Louisburg junior Erin Lemke (right) battles a Baldwin defender during the Wildcats’ April 15 home match. The Wildcats bounced back with a win over Heritage Christian on April 16.

The Louisburg girls soccer team
was in the midst of a frustrating two-game losing skid in which it saw one
missed opportunity after another.

So when the Wildcats traveled to Heritage
Christian on April 16, they took full advantage of all their chances and they
had plenty of them. Louisburg scored the first three goals and didn’t look back
in a 4-3 victory that provided the Wildcats with the positive momentum they
were looking for.

That didn’t mean it wasn’t without some drama.

Heritage Christian scored two late
goals in the match to cut the Louisburg lead to one after the Wildcats had to
change their lineup due to injuries.

“I thought for 60 or 65 minutes we played really, really well,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We passed and moved the ball pretty
well.  We were aggressive and played very hard. 

“We had several kids hurt/ sick and had to make adjustments. We
had to move kids around in the last 20 minutes or so and put kids in positions
that they usually don’t play to sort of plug holes. They scored two goals
rather quickly and we were just holding on. I think Heritage is a quality side
and it was a good win for us. It was a stressful ending, but a positive result
nonetheless.”

The Wildcats (6-3) got out to big lead early and junior Leia
Shaffer got the scoring started for Louisburg. Shaffer scored her first goal of
the season on an assist from Emma Christy to put the Wildcats up 1-0.

Junior Trinity Moore maneuvered past the Heritage defense later
in the first half and she found the back of the net to give Louisburg a 2-0
advantage and it stayed that way until halftime.

Moore added another goal early in the second half to put
Louisburg up 3-0, but Heritage Christian didn’t back down. The Chargers
followed with their first goal, before Louisburg junior Mackenzie Scholtz found
the back of the net on an assist from Moore to give Louisburg a 4-1 lead.

Heritage answered with two quick scores late in the first half,
but the Wildcats were able to hold on and snap their losing skid.

Louisburg returns to action tonight when it hosts Ottawa in a
varsity-only matchup. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m.

Wildcats fall to Baldwin, Piper

On April 15, the Louisburg girls soccer team had a chance to
hand Baldwin its first loss of the season when it hosted the Bulldogs on their
home field.

In what was an up and down match, it was Baldwin that was able
to take advantage of its chances as it gave Louisburg a 5-2 loss. Baldwin took
a two-goal lead into halftime, and despite a couple quick scores from Louisburg
in the second half, the Bulldogs kept adding onto its lead.

Baldwin scored four minutes into the contest to jump out on top
and later scored again before halftime to take the 2-0 lead.

Louisburg responded with an early second half goal from Trinity
Moore to try and give the Wildcats some momentum. Baldwin didn’t waste any time
as it scored another goal a minute later.

The Wildcats didn’t back down as Lily McDaniel scored her first
varsity goal to make it a 3-2 match, but Baldwin was able counter on several
different occasions and that led to two more Bulldog goals and Louisburg couldn’t
come back.

“We had the possession, we had more chances, but they
just counter attacked every time and just got us,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley
said. “The girls played hard and played well. We did a good job of doing what
we needed to do. We just missed our chances. We hit the post three times, had a
breakaway and their keeper barely gets to it and just nicked it away. It could
have easily went the other way, but it just didn’t this time. I think they had
like six shots on goal and they got five to go in.”

It was the same type of match
against Piper on April 11 as the Wildcats also fell on the road in a 2-0
defeat.

“We had two games like this back-to-back
with Piper too,” Conley said. “We had the better of play, better chances, had
four or five breakaways and just couldn’t get one to go. We go through these,
and it stinks to go through them right now, but it is a learning lesson and we
will get better.”

Louisburg junior Morgan Messer pulls back on the ball to beat a Eudora defender Tuesday during the Wildcats’ 7-0 victory over the Cardinals.

Coming off its first loss of the
season, the Louisburg girls soccer team made sure it didn’t turn into two
Tuesday when the Wildcats hosted Eudora.

Louisburg had four different
players score and the Wildcats took care of business in a 7-0 win over the
Cardinals. Despite being up just one goal at halftime, Louisburg dominated the
second half as it scored six times and recorded its fifth shutout in six games.

“I though the girls played well,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The first half was a little rough because we
weren’t executing or getting things done. The second half they started
executing and doing what we asked them to do. They played the ball, had some
give-and-go’s and played off each other.

“They were struggling a little early
because we had nine kids gone the last few days and it was a little tough to
get things done at practice. The second half, they executed and figured out
what I was asking them to do and they looked pretty good.”

