Honors continue to roll in for the Louisburg girls soccer team after they completed another strong season.

After capturing the Class 4-1A regional title last month and earning several all-league honors, the Wildcats are now getting state recognition.

The Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association recently released their all-state teams and five Wildcats earned honors.

Junior Rowan Yows (midfield) was a Class 4-1A first team selection. Seniors Hailey Sword (defender) and Lexi Hampton (forward) earned second team honors.

Senior Macy Lemke (goalie) and junior Baileigh Johnson (forward) were named to the honorable mention team.

Yows had a strong season to lead the Wildcats in the midfield as she was third on the team with 12 goals scored, but also led Louisburg with 17 assists.

Sword was a big part of the Wildcat defense that set a school record for goals against with 14 and did so making a position change before the start of the season. She also tallied three goals and two assists.

Hampton had a strong season herself as she was the team’s leading scorer with 17 goals to go along with six assists from her forward spot.

In goal, Lemke had another strong season as a second-year starter. The Wildcat senior had 44 saves to go along with just 14 goals allowed and also had seven shutouts.

Johnson was the team’s second leading scorer as she was third Wildcat to earn second team honors. The Louisburg junior added 15 goals and also had four assists on the season.

Louisburg finished its season with a 13-5-1 record and a spot in the state quarterfinals before getting eliminated by the eventual state champion, Bishop Miege.

For the seventh consecutive 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. Then they voted for their top 3 male and female athletes and I tabulated the results and determined the winner. The winner will be announced in the coming days.

Below are the three finalists for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name.

IZZY MORELAND — SENIOR — VOLLEYBALL, SOFTBALL

Izzy was a starting member of the Louisburg volleyball team that finished fourth at the Class 4A state tournament. Moreland was a middle blocker for the Wildcats. She finished the season with 105 kills and led the team with 48 blocks.

On the softball diamond, Moreland was the Wildcats’ No. 1 pitcher this past season as she helped Louisburg to 11 wins on the year. She was a second team All-Frontier League selection at pitcher. 

Moreland led the Wildcats as she threw 94 innings and struck out 90 batters. She also had a 3.92 ERA. At the plate, Moreland finished with a .306 average, 26 hits, two doubles, two triples and a home run. She also added 19 RBIs on the season.

MEGAN QUINN — SENIOR — VOLLEYBALL, SOFTBALL

On the volleyball court, Megan has been the setter for the Wildcats the last two seasons and helped Louisburg to the state tournament the last two years, including a fourth place finish this season. She led the team with 540 assists in a split-setter role and also had a team-high 43 aces.

Quinn also thrived on the softball field as she was an all-league honorable mention selection on the infield and was also one of the Wildcats’ starting pitchers. She was the Wildcats’ biggest bat in the lineup with four home runs this season and has nine the last two years.

The Louisburg senior batted clean-up for most of the season. She was third on the team with a .342 average to go along with 27 hits and eight doubles to go along with her four home runs and a team-high 38 RBIs.

HAILEY SWORD — SENIOR — VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER

Hailey was a 3-year letter winner for the volleyball team and played all six rotations the past two seasons. Sword tallied a team-high 308 kills and finished second on the team with 42 aces. Defensively, Sword was also strong in the back row as she was second on the team with 295 digs.

She was selected to the KVA All-State Tournament team after she helped Louisburg to a fourth place finish at state. She also earned honorable mention All-Frontier League honors.

Hailey was also a captain of the Wildcat soccer team this past spring as he helped lead Louisburg to a regional championship. She is a four-year letter winner and she was a part of a school record setting defense that allowed the fewest goals in a season. Sword was also named to the All-Frontier League first team.

It was a special season for the Louisburg girls soccer team, one that ended with 13 wins, a regional championship and an appearance in the state quarterfinals.

With all that success comes postseason awards and the Wildcats were well-represented on the All-Frontier League team. 

Louisburg earned seven spots on the All-Frontier League list that was released last week, including three first team selections. Junior Rowan Yows (midfield), senior Hailey Sword (defense) and senior Lexi Hampton were named to the first team.

