ben Wiedenmann.
Junior Andy Hupp was named to the second team offense as a multi-purpose player
after he saw time at quarterback, running back and on the offensive line.
Wiedenmann led the team in rushing
with 1,126 yards on the ground and another 86 yards receiving. He finished the
season with 13 total touchdowns.
White, who started the season at
tackle, joined Harding in blocking for the Wildcats’ 2,800-plus yards of
offense. Hupp also did some of that blocking, but filled in at different
positions for the Wildcats as he finished the year with two touchdowns and 200
yards of total offense.
“The voting for our league is tough, and
with so many quality teams in the Frontier League this year spots are limited,”
Ebenstein said. “But Brayden, Andy and Ben were all deserving of first team
honors, but to be second team in the Frontier League is a tremendous honor.”
Harding was the lone player on the
all-league second team defense as he earned spots on both sides of the ball for
the Wildcats. He was second on the team with 65 tackles, including 12 solo
stops.
Weston Guetterman (left) and Drake Varns were named to the all-league honorable mention team.
White was named to the honorable mention
defensive line and Hupp was selected as an honorable mention linebacker. Hupp
led Louisburg with 74 tackles on the season, including five for a loss and two
sacks. White ended the year with 44 stops, two sacks, two batted balls and a
fumble recovery.
Junior receiver Weston Guetterman was put
on the honorable mention offensive squad. Guetterman led the Wildcats with 392
yards receiving to go along with three touchdowns.
Senior Drake Varns was also named to the
honorable mention squad as a kicker, while Rutherford was selected as an
honorable mention all-league punter. Varns was 21 of 26 in extra point tries
and 3 of 5 on field goal attempts.
RECEIVERS – Armani Washington,
Bonner Springs, senior; Elijah Tyner, Tonganoxie, senior; Conner Searcy,
Tonganoxie, senior; Jack Robinson, Piper, senior
MULTI-PURPOSE – LaJames White,
Piper, junior
KICKER – Ryan Wokutch, Paola,
senior
Second Team
LINEMEN – Tony Caballero, Bonner Springs, sophomore; Jacob Peterson, Bonner Springs, senior; Brayden White, Louisburg, senior; Aron Dominick, Spring Hill, senior; Javier Castillo, Paola, senior
RECEIVERS – Rishaud Dockery,
Bonner Springs, senior; Gage Klutts, Spring Hill, senior; Gavin Lang, Baldwin,
junior
MULTI-PURPOSE – Andy Hupp, Louisburg, junior
KICKER – Bear Gardner, Spring Hill,
senior
Honorable Mention
LINEMEN – Travis Bohnenblust,
Eudora, junior; Chris Husling, Eudora, senior; Michael Sheldon, Bonner Springs,
senior; Denver Gardner, Spring Hill, junior; Alex Berg, Baldwin, senior; Bailey
Vesco, Baldwin, senior; Andrew Jarvis, Piper, junior; Cam Beebe, Piper,
freshman; Carter Stanchfield, Paola, junior
BACKS – Cael Lynch, Eudora, junior;
Brayden Beerbower, Eudora, sophomore; Bryce Krone, Bonner Springs, senior;
Corbyn Meyers, Spring Hill, senior; Zade Barker, Spring Hill, senior; Trysten
Heck, Baldwin, senior; Garrett Williams, Paola, junior
MULTI-PURPOSE – Brandon Sanders,
Bonner Springs, junior
PUNTER – Johnny Tapia, Bonner
Springs, senior
Second Team
LINEMEN – Tony Caballero, Bonner Springs, sophomore; Michael Sheldon, Bonner Springs, senior; Garrett Harding, Louisburg, senior; Trysten Heck, Baldwin, senior; Lance Bassett, Piper, freshman
LINEBACKERS – Jakob Stovall,
Spring Hill, senior; Conner Searcy, Tonganoxie, senior; Dustin Rhoads,
Tonganoxie, senior; Anthony Ferguson, Piper, junior
LINEMEN – Will Schreiner, Eudora, junior; Darrell Higgins, Eudora, junior; Jacob Peterson, Bonner Springs, senior; Brayden White, Louisburg, senior; Aron Dominick, Spring Hill, senior; Cade Grossoehme, Baldwin; Toby Thomas, Baldwin, junior; Caleal Kennedy, Piper, junior; Mason Talcott, Paola, senior; Jake Karr, Paola, junior
LINEBACKERS – Cael Lynch, Eudora, junior; Carnelle Wehrhan, Bonner Springs, senior; Andy Hupp, Louisburg, junior; Wyatt Dickie, Spring Hill, senior; Jackson Raunenzahn, Spring Hill, senior; Alex Berg, Baldwin, senior; Gavin Lang, Baldwin, junior; Jackson Earlywine, Paola, junior
BACKS – Rishaud Dockery, Bonner
Springs, senior; Dom Scheerer, Spring Hill, senior; Jacob Maxwell, Tonganoxie,
junior; Branden Snell, Piper, junior; Tyson Latner, Piper, senior
Banged up Wildcats fall to Chanute in regional playoffs
Louisburg senior Garrett Harding brings down a Chanute running back during the Wildcats’ regional playoff game Friday in Chanute.