Junior Mackenzie Scholtz got
things started for the Wildcats with a goal midway through the first half and
the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, the flood gates
opened for Louisburg as it dominated possession.

Scholtz, who finished the match
with a hat trick, scored shortly after halftime and then assisted on the Wildcats’
next goal when junior Erin Lemke found the back of the net.

The combination of Scholtz and
Lemke struck again. Midway through the second half, Scholtz took a shot on
goal, which was knocked out by the Eudora goalie, but Lemke was there for the
rebound near the net and put it away for a 4-0 advantage.

A few minutes later, Scholtz
completed her hat trick thanks to an assist from junior Morgan Messer. Junior
Trinity Moore followed with a goal of her own late in the second half.

With under a minute left, the
Wildcats sealed the win as senior Hallie Hutsell scored her first goal of the
season and the celebration was on.

“For Hallie, we just played the
ball down the middle and she was able to just beat the girl and it worked out
pretty well,” Conley said. “Hallie hasn’t had one for a while, so that was a
good to see her get one there.”

Eudora didn’t have many chances of
its own as the Louisburg defense turned away whatever runs the Cardinals tried
to make. It was also the fifth shutout for Wildcat goalie Carson Buffington on
the season.

The large second half lead allowed
Conley to move players around to different positions and give his bench players
more varsity time – something he has been able to do in several matches this
year.

It is something that he hopes pays
off in the long run on both levels of the team.

“I think we were able to get 20 kids into the game and that is great,” Conley said. “We are able to get kids in and getting them used to being out there and what to expect. I think it also helps them on the junior varsity level because the game is faster up here. I hope it pays dividends because you never know what injuries we might have later in the year. We are just trying to put kids into different spots and see what they can do.”

Louisburg (5-1) will face a tough
road test today when the Wildcats travel to Piper for a 6 p.m. match. The
Pirates are 7-1 on the season and Conley knows his team is going to have to be
ready to play.

“They have a new coach so it is
going to be vastly different from last year,” Conley said. “They are very
talented up top and on the outside and we are going to have to deal with that.
I think it is going be a really good game. They have a really talented
centerback and a solid goalkeeper, so it will be another dogfight. It should be
another great game and hopefully we will be ready to go.”

Louisburg goalie Carson Buffington comes out for save Wednesday during the Wildcats’ road contest at Spring Hill. The Wildcats fell to Spring Hill 4-2, which is their first loss of the season.

SPRING HILL – The Louisburg girls soccer
team had been unstoppable going into Wednesday’s road match with Spring Hill.

Louisburg won its first four
matches to start the season and did so by outscoring its opponents by 19 goals.
The Wildcats were on cruise control, but came up against a talented Spring Hill
squad that tested them in every facet of the game.

Although the Wildcats took an
early lead, and were in a tie match late in the contest, the Broncos used two
late goals to give Louisburg its first defeat of the season in a 4-2 loss at
Spring Hill High School.

“I thought our girls played their tails
off,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We played with a massive amount of
energy and played really hard. Spring Hill is a quality team. In fact, they one
of the best teams we will face all year. Not only were they very skilled, but
they had speed a lot of positions. The game gave us a lot to work on and things
for us to improve on. I am proud of how we competed.”

The Wildcats (4-1) got on the board first
when junior Mackenzie Scholtz received a through ball from teammate Trinity
Moore. Scholtz then beat the Bronco defense and placed the shot in the back of
the net to give Louisburg a 1-0 lead midway through the first half.

Spring Hill tied it up with three minutes
remaining before halftime and then carried that momentum into the second half
when it scored two minutes in off a corner kick to take a 2-1 advantage.

With 25 minutes left in the match, the
Wildcats evened the score when junior Erin Lemke beat the Spring Hill goalie to
the ball near the top of the box and then put away an empty-netter.

The Broncos, however, put the game away
in the final minutes. Spring Hill took the lead on a goal with six minutes
remaining and then added another four minutes later to all but seal the win.

Spring Hill controlled the possession at times, but the Wildcat defense was able to turn away several Bronco scoring attempts and goalie Carson Buffington had some big saves. It was a match that was closer than the score indicated and Conley was pleased with the effort his team showed.

“This team has a massive amount of team chemistry,” he said. “They are extremely competitive and play for each other. The girls play hard from start to finish. I was so excited with our fight and not backing down. We talked about the quote, ‘Bend, don’t break.’ Regardless if something negative or positive happens, we need to stay level headed and keep competing. The girls did just that. We made a few mistakes that Spring Hill capitalized on. We will work to clean those up and get better at practice.”