Juniors Baileigh Johnson (forward), Jaden Bentz (defense) and senior Macy Lemke (goalie) were second-team selections, while sophomore Mena Fercho (midfield) was an honorable mention selection.

Yows had a strong season to lead the Wildcats in the midfield as she was third on the team with 12 goals scored, but also led Louisburg with 17 assists.

“Rowan is the engine of our team,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “Coming off an all-state scoring season from a year ago, she settled into a role for us this year that mainly revolved around distribution. She racked up 17 assists for us running the midfield, all while fighting back spasms for a large portion of the season.”

Sword was a big part of the Wildcat defense that set a school record for goals against with 14 and did so making a position change before the start of the season. She also tallied three goals and two assists.

“Hailey was a team captain this year and our best leader on the field,” York said. “A late injury to a teammate forced her to play center back for us. She excelled in the role, all while we were transitioning into playing with two centerbacks from a sweeper/stopper formation from last year.”

Hampton had a strong season herself as she was the team’s leading scorer with 17 goals on the season to go along with six assists from her forward spot.

“Lexi was a team captain this year.,” York said. “She continued her ability to find the net this season and has a knack for getting goals. This season we asked her to play a target forward and she did a great job, all while playing with a broken wrist for over half the season.”

Bentz was another key piece to the Wildcat record-setting defense as an outside back and limited dangerous chances all season.

“Jaden is the best on ball marker I have, and she has instincts that make her very difficult to beat,” York said. “She is a quiet leader that just goes about her business and does her job well.”

In goal, Lemke had another strong season as a second-year starter. The Wildcat senior had 44 saves to go along with just 14 goals allowed and also had seven shutouts.

“Macy was also a team captain this season,” York said. “She had 44 saves, which is definitely as a result of our defensive efficiency this season. She developed as the season went along into someone very reliable playing out of the back with her feet.”

Johnson was the team’s second leading scorer as she was third Wildcat to earn second team honors. The Louisburg junior added 15 goals and also had four assists on the season.

“This was a breakout season for Baileigh,” York said. “She played a number of positions for us depending on the need. She is beginning to understand the game at the next level and she was probably our most dangerous forward for most of the season.”

In the midfield, Fercho was a key piece to the Wildcat attack and found success throughout the season. She tallied seven goals and seven assists on the year.

“She was the go to player on the outside of the midfield for us,” York said. “She replaced a senior from last year who was very dangerous for us and she did a great job. Not only on the outside, but we also were able to utilize her as a center midfielder as well. Her and Rowan play extremely similar games and play well together.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOCCER

FIRST TEAM

Bailey Smith, Baldwin, senior, midfield

Rowan Yows, Louisburg, junior, midfield

Olivia Infante, Spring Hill, senior, midfield

Jayla Erpelding, Eudora, senior, midfield/forward

Elizabeth Williams, Spring Hill, junior, forward

Alex McBride, Baldwin, senior, midfield

Nora Prather, Baldwin, senior, midfield

Hailey Bergmann, Spring Hill, junior, defense

Hailey Sword, Louisburg, senior, defense

Lexi Hampton, Louisburg, senior, forward

GOALIE: Alyssa Reichard, Baldwin, senior

SECOND TEAM

Rose Bilyeu, Bonner Springs, junior, defense

Miley Maxwell, Tonganoxie, freshman, forward

Xin Clobes, Eudora, senior, forward

Natalie Loving, Tonganoxie, freshman, midfield

Jaden Bentz, Louisburg, junior, defense

Lizzie Fisher, Eudora, junior, defense

Jane Huges, Spring Hill, freshman, forward

Baileigh Johnson, Louisburg, junior, forward

Addy Ediger, Baldwin, senior, forward

Kambrea Kerr, Eudora, freshman, midfield

GOALIE: Macy Lemke, Louisburg, senior

HONORABLE MENTION

Marin Drummond, Baldwin, sophomore, defense

Madisyn Sprinkle, Ottawa, sophomore, utility

Jaden Brooks, Eudora, junior, forward

Natalie Rice, Spring Hill, freshman, midfield

Maris Flory, Baldwin, senior, defense

Emily Nilges, Bonner Springs, freshman, midfield

McKenna Klamm, Tonganoxie, senior, midfield

Mena Fercho, Louisburg, sophomore, midfield

Dylan Nichols, Ottawa, sophomore, forward

Baylie Igleheart, Tonganoxie, junior, forward

Kyleigh Musick, Eudora, senior, defense

Kyie Enriquez, Bonner Springs, junior, defense

Lauren Grauberger, Eudora, senior, midfield

Laney Montgomery, Spring Hill, junior, midfield

Taylor Hines, Spring Hill, freshman, forward

GOALIE: Meredeth Billings, Bonner Springs, sophomore

The task was a difficult one last Tuesday for the Louisburg girls soccer team.

The Wildcats hosted Bishop Miege — the 7-time defending state champion — for the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals at Wildcat Stadium. Going up against one of the state’s best teams was always going to be a challenge.

Louisburg saw its season come to a close one win shy of the state final four with a 7-0 setback to Miege.

“They are on a different level than us,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “We don’t have the athletes to really compete with them. It doesn’t really matter what formations you use, or what field you play on, you try to hope that they don’t have a good game and they just played really well. They took advantage of opportunities and really crashed well in the box and we are still learning how to play fast like that. 

“We aren’t forced to play that fast during the season, and then you play a team that seems like they bring like 15 kids off the bench who are just as good. We are a good match for most of the 4A schools, we just aren’t a match against them and that is unfortunate, but it is reality.”

The Stags jumped on the Wildcats early as they scored the go-ahead goal just minutes into the contest and recorded five first half goals to go up 5-0 at halftime.

Miege added a pair of goals in the second half to seal the victory. The Stags went on to win their 8th straight championship later in the week with a double overtime win over Cair Paravel out of Topeka.

Although the loss was a difficult one to take, the Wildcats still put together a memorable season that saw their first regional title since 2021 and ended their season with a 13-5-1 record.

“This is a culmination of two years of hard work,” York said. “I think last year we spent getting over the mental side of things we didn’t do well, which was physical and mental toughness. This year we cleaned that up a lot and that is a big tribute to the senior class and putting in a lot of work. I hate this is the last thing we think about in what was a special season. This is not a reflection of our season at all. Our seniors put four hard years into this program.”

The Wildcats had to say goodbye to a 7-member senior class, several of which have played big parts in the program since their freshman seasons. Lola Edwards, Lexi Hampton, Hailey Sword, Macy Lemke, Ellery Allen, Aliya Klugman and A.J. Fire all played their final game for Louisburg.

“The preparation that we had this year was good and I thought we made good progress throughout the year as well,” York said. “We are still a work in progress and then we lose a group of great seniors. We make our way into the next season trying to get better at the things we didn’t do well (against Miege) and hopefully that will carry with us and the junior class can then see what we need to do.

“I hate that the last thought of the season is this, when our season was so much more than just one game. That for me is the shame of it all. Could we have played better than we did? Probably, and we gave up things that we shouldn’t have and gave them a few runs. We will just keep doing the best we can to keep moving forward.”

For the last two seasons, the Louisburg girls soccer team has seen heartbreak in the Class 4-1A regional championship.

Losses to Topeka-Hayden and Bishop Miege have prevented the Wildcats from that regional title, with their last coming in 2021. 

It is elusive no more.

The No. 1 seeded Wildcats shutout No. 8 Maranatha Academy, 2-0, to win the Class 4-1A regional title Thursday at Wildcat Stadium. It was a dominating effort from start to finish as the Wildcats improved their record to 13-4-1 on the season.

“This was a preseason goal of ours,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “We fell short last year and we wanted to do as much as we could in the regular season to control our own destiny. The girls put a lot of work in and were focused to get to this game and get a win. They definitely earned this one and it was good to see them enjoy it.”

