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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOU       28            0               21            0 – 49

WW        0               0               0               6 – 6

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

L: Blaise Vohs 3 run (Blaise Vohs kick)

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

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

L: Mathias Wright 0 run (kick failed)

Third Quarter

L: Guetterman 20 pass from Amren (Vohs kick)

L: Amren 50 run (Vohs kick)

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

Fourth Quarter

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

STATISTICS

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

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

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

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

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week six of the fall sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics

MAX AMREN, JUNIOR, FOOTBALL

The Louisburg football team put together its most complete game of the season last Friday at home against Wichita West and Max Amren was a big part of that. The Wildcat quarterback led the offense with 148 total yards and scored four touchdowns in their 49-6 victory over Wichita West and earned their second win of the season.

Amren threw for three touchdowns, including two to John Guetterman and another to Ayden Spradling, and rushed for another. He also finished with 89 yards on the ground on just four carries. Defensively, Amren was third on the team with seven tackles and also had 1.5 tackles for a loss.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winner:

Week 1: Owen Marsh

Week 2: Caileigh Kilgore

Week 3: Maddox McGhee

Week 4: Blaise Vohs

Week 5: Evan Moreland

Louisburg faced its toughest test of the season Friday on homecoming as the Wildcats squared off with Eudora.

It is the same Cardinal team that had beaten two of the top teams in the Frontier League – Spring Hill and Ottawa – in back-to-back weeks. Despite their best efforts to stay within striking distance, the Wildcats couldn’t hold them off as the Cardinals scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away for a 35-7 victory over Louisburg.

“I felt like we played a more complete game than we have the past few weeks,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “Unfortunately, they are a really good team and they made us pay for our mistakes.”

Eudora jumped out early behind the legs of senior running back Grayson Moody, who found the end zone on a 1-yard plunge in the first quarter and added a 5-yard touchdown run in the second. The Cardinals took a 14–0 lead into halftime, keeping the Wildcats’ offense quiet through two quarters.

Louisburg had a chance to put one in the endzone in the first half as the Wildcats drove it all the way to the 2-yard line, but Eudora intercepted a Wildcat pass in the endzone

Louisburg finally broke through in the third when Blaise Vohs sprinted 17 yards for a touchdown, adding the extra point himself to cut the deficit to 14–7. But Eudora quickly responded with a 4-yard touchdown run from Keelyn Duncan, stretching the lead back to 21–7.

The Cardinals put the game away in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Houstyn Carnagie connected with Preston White on a 35-yard touchdown pass, and Moody capped his big night with a 3-yard scoring run to close out the 35–7 victory.

Vohs led the Wildcats’ offense with 132 rushing yards on 22 carries, while Tate McGreer added 45 yards on four attempts. Quarterback Max Amren completed 5 of 10 passes for 34 yards, finding John Guetterman twice for 19 yards and Ayden Filkins once for 16.

Defensively, Guetterman led the charge with 17 tackles, followed by Bryce Thompson and Will Norton, who each recorded eight stops.

“The defense played pretty well overall,” Harding said. “They started about as good as you could’ve asked by getting a 3 and out on the first drive.”

Despite the loss, the Wildcats showed flashes of resilience, particularly on the ground. Louisburg (1-4) will look to bounce back this Friday as they host Wichita West, which also has a 1-4 record.

“We are looking to continue to improve,” Harding said. “We really felt like we started to figure some things out this past week and so hopefully we can continue to take steps in that direction. We know the season is going quickly so it is important to take advantage of each and every week that we get.” 

EUD    7          7          7          14 — 35

LOU    0          0          7          0 — 7

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

E: Grayson Moody 1 run (kick good)

Second Quarter

E: Moody 5 run (kick good)

Third Quarter

L: Blaise Vohs 17 run (Vohs kick)

E: Keelyn Duncan 4 run (kick good)

Fourth Quarter

E: Preston White 35 pass from Houstyn Carnagie kick good

E: Moody 3 run (kick good)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Blaise Vohs 22-132; Tate McGreer 4-45; Max Amren 7-18; Bryce Thompson 1-4

PASSING – Max Amren 5-10-34

RECEIVING – John Guetterman 2-19; Ayden Filkins 1-16

TACKLES – John Guetterman 17, Bryce Thompson 8, Will Norton 8, Gage Feldkamp 7, Johnny Hendrickson 6, Cole Heinrich 4, Braxton Koechner 4, Mathias Wright 2, Ayden Filkins 2, Jack Flaming 2, Max Amren 1, Colin Schleicher 1, Murphy Adams 1

BONNER SPRINGS – It may have taken a little bit longer than it wanted, but the Louisburg football team snapped its 3-game losing streak to earn its first win of the season.