Their four-game winning streak may have
gone away, but the Wildcats accomplished a lot during that stretch and it
started with their defense.

Louisburg shut out each of its four
opponents thanks to the back five of Kaitlyn Lewer, Camdyn Clark, Madison
Quinn, Avery O’Meara and Hallie Hutsell, along with the efforts of Buffington.

“The defense was absolutely lights out so
far to start our season,” Conley said. “Even against Spring Hill, I think we
defended well and gave them shots from distance. We did a nice job of executing
our game plan. The first four games we were extremely impressive. The defense
and goalkeepers had 356 minutes and 4 seconds of shutout soccer. That’s
incredible. I am extremely happy with our defensive core and their improvement
each and every day.”

Offensively, the Wildcats also got good
production from Scholtz and she was on a goal-scoring tear during that stretch.
Scholtz scored 13 goals in her first four matches and currently has 14 for the
season.

“Mac has been on fire for us the first
five games,” Conley said. “It will be hard to imagine anyone in the state having
that many goals so far this season. She is absolutely on fire. To make that
stat even more impressive, she has been limited in minutes because the games
were so lopsided. She is off to a terrific start and is going to have a great
year.”

The Wildcats will try and get back on the
winning track Tuesday when it hosts Eudora. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m.
at the Wildcat Sports Complex.

LOUISBURG SHUTS OUT KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN

The day before Louisburg was supposed to
play its toughest match on the road against Spring Hill, the Wildcats hit the
road Tuesday to square off with Kansas City Christian.

As it turned out, it was a nice tune-up for
the Wildcats as they shut out KCC, 6-0, at Johnson County Community College.

The Wildcat offensive attack was on full
display from the get-go as they scored in the first minute on a goal from
junior Mackenzie Scholtz and never looked back. In fact, the Wildcats got four
goals from Scholtz as she recorded her fourth consecutive hat trick.

Louisburg also had a pair of goals from
junior Erin Lemke and assists from junior Trinity Moore, sophomore Olivia Barber
and freshman Reese Johnson. It was as an all-around strong performance from the
Wildcat offense.

“We came out slow in the previous week
against Bonner Springs, so we focused a lot on being ready to play,” Louisburg
coach Kyle Conley said. “The moment the girls got off the bus the girls were
ready. We come out and had some great combination play and scored in the first
30 seconds of the game. Our girls played extremely hard and aggressive.

“I was really pleased with how well we
worked and battled. We played very well and did a fantastic job limiting dangerous
opportunities. We got the opportunity to get a lot of people in the game and get
some reps. It was nice because those kids work so hard in practice to get their
chance to get some varsity time.”

The defense was also a strong point for
the Wildcats as senior goalie Carson Buffington earned her fourth consecutive
shutout and the back line of Kaitlyn Lewer, Camdyn Clark and Madison Quinn
helped limit the chances.

Louisburg junior Mackenzie Scholtz scored three goals Wednesday in the Wildcats’ 5-0 win over Tonganoxie in Louisburg.

It may just be a little more than
a week into its season, but the Louisburg girls soccer team couldn’t have asked
for a better start.

The Wildcats picked up two wins
this week, including a 5-0 shutout of Tonganoxie on Wednesday in Louisburg, and
have played dominant soccer in its first three games. Louisburg has outscored
its opponents, 13-0, to begin the year and the defending state runner-ups have
yet to be tested.

Louisburg (3-0) dominated
possession against Tonganoxie in what was its second game in as many days. The Wildcats
had several chances on goal, and when the Chieftains tried to push up the
field, the Louisburg defense was there to turn it away.

It was a balanced effort from the Wildcats as it was a match that saw several players get into the game and get some varsity experience.

“The girls played hard,” Louisburg
coach Kyle Conley said. “To be quite honest, I think for the first 40 minutes
we were just going through the motions. We just talked to the girls about
playing our game, and Tonganoxie played a little different by putting five
girls in the back and three kids in the middle to take away how we play.

“We were solid, but we just needed to move the ball a little better and I think we did fine. It was a good night to get everyone in and get good reps for everyone. When we played our game, it was much cleaner so that was good to see.”

Junior Mackenzie Scholtz continued
her scoring tear against the Chieftains as she scored the game’s first three
goals and gave the Wildcats a 3-0 halftime lead. It was the third consecutive
hat trick of the season for Scholtz and she currently has nine goals on the
year.

Trinity Moore got into the scoring
action in the second half. Moore, who was also celebrating a birthday
Wednesday, gave herself a couple nice presents.