The Wildcats dominated possession from the opening whistle as they peppered the Maranatha defense with 22 shots on goal, with 12 of those coming in the first half.

Junior Baileigh Johnson got the Wildcats on the board late in the first half as she scored on an assist from freshman Ellia Gibbons and Louisburg took a 1-0 lead at halftime.

The Wildcats built themselves a little cushion in the second half as senior Lexi Hampton found the back of the net on an assist thanks to junior Rowan Yows.

“It was odd because on paper we controlled the game with probably 70-75 percent possession,” York said. “We just sometimes have problems figuring out how to score. We have good opportunities, we just need to be a little more refined. I mean we had several go off the post or others were just wide. We knew Maranatha wasn’t going to score on us, so it was good stay patient and work the ball around to get good looks.”

Defensively, the Wildcats limited Maranatha’s chances as senior goalie Macy Lemke earned the clean sheet with two saves. The back line of Hailey Sword, Jaden Bentz, Lila Edwards and Faith Sewell turned away any kind of attack as well.

“We have one of the more talented defensive groups we have had in a long time,” York said. “We let in the least amount of regular season goals, I think, as we have given up just 14 goals in 16 games coming in. We aren’t scoring in big lumps as we have in the past. I think we scored 21 more goals last year, but we had more wins this year, so it has been a different year, but a successful one.”

No matter what happens moving forward, York wants his team to make sure they enjoy what they have accomplished so far this season.

“I try to make sure they understand to enjoy the moment and how special it is to win a regional title,” York said. “There are a lot of schools who would love to have the success we have had. They really did accomplish something and you like to see them celebrate these types of wins.”

Louisburg will now square off with Bishop Miege in the state quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Wildcat Stadium. It will be a rematch of last year’s regional title game, where Miege ended the Wildcats’ season. 

The Stags have also won the last seven state championships, so York knows the task will be a challenging one for his team. 

“Miege is fast and has a lot of skill,” York said. “They know how to take lumps and they learn that playing such a hard schedule. They have depth against 4A schools that they can run out and have ability to wear you down. If you don’t make them pay for the mistakes, you don’t get second chances. We will definitely be tested. I just want the girls take it to them the best that they can, and if we can have a good day and some luck, it should be a competitive game.”

In what was the final match of the regular season, there was a lot riding on Thursday’s home game for the Louisburg girls soccer team against Lansing.

A win would clinch the No. 1 seed in the regional tournament for the Wildcats — a goal they set for themselves prior to the season.

It was also an important one for emotional reasons. Louisburg had a chance to honor a 7-member senior class and their families on Senior Night.

In what was a pivotal moment of the season, the Wildcats played one of their best matches of the year. Louisburg scored a pair of goals in each half as the Wildcats cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Lions.

“For everything to shake out like we wanted it to, we had to win (Thursday),” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “When the girls got put in that scenario, I think they played really well and how we should be at this part in the season.

“This is a big goal, and there are a lot of teams in our classification that don’t play as hard of a schedule as we do. We played a lot of 6A and 5A schools and we have really tested ourselves this year.”

It was a special moment, especially for the seven Wildcat seniors that were recognized prior to the match. Lola Edwards, Macy Lemke, Lexi Hampton, Aliya Klugman, A.J. Fire, Hailey Sword and Ellery Allen all got the start on Senior Night.

This group has been a special one for York, who is in his second season with the program.

“These seniors were put in a difficult position,” York said. “They were mentored and led by a different group ahead of them, with a different coaching staff that had a lot of success. Then they had to endure some changes with new coaches and start over again. I am very thankful that this group, right off the bat, said we believe in what you are going to do and we trust you. They listen every day, they work hard, and they are fun to be around. 

“Last year’s senior class was really talented, and this year’s group had some big shoes to fill and they have done a great job with that. I hope they get to go as far as they can and make the most out of this season. They deserve all the success and are great leaders for the underclassmen. It is a very cool class.”

