Louisburg’s (from left) Eli Johnson, Konnor Vohs and Garrett Harding team up to stop a Tonganoxie player at the goal line and force a fumble Friday at Wildcat Stadium.

It wasn’t the way the Louisburg
football wanted to kick off its home schedule Friday against Tonganoxie.

Tonganoxie took advantage of some
Wildcat mistakes and racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense as it handed
Louisburg a 42-6 loss at Wildcat Stadium.

The Chieftains were the more
physical team as they won the battle up front and put together several hard
hits on the Wildcat players.

“Tonganoxie is very good,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “My hats off to them. They played a complete, physical four-quarter game. They are best public school that I have seen in a long time. They are legit.”

Louisburg (0-2) had to face
obstacles throughout the game, including losing players to injury, and it challenged
their depth. Running backs Charlie Koontz and Jay Scollin had to leave the game
with injuries, as did quarterback Madden Rutherford.

The Chieftains’ defense held
Louisburg to just 175 total yards of offense and forced two turnovers. Even
with all that, the Wildcats trailed just 21-6 at halftime.

“They really didn’t let us do a
whole lot,” Ebenstein said of Tonganoxie. “Then on top of it we lose two
starting running backs and our quarterback to injury, and at that point, we
were just going to take what we could get. I am really proud of our kids. They
fought hard and they never tucked their tails. They didn’t quit and they fought
their butts off and I am proud of them for that.”

Tonganoxie (2-0) opened the game
with a 79-yard drive that ended in a 2-yard touchdown, and after the Wildcats
were forced to punt on their opening possession, the Chieftains drove down the
field once again. Except this time, the Wildcat defense forced Tonganoxie to
turn the ball over on downs in the red zone.

As it turned out, it was only a minor victory for Louisburg as Tonganoxie put together another possession that ended on a 5-yard score from Elijah Tyner and went up 14-0 late in the first quarter.

Louisburg had an answer as the Wildcats put together a drive of their own that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Ben Wiedenmann from Rutherford. Wiedenmann also had a big game on the ground for Louisburg as he carried the ball 13 times for 103 yards.

The Chieftains stopped any kind of momentum the Wildcats put together as they scored on their next possession to go up 21-6. Tonganoxie looked to increase its lead even more before halftime, but the Wildcat defense had other answers.

The Wildcats forced two turnovers as Weston Guetterman recovered a fumble near the goal line. Then shortly before halftime, Michael Waldron intercepted a pass to keep the deficit at 15 points.

Andy Hupp was all over the field
for the Wildcat defense as the junior linebacker recorded a team-high 16
tackles, including six solo stops. Hupp then came in the game at quarterback in
the second half for Rutherford.

“Andy has taken minimal reps at
quarterback, but he is just a football player and he will do anything we ask of
him,” Ebenstein said. “Andy is just a stud and he played well for us.”

Justin Collins and Brandon Doles
were next on the team with seven tackles each, while Guetterman, Garrett
Harding and Wiedenmann each added six.

Louisburg will try for its first
win of the season Friday when they travel to Baldwin. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
on the campus of Baker University.

“We have a winning culture here,
so anytime you lose it is tough on the guys,” Ebenstein said. “At the end of
the day, these guys are doing what we ask of them. They are lining up every
play and getting to where they need to be. We talk to them about life skills
and we tell them that sometimes in life you don’t get lucky breaks all the time
and it is all about how you respond. Our kids responded and kept fighting. We
are going to go to practice and get better and get ready for Baldwin.”

LOU               0             6             0             0
– 6

TON              14           7             7             14
– 42

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER

T: Sam Kleidosty 2 run (Javier
Trujillo kick)

T: Elijah Tyner 5 run (Trujillo
kick)

SECOND QUARTER

L: Ben Wiedenmann 8 pass from
Madden Rutherford (extra point failed)

T: Cooper Cunningham 16 pass from
Blake Poje (Trujillo kick)

THIRD QUARTER

T: Tyner 9 run (Trujillo kick)

FOURTH QUARTER

T: Cunningham 2 run (Trujillo
kick)

T: Devyn Splichal run (Mendoza
kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING: Ben Wiedenmann 13-103;
Madden Rutherford 9-8

PASSING: Madden Rutherford
7-19-73-1

RECEIVING: Ben Wiedenmann 4-23; Weston
Guetterman 2-23; Charlie Koontz 1-21; Michael Waldron 1-6

A big change to the Kansas High School
Activities Association (KSHSAA) postseason could be coming sooner rather than
later if a proposal, submitted by the Frontier League, passes the KSHSAA Board
of Directors and its member schools.

Last month the Frontier League,
led by Paola High School principal Jeff Hines and Louisburg superintendent Dr.
Brian Biermann, petitioned KSHSAA to separate public and private schools into
their own postseason competitions.

In order for it pass, the petition
must be signed by 20 percent of the 355 member schools according to KSHSAA
bi-laws. The Frontier League got the 71 needed petitions and have now submitted
this to appear in front of the KSHSAA Board of Directors for vote in their
Sept. 18 meeting.

The board of directors would then
have to pass it by simple majority of those in attendance to bring the proposal
to a vote from all the member schools.

“Kansas needs to catch up with
the rest of the country and get this competitive imbalance under control in our
state,” Hines said. “The longer we wait then more students will be negatively
impacted. We have a responsibility as educators to create the best
opportunities possible for our students. No one can honestly say we have
the best system possible right now. It can definitely be improved.”

The proposal submitted by the Frontier League is the same one the state of Texas uses that keeps the schools in their same classification, but only separates the schools come postseason.

Other options were discussed
before submitting the proposal, such as implementing a multiplier on all
private schools like Missouri currently does. In fact, it is the most popular
proposal among the schools that were surveyed by Hines last January.

They also talked about the “Oklahoma
model” where schools are bumped up a classification based on success for
competitive balance.

Seventy-four percent of the
schools said they would support a population multiplier, 64 percent would
support competitive balance factors and 51 percent would support separate
divisions.

However, KSHSAA would not be able
to make this change with a multiplier due to state statute K.S.A. 72-130 that
states a high school association “must establish a system of classification of
member high schools according to student attendance.”