The Louisburg junior took a shot
toward the goal that bounced over the goalie’s head and rolled just across the
line to put Wildcats up 4-0. About 30 seconds later, Moore struck again with
another goal and all but sealed the win for Louisburg.

Several Wildcats had good looks at
the goal, including junior Erin Lemke, who had a nice through ball to Schultz
in the first half that led one of her three goals.

The Wildcats also had to make some
adjustments throughout the game as the Chieftains played several players back
to try and limit the Louisburg runs. It might have slowed them down a little,
but the Wildcats figured it out.

“The best part is the progression that we made,” Conley said. “We constantly kept moving and we were problem solving and changing formations a little bit in the midfield. We made some different runs because of what Tonganoxie took away and it was good to see the girls learning and adapting to how it is being played. We had a bunch of good looks at the end and we got to play a bunch of kids. The girls just played hard and had great attitudes.”

Defensively, the Wildcats also
played well in their limited opportunities as Carson Buffington had her third
shutout of the season, while seniors Kaitlyn Lewer, Camdyn Clark and sophomore
Madison Quinn didn’t let much through in the back.

Louisburg will have back-to-back games again next week when it travels to Kansas City Christian on Tuesday and then will go to Frontier League power Spring Hill on Wednesday.

“The girls are doing a good job,”
Conley said. “Getting three wins early is a good thing, but we just have to
keep progressing. Next week is going to be tough. Kansas City Christian is
really good and Spring Hill is really, really good. We are going to have our
work cut out for us and we are going to have to do that playing back-to-back
games.

“We just have to be ready to go.
KCC plays a tough schedule and Spring Hill has a bunch of studs on their team.
We will see what we are made of. The girls have done a good job so far and we
have executed the way we are supposed to. I think we can be a pretty tough team
to play.”

LOUISBURG SHUTS OUT BONNER SPRINGS

Louisburg hit the road for the
first time Tuesday when the Wildcats traveled to Bonner Springs and the time
away from home didn’t seem to bother them.

The Wildcats got three goals from
junior Mackenzie Scholtz as Louisburg pulled away for a 3-0 victory.

“The girls played their butts off,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said.
“Bonner came out with a massive amount of energy and played very hard. We
struggled for the first 15 minutes or so. We might have been a little sluggish
with a week off since our first game. We knew we needed to match their
intensity and I think we did a good job of doing so.”

Scholtz didn’t have much of a problem finding the back of the
net as she added a hat trick and she also got some help with that as sophomore
Olivia Barber assisted on two of those goals.

Defensively, the Wildcats also shined as Bonner Springs had few
chances on goal and Louisburg was able to control the possession.

“We changed our formations at halftime that really limited their attack and allowed us to press them more and force more turnovers,” Conley said. “Yeah the girls played their hearts out and all played very hard. I was extremely happy we handled the changes throughout the game. Our back line played very, very well. I’m very pleased with the way this team is progressing so far.”

Junior Trinity Moore beats a Harmon player to a 50-50 ball Thursday during the Wildcats’ season opener in Louisburg. The Wildcats defeated Harmon, 5-0.

It may be a new season for the
Louisburg girls soccer team, but they looked like the same Wildcats that found
their way to the state title game a year ago.

Even with a few different pieces,
Louisburg was able to jump on Harmon from the start during Thursday’s season
opener and the Wildcats came away with 5-0 shutout on their home pitch.

It was the start of a long journey
for Louisburg, but the Wildcats took a step forward – albeit a small one – in starting
off their season with a win.

“It was good,” Louisburg coach
Kyle Conley said. “We played a lot of kids in a lot of different spots and they
came and played hard. I think we dominated the game and Harmon might have had
one shot, if that. The kids did what we asked them to do, but we still have
plenty to work on this week in practice.”

The Wildcats (1-0) were able to
get off to a good start thanks to the feet of junior Mackenzie Scholtz. The
Louisburg forward recorded a hat trick in her first time out and those three
goals helped ease what nerves there were to begin the match.

Scholtz scored two of those goals in the first 11 minutes of action to help give the Wildcats the momentum they were looking for. With three minutes left in the first half, Scholtz completed the hat trick as she converted a penalty kick to put Louisburg up 3-0 at halftime.

“She did a good job,” Conley said of Scholtz. “She was moving a little bit and we have put her in more of a leadership role to do a little bit more talking and coaching out there. Mackenzie knows, and has been in the program long enough, that she knows the expectations and she can help relate that to the younger players. I think it was a good first game for her.”