To start the match, it was actually a pair of juniors that put the Wildcats (11-5-1) up early. Midfielder Rowan Yows got the Wildcats on the board first, then forward Baileigh Johnson added another goal to give them a 2-0 halftime lead.

Yows scored her second goal of the match in the second half and Hampton added a goal late to all but seal the win for the Wildcats. 

Lemke, the team’s starting goalkeeper, had a chance to be on the shooting side of a penalty kick for once. Johnson was fouled in the box early in the second half, and the team elected for Lemke to take the penalty.

Her shot was saved thanks to a diving stop by the Lansing keeper.

Louisburg’s defense also kept the Lansing attack at bay as the back line of Sword, Faith Sewell, Lila Edwards, Jaden Bentz and Klugman limited the Lions’ chances on goal.

Although this was the second time the Wildcats have played Lansing this season, it was a tougher test this time around.

“I think Lansing played way better than when we played them earlier in the year,” York said. “They were organized and played well, but we just played a really good game. We played to feet well. For some reason they played a high back line all night, and we were able to take advantage of that.”

Now the Wildcats will prepare, for what they hope is a long postseason run. The No. 1 seed has earned them a bye in the first round and they will either play Kansas City Christian or Maranatha Academy on Thursday in the regional championship.

Not only did Louisburg get the No. 1 seed, it also got a breather when it needed it the most.

“It is very satisfying to play as well as you can this late in the season,” York said. “We are still a little drug down physically with some injuries, but now we get to wait to Thursday to play and it couldn’t have come at a better time. That gives us a good amount of time to get healed up physically and mentally, and get all on the same page.”

Three games in four days is tough on any team, but for a squad already dealing with multiple injuries, it is even more taxing.

That is what Louisburg faced Friday when it hosted Eudora for its third match in four days. The Wildcats tried to overcome their rash of injuries, but an early Eudora goal proved to be the difference in a 1-0 loss at Wildcat Stadium.

“We were a pretty run down group by Friday,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “Three games in four days would be normally difficult, but since the Augusta game we haven’t been 100 percent healthy since. Eudora had a good game plan and they created an opportunity early. We were able to have a lot of opportunities are ourselves, we just couldn’t get one to go.”

Eudora got on the board early as the Cardinals scored in the first 10 minutes of the match to go up one goal, but the Wildcats put the pressure on the Cardinal defense after that.

Louisburg (9-4-1) had 12 shots on goal for the match, compared to just four for Eudora. The Wildcats just had a tough time finding the back of the net.

“We really did have more opportunities than they did and we had probably 12 shots on goal,” York said. “We had a couple off the post that didn’t go. It was frustrating and the girls know we probably should have won the game. We didn’t play as well we could have, even with the injuries we have.”

The loss also put the Wildcats with a 1-2 record on the week after a setback to Basehor-Linwood on April 30, but bounced back with a win over Bonner Springs on Thursday.

Most of the Wildcat midfield have been dealing with injuries and hope to use the last week of the regular season to get healthier for a postseason run.

Louisburg did get a piece of good news as senior defender Ellery Allen will return to action during today’s home game against Ottawa. Allen has missed all season with a foot injury, but York is excited to have her back.

“Ellery practiced full on, so it will be nice to get her back as she is one of the top three or four players on our team with all the experience she has,” York said. “She is obviously not going to be as conditioned as the rest of the team, but she is going to be fine and will give her a few minutes here and there. Hopefully we can get this group as healthy as we can for the postseason.”

Following Tuesday’s home game against Ottawa, the Wildcats will host Lansing on Thursday for Senior Night.

Louisburg shuts out Bonner Springs on the road

After a tough loss to Basehor-Linwood on April 30, Louisburg needed a little pick-me-up and the Wildcats got it against Bonner Springs.

The Wildcats scored a pair of goals in each half as they blanked Bonner Springs, 4-0

“I thought we played pretty well at Bonner,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “Their coach does a nice job of getting them better as the season goes along. We got up 15 minutes and we were able to go from there. The girls wanted to put a few more goals away, but at the end of the day we will take it and it is always good to get a win.