KSHSAA would not be able to pass a
new bi-law that goes against state statute, and therefore, the Kansas State
Legislature would have reword the statue to allow the association to make those
changes.

The Frontier League believes the Texas model, or separate postseason divisions, does not deal with classifications. Also, this model had more support from 5A and 6A schools as neither classification would likely vote for a multiplier.

“We don’t view that as a classification decision as we are not affecting classification, but KSHSAA and their lawyers view that it is,” Biermann said. “5A and 6A schools that we talked to really wanted us to push for the Texas model because they don’t want to play them (private schools) either. The biggest thing for me is if 5 and 6A schools don’t want to play them, then why do we? As a superintendent, I am supposed to create opportunities for kids. We had four teams last year in both soccer teams, football and volleyball that all saw their season end to Bishop Miege. It is not right that we have kids and coaches that work their tails off and they don’t have the opportunity to win.

“Am I all about state
championships? Absolutely not. But we also know the reality of it in the
current system. Winning state championships is important for communities and is
always a goal. I am not ever going to give up on this idea and neither will the
Frontier League.”

The public versus private school
debate has been going on for the last several years and Hines has been leading
the charge since 2015 when he put together a study that displayed the disparity
of state championships won by private schools.

In 2018-19, private schools won 32
percent of the state championships in Classes 5A through 1A. There are currently
no private schools in 6A. Twenty-one of those 24 state titles were won by
private schools in Class 4A and 5A.

That is a high number considering
that out of the 355 member schools, only 27 of them are private.

The Frontier League wanted to see change, so Hines surveyed the 355 member schools late last year and presented his findings to KSHSAA in January. More than 88 percent of the schools responded, that included 22 private institutions, and 87 percent said they want the current system changed.

Although most schools said they
would support the multiplier model more, Hines and the rest of the league
schools, believe it is the best way to proceed at this time.

“Our
survey indicated that separate divisions was the least popular option among
member schools, however as a league we feel like it is the most appropriate
option,” Hines said. “A multiplier will pass through and will be our next
option if this does not go through.  A multiplier will impact many private
schools that are not quasi sports academies that are not very successful in athletics. The
separate divisions avoids this situation.”

If
the proposal does pass the board of directors, KSHSAA will then put it to a
vote with all 355 member schools and it must pass by a simple majority and by
four of the six classes.

From
there, KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick would take it to the Kansas
Legislature before change could be implemented.

“We
know it won’t happen overnight,” Biermann said. “Even if this passes, nothing
will change this year and probably not the following year. It could be three
years out with the way football schedules take shape. We are honestly ok with
that if we knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel. If this would
not pass, we would turn right around and do the multiplier one.”

Despite what happens at the
upcoming board of directors meeting, Hines believes changes to the system will
happen sooner rather than later.

“I am now confident something will get done,” Hines said. “I
think it will ultimately take a multiplier to get something done. If the
separate divisions fails then we will propose a multiplier for the spring board
of directors meeting.”

 A lot of obstacles are still in the way for change to happen, whether it has to deal with state statues or member votes, but none of the schools in the nine-member Frontier League are going to stop until they see a more even playing field.

“I am very proud of the Frontier League, and even though we compete against each other, we are very unified on this,” Biermann said. “It is about fairness and equality and I am tired of having my kids at Louisburg High School not having the same opportunity as some others. The throttle is down and it is going to stay down.”

Louisburg junior Ben Wiedenmann breaks through the line for a long run during the Wildcats’ season opener Friday in Spring Hill.

SPRING HILL – Four yards.

That is how far away the Louisburg
football team was from completing what was already an impeccable comeback in
its season opener Friday against Spring Hill.

Down three points with 50 seconds
left, the Wildcats had a first and goal from the 4-yard line and were ready to
steal the road win. Fate had other ideas, however.

Two penalties and two incompletions later, the Wildcats were forced to try a game-tying field goal. The kick fell short and Spring Hill survived a 27-24 contest that could have easily gone different way after Louisburg scored 18 unanswered points to tie it.

“Losing sucks, that is for sure,” Louisburg coach Robert Ebenstein said. “We had every chance to win it. The game really wasn’t lost at the end, the game was lost in the first half and I was glad to see us battle back like we did. I was very pleased with how they fought.

“We had chances to make plays.
Sometimes you make them and sometimes you don’t. There was a big learning curve
for us, and unfortunately some of the plays we learned on were scores for them.”

Spring Hill jumped out quickly as
the Broncos scored the game’s first 10 points before the Wildcats battled back
early in the second quarter.

Louisburg drove 80 yards and ended
with a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Madden Rutherford, and after a
missed extra point, the Wildcats trailed by just four.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats,
Spring Hill’s offense was difficult to get off the field as the Broncos engineered
two more scoring drives. Bronco running back Zade Barker scored on pair of
4-yard runs to go up 24-6 with under two minutes left in the first half.

“We had a lot of kids making first
starts out there on defense and we really weren’t assignment sound,” Ebenstein
said. “That is something we might have taken for granted the last couple of
years because we had kids who knew where to be and what to do. We will learn,
coach them up and be better next game.”

The Wildcats did take some momentum going into halftime as Rutherford led the Wildcats down the field and completed the drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Koontz with 24 seconds remaining.

After halftime, the Wildcats
dominated time of possession.

Louisburg ate up the first nine
minutes of the third quarter, which ended in a 36-yard field goal from Drake
Varns. The Wildcat defense then forced a three-and-out, and got the ball right
back. In all, Spring Hill ran just 15 plays from scrimmage the entire second
half.

“Keeping our defense fresh and
their quarterback off the field was big for us,” Ebenstein said.

Late in the third quarter, and
with Louisburg facing a third-and-long situation, Rutherford connected with
junior Weston Guetterman on a 35-yard pass play to the Spring Hill 21-yard
line. Then on the opening play of the fourth quarter, junior Justin Collins
found a hole and scored on a 21-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

Spring Hill kicker Bear Gardner
put the Broncos in front again with a 27-yard field goal with 5 minutes and 49
seconds left in the contest.

The Wildcats had their backs
against wall, yet again, late in the fourth quarter as they faced a 4^th
down and 22. Rutherford again came through as he found running back Ben
Wiedenmann on a 32-yard pass over the middle for a first down.

