It may have been wet, muddy and just miserable weather for a day in late May, but for the Louisburg girls soccer team, all that didn’t matter.

For the Wildcats, it was a beautiful day. Nothing was going to dampen their spirits. 

Louisburg faced off against Eudora in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinal game on May 25 as it played for a spot in the state final four. 

For the first time since 2021, the Wildcats got it. Louisburg shutout Eudora, 2-0, to earn its first state quarterfinal win in four years.

“It is an amazing achievement to make it to the state final four and I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” senior captain Jaden Bentz said. “This really shows the amount of hard work we’ve all put in throughout the season and it’s nice knowing it has paid off. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to play with. When the final whistle blew we all were filled with excitement and ran to each other, and that shows the tight sisterly bond our team has.”

Louisburg head coach Jordan Roquemore was an assistant the last time the Wildcats were in the state semifinals and he could tell his team wanted this one more than any game this season.

“I have never seen the team so jazzed about anything all season as when the game was over,” Roquemore said. “We are all really excited for the opportunity to compete in the Final Four this year.”

The wet weather provided less-than-ideal playing conditions and it caused problems for both teams. Louisburg, however, struck first with a goal right before halftime.

Senior Rowan Yows sent a cross into the box, which found the foot of sophomore Merritt McIntire, and McIntire scored her second playoff goal in the game’s 38th minute.

“I was incredibly excited for her as it’s a big deal to score in a state quarterfinal,” Yows said. “Those crosses had been open all game and I think she knew that and knew what I was gonna do. Our underclassmen are really skilled and it shows.”

That goal gave the Wildcats the momentum going into halftime and put the pressure on the Cardinals. With the rain coming down harder, the Wildcats made it more difficult early in the second half. 

Yows dribbled down the right side, past the defense, and found the corner of the net to put Louisburg up 2-0 just three minutes into the second half. 

From there, the Louisburg defense took care of the rest. 

The back line of Bentz, Lila Edwards, Caroline Apple, Faith Sewell, Rylee Moore and Sydney York limited Eudora’s shots on goal.

Whatever got past them, senior goalie Ally Brown took care of the rest as she recorded her 12th shutout of the season. 

“We knew that Eudora was not going to be an easy game,” Roquemore said. “They work hard and play very physical. We discussed team defense and I was pleased overall with how we limited their chances. We still allowed a few opportunities to them, but Ally was there when we needed with a couple of key saves.”

It is a defense that has been a strength for the Wildcats all season and has kept them in many of their games. 

“Our defense is solid this year,” Bentz said. “A lot of different players have really stepped up and contributed to the back line. The defense was really strong against a tough Eudora team. It was a very physical and fast game, but the defense reads each other very well and we have great trust in each other allowing us to recover really fast and to not panic.”

The challenges will only get tougher from here on out. Louisburg (16-3) will host Topeka-Hayden (12-7) in the Class 4-1A state semifinals at 6 p.m. on May 28. Win or lose, the Wildcats will travel to Wichita on May 31 for either the state championship or third-place game.

Hayden knocked off the No. 1 seed in the West, Wichita-Trinity, in a 2-0 contest in its state quarterfinal game. It will be one of the tougher opponents the Wildcats have seen this season.

“t’s a great opportunity to get to host the semifinal game this year,” Roquemore said. “Our work during the season afforded us this position and we aim to take advantage of having home field for the game. Topeka Hayden is a really good team and it is going to be a tough matchup. We’re looking forward to the competition.”

For seniors Yows, Bentz, Brown, Baileigh Johnson and Riley May, it will be their final contest on their home field and they hope they can end it on a good note.

“Going to a semifinal any year is exciting, but being a 1 seed and hosting makes it 10-times better,” Yows said. “Having our community support us really puts the pressure on the other team and gives us a leg up. Being promised two more games is also a great feeling, especially at the end of my high school career. I want to play as many games as possible with this team.”

For the second time in as many years, the Louisburg girls soccer team has found its way to the state tournament.

The No. 1 seed Wildcats hosted No. 9 Baldwin on May 21 in the Class 4-1A regional championship, and from the opening whistle, Louisburg dominated play. 

Louisburg scored three goals in each half and earned a 6-0 result over the Bulldogs, and captured its second straight regional title. 

“Winning regionals was an exciting moment and a great accomplishment for the team,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “We put ourselves in a good position from our play this season and winning this title was a testament to a lot of hard work that this group has put in. However, there is not a single one of us on this team that is ready to stop here. We are looking ahead to state.”