The Wildcats got a pair of touchdowns from senior Blaise Vohs and the Louisburg defense took care of the rest in a 21-0 shutout on the road at Bonner Springs.

“It feels good for sure,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “We didn’t play very well last week, and so to have a good week of practice and see it rewarded with a win, always feels good.”

Louisburg (1-4) broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter when Blaise Vohs broke free for a 24-yard touchdown run, then added the extra point to put the Wildcats up 7-0. Minutes later, Max Amren connected with Braxton Eastland on a 28-yard touchdown pass right before halftime, with another successful Vohs PAT extending the lead to 14-0.

The Wildcats capped the scoring in the fourth quarter when Vohs found the end zone again, this time from 14 yards out, and added his third extra point of the night.

“We preached this week that we didn’t have to go out and make highlight plays to make things happen,” Harding said. “We all just had to do our jobs better and that leads to big plays, which we did a better job of this week.”

Vohs, who had been out the last two games with an injury, led the offensive charge, rushing for 113 yards and two scores on just eight carries. He also contributed in the passing game with a 17-yard reception and handled kicking duties.

“Blaise certainly gave us a big lift,” Harding said. “He made some big time plays for us from the running back position. He is tough to tackle and has good speed so we are certainly excited to have him back.”

On the defensive side, sophomore linebacker John Guetterman was a presence, racking up a team-high 13 tackles. Will Norton added seven stops, and Cole Heinrich chipped in six, while senior lineman Johnny Hendrickson registered two sacks.

The Wildcats’ defense kept Bonner Springs off the scoreboard for all four quarters, marking their first shutout of the season.

“Overall, I thought we saw a lot of improvement,” Harding said. “Defensively we were able to pitch a shutout, which is always tough to do.  I thought we played well on special teams. Offensively we had too many turnovers, but saw a lot of improvement on that side as well.”

Louisburg will try and make it two straight wins this Friday as the Wildcats host Eudora for their homecoming contest. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU                0          14        0          7 – 21

BON               0          0          0          0 – 0

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

L: Blaise Vohs 24 run (Vohs kick)

L: Braxton Eastland 28 pass from Max Amren (Vohs kick)

Fourth Quarter

L: Vohs 14 run (Vohs kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Blaise Vohs 8-113; Cole Heinrich 6-46; Tate McGreer 9-33; Max Amren 5-23; Mathias Wright 3-10; Bryce Thompson 1-4

PASSING – Max Amren 7-10-88

RECEIVING – Braxton Eastland 1-28; John Guetterman 2-19; Blaise Vohs 1-17; Gavin Manson 2-10; Ayden Filkins 1-7; Tate McGreer 1-6

TACKLES – John Guetterman 13, Will Norton 7, Cole Heinrich 6, Johnny Hendrickson 5, Devin Goerman 5, Bryce Thompson 4, Braxton Koechner 3, Martin Soto 1, Ayden Filkins 1, Gage Feldkamp 1, Riley Barker 1, Colin Schleicher 1

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week four of the fall sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

BLAISE VOHS, SENIOR, FOOTBALL

After missing the last two games due to injury, Louisburg senior Blaise Vohs made an immediate impact in his return for the Wildcat football team. Vohs scored a pair of touchdowns as he helped the Wildcats to a 21-0 victory over Bonner Springs last Friday, which was their first win of the season.

Vohs had a big night on the ground as he carried the ball just eight times, but racked up 113 yards rushing to go along with his two scores. He also handed the kicking duties as he was 3-for-3 on extra point tries.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winner:

Week 1: Owen Marsh

Week 2: Caileigh Kilgore

Week 3: Maddox McGhee

CLAY CENTER – A promising start quickly unraveled for the Louisburg Wildcats last Friday, as costly penalties and turnovers doomed their chances in a 34-7 road loss to Clay Center.