All that set up the first-and-goal
from the 4-yard line, which would be as close as the Wildcats would get. An
illegal procedure penalty, two incompletions and a delay of game stymied the
Louisburg drive.

“We had every intention of coming
back and winning that game,” Ebenstein said. “We had the ball on our fingertips
twice in the endzone to win it, and then we had a good snap, good hold on the
field goal but the kick just didn’t go through. We will learn from this and get
better.”

Louisburg also had several players
who were cramping up throughout the game, which forced players to play in
different spots at times and limited the Wildcats on what they could do late in
the game.

One of those was Rutherford, who
despite the cramping issues, completed 12 of 27 passes for 251 yards and a
touchdown. His favorite target was Guetterman, who had his best day in a
Wildcat uniform with eight catches for 184 yards. Guetterman made several key
catches late in the contest to keep drives alive.

“Both of those guys are talented,
and with our running backs cramping up and everyone shuffling through, they
were two of the consistent players for us,” Ebenstein said. “They knew their
assignments. Madden was really hindered because he couldn’t roll out, and if he
tried to, he would cramp up. Still, those two made some big plays for us.

“We have to take better care of
our bodies and it seemed like every player was cramping out there. We were
shuffling kids in and out that don’t play the right positions. We will take
care of our bodies, learn and get better for next week.”

In the backfield, Wiedenmann led
the Louisburg rushing attack with 81 yards on 15 carries and the offensive line
of Brayden White, Garrett Harding, Ian McGuire, Andy Hupp, Eli Johnson and
tight end Michael Waldron helped open holes for some of the big plays.

Defensively, Hupp led the way with
a team-high eight tackles from his linebacker spot and sophomore Kolby Kattau
finished with seven. Wiedenmann and Waldron both added six tackles, while
Wiedenmann recorded a sack and two tackles for a loss.

The Wildcats will try and rebound
this Friday when they host Tonganoxie in their home opener. Kickoff is set for
7 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium.

LOU               0             14           3             7 – 24

SH                  10           14           0             3 – 27

First quarter

SH: Gage Klutts 26 pass from
Corbyn Meyers (Bear Gardner kick)

SH: Gardner 26 FG

Second quarter

L: Madden Rutherford 1 run (kick
failed)

SH: Zade Barker 4 run (Gardner
kick)

SH: Barker 4 run (Gardner kick)

L: Charlie Koontz 23 pass from Rutherford
(Rutherford run)

Third quarter

L: Drake Varns 36 FG

Fourth quarter

L: Justin Collins 21 run (Varns
kick)

SH: Gardner 27 FG

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Ben Wiedenmann 15-81;
Madden Rutherford 11-37; Charlie Koontz 8-37; Justin Collins 3-31; Kolby Kattau
6-15; Jay Scollin 1-3

PASSING – Madden Rutherford
12-27-251

RECEIVING – Weston Guetterman
8-184; Ben Wiedenmann 1-32; Charlie Koontz 1-23; Jay Scollin 1-7; Michael
Waldron 1-5

TACKLES – Andy Hupp 8; Kolby
Kattau 7; Ben Wiedenmann 6; Michael Waldron 6; Brayden White 5; Justin Collins
4; Charlie Koontz 4; Andrew Krause 3; Weston Guetterman 2; Jay Scollin 2;
Konnor Vohs 1; Drake Varns 1; A.J. Reed 1

Louisburg quarterback Madden Rutherford hands the ball off to junior Ben Wiedenmann during a workout over the summer. The Wildcats open their season Friday at Spring Hill.

It was one of those special years for Louisburg football that doesn’t come along very often.

The Wildcats won their first 10 games in 2018, captured a Frontier League title and finished with a regional championship, before defending state champion Bishop Miege came calling and ended the Wildcats’ season.

Last year may be hard to
replicate, especially after losing 18 seniors, but the Wildcats have the pieces
to make a lot of noise in the Frontier League once again.

Louisburg has close to 70 players
out this season, which is the most since head coach Robert Ebenstein has been
involved with the program, and the Wildcats have 10 seniors this year that will
be looked to fill the leadership left behind from last year’s group.

“So
far practices have been going very well,” Ebenstein said. “We have some holes
to fill from last year’s roster, but the guys have been working very hard and
are ready to fill those spots.

“We return 13 letterman with 8 individuals who started a game on offense and 6 individuals who started a game on defense. We will be younger with some new faces, but we have many kids who are ready to take that step up and compete at the varsity level.”

One constant is third-year quarterback Madden Rutherford, who will once again lead the Wildcat offense. The Louisburg senior threw for more than 1,100 yards last season and had 14 touchdowns.

Rutherford
is also a threat to take off and run as he recorded 354 yards on the ground and
had four touchdowns a year ago as a second-team All-Frontier League player. He
also earned an all-league first team as a punter.

“Returning
a quarterback is always a blessing, but when you can bring back a kid who is
starting for his third season, it is a huge advantage,” Ebenstein said. “He is
the smartest football player I have ever coached and knows our offensive system
inside and out. He knows his job, he knows every route the
receivers run and he knows all the blocking assignments the backs have. Honestly,
he knows most all of the offensive line responsibilities as well.”

That offensive line will have a little different look from a year ago. Returning are all-league players Brayden White and Garrett Harding, and the Wildcats seniors will anchor that front along with fellow senior tight end Michael Waldron.

White,
who was a first-team All-Frontier League selection a year ago, will lead the
way at tackle and Harding will be a fixture at guard. Seniors Ian McGuire, Sam
Kratochvil, along with juniors Andy Hupp, Eli Johnson and sophomore Dominic
Owens are new faces who could help the Wildcats up front this season.

Louisburg
lost three off that line from last season, including Kiefer Tucker, who was an
All-Frontier League first team player on both sides of ball. Still, Ebenstein
likes what he has coming back to help pave the way up front.

“Our offensive line will have some new faces, but should be a dominant force,” Ebenstein said. “We have smart football kids all over the field and we will have the most athletic offensive line we have had in a long time. We might not be as big as we have in the past, but our speed up front will be a strength.

“Being able to zone our opponents, and double off and be able to pick up those quick linebackers, will be a strength of ours. Also having Waldron return at tight end is a plus as well as his blocking, and knowledge of the system, is outstanding.”

