The Louisburg girls soccer team were recently honored with the Pinnacle Award from the United Soccer Coaches Association. The award was handed out to just 36 high school across the country.
Kyle Conley ventured to Baltimore
earlier this month and made his way to the United Soccer Coaches convention,
and the Louisburg High School girls soccer coach was able to bring a little
something back with him.
Conley accepted the Pinnacle Award
on behalf of the girls soccer program for their accomplishments during the 2019
season.
The award is handed out to different programs throughout the country by the United Soccer Coaches and honors the athletes for their work on and off the field. Only 36 programs across the United States earned the honor.
“I
was really fortunate to be able to receive the award for the team at
the United Soccer Coaches Convention,” Conley said. “This 2019 girls team
accomplished so much and I could not be prouder to be there on behalf of the
school and our team to receive this honor.”
To
be eligible for the Pinnacle Award, the team had to earn a certain GPA, display
team ethics and sportsmanship and have high win percentage.
The
Wildcats checked all those boxes as they had a team GPA of 3.73 and they were
on the Bronze Level according to the United Soccer Coaches Association for the
amount of yellow cards received. Louisburg also finished with a 17-4 record and
had a win percentage of .805.
“These young ladies were so exceptional
this past season and this only confirms that,” Conley said of the award. “These
ladies were not just quality soccer player that made it to the state
championship for the second year in a row, but fantastic students in the
classroom and displayed exceptional sportsmanship throughout the season.
“Mike (Pickman) and I have set a high standard in our program to represent our school and community with our play and our actions and this group of young ladies did just that. We always want to do everything in our power to make the community and school proud, and the girls did just that. I could not be proud to be this team’s coach.”
The 2019 team finished as a state
runner-up for the second year in a row after losing to Bishop Miege and the
Wildcats have built a history of winning as the program enters its fifth year.
Louisburg won a regional title in its
first year of existence and they followed it up with a final four appearance in
year two and took fourth, before finishing second the last two years.
Top 10 Louisburg Sports Stories of 2019
It was a successful, and eventful, 2019 for Louisburg High School athletics and for those who are connected to the Wildcat program. This past year created a lot of school history for LHS and several programs brought back state hardware.
Below are the Top 10 stories from 2019, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.
When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site. There were stories that I had to leave off that normally would easily make it. 2019 was that successful of a year for Wildcat athletics.
This year was a blast to cover and I was blessed to have the opportunity to go along for the ride with many of these. As much fun as it was, I can’t wait for 2020 to begin. Looking forward to it!
10. Tucker, Ratliff-Becher win powerlifting titles, Tucker breaks state record.
Two Louisburg High
School weightlifters made their way to the top of the podium in March during
the Class 4A State Powerlifting Meet at Basehor-Linwood High School.
Not only did Tucker
win a state title in the 220-pound division, he also broke a 24-year state bench
press record as he recorded a bench of 375 pounds to surpass the old mark of
365. He also won the squat competition at 505 pounds and had a total of 1,165
pounds to run away with the crown.
Tucker’s total was the
highest three-lift mark at the entire state meet in all weight classes.
“I had messed around with 375
and 385 before on bench, so I was confident that I could lift it if I had the
chance,” Tucker said. “I was more worried about my first lifts on bench at 345
and 365 because if I messed up on those attempts then I would not have had the
change to even attempt 375. It was definitely a sigh of relief when I finally
locked it out.
“It was a great feeling to beat the state
record. To put Louisburg up on the record chart definitely brought a smile to
my face.”
Ratliff-Becher had a big day
in the women’s division as she won a state crown in the 180-pound weight class.
She finished with a three-lift total of 575 pounds.
The Louisburg junior took first in bench press with 155 pounds,
first in clean at 150 pounds and second in squat with a 270-pound lift.
“Winning the state title
meant a lot to me,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I have put in a lot of time and
effort in weights class, so it’s nice to see it has paid off. But, also because
I feel as if I put out a message to girls that it’s cool to be strong
physically. I know that being sometimes the only girls in a class with a lot of
strong guys is intimidating. Weightlifting is all about your own personal
growth and seeing how far you can push yourself.
“I was honestly surprised I won because there are lots of very
strong girls there and it’s good competition. It’s also fun to meet new people
that have the same interests and motivation as you.”
9. Golf qualifies for state, Dillon medals for third straight season
As the scores trickled
in to the clubhouse at Paola Country Club, the Louisburg golf team could hardly
stand it.
The Wildcats were
nervously waiting to hear if they had qualified for state, but they knew it was
going to be close. Louisburg had to be in the top three of the team standings
to earn a spot and the Wildcats had some tough competition amongst them.
As it turned out, the
Wildcats had nothing to worry about.
Topeka-Hayden won the
regional title going away with a 332 and Louisburg was just three strokes
behind runner-up Tonganoxie, which had a 349.
“It feels great,
especially with all the hard work we have put in the offseason and last few
months,” Dillon said. “It was our goal coming in and we did it. I felt like we
had a good chance. It was borderline with those four teams being as close as we
are. I knew we had a chance, but it was nice to actually qualify. It was
definitely a little nerve-racking waiting for the scores to come in.”
As impressive as that
feat was for the Wildcats, Dillon’s performance blew away the rest of the
competition.
The Louisburg junior
won his first individual regional title as he carded a 1-over 73 to win the
tournament by six strokes. Dillon’s 73 was his best score on the season and he
has now won all but one tournament on the year.
Dillon went on to record his third consecutive state medal and finished 11th overall in Dodge City after the tournament was postponed several times, and eventually moved due to weather.
8. Wildcat wrestling sends six to state, Moore earns first state medal
Back in early November
of 2018, Austin Moore was in a sling with a broken collarbone and he wondered
why all this was happening.
Moore suffered the
injury during the regional football playoffs and he didn’t get to finish his
final high school season. Not only that, his hopes of getting his first state
wrestling medal was in serious jeopardy.
A little more than
four months later, Moore was on the medal stand with some of the state’s best
wrestlers in his weight class.
“It was pretty special
for me to get a state medal, especially because it has been a goal of mine ever
since I started wrestling,” Moore said. “Overall, I felt like I wrestled pretty
well, but I just wish I could’ve ended it on a win.”
Louisburg’s talent was
certainly on full display during the two-day tournament. Brandon Doles, Blue
Caplinger and Austin Moore won regional crowns, Cade Holtzen was a regional
runner-up, while Gabe Bonham and Ryan Owens also qualified for state by placing
third and fourth, respectively.
As a team, the
Wildcats ended up with 138.5 points and was just 2.5 points out of second
place. Ottawa won the regional with 149.5 points and Eudora was second at 141.
It was the highest regional team finish for Louisburg since 1998.
“The way these guys
wrestled this weekend shows that the program has been doing so many things
right this season,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We’ve had the obstacle
of low numbers, which hurt us in our duals, but when it comes to tournament
time, we have a bunch of guys who are placing high and that gives us a lot of
team points. Taking six to state feels pretty encouraging, and finishing third
at regionals is an awesome statement for this team.