The Wildcats advanced to the state quarterfinals with the victory and will host another Frontier League team in Eudora at 5:30 p.m. on May 26. 

Louisburg was the considerable favorite going into the regional championship, especially after defeating Baldwin by the same 6-0 score last month.

However, the Wildcat players didn’t want to take anything for granted and made sure they got out to a good start.

“We talked before the game about being ‘hope-crushers’ this game,” Roquemore said. “In one way, we played the villain because we did not want to give Baldwin any room for hope in this game. We came out fast and aggressive and scored quickly. No one on our team was underestimating Baldwin, but we also realized that we needed to come out strong and take the game away.”

The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board as they struck first in the match’s opening minute.

Freshman Cora Roche put the Wildcats up 1-0 in the first 15 seconds of the match. Another freshman, Kahlan Harris, scored seven minutes later on an assist from senior Baileigh Johnson. 

A few minutes later, Harris struck again as she scored off a rebound on a shot from freshman Briella Diehl and the Wildcats took that 3-0 lead into halftime.

Senior Rowan Yows put Louisburg up four early in the second with her first goal. Sophomore Merritt McIntire got in on the scoring with a goal thanks to an assists from Johnson. 

Seconds later, Johnson scored to seal the win thanks to an assist from Yows. 

“All due respect to Baldwin who worked hard and played with a lot of grit, but we did not play our best game,” Roquemore said. “We executed really well on finishing shots and crashing the box, but we did not possess to our potential this game. Our passing and connections were very messy at times and overly-offensive. It paid off in goals, but there were many times it did not look great. Moving forward, I want to get back to some of our best passing and team play.”

Defensively, the Wildcats limited Baldwin to just two shots on target and Louisburg goalie Ally Brown earned the clean sheet, which was her 11th of the season. 

“We were very aggressive on offense this game and opened up a lot of opportunities in front of the goal,” Roquemore said. “Hat’s off to Baldwin’s goalkeeper with 20 saves and a few really excellent moments. Our defense did a solid job tonight turning away opportunities in our defensive third.”

Now, the Wildcats will try and earn a spot in the state final four on May 26 when they host Eudora in the first round of the state tournament. 

Louisburg edged Eudora for a 2-1 victory back in April and the Wildcats know it will be a challenge to knock the Cardinals off again.

“We are ready for Eudora and we are looking forward to a great game,” Roquemore said. “We both have all our players healthy and I anticipate a tough game. Eudora is always competitive and we have had years of close, hard-fought games over my five seasons.”

Coming off a hard-fought loss to De Soto earlier in the week, the Louisburg girls soccer team had a chance to put that behind them and do a little celebrating.

The Wildcats hosted Paola on May 15, and it was also Senior Night as they honored their five seniors and their families. As it turned out, it was the perfect ending to the regular season.

Louisburg put together a dominant performance as it blanked Paola, 8-0, and ended its regular season with a 13-3 record. The victory also secured the No. 1 seed in the Class 4-1A playoffs.

Seniors Jaden Bentz, Ally Brown, Baileigh Johnson, Riley May and Rowan Yows were all recognized with their parents prior to the contest.

“Senior night was a fun, emotional night for the team,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “We have a wonderful group of seniors who have been exceptional leaders, players and friends this season. Getting a shutout with an 8-0 victory was just icing on the cake and a great way to celebrate that group.”

The Wildcats scored three first half goals to take the lead at halftime and scored five more times in the second half. Louisburg had seven different goal-scorers on the night, including a pair from Yows.

Layla Sewell, Johnson, Lila Edwards, Kahlan Harris, May and Briella Diehl each found the back of the net and got in the scoring column. Brown and Ellia Gibbons combined on the clean sheet.

“We passed and possessed really well this game,” Roquemore said. “We also adapted to Rowan being man-marked and found alternatives to using a clogged middle in our attacking third. We also set a season shooting record this game with 26 shots on goal and 49 shots overall, with the majority coming in the second half. Although I don’t love our accuracy in those numbers, I do appreciate our relentless attack.”

Louisburg will look to continue those offensive numbers in the postseason as the Wildcats host No. 9 seed Baldwin on May 21 for the regional championship. Roquemore and the Wildcats are hoping to make it a memorable run in the postseason.

“Getting the number one spot was exactly what we wanted,” Roquemore said. “It gives us a great path forward in the postseason and I am really proud of our team for earning that position this year. We have some tough tests ahead of us, but I am really excited to see what we can do. We are all in.”