The Wildcats also have a stable of running backs to be able to get through those holes. Gone is All-League first-teamer Austin Moore, who is now with the Kansas State football program, but Ebenstein will have plenty have plenty to choose from to help fill the void.

Senior Charlie Koontz and junior Ben Wiedenmann both saw varsity time last season, and will lead the way in 2019. Juniors Justin Collins, Jay Scollin and sophomore Kolby Kattau will also see time in the backfield.

“This year our running backs will look a lot different,” Ebenstein said. “We lost some quality kids, but some tough kids are ready to take those spots. All of those guys will be in the backfield this year and all do certain things very well. You should be hearing many names called out over the speakers this season. This is, by far, is the fastest backfield we have had in Louisburg since I have been here.”

Defense was a staple for the Wildcats a year ago, and that helped them to an undefeated league title. Although they have spots to fill, the Wildcats still figure to be strong in that area as well.

Hupp, Koontz, Kattau and sophomore Brandon Doles will
all see a lot of time at the linebacker spot, while Hupp and Koontz are both
returning starters at the position. White and Harding will anchor the middle of
the defensive line as returning starters.

Wiedenmann will bring some speed off the edge from the
defensive end spot, while Johnson, senior Andrew Krause and Owens will see time
at defensive end.

In the secondary, Waldron, along with juniors Weston Guetterman, Collins, Konnor Vohs and Ben Guetterman will all see action in the defensive backfield.

Assistant coach Jeff Lohse is also returning as the
team’s defensive coordinator as he guided the Wildcats to one of Class 4A’s top
defenses a year ago.

“With Lohse calling the defense, I am always confident
in our defense to be in the right spots and make plays,” Ebenstein said. “Schematically,
it will look similar to the Louisburg defenses over the years, but we will have
some new faces for sure.

“Our defensive line should be a strength of ours with Harding and White anchoring the middle and I think Ben Wiedenmann could possibly be one of the fastest defensive ends in the state.”

The Wildcats also return both of their kickers on special teams as senior Drake Varns will resume his placekicking duties, while Rutherford is the team’s punter.

The Frontier League will provide a lot of competition
for the Wildcats again this season, including rival Paola, which is one of the
favorites to win the league crown.

Still, Louisburg hopes to figure into that conversation
at the end of the year and make a run in the state playoffs. It all starts
Friday when the Wildcats travel to Spring Hill for their season opener.

“Our expectations are always the same,” Ebenstein said.
“We want to get better every practice, be prepared for every game, and
represent this team in the best light we can.

“The
Frontier League is tough week in and week out. There are no easy games in this
league, but right now I am really only concerned with Spring Hill and leaving
that game, 1-0.”

Last fall, each of the four
Louisburg High School athletic programs had something to brag about.

Whether it was football’s 10-1
season that ended with a regional championship, volleyball’s state runner-up
finish, cross country’s two state medalists and state qualifying girls team or
the boys’ soccer regional championship appearance – the Wildcats had plenty to
cheer about and several athletes took notice.

Numbers are up for all four programs following the first day of practice Monday and the coaches and athletes are excited to get the season started after last year’s successes.

The Wildcat football team saw a big jump in numbers as they have 70 students out this season and football coach Robert Ebenstein and has liked what he seen through the first couple days of workouts.

“Our numbers are up and based on the numbers at the middle school and youth programs and I expect them to keep growing,” Ebenstein said. “I am very excited for practice to get going. When you finish the season off with a loss in the playoffs it sticks with you and the opportunity to go play another game creates that energy and that eager feeling to get going. So far I am very pleased with our kids’ focus and effort. We need to continue to get better every day.”

Louisburg volleyball has also seen a spike in its numbers as 40
athletes have attended tryouts. Those tryouts will go through Wednesday and
head coach Jessica Compliment believes those high numbers will be beneficial
down the road.

“The players are excited, but I
think some are nervous as well with tryouts and cuts these first few days,” Compliment
said. “Forty is the most we’ve had tryout for quite some time. Generally we
have around 35. The higher numbers leads to more competition for uniforms and
playing time.”

Cross country head coach John Reece is pulling
double duty this season as he, and assistant coach Paul Restivo, will also be
leading the new Louisburg Middle School program. The Wildcats have a combined
59 runners out between the two programs, including 37 on the high school side.

Louisburg returns a majority of its girls team
that qualified for state a year ago, including its two state medalists in
senior Trinity Moore and sophomore Reese Johnson.

Despite a little hiccup with the heat during
the first two days of workouts, coach Reece likes what he sees from both teams.

“It was great to get started, and yes the
heat caused us to change our workout a little bit, but we still got in our
miles,” Reece said. “We had a good turnout during summer running, so as a whole
they are ready to get to the good stuff and go compete.

“There is definitely a huge difference
with LMS joining the crew. Two coaches managing 59 kids is a lot, and we might
need more help for supervision as we get more personalized with workouts for
different levels of runners, but this is a good thing for Louisburg’s cross
country program. It is going to be a fun year.”

Soccer also saw a big increase in
interest as the Wildcats have 44 athletes trying out this season and they will
continue the tryout process through Thursday. It is a good problem to have for
head coach Kyle Conley and he has liked what he has seen so far as the Wildcats
look to take another step forward this year.

“The kids worked hard, but showed we have
a lot of work to do,” Conley said. “We had a really, really good summer, but we
got a little rusty with the month off. This year we are getting back to focus
on our culture and getting back to playing for each other. The boys have been
focused and determined to improve this season.”

However, the first two day of practices weren’t without their challenges as intense heat and humidity caused some of the programs to change their schedules, including soccer, which moved its practice to the evening on Tuesday and spent some time indoors Monday.

“The
heat was an interesting factor to go along with the late start due to the
KSHSAA schedule,” Conley said. “We started in the AUX gym for the first hour
and 15 minutes then transitioned outside for an hour. It was frustrating but
the boys handled it very well.”

With
the heat advisories, teams had to take precautions with their athletes and
everything seemed to go smoothly with the hot weather.