“If a few things had
gone the other way, we would have been in second as a team. On paper, we
weren’t supposed to be in the race for a regional plaque. Almost all of our
guys stepped up and scored huge team points for us.”
7. Louisburg softball captures regional title
OTTAWA – Madison
Svoboda could feel her heart starting to come out of her chest.
Karson Griggs was a
feeling a little nauseous.
Those are some of the
same feelings that were flooding the Louisburg softball’s team dugout during the
final inning of the Class 4A regional championship game against Chanute on
Tuesday in Ottawa.
Louisburg held a one
run lead, but Chanute had the tying run on third, two outs, and a trip to the
state tournament was on the line. On the mound was sophomore Brooklyn
Diederich, and with two strikes, the Chanute batter fouled five straight
pitches.
The tension was
mounting.
Finally, on the 10th pitch
of the at-bat, Diederich got what she was looking for – a swing and miss.
“I want to cry, but at
the same time I am just really happy,” Griggs said. “It is exciting because I
never thought something like this could happen, especially this year. It feels
really nice and now maybe people will actually start taking us seriously.”
Not many gave people
gave the Lady Cats a chance as they entered the Class 4A regional tournament
with just five wins and were forced to begin tournament action in the play-in
game.
After a 17-2 win over
Parsons last Monday in the play-in game, No. 15 Louisburg advanced to the
regional semifinals and upset No. 2 seed Ottawa, 9-7, which helped set up the
Lady Cats’ first state tournament appearance since 2014.
“I think a lot of
other teams underestimated us,” Diederich said. “The fact that we came out and
played our hardest ball showed what type of team we actually are. It is just
crazy.”
At the state tournament in Salina a week later, the Lady Cats faced off against Andale and lost to the eventual state champion in the first round, 10-0.
6. Cross Country qualifies for state, Moore breaks school record and takes third at state
BALDWIN CITY – One by one,
members of the Louisburg girls cross country team crossed the finish line and
coach John Reece was unsure whether or not his team did enough to qualify for
state.
The Lady Cats had made
school history by qualifying the last two seasons, but the third time was a
little bit in jeopardy – that was until the results were released.
As it turned out,
Reece didn’t need to be so worried.
Louisburg finished third overall with 96 points in October at the Class 4A regional meet at the Baldwin Golf Course, and beat out Bishop Miege by six points to earn a spot at the state meet this weekend in Wamego.
The team of Trinity
Moore, Carlee Gassman, Reese Johnson, Claire Brown, Ruth Minster, Kennady
Wilkerson and Bree Gassman competed for the Lady Cats at state.
“This group of girls runs
well, they race well and they train well together,” coach Reece said. “They are
a good group and this is just as exciting as the other two times. The
competition was a lot tougher than the previous two times. We had to run our
races and we did. From our third to fifth runners was about an eight point
spread.”
Trinity Moore has left a
lasting impression on the Louisburg cross country program over the last four
years, but she saved the best moment for her final act.
Moore broke her own school record with a time of 19 minutes and 39 seconds to finish third overall at the Kansas Class 4A State Cross Country Championships at the Wamego Country Club a week later.
The Louisburg senior
recorded the program’s best ever state finish as she eclipsed her fourth-place state
medal from a season ago.
“It meant so much to
me to finish with such a great race for my high school career,” Moore said.
“Going into the race, I didn’t know how well I would finish. This race had the
best competition that I have ran against all year and I think that is what
really pushed me.
“When I saw my time
crossing the finish line, I was ecstatic. I felt great the entire race and was
able to control everything I did. Finishing third was icing on the cake. I was
surprised but so incredibly happy to be able to place in such a great spot, but
I also knew that this what I had worked for all year.”
This made the fourth
state medal for Moore in her high school career and she improved on her state
finish every year. Last season, she took fourth overall and bested her state
time from a year ago by more than 30 seconds.
5. Boys Soccer wins league, regional titles to earn No. 1 seed in playoffs.
For more than 70
minutes, the goals for Louisburg were hard to come by and it started to leave
an eerie feeling on Halloween night.
However, the Wildcats
got their treat when it was all over.
“This group is
special,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It is going to be tough when it is
all over. This group has changed our culture. They came back to what this
program believes and they have bought in to what we are teaching them. They
have worked so hard since June. For these seniors, this is their third title in
four years and I think it is a lot of fun for them.
A school record 16
wins, a Frontier League championship and a regional title are all something
worth celebrating, but following the state quarterfinal match with Bishop
Miege, all Louisburg could think about was the finality of it all.
Despite all those
accomplishments, the Wildcats fell one win short of their main goal – a spot in
the state final four.
Louisburg saw its season come to a close with a 3-0 loss to Bishop Miege at the Wildcat Sports Complex. The Wildcats lost to the eventual state champion, as Miege went on to defeat Wichita-Trinity on Saturday, 3-1, for the Class 4-1A state championship – the Stags’ fourth in a row.
As difficult as the
loss was for Louisburg, there was no forgetting how big of a jump the Wildcats
made from the season before as they went from a 6-win team to one that earned
the East’s No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.
“Going 6-11 last year
and seeing this Miege team almost mercy-ruling us in the regional championship
last year in the rain, was a program changer,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley
said. “After that was over, we talked about how things needed to change and it
starts now. For our first practice in June, I told them that they are the ones
that has to change them. Since day one, they have played for each other, played
hard in practice and it was a total mindset change. When someone got hurt, it
was the next guy up. We missed two starters for half of the year and it was
always the next guy up taking advantage of his opportunity to fill in. The
freshmen stepped up huge for us.
“This team is special.
16 wins is a school record and only two losses is probably a school record.
This team is incredible, played so hard and did everything I asked them to do.
They were always there to pick each other up and that is what this soccer
family is all about. It will be tough to say goodbye to these kids.”
4. Volleyball knocks off Miege to win regional title, takes fourth at state
ATCHISON – The
sub-state semifinal game between Louisburg and Bishop Miege had all the feels
of a state tournament match.
Partially because a
year ago, it was.
Louisburg met Miege in
the state championship match only to see the Stags send the Lady Cats to a
runner-up finish in two sets. Then three weeks ago the two teams met again, and
like before, Miege dispatched of Louisburg in two sets.
However, Bishop Miege
saw a different Louisburg team during the sub-state tournament at Atchison High
School – one they didn’t expect.
The Lady Cats came out on fire and never let up in a 25-18 and 25-22 win over Miege to end the Stags’ season. It marks the first time in at least 12 years, if not longer, that Miege will not be at the state tournament.
Since the state
tournament began in 1971, Bishop Miege has made 39 state appearances during
that time in either Class 5A or 4A and is the most in Kansas history.
“Our energy was going
to be the difference in that match, so we knew we had to bring it,” Louisburg
senior Erin Lemke said. “We knew we had the same skill set as Miege, but our
energy was what was going to pull us through there in the end. To get there, we
just had to believe in ourselves and work hard this past week to give us the
confidence that we needed.”