Wildcats battle De Soto in road loss

With the No. 1 seed in the regional playoffs on the line, Louisburg had one task during its road game at De Soto — allow as few goals as possible.

Normally, that is the main objective for every team that takes the pitch, but the Wildcats needed to keep De Soto — one of the better teams in Class 5A — to under four goals to stay in contention for the top spot. 

The Wildcats did just that as they held De Soto scoreless in the first half and allowed just two second half goals in the 2-0 loss. However, they were anything but dejected afterward. 

“From the outside, it looks like a simple loss to De Soto,” Roquemore said. “However, this was a big victory for us. We executed our plan, adapting our play and being highly physical and aggressive on defense. Every other 4A team to play De Soto has been mercy-ruled with 8-0 or higher losses. 

“The first half of this game showed everyone that we are capable of hanging with some of the best teams out there. We kept the goals scored against us low, which is now benefiting us as the top seed in the East. Our record is tied with Kansas City Christian and Atchison, but our goals against record is better, which allowed us to get the top spot for the playoffs.”

Louisburg had a strong game from its back line of Jaden Bentz, Lila Edwards, Caroline Apple and Faith Sewell. Bentz, along with Cora Roche and Baileigh Johnson, were marked on De Soto’s top players most of the night.

Senior goalie Ally Brown also did her best to limit the damage as she had 17 saves. De Soto scored early in the second half on a penalty kick and then answered with another goal late in the second half. 

“De Soto was the hardest game we played all year,” Roquemore said. “De Soto has three of the best players we’ve seen all year and some extremely good shooters. We had a clear game plan that was defensive with opportunities to counter-attack. For the first half, we executed really well on defense, holding De Soto to 0 goals and only 9 shots on goal. We had some mild success in countering, but not enough to get a good shot off.”

OTTAWA — Louisburg squared off with Ottawa for the second time in a week, and although both matches ended up in Wildcat victories, the matches were drastically different.

After a slow start in its previous game with the Cyclones, Louisburg wasted no time getting going as the Wildcats scored six first half goals and cruised to an 8-0 victory at home on May 8. It was also the Wildcats’ eighth consecutive victory. 

Louisburg scored just once in the opening half of the first matchup before pulling away with a 4-goal win.

“We played an absurdly better game against Ottawa the second time around,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised how much more effective we were against them on Thursday at home. 

“When we first played Ottawa, we got bogged down by their defense in our attacking third. Our possession was not bad and we controlled much of the game, but our offensive combinations and finishing was really rough and not team-centric. We talked about some tactical adjustments we wanted to make and the girls not only applied them, they executed them at a very high level.”

Rowan Yows got the scoring started for the Wildcats (12-2) as she chipped a shot over the keeper’s head early in the first half thanks to an assist from Lila Edwards.

Edwards, a defender, put the Wildcats up 2-0 on a shot from about 20 yards out for her second goal of the year. About three minutes later, Yows struck again as she dribbled through the Cyclone defense to make it a 3-goal lead.

Senior Jaden Bentz, another defender, scored her first goal of the season as she had an high-arching shot that was out of reach of the keeper to make it 4-0. 

Just moments later, senior Baileigh Johnson found the back of the net on a cross from Yows. At the end of the first half, freshman Kahlan Harris struck for a goal to give the Wildcats a 6-0 halftime advantage.

Harris scored her second goal of the game about 30 seconds into the second half on an assist from freshman Cora Roche. Then three minutes later, junior Mena Fercho ended the match with a goal in the mercy-rule victory.

In all, the Wildcats had 23 shots, including 16 on target in just 43 minutes of action. 

“Although I am always happy to see Rowan scoring goals, it was also nice to see others getting on the board on Thursday,” Roquemore said. “It says more about our team playing at its full potential. We play at our best when the entire team is playing both offense and defense. Everyone contributes to creating opportunities and stopping threats. If we rely completely on individual players to carry the load, we become easier to anticipate and much less potent in our play.”

Defensively, the Wildcats recorded their ninth shutout on the season as Ally Brown and Ellia Gibbons combined for the clean sheet.

Louisburg will try and continue its winning streak on May 12 as the Wildcats travel to De Soto.

Louisburg shuts out Basehor-Linwood 

Louisburg went on the road to face off with Basehor-Linwood on May 6 and put together another strong showing.

The Wildcats scored four first half goals and that was all they needed in a 4-0 victory over the Bobcats.