Louisburg continued putting
pressure on Harmon in the second half and were awarded another penalty kick
when freshman midfielder Reese Johnson was tripped up in the box. Johnson took
the kick and found the back of the net for her first varsity goal to put the
Wildcats up 4-0.

The Wildcats sealed the win late
in the second half when junior Trinity Moore hit a shot from just outside of
the box and it curled into the net for the final goal.

As well as the offense played at times, the Wildcat defense also played well in its limited chances. The back line of Camdyn Clark, Kaitlyn Lewer and Madison Quinn didn’t let many balls get through and goalie Carson Buffington protected the net for the shutout.

The Louisburg midfield controlled
possession, in what was a physical game between the two teams, and were able to
get several good looks at the goal. The big lead also allowed several players
to see the field and get some experience on the varsity level.

“The best part is that this game
allowed them to figure out what they are supposed to do and where they are
supposed to be,” Conley said. “That helped quite a bit. I think we actually
played better later in the game, but we just scored goals quick and were able
to get out to a lead. We struggled at first to figure out where our runs are
supposed to be, but then we settled down and did what we were supposed to do.

“It was good to get all the kids some minutes and get them some time on the varsity level and get their feet wet. It was a good first game and I think the girls learned some things, but we have a lot of work to do still.”

Louisburg will try to make it two
wins in a row Tuesday when it travels to Bonner Springs for its first road
match of the season. Varsity is set to begin at 6 p.m. The Wildcats will return
home Thursday for a matchup with Tonganoxie.

Louisburg junior Mackenzie Scholtz led the Wildcat girls soccer team in scoring last season with 32 goals and hopes to do the same this year. Scholtz and the Wildcats open their season Tuesday at home against Harmon.

Entering its fourth year of existence, the Louisburg girls soccer team has already set a high bar for itself.

The Wildcats advanced to the state semifinals in back-to-back seasons, and they made it to the championship match last year against Bishop Miege and finished as a state runner-up. Despite all that success, there are a couple things Louisburg has yet to accomplish.

Other than a state championship,
the Wildcats have yet to garner that allusive Frontier League title and that is
their first of many aspirations as they enter the 2019 season.

“We have our team goals, but this year we
want to focus on competing for a league title,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley
said. “We were close in the past, but unfortunately not close enough. We play
in one of the best 4A soccer leagues in Kansas and it is always a tough test
each and every night. We have our work cut out for us, but this team is capable
of being special as long as they continue to play for each other.”

Louisburg has a good opportunity to do that, even though the Frontier League has added three new schools to its slate. The Wildcats return a bulk of their players from their state team a year ago as they try to make a run at a league crown.

The team may feature a little different look, however, as it will have to replace the program’s all-time leading scorer in Bailey Belcher. Belcher was a big part of the Wildcats’ success as she controlled the middle of the field and drew a lot of attention from opposing defenses.

“Losing Bailey is going to leave some big
shoes to fill,” Conley said. “In our existence as a program, she is the most
decorated player we have ever had. We understand what she meant to this team
and program, but we have some girls ready to step up and play their game. It
will be fun to watch this team grow and mature. I think this team could
potentially be more dangerous offensively that we were last year.”

A big reason for that optimism is forward
Mackenzie Scholtz. The Louisburg junior had a big season up top for the
Wildcats as she led the team with 32 goals on the year and had 15 assists in 21
games. She was also a first team all-league and all-state player and Conley
believes she is poised to have another big season.

“Mac has had a fantastic first two years
in our program,” Conley said. “She has set the bar incredibly high for herself.
I think this year, she will truly show what kind of player she is. She has
worked hard to get stronger in the off-season and it has shown with her play
throughout out our preseason. She will be able to show everyone what type of
player she truly is and I think she is ready for that challenge.”

As dangerous as the Wildcats appear to be
up top, they are pretty balanced across the pitch, including with their back
line.

Seniors Kaitlyn Lewer and Camdyn Clark return to anchor the Louisburg defense as both players earned all-league honors a year ago and Lewer was a second-team all-state player. Junior Skylar Bowman, senior Julianne Finley and sophomore Madison Quinn also figure to see time in the back.

Junior Hannah Straub, who started last
season, will have to miss time due to injury to start the season, but Conley
hopes to have her back later in the year.

In the midfield, junior Erin Lemke will
help lead that spot as she was second team all-state and all-league selection a
season ago. Lemke had 12 goals last season and five assists and is one of the
team’s top returning scorers.