CHANUTE – The Louisburg football
team tried to hold it together as long as it could, but on Friday in Chanute,
the Wildcats just didn’t have enough left in the tank.
Louisburg, a team that has been
decimated by injuries the last few weeks, came up just short in the regional
round of the Class 4A state playoffs with a 30-21 loss to Chanute and the
Wildcats saw their season come to an end with a 6-4 record.
Quarterback Madden Rutherford had
a broken thumb and was relegated to wide receiver and punter. Linebacker Andy
Hupp was very limited on how much he could go and senior Charlie Koontz played
only defense due to a lingering injury.
The Wildcats saw their offensive
line depth tested in recent weeks with the loss of center Ian McGuire, while
other players, including freshman backup center J.R. Rooney also played through
injury.
Junior running back Ben
Wiedenmann, who carried the Wildcats with 198 yards on the ground and three
touchdowns, could hardly walk by the time the game was finished. Several other
Wildcats also sat out or played with injury, forcing the Wildcats coaches to do
a lot of last-minute shuffling.
“The kids showed a lot of heart, especially when you look at who was injured,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “Our quarterback, Madden, was injured and our quarterback on defense, Hupp, who is our middle linebacker, was also injured and could hardly go. If Charlie was most kids, he wouldn’t have played at all and has been injured all week. Ben can barely walk, then Ian and Jay (Scollin) were already out coming in, as were Dominic (Owens), Aiden (Barker) and A.J. (Reed). I can’t doubt our kids for a second. They have been working their butts off and really played hard and gave it all they had.”
With all the injuries, Ebenstein implemented a new offense prior to the Chanute game. Junior receiver Weston Guetterman took over quarterback duties with Rutherford and Hupp, the back-up quarterback, both unable to take snaps.
Sophomore Brandon Doles jumps through a hole in the line created (from left) by Brayden White, Garrett Harding and JR Rooney.
The Wildcats ran the wishbone and
Guetterman did a lot of handing off to Wiedenmann, Brandon Doles and Kolby
Kattau. For the most part it worked for Louisburg, as it racked 259 yards on the
ground and the Wildcats got out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter after an
18-yard run and 2-point conversion from Wiedenmann.
Louisburg got a good push from its
offensive line of Brayden White, Garrett Harding, JR Rooney, Andrew Krause and
Sam Kratochvil, along with tight end Michael Waldron.
Although the Wildcats got out to a
good start, Chanute battled back and eventually took the lead on a pair of
touchdown passes from quarterback Ty Bowman in the second quarter to put the
Blue Comets up 14-8.
That second touchdown pass came on
fourth down with 28 seconds left in the first half when Bowman found an open
receiver for a 28-yard score.
Chanute got the ball to start the second
half and added another score to go up 20-8 and put the Wildcats in a deep hole.
“It looked good, and it worked, just not good enough,” Ebenstein said of the offense. “It was what we thought it would be. It isn’t the best offense to have when you are trying to come back from two possessions down. We did all we could.”
Louisburg continued to battle as
it drove down the field and Wiedenmann scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 50
seconds left in the third and trailed just 20-14.
Chanute added a 32-yard field goal
in the fourth to go up nine, but Guetterman returned the kickoff to near
midfield to give Louisburg good field position and it took advantage.