“We had an excellent first half against Basehor,” Roquemore said. “I felt that we were playing some of our best soccer with our dynamic possession and opportunities created. We took over and we didn’t give them any chances. 

“During the second half, we experimented with some formation changes that we expect to implement in future games. It was good for learning and getting comfortable with something different and more defensive. However, it also limited our offensive firepower. I’m glad we got the opportunity to try it and I’m hopeful it pays off if we have to use it later in the season.”

Senior Rowan Yows recorded her third straight hat trick to lead the Wildcats, while freshman Cora Roche scored later in the first half.

“I feel like a broken record with Rowan, but she is on fire and is a force to be reckoned with while going to goal,” Roquemore said. “This was her third hat trick in a row which is rare to say the least. I also thought Cora’s goal was excellent. She has been quietly having an excellent season and I want to find ways to incorporate her more into our offensive front.”

Defensively, the Wildcats limited the Bobcats to just one shot on goal and senior goalie Ally Brown recorded the clean sheet.

OTTAWA — For most of the first half, the Louisburg girls soccer team dominated possession and put together several shots on goal during its May 1 game at Ottawa. 

The only problem was many of those shots didn’t want to go in. That all changed in the second half.

Louisburg, which had a one-goal lead at halftime, scored three more times in the second half as the Wildcats cruised to a 4-0 victory over the Cyclones.

It was the sixth straight victory for the Wildcats (10-2) and their second straight shutout.

“Ottawa was a good game for us to grow from,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “Ottawa was firmly planted in defense and bogged us down in the middle throughout the whole game. We found out that playing our normal possession game through the middle was not working as well. We would move the ball into the attacking third and then get clogged by their layered defense. Overall, it was not our best game, but still a win and one that offers some valuable lessons.”

Wildcat senior Rowan Yows continued her goal-scoring tear as she recorded her third hat trick in the last four matches. She scored the team’s lone goal in the first half to give the Wildcats the early lead.

Louisburg freshman Kahlan Harris made it a 2-0 advantage midway through the second half. Yows tacked on two more goals, including one on an assist from Harris, to seal the road victory. 

Defensively, the Wildcats didn’t allow a shot the entire match as the midfield and back line didn’t allow many runs down field.

“Rowan still had a great game creating and finishing opportunities near the goal,” Roquemore said. “I was also really pleased with Lila Edwards’ play this game both in the back and midfield. Cora Roche also had a great game. There was a lot of individual effort from our side across the field. We just lacked some of our usual team chemistry working together as a cohesive whole.

“Although we really didn’t give up any significant opportunities to Ottawa during the game, they did attempt to counter-attack quickly when we found ourselves over-extended. Our defense did a great job recovering, but we want to avoid those moments in the future.”

Louisburg will try for win No. 7 in a row on May 6 as the Widcats travel to Basehor-Linwood. Varsity is set to begin at 6 p.m.

The Louisburg girls soccer team has racked up its fair share of wins the last couple of weeks, and the Wildcats don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. 

Louisburg earned its fifth consecutive win on April 29 as the Wildcats shutout Baldwin at home, 6-0. They scored three goals in each half in the dominant effort.

The Wildcats are now 9-2 on the season and currently have the best record in the Class 4A east standings.

“The last few years, facing Baldwin has always been a close game,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “We’ve come away with close wins and also losses. On Tuesday, we put on a very dominant performance against a big Frontier League foe.

“When both our defense and offense click together in a seamless way, we become a very dangerous team to play. It was good to see some of our work we’ve been putting in come to fruition in this game.”

Louisburg controlled the match from start to finish as the Wildcats put 18 shots on target. Defensively, the Wildcats didn’t allow a single shot on goal. 

Senior Rowan Yows led the Wildcats with her second hat trick of the season as they had four different goal-scorers on the night.

Senior Baileigh Johnson scored in the game’s opening minutes as she found the back of the net on a shot from 25 yards away thanks to an assist from senior teammate Riley May. Johnson also finished with two assists.

Sophomore Ellia Gibbons scored her first varsity goal of the season midway through the first half. Junior Faith Sewell got the assist as she crossed it into the box right in front of Gibbons, who hit it off her chest and in the back of the net.

Yows scored her first goal late in the first half as she dribbled into the box through the Bulldog defense, and her shot curved into the corner of the net to put the Wildcats up 3-0 at halftime.