“There is nothing you can do about the heat, and it is not centralized to Louisburg, so everybody has to deal with it,” Ebenstein said. “So you just do what you have to do when it comes to moving practice to the evening or whatever. I do not mind these hot early practices as it sets the tone that athletes need to take care of their bodies, and the acclimatization process gets going from the beginning. I would much rather have it this way instead of it being cool and the first hot week comes on a game week.”

With the first day of practice starting
later than normal, the start of competition will also be pushed back. Team
scrimmages will be the Friday before Labor Day and actual competition won’t
start until Sept. 3.

Soccer will host Fort Scott in its season
opener on Sept. 3 and volleyball will travel to Paola for dual on the same day.
Cross country opens its season on Sept. 5 at the Anderson County Invitational
and football will travel to Spring Hill on Sept. 6.

Dennis Stiles (top left), John Lohse (top right), Jason Burk (bottom left) and Krystal (Bowes) Grojean will be inducted into the Louisburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.

It has been 11 years since
Louisburg High School had inducted a class into its athletic hall of fame, but
the wait for a new class is finally over.

The USD 416 Endowment Association, which oversees the LHS Athletic Hall of Fame, has announced a new 4-member class. Dennis Stiles (Class of 1969), John Lohse (1995), Jason Burk (1999) and Krystal (Bowes) Grojean (2001) were the top four vote getters in this year’s hall of fame voting and will be honored in an induction ceremony sometime this fall.

“Louisburg has a history of great athletes,” said Damon Dennis, a USD 416 Endowment Association board member. “We had a good cross-section of both young and older voters this year that really took their job seriously. The four athletes chosen represent several generations of former Wildcats and each one were dominant in their particular era and sports. The Endowment Association is excited to get the Hall of Fame going again and plan on some big things in the future.”

More than two dozen voters, that includes current members of the hall of fame, long-time Louisburg residents, teachers and coaches, voted on the class in June. Each voter was asked to submit their top four choices for the hall and votes were then tabulated.

To be eligible for the hall of fame, the inductee must wait at least 10 years following graduation to be nominated.

The last class that was inducted was in 2008 and Dennis, and the rest of the Endowment Association, is committed to making this a yearly occurrence moving forward.

Here
are the accomplishments of each of the newest hall of fame inductees. Look for
more information on an induction ceremony in the coming weeks.

Dennis Stiles – Class of 1969 – Football, Basketball, Track

Stiles
lettered 4 years in football and
track and 3 years in basketball. His senior year he was named all-league and
all-state in football and was co-captain on the Wildcat team that finished the
year 4-4.

As sophomore, he played on the varsity basketball team which was 12-0 in
league play, finished the year 19-3 and were district champions. He earned
honorable mention all-state honors his sophomore and junior seasons and was
second-team all-state his senior year. Stiles was at one time the school’s
career scoring leader.

 Stiles competed at the state
track meet as a junior and senior where he placed fourth in the discus his
senior year. He previously held school records in the discus and triple jump.
He also received a football scholarship to Kansas State University.

John Lohse – Class of 1995 – Football, Basketball and Baseball

Lohse lettered all four years in baseball and was selected to represent
Kansas in the all-star baseball classic his senior year. He was an all-league
pitcher and centerfielder for the Wildcats his sophomore through senior years.
He had a .510 average his junior and senior seasons with 10 home runs his
junior year and 12 more his senior season.

In football, Lohse was a 3-year letterwinner. He was an all-league wide
receiver his junior and senior seasons. In his senior year, he had 850 yards
receiving and 11 touchdowns and was later selected to represent Kansas in the
Metro Classic All-Star Game.

Lohse was also a 3-year letterwinner in basketball and was an
all-league selection his junior and senior seasons. He averaged a double-double
his junior and senior years.

Post-graduation, Lohse attended Pittsburg State on a baseball
scholarship and played on the Gorilla team for four years. He was selected to
the all-MIAA team his sophomore and junior seasons before injuring his shoulder
his senior year. He had a .315 average his junior and senior seasons. In his
first collegiate at-bat his freshman year, Lohse hit a game-winning grand slam
to give Pitt State its first win over Missouri Southern in five years.

Jason Burk – Class of 1999 – Track and Football

Burk was a 4-year letterwinner for the Louisburg track and field team
and qualified for state in all four years in four events. He accumulated 12
state medals, 16 regional track medals and 14 Frontier League medals. Burk was
selected to the Kansas City All-Metro track team in 1998 and 1999.

During his senior season, Burk was a state champion in both the triple
and long jump. He won the triple jump with a leap 48 feet and the long jump
with a mark of 22-5. He also finished fifth in the 100-meter dash and sixth in
the high jump. As a junior, Burk won a state championship in the triple jump
with mark of 46 feet and won three more state medals. He took second long jump,
fourth in the 100 dash and sixth in the 200 dash. As a sophomore, Burk won
state medals in the triple jump (second), long jump (fourth) and 4×100 relay
(third). He was a member of the 4×100 team that took second at state as a
freshman in 1996.

At one time, Burk held seven school records. He currently holds school
records in the triple jump, high jump and long jump. Burk holds the school
record for most points in a season with 326.

Burk also played football, where he was a part of bi-district, district
and regional championship teams.

Krystal (Bowes) Grojean – Class of 2001 – Volleyball, Basketball, Track

Bowes was a 4-year letterwinner in track before she was offered a
scholarship on the Wichita State track and field team.

In her senior season at Louisburg, Bowes earned three state medals,
including a second-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 145-10. She was
also third in the discus with a toss of 126-9 and fifth in the shot put at
37-5. As a sophomore and junior, she finished sixth in the discus at state. In
all, Bowes racked up five state medals in her high school career before moving
on to Wichita State. She is the current Louisburg record holder in the javelin
(146-10) and discus (137-11).

At Wichita State, she earned academic All-American honors and was a
team captain all four years. Bowes was a two-time NCAA national qualifier and
finished fifth in the javelin and was second in the Missouri Valley Conference
in 2006. In 2004, Bowes took first in the MVC in the javelin and fourth in the
discus. In 2003, she won the Missouri Valley Conference discus title, was
second in the javelin and fourth in the hammer throw. Bowes was also a member
two Shocker teams that won conference titles.

In volleyball and basketball at LHS, Bowes was a 3-year letterwinner in each sport and earned first-team all-Frontier League honors each season.