Wiedenmann ran right through the Blue Comet defense for a 46-yard score, and
after a Drake Varns extra point, the Wildcats trailed 23-21.
Ben Wiedenmann stiff-arms a Chanute defender for a long run Friday. Wiedenmann finished the night with three touchdowns and 198 yard on the ground.
“Ben is a monster,” Ebenstein
said. “He was nowhere near 100 percent and he was limping around all week. Then
he took a helmet on the thigh again, but he just kept going. He is a freak
athlete and he ran hard all night.”
Unfortunately for the Wildcats,
the Blue Comets found the endzone one more time to go back up nine and
Louisburg didn’t have enough left for another comeback.
Defensively, the Wildcats were
able to slow the Blue Comets down at times despite the injuries. Senior Garrett
Harding recorded a team-high 10 tackles and junior Justin Collins was second
with eight. Doles and senior Michael Waldron added seven and six tackles,
respectively.
Junior Konnor Vohs makes a tackle on a Chanute receiver Friday during the Wildcats’ regional playoff game.
The loss also meant the final time on the sideline for seniors White, Kratochvil, Krause, Varns, Harding, Ian McGuire, Rutherford, Waldron and Koontz as the Wildcats begin to prepare for next year.
“It is always a great season when
you are in the playoffs,” Ebenstein said. “It is the best time of the year. We
are going to give them a couple weeks off and then we will start up with winter
weights and do it again. These kids are all like family to me, and any week we
can continue with them, is a blessing. Unfortunately it all has to come to an
end, but I really enjoyed my time with them.”
LOU 8 0 6 7 – 21
CHA 0 14 6 10 – 30
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
L: Ben Wiedenmann 18 run
(Wiedenmann run)
Second quarter
C: Garrett Almond 16 pass from Ty
Bowman (run failed)
TACKLES – Garrett Harding 10,
Justin Collins 8, Brandon Doles 7, Michael Waldron 6, Ben Wiedenmann 5, Andy
Hupp 4, Brayden White 3, Andrew Krause 3, Konnor Vohs 3, Weston Guetterman 2,
Kolby Kattau 2, Madden Rutherford 1, Drake Varns 1, Eli Johnson 1, JR Rooney 1.
Louisburg survives in playoff win over Atchison
Louisburg running back Ben Wiedenmann runs away from the Atchison defense for a touchdown Friday during the Wildcats’ first round playoff game at Wildcat Stadium.
Survive and advance.
That is exactly what the Louisburg
football team did Friday against Atchison. In their first round playoff game,
the Wildcats rallied for a pair of third quarter scores to defeat the Redmen,
14-7, at Wildcat Stadium and were able to move on to the sectional round.
Louisburg had its back against the
wall from the start as players were out with injuries, some played through pain
and the Wildcats had to sit even more guys who sustained injuries early on in
the game.
It was a situation that left the
Wildcat coaches scrambling to put guys in the right places. In the end, it all
worked out.
“Win
and move on was the goal and that is what we did,” Louisburg coach Robert
Ebenstein said. “We were pretty banged up and took a while to get some rhythm,
but we got the win and that is all that really matters. I
am very proud of the toughness and grit that our players showed.”
It
took a little bit for the Wildcats to get their legs under them as they found
themselves down 7-0 at halftime after an Atchison touchdown late in the first
quarter.
Defense turned out to
be the difference in the game as the Wildcats forced four Redmen turnovers,
including three fumbles that helped on the two Louisburg scores.
“I thought the defense played tough,” Ebenstein said. “We
were even able to move some guys around and they found their fit nicely.”
Brandon Doles, Garrett Harding and Brayden White all recovered fumbles, while Michael Waldron recorded an interception late to keep the Redmen offense off the field. In all, the Wildcats held Atchison to 164 yards of total offense.
Doles
led the Wildcats with nine tackles on the night, while Ben Wiedenmann and
Harding each finished with eight.
Wiedenmann
also did a lot of damage on offense, especially in the second half. The
Louisburg junior scored both touchdowns in the third quarter, including one on
a 45-yard run to tie the game after a Drake Varns extra point.
Quarterback Madden Rutherford tries to elude an Atchison defender Friday in Louisburg.