The Louisburg senior opened the second half with two more goals to put the Wildcats up 5-0, before junior Lila Edwards got into the action. Edwards, normally a defender, scored her first varsity goal of the year to seal the win for the Wildcats.

“We still had some messy moments and learning opportunities, but our control of the game was outstanding,” Roquemore said. “Rowan has really found her rhythm both individually and in the team system. Baileigh also had some great moments with a killer shot for our first goal of the game and two assists by the end.

“Faith Sewell has continued to keep us dangerous on free kicks. Mena Fercho, Riley May, and Lila Edwards have all been a big part of our success in team possession in the midfield. It was also nice to see Lila get her first goal as well.”

Louisburg will look to continue its winning streak as the Wildcats travel to Ottawa on May 1 for a Frontier League match. Varsity is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week five of the spring sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.

ROWAN YOWS, SENIOR, GIRLS SOCCER

Louisburg senior Rowan Yows has played key role in the success of the Wildcat girls soccer team and that continued this past week. Yows earned a hat trick over Chanute, and added another goal in a win against Eudora, as she tallied four goals in the two victories to go along with three assists.

Yows has helped the Wildcats to a 9-2 record on the season and currently leads the team with 15 goals scored and also has four assists on the year. She added another hat trick to her resume in a 6-0 win over Baldwin on April 29.

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

Previous winners

Week 1: Luke Schultz

Week 2: Faith Sewell

Week 3: Meade Rutherford

Week 4: Brynley Bauer

EUDORA — Louisburg had revenge on its mind when it traveled to Eudora on April 24 as the Wildcats had hopes of avenging a loss from a year ago.

Although the Wildcats didn’t get off to the best start, they scored a pair of second half goals and got the revenge they were looking for in a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals.

Not only that, but it was also the fourth consecutive win for Louisburg as it improved its record to 8-2 on the season.

“Eudora was a big win for us for a number of reasons,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “First of all, Eudora is a good team with a stadium atmosphere that can distract and frustrate teams. Playing our game on our terms there was a feat in itself. 

“Secondly, this is the first game we’ve had where we have come from behind to pull out a win. It was a good test of our mental fortitude to come back and win in the second half. Finally, we lost to Eudora last year and a few of our players wanted a chance at redemption.”

The Wildcats were able to get that redemption, but had to play from behind to do it. 

Eudora took advantage of a Wildcat mistake midway through the first half as they were called for a handball in the box. That gave the Cardinals a penalty kick and they found the back of the net.

Louisburg had chances to tie the match in the first half, but couldn’t convert and the Cardinals led 1-0 at halftime.

“The Eudora penalty kick was unfortunate, but did create an opportunity for us to prove ourselves,” Roquemore said. “We also did not have a bad first half, putting six shots on goal to Eudora’s three. However, we lost the battle on the scoreboard. 

“Before the second half, we talked about some adjustments and our own mindsets. We came out roaring and scored two goals quickly to get back on top.”

The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board after halftime as freshman Kahlan Harris got the equalizer 15 seconds in thanks to an assist from senior Rowan Yows.

About four minutes later, Yows got a goal of her own as she dribbled through the Eudora defense and found the corner of the net to get the game-winner.

Louisburg had 16 shots on the night, including ones from Harris, Yows, Layla Sewell, Sydney York, Jaden Bentz and Cora Roche.

It was the Louisburg defense that limited the Cardinals’ looks at the net as Bentz, Roche, Faith Sewell, Lila Edwards, Rylee Moore and others shutdown the Eudora attack.

“Our defensive back line did an incredible job at Eudora,” Roquemore said. “We played physical and smart, shutting down opportunities before they could really begin. Six different players rotated in to our back line during the second half and together they kept Eudora from getting a single shot on goal. I thought Jaden did an especially good job handling one of Eudora’s best forwards.”

Louisburg will try and make it five wins in a row on April 29 as the Wildcats host Baldwin in a Frontier League match. Varsity is set to begin at approximately 5:45 p.m.

It took a little bit to get going, but once the first goal went in for Louisburg, many more followed.

The Wildcats hosted Chanute on April 22 in what was their first home contest in more than two weeks, and they made the most of it.

Louisburg scored five first half goals and never looked back as the Wildcats downed the Blue Comets, 8-0, to earn their third consecutive win. 

The Wildcats got contributions from up and down their lineup as six different players scored and four of the eight goals were assisted. 