However, even after
pulling off a big revenge win that expended a lot of energy, the Lady Cats
still had a sub-state championship match to play against No. 2 seed Atchison.
The No. 7 seed Lady Cats took care of business as they won in straight sets,
25-12 and 25-15, at Atchison High School.
For the third straight
season, the Lady Cats were among the last four teams playing and brought home a
little hardware for their efforts. Louisburg took fourth overall after losing
its third place match to Towanda-Circle, 2-1, in October at Hutchinson Sports
Arena.
“Every season our goal
is to put ourselves in the best position to qualify for state and then to
hopefully advance to bracket play on Saturday,” Louisburg coach Jessica
Compliment said. “Leading up to state, we talked about how nothing is
guaranteed and in order to make it to bracket play, we have to show up and play
our best from the first whistle to the last whistle. If we play our game, then
hopefully the winning will take care of itself and we’d advance.
“The eight teams at
state this year were all very talented. I was happy that we qualified for the
semifinals because that put us one step closer to the championship. Even though
we didn’t reach the championship match and finished fourth, I was still very
proud of how the team played throughout the tournament.”
3. Louisburg cheer wins first state championship
The Wildcat
cheerleaders competed at the Class 4A KSHSAA Game Day Spirit Showcase
Competition on Nov. 23 at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka and came
back home with a big trophy in tow.
“I was so nervous at
the awards,” Louisburg senior Lauren Vincent said. “We were all holding hands
and had our heads down. We thought that we would get second place at best, most
likely third. We were content because we put everything out on the mat and did
the best we could. But when they called out second place and it was Augusta, we
screamed, cried, and hugged each other because we knew that we had just won.
“When our name was
called for first, we jumped up and hugged each other. Then I ran out onto the
mat and grabbed the trophy and we held it up and jumped around victoriously. It
was the best feeling in the entire world. Knowing that all of our hard work had
finally paid off was indescribable feeling of joy.”
The Louisburg
cheerleaders that competed are Lexi Pena, Lauren Vincent, Ashlyn McManigal,
Brooklyn Mitchell, Gabby Tappan, Andrea Gaza, Eleanor Willming, Jayden Trester,
Lacie Kallevig, Sammy McDaniel, Mable Graham, Anna Morrison, Bella Feikert,
Audrey Anderson, Sydney Dudzik, Kaitlyn Vest, Jolie Hendrickson, Abby Bradley
and Zoe Cutshaw. Louisburg’s head coach is Jayna Guerra.
Not only were the
Wildcats the third team to win a state title in school history, they were also
the first female squad to win a team crown as well. All the history just added
to what was a special day for the program.
“It means so much to
me and all my teammates,” Tappan said. “As someone who’s been a part of a variety
of sports my entire life, I know how hard each of our teams work to do their
very best in whatever sport they’re a part of. We are so thankful that we got
to make history for Louisburg and it is something that I can guarantee that
each and every one of us will remember it for the rest of our lives.”
2. Girls soccer
takes second at state, Conley named coach of year and Scholtz, Buffington awarded
players of year.
When it was all said and done, the Louisburg girls soccer team held its trophy high in front of the Wildcat faithful and the tears were easy to spot.
After nearly 200
minutes of soccer in a nine-hour time period, including one match that ended in
penalty kicks, the Wildcats were spent. They gave everything they had.
Frustration and
sadness was easy to see following the Wildcats’ loss to the defending state
champion, but the team realizes what they have accomplished in just four years
of existence is to be celebrated.
“Being in this
situation two years in a row is something that doesn’t happen very often,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “There are a bunch of teams that haven’t been
to a state final four and we have been to three in three years. It is pretty
cool and it is special.”
It was a wild 24 hours
for the Wildcats. Louisburg was supposed to play Hayden on Friday in the
semifinals, but severe weather forced the postponement to early Saturday
morning.
The Wildcats battled
Hayden through four overtimes and eventually led to penalty kicks. After an
intense first five penalty kicks that left the match still tied, senior goalie
Carson Buffington recorded a big save and then senior Hallie Hutsell converted
the sixth penalty kick to break the tie and give Louisburg a 2-1 win over
Hayden.
“We usually play 80 minutes, but this time we
had to play 110 minutes and we were gassed,” Conley said. “We were holding on
and had some chances at the end to win it, but then we went to overtime and
then to penalty kicks. It was all about to see if we could survive. Emotionally
it was just a high for us and an unbelievable response and a great finish.
Carson making a big save, Hallie putting it in for the win – it was just a
great game.”
In the championship match,
the Stags were just too much for the Wildcats and junior Sophia Stram provided
a big spark. Stram scored all four goals for Miege in the title game, all of
which came in the first half, and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer.
“They are just so freaking good,” Conley said. “I think the
girls were mentally ready, but I don’t think their legs were quite ready, but
we lost to one of best teams in the state of Kansas. They have great players,
they are well-coached, but our girls played their butts off.
Coming off its second
consecutive state runner-up appearance, Louisburg had some positive
repercussions from its historic season.
However, none bigger
came when the all-state teams were released by the Kansas Soccer Coaches
Association. Not only did six Wildcats earn all-state selections, but they were
honored with some of the highest awards out there.
Louisburg was also
recognized on the other side of the ball as senior Carson Buffington was named
the Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year.
“Seeing Mackenzie and
Carson recognized for their positional player of the years was fantastic,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They both had incredible years.”
The Wildcats weren’t
done, as for the second consecutive season, Conley was named as the Class 4-1A
Coach of the Year as he guided Louisburg to a 17-4 record. He also led the
Wildcats to three consecutive final four appearances.
1.4×400 boys wins state championship, Wright wins four state medals and team breaks six school records at regional meet.
Three days after
arriving in Wichita for the Kansas State Track and Field Championships, Justin
Collins, Blue Caplinger, Ben Wiedenmann and Chris Williams finally got the chance
to get on the Cessna Stadium track.
The four Wildcat
runners had the top time in Class 4A going into the 4×400-meter relay, but
weather threw a little wrench into their plans. The meet, which was supposed to
end on a Saturday, was postponed to Sunday morning and all races were judged by
times with no preliminaries.
It wasn’t the ideal
situation, but they made it work – and it worked well.
That was just one
event in what was an historic week for Louisburg track.
Louisburg freshman Delaney Wright earned four state medals, while junior teammate Carlee Gassman finished with three as the Lady Cats went on to finish 10th in the team standings. The Lady Cats earned several other medals at the state meet coming off an impressive performance at regionals.
During the Class 4A
regional meet at Paola High School, Wright qualified for state in four events,
broke two school records and earned a regional title in her first postseason
track meet.
Wright won a regional
title in the long jump and finished second in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She
also helped Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh and Sydni Keagle to a second place finish
in the 4×400-meter relay.