On the Wildcats’ next possession, Wiedenmann scored on a 10-yard run with 10 seconds left in the third quarter to put the Wildcats up on top for good. Wiedenmann led Louisburg on the ground with 15 carries for 129 yards.
“Injuries were our biggest issue, and
untimely penalties,” Ebenstein said. “We were definitely trying to get some
rhythm, but we could not get it put together in the first half. We fixed
some issues at halftime and played a solid second half.”
Louisburg
is now moving onto the regional round where it will travel to No. 3 Chanute,
who defeated Fort Scott, 28-7. The Blue Comets are 8-1 on the season and will
be a big test for the 6-3 Wildcats.
“Chanute is a solid team at 8-1, but I think there are some things we can do well against them,” Ebenstein said. “They will want to spread us out and let their big talented quarterback make plays so we will be sure to scheme him and not let him make those big plays.”
RECEIVING – Michael Waldron 1-25,
Ben Wiedenmann 1-4
TACKLES – Brandon Doles 9, Ben
Wiedenmann 8, Garrett Harding 8, Michael Waldron 7, Justin Collins 6, Charlie
Koontz 6, J.R. Rooney 6, Kolby Kattau 5, Weston Guetterman 4, Konnor Vohs 4, Brayden
White 3, Andy Hupp 2, Terrance Foster 1.
Wildcats fall short in knocking off undefeated Paola
Senior Charlie Koontz (24) closes in on Paola quarterback Garrett Williams, while his Wildcat teammates fight through blocks Friday during Louisburg’s rivalry contest against Paola at Wildcat Stadium.
It was a battle, in fact, it was
the closest anyone had come to knocking off undefeated Paola all season.
Still, Louisburg wasn’t in the
mood for consolation prizes Friday following its 16-8 loss to the Panthers on
Senior Night at Wildcat Stadium. The Wildcat wanted to knock off its rival from
the top of the Frontier League, and what made it worse for the players, was they
knew they had their chances.
“It is definitely not a moral
victory type of night, but obviously Paola is a great team,” Louisburg coach
Robert Ebenstein said. “I told the guys that losing hurts, but when they watch
it on film it is going to make them sick to their stomach. We had every
opportunity in the world to make plays and we just didn’t make them. Hats off
to Coach (Mike) Dumpert and Paola, but hopefully we will get another chance to
see them again in the playoffs.”
Untimely penalties and missed
opportunities haunted Louisburg much of the night, but the Wildcats still gave
the Panthers a run for their money and it started on the defensive end.
Paola, which hadn’t scored under 35 points all season, managed just 13 points in the first half and Louisburg rose to occasion in the second half as the Wildcats the Panthers to just the one field goal.
Louisburg (5-3) held Paola (8-0)
to just over 250 yards of total offense and the Panthers’ closest game up until
Friday was a 43-16 win over Piper.
The Wildcats were all over the field
as they had three players with double digit tackles with senior Charlie Koontz
leading the way with 12, while junior Justin Collins and sophomore Brandon
Doles each added 10.
Junior linebacker Andy Hupp brings down Paola running back Connor Hasz on Friday.
Seniors Brayden White and Garrett
Harding were active on the defensive line with nine and eight tackles,
respectively. Junior linebacker Andy Hupp and senior defensive back Michael
Waldron also finished with eight, while Hupp, Koontz and Doles each added a
sack.
Offensively, the Wildcats had trouble
moving the ball on the Panthers – part of which was due to penalties, a fumble or
dropped passes in key situations.
“Paola played good technical defense, but when you have holding penalties on every big play you have or dropped passes on third down, we didn’t help ourselves any,” Ebenstein said. “Their defense is good, and they have only given up around 50 points all year, we just didn’t make the plays we needed to. We made some plays, but we could have made so many more and we will learn from it and get better.”
Panther running back Connor Hasz
caused some problems for the Wildcats as he had one score on the ground in the
first quarter and another through the air from quarterback Garrett Williams to
put the Panthers up 13-0 at halftime.
Down 16-0, Louisburg started to
pick up steam late in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats put together a 13-play
drive that ended in a 10-yard touchdown pass to Weston Guetterman from Madden
Rutherford and Koontz ran in the 2-point conversion to cut the Paola lead in
half. Guetterman caught the ball on his shoulder with two players draped on him
in the back of the endzone.