Louisburg senior Lexi Hampton opened the scoring with a goal near the top of the box. Junior Rowan Yows added another to make it a 2-0 halftime lead.

Senior Hailey Sword launched a shot from about 25 yards to give the Wildcats their third goal and freshman Ellia Gibbons found the back of the net to seal the win for the Wildcats.

Senior goalie Macy Lemke earned the clean sheet and it was the Wildcats’ seventh shutout of the season.

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

JADEN BENTZ, JUNIOR, GIRLS SOCCER

Defense has been the name of the game for the Louisburg girls soccer team as of late and Jaden Bentz has been a big part of the Wildcats’ success. Following a 3-0 shutout of Ottawa on Thursday, the Wildcats had won four of their last five matches — all by shutout. Bentz has been assigned to the team’s best player and has made life difficult for the opposition.

“Normally these awards go to offensive players, and that is understandable, but Jaden is an absolute shut down defender,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “She is one of the main reasons we have the shutouts we have this year.”

The Wildcats currently have an 8-3-1 record on the season, and that lone tie was a 0-0 result. Louisburg had gone five straight games without giving a goal and Bentz was an active part in that. Louisburg currently has six shutouts on the season.

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: Jack Anderson

Week 2: Nathaniel Lamm

Week 3: Derek Frederick

Week 4: Izzy Moreland

Week 5: Maddy Carpenter-Ross

OTTAWA — The injury bug has caught up with the Louisburg girls soccer team as the Wildcats currently have several players dealing with bumps and bruises, which isn’t ideal for a team that isn’t very deep.

Despite that, Louisburg has won four of its last five matches and one of those came Tuesday on the road as the Wildcats shutout Ottawa, 3-0.

It wasn’t the prettiest of performances according to head coach Ben York, but he was pleased to see his team battle through some adversity.

“We played a little uninspired at times, but I don’t want to take away from the win as they are all important this time of year,” York said. “We probably had 80 percent of possession but we didn’t finish a lot of chances. 

“We are battling through some stuff physically and we aren’t really deep. We had some girls that came in the game that gave us some good minutes. Every team has stuff going on at this point in the year, but we want to be trending upward toward the end of the season and this win helped with that.”

Louisburg got on the board early as senior Lexi Hampton put the Wildcats up 1-0 in the first half. Junior Baileigh Johnson followed with another goal and the Wildcats led 2-0 at halftime.

Junior Rowan Yows sealed the win in the second half with her first goal of the match and the Wildcats improved their record to 8-2-1 on the season, which is the best on the East side of Class 4-1A.

“We had a ton of shots,” York said. “Ottawa just packed it in and made it hard for us to score at times. We just tried to go through the defense instead of taking some shots from distance. We need to be more patient, but it is tough when the defense just packs it in on you.”

Louisburg’s defense played well as goalie Macy Lemke earned the clean sheet, while senior Hailey Sword was active in the back to lead the Wildcat defense.

The Wildcats will try and make it two straight wins tonight as they host Eudora in a Frontier League match. Start time is set for 6 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium.

“Definitely not disappointed with this win, but I want to see us on the uptick and accelerating toward the end of the season,” York said. “Eudora is going to be a competitive game for us, we have to come to play.”

Wildcats tie Augusta, roll Chanute

Last week had its ups and downs for Louisburg, but after it all, the Wildcats avoided the loss column. 

Louisburg earned a 0-0 tie against Augusta last Friday in Emporia, but recorded a 9-0 victory at Chanute on April 16.

Against Chanute, Baileigh Johnson, Lexi Hampton and Rowan Yows each scored two goals. Mena Fercho also found the back of the net, while Faith Sewell and Lila Edwards each scored their first varsity goal.

“It was really good,” York said. “One of the things I have been about, is we really share the load on who gets the scoring. How we approach the game is, if we are doing it properly, is about being unselfish and kids are just as interested in assists as goals. We got Macy some time outside of the goal and that was cool too.”