“I am so grateful for
everything,” Wright said. “I had been having trouble with my hip this week and
I just wanted to come out and make state in at least one event. I didn’t
realize I would make it in four. It is an unbelieveable feeling.”
As a team, the Lady Cats nearly earned the regional runner-up trophy as they racked up 86.5 points and finished a half a point behind second place Baldwin and Bishop Miege, who tied for second. Paola won the regional title with 107 points.
Missouri Southern sophomore, and Louisburg graduate, Bailey Belcher had another successful season with the Lions soccer program on and off the field.
JOPLIN, Mo. – Bailey Belcher faced
a big transition more than a year ago when she graduated from Louisburg and
joined the Missouri Southern soccer program.
As a freshman, Belcher seemed to
settle right in as she earned All-MIAA honors in her first year. It was a big
step for Belcher at the time, but several months later she faced another
transition.
Missouri Southern hired a new coach and Belcher saw a lot of new players enter the program. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect in her sophomore campaign, but she more than held her own.
Belcher earned All-MIAA honorable
mention honors for the second consecutive season at the forward position for a
Lions team that finished with a 3-14-1 record.
She led the Lions with 50 shots on
the season, 27 of which were on goal after she started all but one match in
2019. She was second on the team in points and finished the year with three
goals.
“It meant a lot to get all-conference recognition again this year and I was really happy with it,” Belcher said. “I wasn’t expecting anything this year with half the girls on the team being new and a new coach. There is a lot of transitioning that’s still in the process, but I am really grateful that I was recognized again.”
The awards didn’t stop there for
Belcher as she also earned a spot on the All-MIAA Academic Honor Roll. On top
of that, Belcher was one of 15 student athletes to be named an Academic
Excellence honoree, which goes to student-athletes that achieve a 4.0 grade
point average and had attended their current institution for at least two
terms.
Belcher, who is majoring in
biology, also qualified for the Scholar-Athlete Award after making the All-MIAA
team as an honorable mention and earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
“The academic honors makes me so
happy,” Belcher said. “I’ve put so much into school and getting all my work
done since I’ve got here, and being an athlete, makes it so much harder to stay
on top of school because of the commitment we put into soccer and everything
else we have going on in our lives.
“It’s really hard to keep up depending on how far you’ve gotten into school and I’ve made my class load pretty difficult to make sure that I graduate a year early. I’m right on track to graduate two springs from now, and as long as I keep putting in the work that I have been, I have no doubt I’ll achieve my goal.”
Conley notches 100th career victory as Wildcat head coach
Louisburg head coach Kyle Conley earned his 100th career win Tuesday in the Wildcats’ overtime victory over Tonganoxie.
Kyle Conley has been a part of
many close matches during his time as the Louisburg boys and girls head soccer
coach.
Conley has pulled out his fair
share of wins during his four years between the two programs, so it only seemed
fitting that his milestone victory would come with a little excitement.
Louisburg rallied for a 3-2 overtime win over Tonganoxie, and as a result, the Wildcats gave Conley his 100th career victory. Following the match, Conley was recognized in front of the crowd and presented with a banner from his players commemorating the special moment.
“I have been blessed with great
kids,” Conley said. “They play their tails off and they work hard, boys or
girls, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t have kids that play hard, then none of
this is possible. Having quality kids who do the things you ask and work so
hard, makes it fun to coach and positive things happen. I am really lucky to be
in Louisburg right now.”
LHS girls soccer coach Kyle Conley has had a lot of things to celebrate in four seasons, including back-to-back state runner-up finishes.
In his four years as head coach,
Conley has posted a 100-46-4 record and has helped the Wildcats to several big
time wins.
On the girls side, Conley was
named the girls’ first-ever coach when the program started in the spring of
2016. He led them to a 14-win season that first year and they reached the state
quarterfinals.
From there, the Louisburg girls
would go on to a fourth place state finish in 2017, followed by back-to-back
state runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019 – losing to Bishop Miege in the both
state championship games. Conley has also been named the Class 4-1A Coach of
the Year the last two years.
In his first season as the boys
head coach in the fall of 2016, he guided Louisburg 14-6-1 record and its first
appearance in the state final four. The Wildcats went on to finish fourth in
Class 4A, and then would reach the state quarterfinals the following year with
a 13-win campaign.
Currently, the Wildcats are 9-1-1
this season and have the best record in Class 4-3-2-1A.
As the head boys soccer coach, Kyle Conley has led the Wildcats to two regional championships and a fourth place finish at state.
“Starting the girls program and going 14-4-1 that first year and have a chance to go to state was a wonderful memory, but losing to De Soto in the quarterfinals on this field that same year kinda sticks with me,” Conley said. “You know, 100 wins is great, but I probably dwell more on those 46 losses more than I do the wins. There are so many of those games that could have went either way. When you have kids that have heart and passion, it makes it fun to coach.
“Then you have the first boys team to make a state final four in 2016 was a great one, and I will remember the team that played McPherson at home in the state quarterfinals and lost a close 2-1 game that had two shots go off the post in the final five minutes. That was a special team as well. Just honored to be able to coach all of them.”
With so many highs and lows that
teams encounter throughout a season, Conley realizes the people are what makes his
job enjoyable – not necessarily the wins.
“There are so many memories and I have
been able to coach so many good kids,” he said. “I am just blessed to be in
Louisburg and have the opportunity to interact with these student athletes and
hopefully have a positive impact on them. It is an awesome place to be.”
KSHSAA releases classifications for 2019-20 school year
The Kansas State High School Activities Association released its classifications for the 2019-20 school year, along with the football classifications for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
There were a few changes in both areas, but more so on the football side.
Football classifications are determined based on enrollment figures in ninth, 10th and 11th grade. Louisburg is still in 4A with 432 students and is toward the lower half of the classification.
Entering Class 4A beginning in the 2020 school year will be St. James Academy, Lansing and Great Bend, who have all moved down from Class 5A. Wamego also made the jump back in from Class 3A.
Goddard, Pittsburg and Spring Hill all saw their enrollment grow and will be moving up from 4A to 5A next year. Baldwin saw their enrollment decline and will move down to Class 3A in football the next two years.
In the rest of the sports, not much changed with regards to Class 4A for this year.
Enrollment figures for all grades in Louisburg this year is 573, which puts the school in the upper half of Class 4A. The biggest school is Buhler with 661 and Bishop Miege is the second biggest at 656 and Ottawa is third at 653.
Three schools will make the move up to Class 4A this year. Clay Center, Girard and Holton all saw their enrollment increase and will come back to 4A, while Osawatomie, Anderson County and Wichita-Trinity Academy will move out of 4A to 3A this year.
Frontier League sends proposal to KSHSAA to separate private schools
A big change to the Kansas High School
Activities Association (KSHSAA) postseason could be coming sooner rather than
later if a proposal, submitted by the Frontier League, passes the KSHSAA Board
of Directors and its member schools.
Last month the Frontier League,
led by Paola High School principal Jeff Hines and Louisburg superintendent Dr.