Seniors Leia Shaffer and Hallie Hutsell,
juniors Trinity Moore, Haley Cain, Avery O’Meara, Morgan Messer and sophomore
Olivia Barber also figure to see a lot of time in the midfield as several
players started or saw a lot of varsity action in 2018. Moore, who was an
all-league player on defense last year, will see more action in the middle.

“This group of girls are returning a lot
of senior and junior experience, with some talented underclassmen sprinkled in,”
Conley said. “With all the injuries we faced last year, a lot of players got an
opportunity to get their feet wet. This year, they will get their shot. A lot of these girls have been
starting since they joined our program. It is important we show what type of
team we are and let these girls create their own impact on our program.

“I think our midfield will be pretty solid as well as our
experienced defense. It will be interesting to see when it’s all said and down
which group stands out the best. If these groups push each other like I know
they can at practice this group is going to be a lot of fun to watch.”

The Wildcats will have a new look in goal this year as senior Carson Buffington takes over for a three-year starter in Shay Whiting. Buffington did see some varsity time last season and Conley is excited to see what his new goalie can do on a full-time basis.

“Carson will have some big shoes to fill
this season, but I think she is more than capable,” he said. “She got some
starts last year and showed what we can expect from her. She has grown so much
since playing soccer for the first time as a sophomore. Her work ethic is
second to none. We have high expectations for her this season, because of those
factors.”

Louisburg will begin the 2019 season
Tuesday when it hosts Harmon for a 6 p.m. matchup. That is when the Wildcats
begin their journey to what they hope is another state semifinal berth, but
they also realize it gets more and more difficult every year.

“I think whenever you have such a historic run like that girls
have the past two years you need to appreciate it and reflect on it, but this
is a new season,” Conley said. “No one is going to fear us, and everyone is
going to be prepared for us. For a lot of the schools we play, we will be their
biggest game. The girls need to be prepared for everyone’s best shot day in and
day out.

“We have talked a lot about living in the moment and making the
most of our opportunities. This group of girls have a great opportunity to do
something special, but it’s on them. They need to be mentally ready for a long
season and prepared to deal with any adversity that might be thrown at them.”

It was a successful, and eventful, 2018 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 to Louisburg.

Below are the Top 10 stories from 2018, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.

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 2019 to begin. Looking forward to it!

10. Dillon medals at state golf for second straight year

EMPORIA – All season,
Calvin Dillon had been atop or near the front of leaderboard and that didn’t
change in what was his biggest tournament of the season.

The Louisburg High School sophomore went up against the state’s best during the Class 4A state golf tournament on May 19 at the Emporia Municipal Course and did more than old his own. Dillon earned a state medal as he finished 11^thoverall with a 3-over par 74.

It was the second consecutive state medal for Dillon
after he finished 10^th overall last season at
Wamego as a freshman.

“It is a real honor
to earn another state medal, especially with the quality players that were at
the state tournament,” Dillon said. “There were lots of good players and lots
of good teams.”

It
was another notch on Dillon’s list of accomplishments that included a Frontier
League title and six straight tournament victories during the 2018 season.

• 

• 

9. Conley, Ebenstein named Class 4A Coach of the Year

Louisburg
girls soccer coach Kyle Conley and Wildcat football coach Robert Ebenstein both
led their respective teams to special seasons.

Those seasons were special enough for both coaches to earn two big awards.

Conley was rewarded for all his hard work in June when it was announced that he was named as the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association’s Girls Coach of the Year for Class 4-1A.

He guided the Wildcats to a 14-7 record and a spot in the
state championship match, where the Lady Cats finished second overall. The
finish was something to remember for Wildcat fans as that was accomplished in
just the program’s third year of existence.

He has posted a
41-18-2 record during his time as the Wildcat girls head coach and also guided
the Louisburg boys soccer team to its best finish in program history in 2017
with a fourth place finish at state.

As for Ebenstein, he
guided the Wildcats to 10 straight victories and a regional championship to
start the 2018 season, before getting knocked out in the sectional round
against eventual state champion, Bishop Miege.

Following the season, the Kansas Football Coaches Association named Ebenstein as the Class 4A Coach of the Year. Ebenstein, who is just in his second season as head coach, has a 16-4 record with the Wildcats as he guided his team to a Frontier League championship this year.

8.
Holtzen finishes Louisburg career with 12 varsity letters

Once Isabelle Holtzen
received her diploma and walked out of Louisburg High School for the last time
as a student, she officially became one of the most decorated female athletes
in school history.

No, she doesn’t have any individual state championships, or even
one as part of a team. Holtzen’s decorations aren’t ones in the form of
trophies or all-state honors, but instead, they can be found on the front of
her letter jacket.