Louisburg had two touchdowns called back due to penalties in the first half and committed four turnovers in the game — mistakes that proved too much to overcome against a physical Clay Center squad.

The Tigers struck early with a 2-yard touchdown run from Eisaac Girton in the first quarter. Girton added another score in the second, this time a 38-yard dash to give Clay Center a 13-0 lead heading into halftime.

Despite the early setbacks, Louisburg responded in the third quarter with their lone touchdown of the night. Quarterback Max Amren connected with Martin Soto for a 20-yard score, and Maddox Day added the extra point to cut the deficit to 13-7.

But any momentum Louisburg had was quickly erased in the fourth quarter. Clay Center rattled off 21 unanswered points — including a 2-yard touchdown by Drew Hoffman, another Girton scoring run from 11 yards out, and a 41-yard interception return by Cayden Schwab.

Offensively, the Wildcats showed flashes of potential. Tate McGreer led the ground game with 48 yards on seven carries, while Bryce Thompson added 34 yards on 12 attempts. Amren finished 10-of-22 passing for 83 yards, with Soto, Ayden Filkins, and John Guetterman among the key targets.

On defense, Thompson anchored the Wildcats with a game-high 14 tackles. Johnny Hendrickson and Guetterman added 12 and 11 tackles, respectively.

Still, the Wildcats were left frustrated by missed opportunities and self-inflicted wounds.

“This game could be a positive if we can learn from it,” Louisburg head coach Drew Harding said. “I think this game really showed if you have a bad week of preparation you are probably not going to play well on a Friday night.  Unfortunately for us, we didn’t prepare very well and so the result wasn’t where we want to be.”

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

CC      7          6          0          21 – 34

LOU    0          0          7          0 – 7

Scoring Summary

First quarter

CC: Eisaac Girton 2 run (kick good)

Second quarter

CC: Girton 38 run (kick failed)

Third Quarter

L: Martin Soto 20 pass from Max Amren (Maddox Day kick)

Fourth Quarter

CC: Drew Hoffman 2 run (Hoffman run)

CC: Girton 11 run (kick good)

CC: Cayden Schwab 41 interception return (kick failed)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Tate McGreer 7-48; Bryce Thompson 12-34; Cole Heinrich 2-28; Max Amren 5-11

PASSING – Max Amren 10-22-83

RECEIVING – Ayden Filkins 1-29; Martin Soto 1-20; John Guetterman 5-18; Bryce Thompson 2-9; Lincoln Nielsen 1-7

TACKLES – Bryce Thompson 14, Johnny Hendrickson 12, John Guetterman 11, Cole Heinrich 7, Michael Foote 6, Mathias Wright 5, Cole Poindexter 3, Hunter Brotherton 3, Martin Soto 1, Gage Feldkamp 1, Will Norton 1, Freddy Moreau 1, Braxton Koechner 1, Colin Schleicher 1

Louisburg has found itself in a pair of close games to start the 2025 season, but unfortunately, the Wildcats couldn’t get the big play they were looking for in either one – which included Friday’s home opener against Paola.

The Rivalry on 68 wasn’t kind to the Wildcats as the Panthers pulled away in the second half and handed Louisburg a 28-21 loss. In a contest filled with game-changing plays, the Panthers made just a couple more.

The biggest swing came late in the third quarter. Down 21-14, the Wildcats drove all the way down to the 1-yard line. After a couple Paola stops backed it up to the 4, Louisburg starting quarterback Max Amren had to leave the game with cramps on third down. 

Louisburg decided to go for it on fourth down at the 5 and the Panther defense held the Wildcats short. The Panthers swung the momentum with a fourth down conversion of their own.  

On fourth and 2 near midfield, Paola running back Bodhi Shay broke free around the left side and scored on a 46-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter in what was a 14-point swing for the Panthers. 

“There were probably several turning points in this one,” Harding said. “We had a really good drive going and weren’t able to finish it off and then they got a big fourth down where they were able to turn it into a touchdown. That was a big one, and then at the end of the first half we weren’t able to keep them out of the endzone and gave up a score. We aren’t playing our best situational football just yet, but we will keep working on it. 

“That is your rival, so you want to beat your rival, so these types of losses sting a little extra. They are a good football team and they can do a lot of good things.” 

Louisburg (0-2) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard to begin the game as sophomore Mathias Wright broke free for a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put the Wildcats up early. 