Brian Biermann, petitioned KSHSAA to separate public and private schools into
their own postseason competitions.
In order for it pass, the petition
must be signed by 20 percent of the 355 member schools according to KSHSAA
bi-laws. The Frontier League got the 71 needed petitions and have now submitted
this to appear in front of the KSHSAA Board of Directors for vote in their
Sept. 18 meeting.
The board of directors would then
have to pass it by simple majority of those in attendance to bring the proposal
to a vote from all the member schools.
“Kansas needs to catch up with
the rest of the country and get this competitive imbalance under control in our
state,” Hines said. “The longer we wait then more students will be negatively
impacted. We have a responsibility as educators to create the best
opportunities possible for our students. No one can honestly say we have
the best system possible right now. It can definitely be improved.”
The proposal submitted by the Frontier League is the same one the state of Texas uses that keeps the schools in their same classification, but only separates the schools come postseason.
Other options were discussed
before submitting the proposal, such as implementing a multiplier on all
private schools like Missouri currently does. In fact, it is the most popular
proposal among the schools that were surveyed by Hines last January.
They also talked about the “Oklahoma
model” where schools are bumped up a classification based on success for
competitive balance.
Seventy-four percent of the
schools said they would support a population multiplier, 64 percent would
support competitive balance factors and 51 percent would support separate
divisions.
However, KSHSAA would not be able
to make this change with a multiplier due to state statute K.S.A. 72-130 that
states a high school association “must establish a system of classification of
member high schools according to student attendance.”
KSHSAA would not be able to pass a
new bi-law that goes against state statute, and therefore, the Kansas State
Legislature would have reword the statue to allow the association to make those
changes.
The Frontier League believes the Texas model, or separate postseason divisions, does not deal with classifications. Also, this model had more support from 5A and 6A schools as neither classification would likely vote for a multiplier.
“We don’t view that as a classification decision as we are not affecting classification, but KSHSAA and their lawyers view that it is,” Biermann said. “5A and 6A schools that we talked to really wanted us to push for the Texas model because they don’t want to play them (private schools) either. The biggest thing for me is if 5 and 6A schools don’t want to play them, then why do we? As a superintendent, I am supposed to create opportunities for kids. We had four teams last year in both soccer teams, football and volleyball that all saw their season end to Bishop Miege. It is not right that we have kids and coaches that work their tails off and they don’t have the opportunity to win.
“Am I all about state
championships? Absolutely not. But we also know the reality of it in the
current system. Winning state championships is important for communities and is
always a goal. I am not ever going to give up on this idea and neither will the
Frontier League.”
The public versus private school
debate has been going on for the last several years and Hines has been leading
the charge since 2015 when he put together a study that displayed the disparity
of state championships won by private schools.
In 2018-19, private schools won 32
percent of the state championships in Classes 5A through 1A. There are currently
no private schools in 6A. Twenty-one of those 24 state titles were won by
private schools in Class 4A and 5A.
That is a high number considering
that out of the 355 member schools, only 27 of them are private.
The Frontier League wanted to see change, so Hines surveyed the 355 member schools late last year and presented his findings to KSHSAA in January. More than 88 percent of the schools responded, that included 22 private institutions, and 87 percent said they want the current system changed.
Although most schools said they
would support the multiplier model more, Hines and the rest of the league
schools, believe it is the best way to proceed at this time.
“Our
survey indicated that separate divisions was the least popular option among
member schools, however as a league we feel like it is the most appropriate
option,” Hines said. “A multiplier will pass through and will be our next
option if this does not go through. A multiplier will impact many private
schools that are not quasi sports academies that are not very successful in athletics. The
separate divisions avoids this situation.”
If
the proposal does pass the board of directors, KSHSAA will then put it to a
vote with all 355 member schools and it must pass by a simple majority and by
four of the six classes.
From
there, KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick would take it to the Kansas
Legislature before change could be implemented.
“We
know it won’t happen overnight,” Biermann said. “Even if this passes, nothing
will change this year and probably not the following year. It could be three
years out with the way football schedules take shape. We are honestly ok with
that if we knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel. If this would
not pass, we would turn right around and do the multiplier one.”
Despite what happens at the
upcoming board of directors meeting, Hines believes changes to the system will
happen sooner rather than later.
“I am now confident something will get done,” Hines said. “I
think it will ultimately take a multiplier to get something done. If the
separate divisions fails then we will propose a multiplier for the spring board
of directors meeting.”
A lot of obstacles are still in the way for change to happen, whether it has to deal with state statues or member votes, but none of the schools in the nine-member Frontier League are going to stop until they see a more even playing field.
“I am very proud of the Frontier League, and even though we compete against each other, we are very unified on this,” Biermann said. “It is about fairness and equality and I am tired of having my kids at Louisburg High School not having the same opportunity as some others. The throttle is down and it is going to stay down.”
Buffington named 2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year
Not many athletes had the
opportunity to experience the success Carson Buffington did during the 2018-19
school year.
Buffington found herself in two state
championship matches and was a team captain in all three seasons. The 2019
Louisburg High School graduate played at a high level in all the sports she
competed in and did so with the respect of her teammates of coaches.
Those are just a few of the reasons why Buffington was chosen as the 2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year.
The award, which is in its second
year, is to recognize an outstanding LHS student athlete. Louisburg Sports Zone
asked the head coaches at LHS to submit nominations and those nominations were
then organized and submitted back to the coaches for a vote.
The coaches then submitted their
top three choices and the number of votes were added up, which decided the
winner.
Buffington began her memorable senior
year on the volleyball court as she helped the Lady Cats to a state runner-up
finish for the second consecutive season. She was an outside hitter on the 2018
squad, which was a position she had to learn on the fly.
She spent the last two seasons as
the team’s starting setter and Buffington made the move to the front line –
which gave her team the best chance to win.
Along with her state runner-up
finish, Buffington also earned second team All-Frontier League honors and was
named to the Greater Kansas City Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-Star
match.
“Carson was a great leader again this
past season and played a vital role on the team,” Louisburg coach Jessica
Compliment said. “She handled transitioning to a new position with a lot of
grace and was bound and determined to learn the ins/outs of being a hitter,
than a setter. She previously ran our offense as the setter for two years. But
as with each new season, new players are added to the mix and the possibility
of changing positions/rosters arises.
(From left) Louisburg girls assistant soccer coach Michael Pickman, Louisburg head volleyball coach Jessica Compliment, Carson Buffington, Louisburg head girls basketball coach Shawn Lowry and Louisburg head girls soccer coach Kyle Conley
“I was very proud of how she ‘handed’ over the reins of the offense to two freshmen and how she encouraged and pushed them every day in practice. She was a great role model. Carson added a lot of emotional energy when we needed it and made huge plays at important times throughout matches.”
Buffington was also a big part of the
Lady Cat basketball team this past season, despite finishing short of a state
tournament. She earned all-league and all-state honorable mention honors after
she averaged eight points, seven rebounds and three steals per game.