Current members of the LHS Hall of Fame

Class of 2005:

Tom
Stevens – 1934 – Track and Field (High Jump)

1947/48
Undefeated Football Teams

Richard
Meiers – 1949 – Basketball/Football

Don
Meek – 1965-1998 – Coach/Administrator

Larry
Harding – 1976-1994 – Volleyball/Golf Coach

Amy
Dodson Goode – 1986 – Volleyball/Basketball

Class of 2006:

Jim
Wells – 1936 – Track and Field (Pole Vault)/Football

Doug
Eaton – 1971 – Wrestling

Sue
Truman Apple – 1974 – Track and Field/Volleyball/Basketball

Mike
Meek – 1985- Football/Wrestling/Track and Field

Jamie
Waite – 1991 – Track and Field (Pole Vault)/Football/Basketball

Class of 2007

Alan
Taylor – 1949 – Football

Tim
Dozier – 1987 – Wrestling/Football

Beth
Dodson Dixon – 1989 – Volleyball/Basketball

Jeff
Lohse – 1991 – Baseball/Football/Basketball

Class of 2008

Greg
Kahmann – 1987 – Baseball/Football/Basketball

Mark
Buckingham – 1994 – Basketball

Blue Caplinger made history in a few different ways for Louisburg High School during the 2018-19 season.

Caplinger, along with fellow LHS student Alyse Moore, became the first Wildcat athlete in recent memory – if ever – to participate in two sports during the same season. All that led up to what was a spectacular finish to his senior year.

Caplinger helped the 4×400-meter
relay to a state championship in late May, which was the school’s first individual
track title since 2015. When all was said and done, Caplinger lettered in four
sports this past year.

These are just a couple of the
reasons why Caplinger was chosen as the 2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete
of the Year.

The award, which is in its second
year, is to recognize an outstanding LHS student athlete. Louisburg Sports Zone
asked the head coaches at LHS to submit nominations and those nominations were
then organized and submitted back to the coaches for a vote.

The coaches then submitted their
top three choices and the number of votes were added up, which decided the
winner.

Caplinger was one of the leaders
of the Wildcat football team that reeled off 10 straight wins to start the season
and captured a regional championship before falling to eventual state champion
Bishop Miege.

He was an All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball as he earned first team defensive honors from the safety spot with 31 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

Caplinger played a couple different positions offensively and earned second team all-league honors as a multi-purpose player. He had 310 yards rushing and four touchdowns to go along 234 yards receiving and two more scores.

He was also the lead blocker on a
lot of the big runs that teammate Austin Moore – who was a first-team
all-league and all-state running back – had during the season.

“Blue was the most all-purpose player we had,” Louisburg football coach Robert Ebenstein said. “He was the ideal teammate who put the team first all the time. He always did anything that was asked of him. He was a tough competitor and a great all-around person.”

During the wrestling season, Caplinger was a state-ranked
wrestler at 170 pounds for much of the year. He ended his season with a team-high
33-5 record and was a regional champion.

At the Class 4A state tournament, Caplinger finished one win shy of his first state medal. In all, Caplinger finished with a team high in wins and also holds the school record for most career reversals (72) and most career escapes (86). He ended his Wildcat career with a 111-57 record.

“Anyone who knows Blue understands what a great young man he
is,” Louisburg wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Blue embodies so much
about what wrestling is all about. I wanted him to get that state medal so
badly, and he came so close not once, but twice. With these sorts of setbacks,
Blue has demonstrated that he’s gained the resilience to be a champion in life.”

In the spring, Caplinger became a dual-sport athlete as he
participated in both baseball and track and field.

Although his focus was on track, Caplinger helped out the
Wildcat baseball team as a pinch-runner as he stole five bases in eight games.

However, Caplinger did a lot of his damage on the track as he was one of the Wildcats’ top sprinters. He joined Justin Collins, Ben Wiedenmann and Chris Williams to win the Class 4A state title in the 4×400-meter relay.

Caplinger, along with Charlie Koontz, Wiedenmann and Collins, also medaled fifth at state in the 4×100 relay. Both relays broke school records this past season in the Frontier League and regional meets.

Caplinger will continue his athletic career this fall as he plans to attend Benedictine College on a football scholarship.

Louisburg’s Austin Moore (left) and Kiefer Tucker will represent the East side of the state Saturday during the Kansas Shrine Bowl in Dodge City. They will be joined by Louisburg head football coach Robert Ebenstein, who is an assistant coach on the team.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl is one of
the premier all-star football games as it pits the best high school seniors
from each side of the state.

As it turns out, Louisburg High
School is going to have two representatives.

Austin Moore was selected to join
the East squad back in December along with Louisburg head coach Robert
Ebenstein, but the Shrine Bowl rules state that only one player from each
school can be chosen – that is unless an opening comes up shortly before the
game.

So when an opening became available, Kiefer Tucker, who was a first team All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball for Louisburg, got a text from his high school coach.

Tucker is going to get one more chance to play alongside his former teammate and coach as he was selected as a replacement to play in the Shrine Bowl and practiced with the East team earlier this week in Ottawa.

“Being selected to play in the Shrine Bowl is a great honor and I was smiling pretty big when I got the text from Coach E saying there is a spot open for me,” Tucker said. “I’m excited to be able to go up against great talent.”

Moore, who won first team
all-league, all-state and player of the year honors following his senior season
last fall, will be one the East’s top players on defense. He will start at linebacker
and is looking forward to the challenge of going up against the West.

“The defense we are running is a 3-5 and I will be one of the ‘dog linebackers,’” Moore said. “The dog linebackers are to the outside of the middle backer. I’m just really excited to represent Louisburg again on Saturday and to play another football game.”

Tucker, on the other hand, will
see a lot of time on the offensive side of the ball. He is going to play at the
guard spot after originally starting on the defensive side and will be coached
by Ebenstein, who is working with the offensive line.

Tucker is looking forward to suiting up one final time with his teammate and coach, as they will each go their separate ways after this game.

“Being able to play with Austin
one last time is one of my favorite parts about this coming weekend,” Tucker
said. “The last time we were on the field together, Austin’s season was taken
from him early (broken collarbone) and to be able to play with him again means
a lot to me. One top of that, to be able to get coached by Coach E one more time
is a pretty great thing. To be able to end my high school career with both of
them right by me will mean a lot.”