Paola answered on its first possession, and it ended on a 2-yard touchdown run by Shay to tie the game. The Wildcats took the lead back again late in the first quarter as Amren found the endzone on a 5-yard touchdown run.  

In the second quarter, the Panthers answered as quarterback Mason Stein hit Trace Metcalf in the back of the endzone for a 10-yard pass. Then with seconds left in the first half, Stein found Sasha Pichnenko for a leaping 12-yard grab in the corner of the endzone and the Panthers took a 21-14 halftime lead. 

After Shay’s big run in the fourth quarter made it a two-score game, the Wildcats kept fighting as Amren hit Martin Soto for a 32-yard pass on a third and 23. It eventually ended on an 8-yard touchdown run by Amren. 

The Wildcats got the ball back with under two minutes remaining, but time ran out on their possible game-tying drive.  

“I was obviously proud of the way our guys battled,” Harding said. “It was a pretty similar situation to our first game where we were down two scores in the second half and were able to get back in it. There wasn’t a lot of flow to the game. Both sides were cramping and it really slowed the game down. At the same time, we have to play more complete football to put us in better situations.” 

Amren was big on offense for the Wildcats. The junior quarterback led the team with 242 total yards of offense, including a pair of touchdowns, and 125 yards rushing.

Soto was Amren’s favorite target on the night as he had five catches for 94 yards. Sophomore John Guetterman led the Wildcats on defense with a team-high 12 tackles and fellow linebacker Bryce Thompson added eight.

Louisburg will look for that first win this Friday as the Wildcats travel to Clay Center for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

“We have to play more complete football,” Harding said “We have been making a lot of mistakes that hurt ourselves. We have these lapses where we don’t execute, but we have to continue to play a complete football game and be better in situations. We will battle a tough Clay Center team with a long road trip. We know it won’t be easy, but we will get back to work to continue to get better.”

PAO 7 14 0 7 — 28 

LOU 14 0 0 7 — 21 

SCORING SUMMARY 

First Quarter 

L: Mathias Wright 90 kickoff return (Owen Jewett kick) 

P: Bodhi Shay 2 run (Tate Trachsel kick) 

L: Max Amren 5 run (Jewett kick) 

Second Quarter 

P: Trace Metcalf 10 pass from Mason Stein (Trachsel kick ) 

P: Sasha Pichnenko 12 pass from Stein (Trachsel kick) 

Fourth Quarter 

L: Shay 46 run (Trachsel kick) 

P: Amren 8 run (Jewett kick) 

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Max Amren 21-125, Bryce Thompson 9-29, Tate McGreer 4-24

PASSING – Max Amren 12-17-117

RECEIVING – Martin Soto 5-94; Maddox Day 1-14; Rickey Giles 3-10, Ayden Spradling 1-3

TACKLES – John Guetterman 12, Bryce Thompson 8, Cole Heinrich 6, Rickey Giles 5, Ayden Spradling 5, Murphy Adams 5, Mathias Wright 4, Michael Foote 4, Johnny Hendrickson 4, Max Amren 3, Tate McGreer 3, Martin Soto 3, Gage Feldkamp 3, Will Norton 2, Cole Lanz 1, Freddy Moreau 2, Braxton Koechner 1, Colin Schleicher 1, Devin Goerman 1

TONGANOXIE – In a back-and-forth contest filled with momentum shifts, Louisburg needed one more positive thing to go its way.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it never came.

It was the first varsity game for several Louisburg players Friday in Tonganoxie. On a team that returned just four starters from a season ago, the Wildcats came up just short in a 20-14 loss to Tonganoxie.

“I felt like we competed well,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “There were a couple of times in the game where there was a big momentum swing in their favor and we continued to battle and give ourselves a chance at the end. We didn’t execute very well in key moments and so that is something we will need to clean up as the season progresses.”

After a scoreless first quarter, it was Tonganoxie that struck first as it drove down the field on scored on a 2-yard touchdown by quarterback Bodee Maslak. The Wildcats, however, answered right back.

Louisburg quarterback Max Amren reeled off several big runs during a 7-minute drive for the Wildcats and eventually scored on a 15-yard run to tie the game after a Blaise Vohs extra point.

However, with under two minutes left in the first half, the Chieftains put together a couple big plays and drove down the field to score another touchdown right before halftime and took a 14-7 lead.