She currently holds a school record with 864
career rebounds and was an all-league player for her entire four year stint
with the Louisburg basketball team.
“Carson is one of the hardest working players that I
have worked with coaching basketball, boys or girls,” Louisburg girls
basketball coach Shawn Lowry said. “She never took a day off and always led by
example. Carson was relentless as a player and was always the first one on
the floor for a loose ball. As good an athlete, she is an even better
young woman with great character, integrity, unselfishness and passion.”
Buffington might have had her most successful season,
both team-wise and individually, in the spring as the Wildcats’ starting goalkeeper
on the Louisburg girls’ soccer team.
For the second year in a row, the Wildcats were the Class 4-1A state runner-up and Buffington was a big reason why. She started all 20 games and set school records in shutouts (13), saves in a season (115), goals against average (.952) and wins (17).
With all that success, Buffington was named the
Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association.
“Carson in her first year as the starting
goalkeeper was unbelievable,” Louisburg girls soccer coach Kyle Conley said. “She
kept us in a lot of games and even won us a few. Carson is in her third year ever playing
soccer as well. She started her sophomore year and has grown so much. She is a
gifted three sport athlete and it shows in her ability to play goalkeeper. She
has a fantastic attitude and work ethic.”
Conley named 4-1A Coach of the Year; Scholtz, Buffington players of year
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley was named as the Class 4-1A Coach of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association for the second straight season.
Coming off its second consecutive
state runner-up appearance, the Louisburg girls soccer team has had some
positive repercussions recently from its historic season.
However, none bigger came last
week when the all-state teams were released by the Kansas Soccer Coaches
Association. Not only did six Wildcats earn all-state selections, but they were
honored with some of the highest awards out there.
Junior Mackenzie Scholtz was named
as the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in Class 4-1A with Bishop Miege’s Sophia
Stram after she led the Wildcats in scoring.
Louisburg was also recognized on the
other side of the ball as senior Carson Buffington was named the Class 4-1A
Goalkeeper of the Year.
“Seeing Mackenzie and Carson recognized
for their positional player of the years was fantastic,” Louisburg coach Kyle
Conley said. “They both had incredible years.”
The Wildcats weren’t done, as for the second consecutive season, Conley was named as the Class 4-1A Coach of the Year as he guided Louisburg to a 17-4 record. He also led the Wildcats to three consecutive final four appearances.
“It is a great honor to be the coach of the year for the second straight year,” Conley said. “It is extremely humbling to be recognized and voted by my peers. The part that gets left out of these awards is my assistant Michael Pickman. Without Mike, none of this is possible. He is there by my side, each and every day. He is as devoted and supporting as any friend I have. He’s a fantastic coach in his own right. Especially, what he does with our goalkeepers has been outstanding. Our goalkeepers have been exceptional since the beginning and at all levels.”
One of those goalkeeping students has been Buffington as she
took advantage of her first full season starting in net. Buffington broke a
school record with 13 shutouts, saves in a season (115), only allowed 20 goals
all season and recorded 17 wins.
Buffington’s biggest moment of the season came in the state
semifinals when she saved three Topeka-Hayden penalty kicks that helped give
Louisburg a 2-1 win over the Wildcats and a spot in the state championship.
“When I saw I was goalkeeper of the year, I was extremely
surprised,” Buffington said. “I had absolutely no idea I would get it. It is
such an honor. It feels so amazing to receive this award, but without my
defense it would’ve been impossible. I thought I had my best season yet and I
was very confident and determined. It was definitely the most fun season I’ve
ever had and I’m upset it has to be over already.”
Louisburg senior Carson Buffington was named the Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year last week.
The honor came as a surprise for Buffington as she was named a
second-team all-league goalkeeper in the Frontier League just days earlier. For
Conley, the all-state honors is what Buffington deserved.
“Carson, in her first full season, just had an impressive year,”
Conley said. “She broke and set some records that may never be touched. She
saved three big penalty kicks against Hayden for us. I have been in the game a
long time, and in penalty kick shootouts more than my fair share, and it’s
extremely rare to see a keeper at this level save three out of six. I honestly
felt with her stats she should have been first team all-league goalkeeper, but
it is what it is I guess.”
Scholtz also had a record-setting season for the Wildcat offense
as there were times during the 2019 season that she couldn’t be stopped. She
set school records for goals in a season (39), goals in a career (98), hat
tricks in a season (9), hat tricks in a career (18), points in a season (84),
points in career (235) and game-winning goals (10).
The Louisburg junior shared the award with Stram, who scored
four goals against Louisburg in the state championship game and has committed to
Saint Louis University.
“To win offensive player of the year with an SLU commit was
really amazing,” Scholtz said. “What that meant to me was it said that I played
just as hard as her and competed just as well. I felt really proud of myself
and I felt like I gave it all I had.
“I was really determined to make it back to the final four and I
was going to do whatever it took to get us there.”
Louisburg junior Mackenzie Scholtz was named the Class 4-1A Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Conley also liked what he saw from his junior forward that had a
big season in the Frontier League.
“She had an incredible year,” Conley said. “Mac broke so many
records and they were all impressive. It was truly a special season for her.”
Along with Buffington and Scholtz, the Wildcats had three other
players earn first team all-state honors. Juniors Erin Lemke and Trinity Moore
were named as a forward and midfielder, respectively, while defender Kaitlyn
Lewer was also selected to the first team.
Juniors Erin Lemke (left) and Trinity Moore were first team all-state selections.
Junior defender Avery O’Meara was also recognized for her play
in the back as she earned second team all-state honors.
“It is truly unbelievable to see so many
Louisburg Wildcats receive this tremendous honor,” Conley said. “There are 25 teams
in the classification of 4-1A girls soccer, which is roughly 500-550 kids that
could be eligible for this award and based on our win percentage, we had six
student athletes eligible to represent our school. Every one of these young
ladies truly earned this tremendous honor. Mackenzie and Carson were fantastic.
Erin and Trinity attacked and had really, really good seasons.
“Kaitlyn and Avery were so good for us defensively all season. The defensive players do not always have the eye-popping statistics, only allowing 20 goals all season and posting 13 shutouts speaks volumes what our defensive group has accomplished. These honors are absolutely so deserving for these young ladies. They deserve so much in what they have accomplished as a team in our journey this year.”
Louisburg senior Kaitlyn Lewer (left) was a first team all-state selection on defense, while junior Avery O’Meara earned a second team honor.
It is a journey that Conley knows
couldn’t have happened without the help from people throughout the community.
“These awards are fantastic, but all this comes back to the community raising all that money to start this program five years ago,” he said. “When I took the job here at Louisburg High, Mr. (Darin) Gagnebin hired me as the head coach to start the program. He told me of the challenges we will have and to always be prepared to handle anything. If the community didn’t raise all that money, none of this is possible. Over the past four years, I told the girls we are always playing for them. Everything we do is to represent our community. We do not take anything for granted. So I feel I need to do everything in my power to honor those people that raised the money, players that played in our program, and for the community members that pack the stands each and every night.