Moore feels the same as the three
Louisburg representatives have gotten a chance to relive some of the Wildcats’
past successes.

“It has been really fun being out
on the field with Coach E and Kiefer one more time,” Moore said. “We’ve been
talking about all of the fun times we’ve had over the past four years, and it
has definitely made me miss playing for Louisburg even more.”

Although the game is what Moore
and Tucker have been preparing for, they both also realize this week is more
than just a game.

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.

Both Moore and Tucker traveled from Ottawa to Dodge City
yesterday and will spend the rest of this week preparing for the game. They
will also get the opportunity to meet some of the patients from the Shriners
Hospital.

“I’m just honored to be selected because the Shrine Bowl is
more than just a game,” Tucker said. “On the day where we meet some of the kids,
I hope to be able to spread a few smiles and share some laughs with them.”

Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday at
Memorial Stadium in Dodge City and the game will be streamed at www.kansasshrinebowl.com.

For the past three years, Louisburg Sports Zone has given out Athlete of the Week awards during each of the three sports seasons. I do it to recognize special athletic achievements and to highlight the athletes.

For the second straight year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. In the next week, I will announce this year’s recipients.

Below are the nominees for this year’s award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

CARSON BUFFINGTON – SENIOR – BASKETBALL, SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL

Carson was a 3-time letter winner in her senior season and
was named as a team captain in volleyball, basketball and soccer.

In volleyball, Buffington earned second team All-Frontier
League honors as she helped lead the Lady Cats to a Class 4A state runner-up
performance. She also moved from her starting setter position to the outside
hitter spot and had a lot of success for the Lady Cats as she tallied 130 kills
in her new position. With all that success, Buffington was also selected to the
Greater Kansas City Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Match.

Buffington also wrapped up a strong career for the Louisburg
basketball team as she averaged eight points and seven rebounds to go along
with three steals a contest. She was named as a Frontier League honorable
mention this past season, and she also was selected as an all-state honorable
mention.

In girls soccer, Buffington was the starting goalie for Louisburg in all 20 games. She posted 13 shutouts, which is a school record and had a .952 goals against average, which is also a school record. Buffington had 90 saves on the season that ended as a Class 4-1A state runner up for the second consecutive year. For her efforts, she was also selected second team All-Frontier League. Buffington was also named first team all-state goalie and was named Goalkeeper of the Year.

ANNA DIXON – SENIOR – VOLLEYBALL

Anna wrapped up her fourth volleyball season as a varsity starter for the Lady Cats and guided Louisburg to its second consecutive Class 4A-state runner-up finish.

Dixon, who is currently with the Kansas State volleyball
team, ended her senior season with 584 kills and had a hitting percentage of
.260. She also added 325 digs, 50 aces and 42 blocks as she played all six
rotations. With those lofty numbers, Dixon earned several big time honors in
her final season.

She was selected as an All-Frontier League first team player
and was also named to the 4A State All-Tournament Team. Those honors continued
as she was named the Kansas Volleyball Coaches Association Class 4A Player of the
Year and earned a spot on KVA All-State First Team.

Following the season, Dixon was also named as an
Under-Armour All-American also earned MaxPreps/American Volleyball Coaches
Association Player of the Week honors.

ALYSE MOORE – SOPHOMORE – BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD

Alyse is a 3-sport varsity letter-winner this past year as she earned letters for the basketball, softball and track and field teams. This past spring season, Moore went to state in two different sports and became the first Wildcat athlete in recent memory to do so.

In her first season in track and field, Moore threw the
javelin for the Lady Cats and went on to become regional champion as she
eclipsed her personal best throw by almost 25 feet in just her third
competition of the season. The following week, she medaled fourth at the Class
4A state tournament with a personal best throw of 131 feet and 9 inches.

Moore was also the starting shortstop for the Lady Cats as
she helped Louisburg to its first regional championship since 2014.

During the basketball season, Moore was a starter for the
Lady Cats and averaged six points, five rebounds and three steals a game.

TRINITY MOORE – JUNIOR – CROSS COUNTRY, SOCCER

Trinity is 2-sport letter-winner for Louisburg this past
year as she had state performances in both cross country and soccer.

During the fall, Moore was the top runner on the Louisburg girls cross country team as she helped the Lady Cats to a regional runner-up finish and qualified for state as a team for the first time in school history. Moore medaled fourth at the Class 4A state meet in Wamego and currently holds the school record for the fastest time in program history. She also earned first-team All-Frontier League honors for her third place finish at the league meet.

In soccer, Moore was a starter on the Wildcat team that recently finished as the Class 4-1A state runner-up for the second consecutive year. At the midfield spot, she finished the season with 12 goals and six assists and was also named to the All-Frontier League first team.

DELANEY WRIGHT – FRESHMAN – BASKETBALL, CROSS COUNTRY, TRACK AND FIELD

Delaney is a 3-sport letter-winner as she took part in cross country, basketball and track and field and competed at the state level in two of those.

Wright found most of her success in track and field as she
earned four medals at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships
in Wichita this past month. She medaled in the long jump, 400-meter-dash,
200-meter dash and as a member of the 4×400-relay.

During the regional meet, Wright broke two school records
(long jump, 400 dash) and earned a regional and Frontier League title in the
long jump. She also earned a medal in the long jump at the Kansas Relays
earlier in the season.

In cross country, Wright was a member of the Louisburg team
that finished as a Class 4A regional runner-up and qualified for the state meet
as a team for the first time in school history. In basketball, Wright saw
playing time at the varsity level as a freshman at different points throughout
the season.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

BLUE CAPLINGER – SENIOR – BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WRESTLING

Blue is a 4-sport letter-winner in football, wrestling,
baseball and track and field and competed at the state level in two of the
sports.

In football, Caplinger was an All-Frontier League player on
both sides of the ball as he was named to the first team defense as a defensive
back and second team offense as a multi-purpose player. On defense, Caplinger,
who helped Louisburg to a 10-1 record and a regional championship, had 31
tackles from the safety spot and also had two tackles for a loss, two fumble
recoveries and an interception. Offensively, he had 544 total yards and six touchdowns.