Tonganoxie made it a two score game with a touchdown on its first drive of the second half, but the Wildcats answered again – this time through the air. Amren connected with John Guetterman for a long pass play, which set up another pass from Amren to Martin Soto in the endzone, which was eventually called for pass interference.

That set up a 12-yard touchdown run from Bryce Thompson that cut the Tonganoxie lead to just six.

The Wildcat special teams and defense then stepped up to stop a pair of Tonganoxie drives. Senior Rickey Giles blocked a field goal and was picked up by Mathias Wright.

After a Louisburg turnover that stopped the ensuing drive, the Wildcat defense struck again, this time Thompson forced a fumble as the Tonganoxie runner was inching toward the endzone and Guetterman recovered it.

Thompson was all over the place defensively for the Wildcats as he registered a team-high 12 tackles, while Guetterman had nine and Giles had eight.

“Defensively I thought we played pretty well except for two drives,” Harding said. “The drive at the end of the first half and the drive coming out of halftime we didn’t play with the kind of effort we need to play with. We will need to continue to work on the fundamentals of tackling and getting off blocks.”

The Wildcats had one more opportunity with under two minutes left in the contest. Amren connected with Soto for a 47-yard gain to the Tonganoxie 25. However, from there, the Wildcats would turn the ball over on downs.

Amren led the Wildcat offense with 161 yards total offense, including 110 yards through the air. Soto and Guetterman finished with 60 and 52 yards receiving, respectively.

“I felt offensively we were kind of up and down throughout the night,” Harding said. “We would have flashes of quality football and then have moments were we didn’t excute well. I think consistency will be a big point of emphasis for us moving forward offensively.”

The Wildcats will try and get that first win of the season this Friday as the Wildcats host Paola at Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU       0               7               7               0 — 14

TON    0          14        7          0 — 20

Second Quarter

T: Bodee Maslak 2 run (kick good)

L: Max Amren 15run (Blaise Vohs kick)

T: Maslak 1 run (kick good)

Third Quarter

T: Blake Riedel 1 run (kick failed)

L: Bryce Thompson 12 run (Vohs kick)

STATISTICS

RUSHING – Max Amren 12-51; Blaise Vohs 8-33; Bryce Thompson 2-15; John Guetterman 3-6.

PASSING – Max Amren 13-22-110

RECEIVING – Martin Soto 2-60; John Guetterman 5-52; Blaise Vohs 5-32; Rickey Giles 1-10

TACKLES – Bryce Thompson 12, John Guetterman 9, Rickey Giles 8, Murphy Adams 4, Max Amren 3, Gage Feldkamp 3, Michael Foote 3, Cole Heinrich 2, Martin Soto 2, Johnny Hendrickson 2, Colin Schleicher 2, Mathias Wright 1, Ayden Spradling 1, Will Norton 1

For the last three seasons, the Louisburg football team has had a steady stream of experience run through the program that culminated with a 24-member senior class a year ago.

With so much departure from last season, the Wildcats knew they would see many new faces on the varsity roster in 2025. Louisburg has just seven seniors on the roster and several players will be making their varsity debut on Sept. 5 when the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie for their opener.

Not the ideal setup for any program, but head coach Drew Harding has liked what he has seen from his players when they started work over the summer to now.

“We definitely needed a good summer,” Harding said. “We had lots of opportunities for kids to compete and improve individually as well as a team. I think the kids took advantage of that and now we are in a better position. 

“It has been going well so far. This is a young group overall, but they are taking coaching and we are seeing improvement throughout the roster.”

Louisburg returns four starters from its 7-2 season a year ago that saw the Wildcats lose a close game to Bishop Miege in the first round of the playoffs. One of those starters is senior lineman Johnny Hendrickson.

Hendrickson is a 3-year starter on the Wildcat offensive line and will look to lead a young group up front on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Hendrickson will be joined by senior Michael Foote, while several others are competing for spots. Colin Schleicher, Braxton Koechner, Owen Ebenstein, Murphy Adams, Gaston Schleicher and Hunter Brotherton could all see time this season.

“Johnny will be huge for us on both sides of the lines,” Harding said. “He is a really hard worker and kids look up to him with how he approaches things, not only on the field, but in the weight room as well. He will be the guy that really makes us go this year.”