“Regardless where we go, we ALWAYS have the most fans. All those
people who go out of their way to support this team is what motivates us. As a
program, we talk about honoring those who wore the crest and those who support
the crest. Our play is how we can honor them. I could not be prouder of this
group of kids and their motivation to live up to our standard. This program
statistically has been one of the top programs over the past four years
regardless what classification you look at, but you have to keep in mind that
this is only the fourth year of our programs history. What these young ladies
have accomplished is been remarkable. I could not be more proud to be their
coach.”
Wildcats place seven on all-league girls soccer team
Louisburg juniors Mackenzie Scholtz (left) and Trinity Moore were recently named to the All-Frontier League first team. They were two of seven Wildcats selected to the all-league squad.
The Louisburg girls soccer team
had another historic season as the Wildcats advanced to the Class 4-1A state
championship match for the second year in a row and they had several key pieces
that helped them along the way.
Those pieces caught the eye of the
Frontier League coaches when they recently sat down to vote on the all-league
team. When all was said and done, the Wildcats had seven players on the
all-league squad and two first team selections.
“All-league was productive for us, but I felt we could have done
better to be quite honest,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “These awards are
only possible because of a fantastic group of girls around them. These type of
individual awards are only possible with a team.”
Juniors Mackenzie Scholtz and Trinity Moore were selected to the
first team and were two of the team’s main offensive threats. Scholtz was named
to the all-league squad as a forward and Moore as a midfielder.
Scholtz had her best season as a Wildcat as she set a school record with 39 goals on the season to go along with six assists. She also had nine hat tricks, which is also a new school record.
“Mackenzie was an absolute beast for us up top,” Conley said. “She took great strides this season and has set the bar extremely high for herself going forward. I am really excited to see what next year holds for her.”
Moore was an all-league defensive player last season, but made to the move to the outside midfield spot and handled her new position well. She finished the year with 12 goals and six assists.
“Trinity really adjusted well after a position change last year,” Conley said. “She was very explosive and attacked a lot. She has a ton of endurance and that made her very explosive attacking the outside.”
Louisburg’s second
leading scorer, Erin Lemke, was also recognized for her effort. Lemke was named
as a second team forward after she finished with 14 goals and a team-high 17
assists on the season. She was one assist away from tying a school record.
“Erin is one of the hardest working kids I
have ever coached,” Conley said. “She has only played soccer for three years
and she has grown so much. She is a handful to defend and plays with such a
high motor. She is a coach’s dream with her work ethic and how coachable she is.”
Louisburg junior Erin Lemke (left) and senior Carson Buffington were named to the all-league second team.
The Wildcats’ defense had a big presence on the all-league squad as senior Kaitlyn Lewer, sophomore Madison Quinn and senior goalie Carson Buffington were also named to the second team. Senior defender Camdyn Clark was selected as an honorable mention.
Louisburg recorded 13 shutouts on the season
and a .952 goals against average, which are both school records.
“Carson is in her third year ever playing soccer,” Conley said. “She started her sophomore year and has grown so much. She is a gifted three sport athlete and it shows in her ability to play goalkeeper. This is her first year as our starting varsity goalkeeper and she was incredible.
“Kaitlyn has been a shutdown defender for
us all season. She started at outside back, but was moved to centerback after
Camdyn got hurt. She shows up each and every day and plays as hard as she can.
She played fantastic. Madison is in her second year of playing soccer, and has
excelled at outside back. She at times might have a rare issue, but it’s only
because of her inexperience. She has a great work ethic and that happy go lucky
attitude. She played almost every minute of every game for us this season.
Sophomore Madison Quinn (left), senior Kaitlyn Lewer (middle) were named to the all-league second team and senior Camdyn Clark was selected as an honorable mention.
“Camdyn was our starting centerback, but her season was once again cut short in our game against Baldwin,” Conley continued. “She hurt her meniscus and will have surgery within the next couple weeks. She helped our team to 5 of our 11 shutouts. She was having a fantastic year until her injury. She started every game of her high school career from her freshman year until this injury. She put her heart and soul into this program and was voted by her teammates as captain the past two years. I feel she earned this nomination because of her play over the first eight games of our season.”
ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOCCER
FIRST TEAM
MIDFIELD – Caitlin Countryman, Baldwin, senior; Trinity Moore, Louisburg, junior; Mallory Smith, Spring Hill, senior
FORWARD – Anna Burnett, Baldwin, junior; Mackenzie Scholtz, Louisburg, junior; Kaylen Dawson, Spring Hill, junior
DEFENSE – Josie Boyle, Baldwin,
junior; Bianna Andrade, Piper, senior; Jalyn Stevenson, Spring Hill, sophomore
UTILITY – Kate Erpelding, Eudora,
sophomore
GOALKEEPER – Paige Ellis, Baldwin,
senior
SECOND TEAM
MIDFIELD – Kassandra Green, Bonner
Springs, senior; Ryia Richardson, Piper, sophomore; Anna Stockman, Tonganoxie,
sophomore
UTILITY – Emma Tucker, Bonner
Springs, senior; Olivia Morton, Ottawa, freshman; Riley Porter, Piper,
sophomore
GOALKEEPER – Emery Mounce, Spring
Hill, junior
2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Year nominees
For the past three years, Louisburg Sports Zone has given out Athlete of the Week awards during each of the three sports seasons. I do it to recognize special athletic achievements and to highlight the athletes.
For the second straight year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”
Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. In the next week, I will announce this year’s recipients.
Below are the nominees for this year’s award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!
Carson was a 3-time letter winner in her senior season and
was named as a team captain in volleyball, basketball and soccer.
In volleyball, Buffington earned second team All-Frontier
League honors as she helped lead the Lady Cats to a Class 4A state runner-up
performance. She also moved from her starting setter position to the outside
hitter spot and had a lot of success for the Lady Cats as she tallied 130 kills
in her new position. With all that success, Buffington was also selected to the
Greater Kansas City Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Match.
Buffington also wrapped up a strong career for the Louisburg
basketball team as she averaged eight points and seven rebounds to go along
with three steals a contest. She was named as a Frontier League honorable
mention this past season, and she also was selected as an all-state honorable
mention.
In girls soccer, Buffington was the starting goalie for Louisburg in all 20 games. She posted 13 shutouts, which is a school record and had a .952 goals against average, which is also a school record. Buffington had 90 saves on the season that ended as a Class 4-1A state runner up for the second consecutive year. For her efforts, she was also selected second team All-Frontier League. Buffington was also named first team all-state goalie and was named Goalkeeper of the Year.
ANNA DIXON – SENIOR – VOLLEYBALL
Anna wrapped up her fourth volleyball season as a varsity starter for the Lady Cats and guided Louisburg to its second consecutive Class 4A-state runner-up finish.