“Weston is a playmaker and that
kid is just really good,” Ebenstein said. “There were two kids in his face, and
they both could have probably been called for pass interference and he still
made the catch. That was a great play right there at a big moment.”
Quarterback Madden Rutherford gets a little extra time to throw a pass thanks to the block from lineman Garrett Harding.
The two plays prior to that
brought a lot of emotion out of both sidelines. A Paola player was ejected following
a late hit on offensive lineman JR Rooney, and then on the next play,
Guetterman appeared to have caught the ball near the 4-yard line and ran toward
the goal line when the ball came loose and Paola thought it had recovered the
fumble.
The officials conversed and ruled
it an incomplete pass, which gave the Wildcats new life and led to the
touchdown on the next play. Also on that drive, junior running back Ben
Wiedenmann had a pair of 13-yard runs to help the Wildcats move the ball down
the field.
Paola got the ball back with just
under four minutes left in the game and the Panthers were able to run out the
clock and keep its undefeated season alive.
“I think this is the best game in
the state of Kansas,” Ebenstein said of the rivalry. “Records don’t really
matter in this game. Paola could have been 1-7 coming in here and it would have
been a tough game. We just didn’t make enough plays this time around.”
Seniors (from left) Madden Rutherford, Garrett Harding, Andrew Krause, Sam Kratochvil, Charlie Koontz, Ian McGuire, managers Morgan Messer and Kody Lowry, Brayden White, Drake Varns and Michael Waldron pose for a picture before Friday’s Senior Night game.
Louisburg will now begin
postseason play and the Wildcats are the No. 6 seed on the east side of the
state and will host No. 11 Atchison at 7 p.m. this Friday. Earlier in the
season, the Wildcats defeated the Redmen 41-12 on the road.
Should the Wildcats advance, they will meet the winner between No. 3 Chanute and No. 14 Fort Scott next week and the higher-seeded team will host.
“I like where we are at,”
Ebenstein said. “We are fairly healthy for the first time in a while, and the
good thing is we get another home game. Hopefully we can bounce back and make a
little run.”
LOU 0 0 0 8 – 8
PAO 7 6 0 3 – 16
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
P: Connor Hasz 21 run (Ryan
Wokutch kick)
Second quarter
P: Hasz 24 pass from Garrett
Williams (Kick failed)
RECEIVING – Weston Guetterman
5-33, Ben Wiedenmann 3-20, Michael Waldron 1-5
TACKLES – Charlie Koontz 12,
Brandon Doles 10, Justin Collins 10, Brayden White 9, Andy Hupp 8, Garrett
Harding 8, Michael Waldron 8, Weston Guetterman 4, Konnor Vohs 4, Ben
Wiedenmann 1
Wildcats cruise past Ottawa for fifth straight win
Louisburg junior Justin Collins breaks free for a long run thanks to the help of teammate Garrett Harding (58) on Friday in Ottawa. Both Collins and Charlie Koontz rushed for more than 100 yards in the Wildcats’ 49-7 win.
OTTAWA – It may have been a
prelude to one of the biggest games on the Louisburg football schedule, but the
Wildcats didn’t gloss over Ottawa.
Louisburg scored 49 unanswered
points on the road Friday and left Ottawa with a 49-7 victory. It was the most
points the Wildcats had scored all season and it was their biggest margin of
victory as they picked up their fifth consecutive win.
“I thought our mental focus was
good,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “We had to move some kids around
again position-wise the day before the game due to some injuries. I just wanted
them to go and out and execute, so I am really proud of them.”
The Wildcats put up all those points
without starting running backs Ben Wiedenmann and Kolby Kattau, who were out
with injuries and Wiedenmann is the team’s leading rusher on the season.
Despite all that, other Wildcats
rose to the occasion and the top of that list was running back Charlie Koontz.
The Louisburg senior recorded 174 yards rushing on just six carries and had
three touchdowns on the night.
Koontz was joined by junior Justin
Collins, who carried the ball six times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Madden Rutherford also had a big game with three touchdowns, including
two of those on the ground.