Holtzen became the first female athlete in at least 20 years to earn 12 varsity letters, which means she lettered on the varsity level in three sports in each of her four years of high school.

In research done by Louisburg Sports Zone, it was unable to find
the last athlete to accomplish the feat, which could mean Holtzen could be the
first Lady Cat to do so. She competed in cross country, basketball and track
and field

The last athlete to come close was in 2001 when Krystal Bowes
earned 10 varsity letters before moving on to a collegiate track career at
Wichita State.

“The biggest thing that it means to me is to just have an
opportunity to participate in three sports at a school like Louisburg,” Holtzen
said. “The bigger the school that you go to, the harder it is to play multiple
sports at the varsity level and I think Louisburg is unique in that fact. The
best part of this whole journey was I think my freshman year because there was
no pressure and no one was expecting anything from me. It was surprising and
exciting to be able to letter in all three sports.”

Holtzen is currently at
Northern Iowa, where she received a scholarship to pole vault for the Panther
Track and Field Team.

7.
Dixon earns All-American, Player of the Year honors, signs with Kansas State

Louisburg
senior Anna Dixon led the Lady Cat volleyball program all season and she was recognized
for her play on the court.

Dixon was named to the Under Armour Volleyball All-American team as she received a spot on the honorable mention squad when the list was released in November.

Dixon, the 6-foot-3 outside hitter, was recently named the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Kansas Volleyball Association, and along with that was also selected to the all-state first team.

It was the second year in a row Dixon was named player of the
year, as she had to share the honor last season with Rose Hill’s Gracie Van
Driel.

The honors certainly didn’t stop there as Dixon was
all named to the All-Frontier League first team as she helped guide the Lady
Cats to an undefeated league season.

Dixon led the Lady Cats in kills with 584 in 105 sets
played. She also finished with 325 digs, as she played all six rotations and
also had 50 aces and 42 blocks.

In her four years with the program, Dixon finished
with 2,003 kills, which would place that total among the best the school has
ever seen.

All that success resulted in a dream come true for Dixon as she made it official last November when she signed to play volleyball at Kansas State.

“I have always known Kansas State was going to be my
home,” Dixon said. “Even since I committed as a sophomore, I always wanted to
go up to Manhattan and see the girls and spend time with the team. K-State is where
I need to be.”

6. Louisburg wrestling sends six to state, Holtzen
earns first state medal

SALINA – As the final
whistle sounded in his blood round match, Cade Holtzen looked up into the
rafters of the Tony’s Pizza Events Center and smiled.

He had finally reached
his goal.

Holtzen defeated Columbus’ Gabe Porter by a 6-0 decision Saturday during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships in Salina and secured his state medal.

“It is one of the best
feelings that I have had in my life,” Holtzen said. “Just knowing that I’m
going to place – you just can’t match that with anything else.”

It certainly wasn’t
easy for the Louisburg freshman as he faced a win or go home with nothing
scenario heading into his match with Porter. Holtzen pulled out the victory and
eventually finished sixth overall at 113 pounds to give Louisburg a state
medalist for the third consecutive season.

“It is pretty cool,”
he said. “I have been working for this all season, so to get a state medal is
great. It may not have been as high as I wanted, but any state medal is pretty
amazing.”

Holtzen had a special
year for the Wildcats as he finished with a 45-6 record and broke the school
record for most wins in a single season. He won four different tournaments and
was a Frontier League and regional tournament runner-up.

To add to his resume,
he became only the second freshman in school history to earn state medal –
second to only Austin Hood, who would go on to with three state titles.

Austin Moore finished
one victory shy of earning his first state medal, while Ryan Adams, Thad
Hendrix and Blue Caplinger also picked up wins at the state tournament.

5. Moore, Johnson
finished in top 10 at state cross country, girls qualify for second straight
year

WAMEGO – It was going
to be hard for the Louisburg High School girls cross country team to duplicate
its magical season of 2017.

Not only did the Lady Cats qualify their team for state for the
first time in program history, but they also had a top five finisher in Trinity
Moore.

Fast forward to 2018, Louisburg wasn’t able to match that successful
run – the Lady Cats took it a step further.

Moore, along with freshman Reese Johnson, each had a top 10 finish during the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships at Wamego Country Club, and it is the first time in school history that two female runners had medaled at a state meet. Louisburg added on to that as the girls finished fifth in the team standings with 154 points, which is also the highest finish in school history.

Moore, who finished
fifth at state a year ago, bested her performance by one place as she took
fourth with one of her better performances of the season. Johnson was right
behind her as she crossed the finish line in sixth.