Dixon, who is currently with the Kansas State volleyball
team, ended her senior season with 584 kills and had a hitting percentage of
.260. She also added 325 digs, 50 aces and 42 blocks as she played all six
rotations. With those lofty numbers, Dixon earned several big time honors in
her final season.
She was selected as an All-Frontier League first team player
and was also named to the 4A State All-Tournament Team. Those honors continued
as she was named the Kansas Volleyball Coaches Association Class 4A Player of the
Year and earned a spot on KVA All-State First Team.
Following the season, Dixon was also named as an
Under-Armour All-American also earned MaxPreps/American Volleyball Coaches
Association Player of the Week honors.
ALYSE MOORE – SOPHOMORE – BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD
Alyse is a 3-sport varsity letter-winner this past year as she earned letters for the basketball, softball and track and field teams. This past spring season, Moore went to state in two different sports and became the first Wildcat athlete in recent memory to do so.
In her first season in track and field, Moore threw the
javelin for the Lady Cats and went on to become regional champion as she
eclipsed her personal best throw by almost 25 feet in just her third
competition of the season. The following week, she medaled fourth at the Class
4A state tournament with a personal best throw of 131 feet and 9 inches.
Moore was also the starting shortstop for the Lady Cats as
she helped Louisburg to its first regional championship since 2014.
During the basketball season, Moore was a starter for the
Lady Cats and averaged six points, five rebounds and three steals a game.
TRINITY MOORE – JUNIOR – CROSS COUNTRY, SOCCER
Trinity is 2-sport letter-winner for Louisburg this past
year as she had state performances in both cross country and soccer.
During the fall, Moore was the top runner on the Louisburg girls cross country team as she helped the Lady Cats to a regional runner-up finish and qualified for state as a team for the first time in school history. Moore medaled fourth at the Class 4A state meet in Wamego and currently holds the school record for the fastest time in program history. She also earned first-team All-Frontier League honors for her third place finish at the league meet.
In soccer, Moore was a starter on the Wildcat team that recently finished as the Class 4-1A state runner-up for the second consecutive year. At the midfield spot, she finished the season with 12 goals and six assists and was also named to the All-Frontier League first team.
DELANEY WRIGHT – FRESHMAN – BASKETBALL, CROSS COUNTRY, TRACK AND FIELD
Delaney is a 3-sport letter-winner as she took part in cross country, basketball and track and field and competed at the state level in two of those.
Wright found most of her success in track and field as she
earned four medals at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships
in Wichita this past month. She medaled in the long jump, 400-meter-dash,
200-meter dash and as a member of the 4×400-relay.
During the regional meet, Wright broke two school records
(long jump, 400 dash) and earned a regional and Frontier League title in the
long jump. She also earned a medal in the long jump at the Kansas Relays
earlier in the season.
In cross country, Wright was a member of the Louisburg team
that finished as a Class 4A regional runner-up and qualified for the state meet
as a team for the first time in school history. In basketball, Wright saw
playing time at the varsity level as a freshman at different points throughout
the season.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
BLUE CAPLINGER – SENIOR – BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WRESTLING
Blue is a 4-sport letter-winner in football, wrestling,
baseball and track and field and competed at the state level in two of the
sports.
In football, Caplinger was an All-Frontier League player on
both sides of the ball as he was named to the first team defense as a defensive
back and second team offense as a multi-purpose player. On defense, Caplinger,
who helped Louisburg to a 10-1 record and a regional championship, had 31
tackles from the safety spot and also had two tackles for a loss, two fumble
recoveries and an interception. Offensively, he had 544 total yards and six touchdowns.
On the wrestling mat, Caplinger was a regional champion at
170 pounds and finished his season with a 33-5 record. The Louisburg senior
fell one match short of state medal with a 2-2 record at the Class 4A state
tournament. He currently holds the school record for most career reversals (72)
and most career escapes (86). Following the season, he was also named to the
KWCA Academic All-State first team.
Caplinger split time between baseball and track and field in
the spring. Although he spent time as a reserve and pinch-runner on the
baseball team, Caplinger found a lot of success on the track.
He qualified for state as a member of two relays. Caplinger was a member of the 4×400 relay team that won the Class 4A state championship in 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Caplinger also helped the 4×100 relay to a fifth place finish and went on to garner two state medals.
Caplinger will join the Benedictine football team this fall.
AUSTIN MOORE – SENIOR – FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WRESTLING
Austin is a 3-sport letter winner in football, wrestling and
track and field and was among the state’s best in two of the sports.
Moore thrived on the football field for the Wildcats as he helped Louisburg to a 10-1 record and a regional championship. Moore was a first team All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball and was the league’s leading vote-getter. He went on to rack up all-state awards as the Louisburg senior earned Class 4A first team all-state honors as a running back from the Topeka Capital-Journal and the Kansas Football Coaches Association. Moore was also named as a Class 4A first team all-state linebacker from the Wichita Eagle.
When the season was all said and done, Moore tallied 1,554
total yards from the running back spot, including 1,428 yards on the ground,
and had 21 touchdowns before he broke his collarbone during the regional
championship game.
With those numbers, he was named the Kansas Small Class
Player of the Year by 810 Varsity and was All-Purpose Player of the Year by
Kpreps.com. Earlier this year, Moore was also named to the Kansas Shrine Bowl
roster.
On the wrestling mat, Moore missed more than half of the
season with his broken collarbone, but came back in a big way. Moore won his
first 14 matches when coming back at 220 pounds, which included a regional
championship. He went on to earn his first state medal as he finished fourth at
the Class 4A state tournament with a 3-2 record. He was also named to the KWCA
Academic All-State first team.
During the spring, he was a member of the Louisburg track and field team and threw the javelin for the Wildcats. He was also on the throwers relay that ranked Top 5 nationally at one point in the season.
Moore will join the Kansas State football team this fall.
KIEFER TUCKER – SENIOR – FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WEIGHTLIFTING
Kiefer is a 2-sport letter winner in football and track and
field and also went to state competition in two activities.
Tucker was a presence on the line of scrimmage for the
Louisburg football team as he was a first team All-Frontier League player on
both sides of the ball and helped the Wildcats to a 10-1 record and a regional
championship.
The Louisburg senior was among on the leaders on the
offensive line as he helped pave the way for more than 3,500 yards of total
offense. On defense, Tucker recorded 55 tackles from the defensive end spot,
including three tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and
a sack. Those numbers helped earn him honorable mention all-state honors and was
also named to the all-state team by the Kansas Football Coaches Association.
The honors kept coming for Tucker as he was recently selected to participate in
the Kansas Shrine Bowl.
During the winter, Tucker was a member of the Louisburg
powerlifting team and certainly made his mark there as well. Tucker won the Class
4A state championship in the 220-pound class and broke a 24-year-old record in
the bench press with a lift of 375 pounds.
In track and field, Tucker qualified for state for the first time in the discus. He finished as a regional runner-up and went on to take ninth at the Class 4A state meet in Wichita, just one spot away from earning a state medal.
Tucker will join the Emporia State football team this fall.