On the wrestling mat, Caplinger was a regional champion at
170 pounds and finished his season with a 33-5 record. The Louisburg senior
fell one match short of state medal with a 2-2 record at the Class 4A state
tournament. He currently holds the school record for most career reversals (72)
and most career escapes (86). Following the season, he was also named to the
KWCA Academic All-State first team.

Caplinger split time between baseball and track and field in
the spring. Although he spent time as a reserve and pinch-runner on the
baseball team, Caplinger found a lot of success on the track.

He qualified for state as a member of two relays. Caplinger was a member of the 4×400 relay team that won the Class 4A state championship in 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Caplinger also helped the 4×100 relay to a fifth place finish and went on to garner two state medals.

Caplinger will join the Benedictine football team this fall.

AUSTIN MOORE – SENIOR – FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WRESTLING

Austin is a 3-sport letter winner in football, wrestling and
track and field and was among the state’s best in two of the sports.

Moore thrived on the football field for the Wildcats as he helped Louisburg to a 10-1 record and a regional championship. Moore was a first team All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball and was the league’s leading vote-getter. He went on to rack up all-state awards as the Louisburg senior earned Class 4A first team all-state honors as a running back from the Topeka Capital-Journal and the Kansas Football Coaches Association. Moore was also named as a Class 4A first team all-state linebacker from the Wichita Eagle.

When the season was all said and done, Moore tallied 1,554
total yards from the running back spot, including 1,428 yards on the ground,
and had 21 touchdowns before he broke his collarbone during the regional
championship game.

With those numbers, he was named the Kansas Small Class
Player of the Year by 810 Varsity and was All-Purpose Player of the Year by
Kpreps.com. Earlier this year, Moore was also named to the Kansas Shrine Bowl
roster.

On the wrestling mat, Moore missed more than half of the
season with his broken collarbone, but came back in a big way. Moore won his
first 14 matches when coming back at 220 pounds, which included a regional
championship. He went on to earn his first state medal as he finished fourth at
the Class 4A state tournament with a 3-2 record. He was also named to the KWCA
Academic All-State first team.

During the spring, he was a member of the Louisburg track and field team and threw the javelin for the Wildcats. He was also on the throwers relay that ranked Top 5 nationally at one point in the season.

Moore will join the Kansas State football team this fall.

KIEFER TUCKER – SENIOR – FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WEIGHTLIFTING

Kiefer is a 2-sport letter winner in football and track and
field and also went to state competition in two activities.

Tucker was a presence on the line of scrimmage for the
Louisburg football team as he was a first team All-Frontier League player on
both sides of the ball and helped the Wildcats to a 10-1 record and a regional
championship.

The Louisburg senior was among on the leaders on the
offensive line as he helped pave the way for more than 3,500 yards of total
offense. On defense, Tucker recorded 55 tackles from the defensive end spot,
including three tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and
a sack. Those numbers helped earn him honorable mention all-state honors and was
also named to the all-state team by the Kansas Football Coaches Association.
The honors kept coming for Tucker as he was recently selected to participate in
the Kansas Shrine Bowl.

During the winter, Tucker was a member of the Louisburg
powerlifting team and certainly made his mark there as well. Tucker won the Class
4A state championship in the 220-pound class and broke a 24-year-old record in
the bench press with a lift of 375 pounds.

In track and field, Tucker qualified for state for the first time in the discus. He finished as a regional runner-up and went on to take ninth at the Class 4A state meet in Wichita, just one spot away from earning a state medal.

Tucker will join the Emporia State football team this fall.

Brayden Gage is ready to take the next step in his football career as he joins the Pittsburg State football team this fall.

The decision wasn’t an easy one
for Brayden Gage, but the one thing the recent Louisburg graduate wanted to do
was to play college football.

The idea of playing football at the next level was a simple one for Gage, but he wanted to make sure he found the right place. As it turned out, Pittsburg State was the best fit for him.

Gage accepted a preferred walk-on spot to play for the Gorillas in the fall and he is looking forward to the opportunity of playing Division II football.

“I am very excited,” Gage said. “The
process was long, and I think I waited too long, but I am glad to finally know
where I am going and what I am doing. I think I went on about six visits and it
was pretty tough. I wasn’t sure on what I wanted to do and I didn’t know where
I wanted to go, but I am glad to have the opportunity at Pitt State.”

Gage received offers from Baker,
William Jewell and Ottawa, but none felt like they were the right fit. Then the
opportunity arose with the Gorillas and he was able to connect with the
coaches, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

“The defensive coordinator is also
the safeties coach at Pitt,” Gage said. “He is the one that has been talking to
me and I really like him. The rest of the coaches are great guys and they have
a lot of experience. I am ready to go down there and get to work.”

Along with a new team comes a new
position. Gage, who played cornerback in high school, will move to the safety
position in college.

Gage was a first team All-Frontier
League wide receiver last season as he led Louisburg with 283 yards through the
air. He also had 258 yards rushing and a total of five touchdowns.

He hopes the speed he displayed on
both sides of the ball last season will translate well at his new safety
position.

“I am excited about the change and
I think it is going to be a good move,” Gage said. “At the Division II level,
the corners are all really tall because they have to match up with the
receivers, so I think I will fit in better at safety.”

His time with the Louisburg
football team was a memorable one as the Wildcats finished this past season
with a 10-1 record and a regional championship, before falling to eventual
state champion Bishop Miege.

However, Gage realizes his
experience with Wildcat football was more than just about wins and losses.

“Louisburg football is amazing,”
he said. “I could talk a lot of about it, but then I would be here all day. It
is a true brotherhood. The friendships you make are going to last forever and I
had a lot of fun these last four years. It is a hard sport, but it is worth it.”

Now, Gage will leave his Wildcat uniform behind and he will solely focus on Pittsburg State. He hopes to use that walk-on spot and turn it into something bigger and he might the get the opportunity to see some former Wildcats on the other side of the field.

“I just want to work hard every single
day and see what happens,” Gage said. “I would love to have a scholarship maybe
my junior or senior year. I am very excited to play against the competition
down there. Kiefer (Tucker) is going to Emporia State, and that is our rival,
so I will be pretty excited to go up against him one day.”