“It was a lot of fun, and we
played well, especially having a couple two-way starters out in Ben and Kolby,”
Ebenstein said. “We sat them this game, but our kids came in here and stepped
up. Brandon (Doles) had a great game and Charlie got back in there in the
backfield and looked pretty comfortable. I don’t think he scored every time he
touched the ball, but it was close. It was good to get some guys in that work
their butts off on scout team and just watch everyone come together. It was
fun.”
Louisburg quarterback Madden Rutherford goes over the goal line for one his three touchdowns on the night.
Louisburg scored 42 of its 49 points in the first half as the Wildcats used the ground game to find the endzone on six of the seven scores.
Rutherford led the Wildcats down
the field on the team’s opening possession and scored on a 7-yard touchdown
run. The Wildcats got the ball right back, and this time, scored through the
air as Rutherford found Brandon Doles for a 43-yard touchdown pass down the
sideline.
The Wildcats (5-2) got Koontz going on their next possession as he broke free for a 62-yard touchdown to put them up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Koontz did much of the same to
start the second quarter as he broke through the Ottawa defense and scored on a
61-yard run. The onslaught continued for Louisburg as it recovered the short
kickoff and Koontz later found the endzone for a third time on a 15-yard run.
Senior Michael Waldron made a big play for the defense as he intercepted an Ottawa pass on the Cyclones’ next possession, which set up the Wildcats with a first-and goal. Rutherford then scored on a 5-yard run to put Louisburg up 42-0 at halftime.
Collins sealed the win for the
Wildcats in the third quarter as he sprinted past the Ottawa defense for a
61-yard score.
Louisburg sophomore Brandon Doles looks for some running room Friday against Ottawa.
In all, the Wildcats tallied 434
yards of total offense, with 383 of those coming on the ground. The offensive
line of seniors Garrett Harding, Brayden White, Ian McGuire, Andrew Krause, freshman
Jackson Rooney and Waldron helped pave the way for a lot of those yards.
Defensively, junior linebacker
Andy Hupp led the way with 10 tackles and White was a force on the defensive
line with nine stops. Rooney finished with seven tackles, while Harding, Doles
and Collins had six each.
Louisburg will take its five-game
winning streak into Friday’s home game with undefeated Paola. The Wildcats will
celebrate Senior Night and hope to take two straight over the Panthers after
winning last season’s battle, 25-7.
“It will be fun,” Ebenstein said. “I
know Paola is going to be ready to roll and I know they are going to want to
get even a little bit for what happened last year. This is what we play
football for, and this why we work in the winter and summer is to play these
big games against big rival schools. We are looking forward to the opportunity.”
LOU 21 21 7 0 – 49
OTT 0 0 7 0 – 7
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
L: Madden Rutherford 7 run (Drake
Varns kick)
L: Brandon Doles 43 pass from
Rutherford (Varns kick)
L: Charlie Koontz 62 run (Varns
kick)
Second quarter
L: Koontz 61 run (Varns kick)
L: Koontz 15 run (Varns kick)
L: Rutherford 5 run (Varns kick)
Third quarter
L: Justin Collins 61 run (Varns
kick)
O: Daidrien Aho 6 run (kick good)
STATISTICS
RUSHING – Charlie Koontz 6-174; Justin Collins 6-120; Madden Rutherford 8-54; Brandon Doles 2-9; Andy Hupp 3-5
TACKLES – Andy Hupp 10, Brayden
White 9, Jackson Rooney 7, Brandon Doles 6, Justin Collins 6, Garrett Harding
6, Michael Waldron 5, Charlie Koontz 3, Sam Kratochvil 3, Terrance Foster 3,
Aiden Barker 2, Ian McGuire 2, Konnor Vohs 1, Andrew Krause 1.
Wildcats roll Atchison for fourth straight win
Louisburg running back Andy Hupp looks for an opening during the Wildcats’ road game Friday at Atchison High School. The Wildcats cruised to a 41-12 win over the Redmen.
ATCHISON – Louisburg used the same
recipe for success against Atchison as it did in its last three victories.
Get off to a good start, run the
ball and play good defense.
All of those things came to
fruition again Friday for the Wildcats as they scored on their opening
possession and never looked back in a 41-12 victory over the Redmen at Atchison
High School. It is now the fourth straight win for Louisburg after starting the
season off with a pair of lossess.