“Our game against Chanute was a positive experience, not just because it was a dominant win for both the JV and varsity, but because it allowed time and space for players to mix into different positions and try new things,” Louisburg coach Jordan Roquemore said. “Having six different players score was a testament to our group’s offensive capabilities.”

It was a Louisburg defender that got the scoring started as junior Faith Sewell found the back of the net on a free kick just outside the box and the rest of followed.

Senior Rowan Yows had a big night on the pitch as she earned a hat trick to go along with two assists. Two of those goals came in the first half.

Wildcat senior Baileigh Johnson, along with junior Mena Fercho, added to the list of goal scorers to make it a 5-0 advantage at halftime. Fercho and freshman Kahlan Harris each had an assist.

Louisburg quickly added two goals to begin the second half. Senior Riley May scored on a free kick from 20 yards out and Yows added her third score.

With one goal left before evoking the mercy rule, Roquemore decided to bring goalie Ally Brown out of the net and put her up top to try and get a goal.

It took a few tries, but Yows set Brown up with a pass in the box and the Lousiburg senior put the shot away for a memorable ending that brought the Wildcat bench to their feet.

“After we hit the seventh goal, the girls made it their mission to help Ally get her first high school goal,” Roquemoro said. “Everyone was trying to feed her the ball up top and give her opportunities. She was in for a while and had a few opportunities. After I took her out to give her a breather, she was up for trying again. 

“A couple minutes after subbing her back on to the field, she had a pass from Rowan in the box and was able to put it away. I have never heard our bench cheer so loud all season after that goal. It was a fun moment and one that the whole team celebrated.”

The match also brought attention to the fight against cancer as the Wildcats hosted their annual Cancer Awareness Game. The team’s goal was to raise money for one local family who is battling the disease and they brought in close to $1,000.

“Cindy Apple was the organizer and orchestrator behind the scenes for our Cancer Awareness Game this year,” Roquemore said. “Cindy, along with our parents and shirt sponsor (Advent Health Cancer Institute), made our Cancer Awareness game a huge success. We were able to sell all our remaining shirts and had some big donations come in before and during the game. We were able to raise right around $1,000, which will be going straight to a local family dealing with cancer. I’m really proud of how we showed up as a group for to make this a big benefit fundraiser.”

The Wildcats return to action on April 24 as they try for their fourth straight win as they travel to Eudora. Varsity is set to begin at 6 p.m.

BONNER SPRINGS — For the second time in a week, the Louisburg girls soccer team had to venture out on the road — this time it was to Bonner Springs.

And for the second time in a week, the Wildcats were able to pick up a big road win.

Louisburg scored two first half goals and pulled away for a 3-0 shutout of Bonner Springs on April 17 at Bonner Springs High School. It was a dominant performance for the Wildcats from start to finish. 

“Bonner is not an easy team to score goals on,” Roquemore said. “They hold strong and have a lot of heart. I was proud of our performance against them in possession, attack and defense. Possession-wise, we dictated the majority of the game and stayed dynamic in our movement and attacks most of the game.”

Wildcat senior Rowan Yows had a big night for the Wildcats as she scored both first half goals. Yows’ first goal came midway through first half, as she received a pass from midfielder Mena Fercho and Yows found the back the net. 

Louisburg (6-2) scored again right before halftime as Yows beat the Brave defense on a breakaway opportunity to put the Wildcats up 2-0. 

Senior Baileigh Johnson sealed the win late in the second half with a goal of her own to give the Wildcats back-to-back victories.

“Rowan had a big week for us against both Tonganoxie and Bonner,” Roquemore said. “We’ve been experimenting more with her positioning and it’s been opening gaps for her to exploit. She’s a tough player to guard, not just because of her speed, but her instinctive protection of the ball in her footwork. However, Rowan’s opportunities are created because of team play through opening the field in our possession and attacks.”

Fercho helped create some of those opportunities with her play in the midfield as she helped the Wildcats control the possession.

Defensively, the Wildcats limited Bonner Springs’ chances as Faith Sewell, Cora Roche, Lila Edwards, Jaden Bentz, Sydney York and Rylee Moore put together a strong defensive front. Senior goalie Ally Brown also earned the clean sheet with one save.

“Mena had a really spectacular game,” Roquemore said. “It may not show in her stats, but she was incredible for us in the midfield and she did have an assist to one of Rowan’s goals. Our defense also did an excellent job. Together, they held Bonner to just two shots on goal the entire game.”

Louisburg will try for its third straight win as the Wildcats host Chanute on April 22. Varsity is set to begin at 6 p.m.