The Wildcats battled injuries against Augusta as Hampton, Yows and Fercho all had to leave the match at one time, but neither team could score in regulation or the two overtimes periods.

“We were the better skilled team and they were more disciplined and physical,” York said of Augusta. There was a lot of pulling and grabbing and that wore us down pretty good. We weren’t at full strength. Hailey played a really good game in the back and Macy made some really good saves too that kept the game scoreless.”

BALDWIN CITY — Prior to the season, the Louisburg girls soccer team had two games circled on its schedule. 

They were league games against Spring Hill and Baldwin — a pair of teams the Wildcats have struggled with in recent years. Louisburg wanted to exact some revenge.

Despite falling in an overtime match to Spring Hill earlier in the year, the Wildcats got the win they were looking for on a windy Thursday in Baldwin City.

Louisburg scored a pair of goals within minutes of each other in the second half and the Wildcats left with a 2-0 victory over the Bulldogs. It was also the second straight win for Louisburg as the Wildcats are now 6-2 on the season.

“One of the goals we made for this group was that when we play teams that we have not done well against in the past, is we want to change that narrative,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “The two teams we circled before the season was Spring Hill and Baldwin. They are two in league teams and we haven’t had the best success against them lately. We did a good job against Spring Hill, and it was a game we should have won. 

“The girls showed a lot of fight and determination against Baldwin. We had girls who were sick, some girls that were banged up and we need some time off. We are shallow in our substitutions right now. It was really good for the girls to get this win. They put a lot of effort and fight into this.”

The Wildcats controlled possession in the first half as they battled gusty wind conditions, but couldn’t find the back of the net. 

Baldwin turned the tides after halftime as it used the wind to create several opportunities, but the back line of Jaden Bentz, Hailey Sword, Faith Sewell and Lila Edwards turned away several chances.

Louisburg goalie Macy Lemke, who also earned the clean sheet, corralled several saves to keep the match scoreless. 

Then, midway though the second half, the Wildcat attack got going. 

Junior midfielder Rowan Yows got a through ball down the left side. She sent a cross into the box and it found the foot of freshman Ellia Gibbons, who scored her first varsity goal to put the Wildcats up one.

Just a few minutes later, the Wildcats used the same play in their favor. Yows got a ball down the left side, crossed the ball in, and senior Lexi Hampton found the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Yows, who battled an injury throughout the match, found a little extra as she made two of the bigger passes in the match.

“When Rowan was off the field, I decided to play her more out wide and away from the middle of the field and all the tackles,” York said. “She got a couple balls played through and she has a great left foot cross. It put the goalie in a bad situation with both of them in the wind. 

“At the time we weren’t in control of what was happening, and then all of sudden we made some plays and that is what good teams do. Was very pleased we faced adversity and really stuck with it and happy they got the result they wanted.”

Louisburg was battling illness and injury throughout the match and it left the Wildcats’ bench razor thin against one of the better teams in the league. Gibbons and Rylee Moore gave the Wildcats some much need minutes in the win.

“Our subs that come on for us right now, Rylee and Ellia, are really critical for us right now,” York said. “Right now, we are really only two deep and would like to have a couple more and hopefully we can expand our bench a little bit. Rylee did a good job and Ellia played a great game.”

The Wildcats will try and make it three straight wins as they travel for a non-league contest at Chanute. Varsity is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Louisburg blanks Tonganoxie.

Louisburg traveled to square off with Tonganoxie on April 9 in hopes of snapping a two-match losing skid.

The Wildcats did just that as they shutout the Chieftains, 4-0, to improve in the Frontier League standings and got back on the winning track.

Senior Lexi Hampton scored a pair of goals to lead the Louisburg attack, while sophomore Mena Fercho and senior Hailey Sword also found the back of the net.

Louisburg senior Macy Lemke earned the clean sheet as the Wildcats picked up the road shutout.