Along with a new offensive line, comes a new quarterback. Junior Max Amren is the new signal caller for the Wildcats, and according to Harding, he can do a little bit of everything for the offense.

“Max is doing a good job,” Harding said. “He has the ability to throw it as well as run it.  He is a smart kid, which is a good thing as we put a lot on our quarterback’s plate. We are looking forward to getting him out there on Friday nights and seeing what he can do.”

Senior Rickey Giles is the team’s other returning starter on offense as he looks to lead a Wildcat receiving core with some new faces as well. Along with Giles, seniors Ayden Spradling, Martin Soto, sophomore John Guetterman and junior Ayden Filkins will all be targets for Amren, along with tight ends Eli Roth and Gavin Manson.

The Wildcats will use a running back by committed approach, at least to start the season as senior Blaise Vohs and juniors Bryce Thompson and Tate McGreer will all get touches in the backfield.

Vohs will also be a weapon in the kicking game as the Wildcat senior returns after earning first team All-Frontier League honors a season ago.

Defensively, several players are competing for spots on the line with Hendrickson that include Foote, Koechner, Roth, Devin Goeman, Gaston and Colin Schleicher and Adams. Thompson, Guetterman and Will Norton will serve as the team’s starting linebackers.

Another returning starter, senior Gage Feldkamp, will lead the Louisburg secondary. Soto, Cole Heinrich, Cole Lanz, Amren, McGreer, Giles, Spradling and Vohs could all see time at corner or safety.

Even with all the new faces, the Wildcats coaches haven’t treated this season differently. They are looking forward to seeing what their players can do under the lights.

“I honestly don’t think the preparation for the season has been that much different,” Harding said. “We have been moving a little slower through some installs, but I think kids have been picking up things well. They have stepped up and realized this is a great opportunity for them to get on the field and show what they can do.”

The Wildcats begin their season on the road at Tonganoxie as they begin a tough grind through the Frontier League.

“The Frontier League is tough and I think it will be especially deep this season,” Harding said. “I hope that we continue to improve each and every week so we can be playing our best football come playoff time. I think this is a group that will go out and compete and we are looking forward to getting started.”

Lucas Swartz did a little bit of everything for the Louisburg football team.

Not only was he one of the top players on a Wildcat defense that finished with a 7-2 record, but he also made several big plays on special teams throughout the season. Swartz showed he was willing to help the team wherever he was needed.

He hopes to bring that same type of attitude and outlook to his next stop – Morningside College. Earlier this year, Swartz signed his letter of intent to secure his dream of playing college football.

“I have dreamed of playing college football since I was 3 years old,” Swartz said. “That is when I remember touching a football for the first time and played with people older than me. This journey has been so awesome, and I have had the best years playing football and it is great to see this become a reality.”

Swartz joins a Mustang program, based in Sioux City, Iowa, that is one of the top teams in the NAIA and recently won a national championship in 2019. In 2024, Mustangs advanced to the national semifinals, before falling to the eventual champion, Grand View.

However, it wasn’t just the on the field success that attracted Swartz to Morningside, but those associated with the program, as well.

“What stuck out to me about Morningside was the atmosphere around the family and it’s just overall really nice here,” Swartz said. “The decision wasn’t really that hard because they’re a really good football team and have been for years. I’m very excited I’ve got this opportunity to be playing for the Mustangs.”

This past season, the Louisburg graduate made a big impact on the Wildcats. He was a first-team All-Frontier League selection as a multipurpose player.

Swartz finished the year with 42 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Swartz also recorded a blocked field goal on special teams and recorded a big stop on a 2-point conversion to secure a win for the Wildcats.

“Football has been such a crucial part of my life,” Swartz said. “The Louisburg football program has shaped me into a great player and the coaches are the best. They push you every day, not just on the field, but in the classroom.”

The Mustangs see Swartz as a player on both the defensive side of the ball, and on special teams. The coaches see him at defensive back/linebacker, and he will also see a lot of time on special teams.

“My expectations are to be playing my first year at long snapper,” Swartz said. “I show up every day putting in work to prove to the coaches on why they recruited me to be here. Also, I hope to win a championship while I am here at Morningside. I am so excited for what’s in store for me these next couple years. I will push myself to be the best I can be on and off the field. I will be a leader and never give up.”