“It was a good showing,” Louisburg
coach Robert Ebenstein said. “We came in with a plan and we were able to
execute it. We still gave up a big play or two and we are going to get better
to where we don’t have those mental lapses. Atchison is a good team, they have
a great coach and their kids showed up. I am just really pleased with all our
guys and being able to stay focused with no school Thursday or Friday is always
tough, so it was a good game.”
Louisburg (4-2) got the start it was looking for as it scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on its opening drive from junior Ben Wiedenmann, who accounted for the team’s three touchdowns in the first half, and had runs of 19 and 14 yards on the drive.
Late in the first quarter, the
Wildcats struck again as Wiedenmann scored on an 8-yard run to put Louisburg up
14-0 after a Drake Varns extra point.
Senior Charlie Koontz recovered an
Atchison fumble, which was the Redmen’s second turnover of the half, and that
all set up Wiedenmann’s 6-yard score to give Louisburg a 21-0 lead with under
eight minutes in the first half.
Atchison broke through the Wildcat
defense on a 32-yard touchdown pass to trim Louisburg’s lead to 21-6 and went
into the break with some momentum.
Louisburg also had to deal with a
little adversity of its own as Wiedenmann had to leave the game with an injury
and was unavailable in the second half. Enter Koontz, who took over where
Wiedenmann left off.
Koontz carried the ball 12 times
for 72 yards in the second half to keep the Wildcat offense going after
Wiedenmann carried the ball for 98 yards in the first half.
“Hopefully we will get to the
point where we are healthy enough to where both players will be on the field at
the same time,” Ebenstein said. “Chuck got hurt at the beginning of the season
so he now he is back, and Ben is going to be fine, but once we get both of them
healthy then maybe we can get our maximum speed out there and do some good
things. I thought both guys came out and ran hard for us.”
Late in the third, the Wildcats found themselves in a fourth-and-goal opportunity from the 3-yard line when junior Andy Hupp ran the ball in for the score and put the Wildcats up 27-6.
Louisburg got a strong push from
its offensive line as Brayden White, Garrett Harding, Ian McGuire, Jackson
Rooney, Andrew Krause, Sam Kratochvil and tight end Michael Waldron provided a
lot of holes up front as the Wildcats ran for 259 total yards.
Louisburg senior lineman Garrett Harding races to bring down an Atchison player Friday.
“I thought our offensive line did a really good job,” Ebenstein said. “We made a couple of changes and shifted some guys around and we are still trying to find our best fit, but they played physical all game long and we’re definitely setting the edge and doing some good stuff.”
The Wildcats iced the game when
quarterback Madden Rutherford found Weston Guetterman on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
After an Atchison touchdown, the Wildcats put their reserves in and they were able to find the endzone when backup quarterback Maverick Rockers scored on a 1-yard sneak up the middle. That score was set up by a 19-yard pass from Rockers to Aiden Barker.
Defensively, Hupp led Louisburg
with 11 tackles and Koontz added 10 of his own. Koontz, a senior linebacker,
also had a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Brandon Doles also had a fumble
recovery.
Harding and junior Justin Collins
also contributed six and five tackles, respectively, for Louisburg.
The Wildcats will try for their
fifth win in a row this Friday when it travels to Ottawa. Kickoff is set for 7
p.m.
“Ottawa is going to be ready to
go,” Ebenstein said. “I know their coach and he is a great coach and he will
have his guys ready. It will be a good game.”
LOU 14 7 6 14 – 41
ATCH 0 6 0 6 – 12
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
L: Ben Wiedenmann 1 run (Drake
Varns kick)
L: Wiedenmann 8 run (Varns kick)
Second quarter
L: Wiedenmann 6 run (Varns kick)
A: 32 yard pass (extra point
failed)
Third quarter
L: Andy Hupp 3 run (kick failed)
Fourth quarter
L: Weston Guetterman 15 pass from
Madden Rutherford (Varns kick)
A: 41 yard run (two point failed)
L: Maverick Rockers 1 run (Varns
kick)
STATISTICS
RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 10-96;
Charlie Koontz 12-72; Madden Rutherford 11-58; Kolby Kattau 3-19; Andy Hupp
8-15