Shaylor Whitham, Carlee Gassman, Kaitlyn Lewer, Delaney Wright and Kennady Wilkerson were also members of the Lady Cats’ team to run at state. Emily Williams was a member of the regional team that finished second overall.

4. Louisburg track
earns six state medals, Gassman state runner-up in 300 hurdles

WICHITA – Carlee Gassman had broken the Louisburg High School 300-meter hurdle record three different times in 2018 prior to the state track meet.

She picked the perfect time to make it a fourth.

Gassman broke her own school record in the 300 hurdles in May at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships in Wichita as she ran a time of 45.68 seconds to earn a silver medal as she was the Wildcats’ top performer on the weekend. Andale’s Abby Smarsh, who is a senior, won the event in 44.73.

It was the Louisburg sophomore’s first time competing at the
Kansas meet as she transferred in from Iowa last year, where she qualified for
the state meet there in the 400 hurdles.

Gassman’s medal in the 300 hurdles was just one of six the
Wildcats were able to bring home following the two-day meet. Those six medals
were the most Louisburg has earned since 2011, when the Wildcats combined to
medal in 10 events and the boys won their first team state title.

The 300 hurdles wasn’t the only event Gassman found success in
as she also medaled in the long jump. Gassman, who hadn’t competed in the event
prior to this year, finished fifth with a mark of 17 feet, 0.25 inches.

Isabelle Holtzen
would go on to finish sixth in the pole vault, the boys 4×400 team of Chris
Williams, Blue Caplinger, Ben Wiedenmann and Justin Collins went on to take
seventh. Williams finished eighth in the 400-meter run and Trent Martin medaled
eighth in the boys pole vault.

3. Louisburg
volleyball takes runner-up at state for second straight season

HUTCHINSON – The
feeling was much of the same.

The pride of finishing as a state-runner up was a popular one
among the members of the Louisburg volleyball team. At the same time, the
frustration of taking second in state in back-to-back seasons was just as
prevalent.

Louisburg wasn’t quite sure what to feel following its 25-13 and 25-14 loss to Bishop Miege in the championship game of the Class 4A state tournament Saturday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.

In 2017, the Lady
Cats fell to Rose Hill by two points in the championship match, and fast
forward to the present, they were in the same spot – holding the state
runner-up trophy. It was the 15^th time in
program history that Louisburg finished in the top four at state.

The Lady Cats rattled off four straight wins to start
the tournament, including knocking off No. 1 seed Independence, and defending
state champions Rose Hill and Topeka Hayden. Louisburg then battled back to
defeat Andale in the state semifinals.

“The loss was tough,”
Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “To come so close to a state title two
years in a row, only to come up short is tough. But with that being said, it is
a huge accomplishment for this team to get back to the state championship and
make it two years in a row. Finishing second is nothing to hang our heads on.
Last year’s finish fueled the fire for the team this year, and I challenged the
returning players to use this loss and feeling to fuel them for next year.”

Louisburg has been
one of the more dominant teams in Class 4A in the last decade as the Lady Cats
have made the state tournament seven out of the last nine years and have
finished as a state runner-up on three different occasions, along with several
third and fourth place finishes. They finished 2018 with a 36-9 record.

2. Louisburg girls
soccer advances to title game, has best finish in program history

NORTH NEWTON – The obstacle
seemed insurmountable – and it was.

The Louisburg High School girls soccer team found itself in the
Class 4-1A state championship match in the program’s third year of existence,
but if they wanted to take it another step further, the Wildcats were going to
have to knock the defending state champion of its perch.

Unfortunately, Bishop Miege wasn’t about to be moved.

In a state title game that was played in the sweltering heat in late May at Bethel College, the Wildcats couldn’t stay with the Stags in a 5-0 defeat. It was the third consecutive title for Bishop Miege, while Louisburg earned a state plaque for the first time in its short history.

It was special season for the Wildcats as the night before they knocked off Topeka Hayden, 1-0, in the state semifinals to secure the program’s first state plaque. In 2017, Louisburg both games in its state tournament appearance and finished fourth.

The road to this state
championship appearance has been an interesting one for the Wildcats. More than
three years ago, a group of Louisburg parents and citizens raised enough money
to begin the girls soccer program and fund it for three years.

Louisburg was in the final year of that funding, and while the
program isn’t going away, the team realized they needed to play for more than
themselves.

“We played for the community tonight,” Louisburg senior Bailey Belcher
said after the Hayden win. “We have to remember that when they raised money for
this program, it was just through this year, so I think we owed it to them to
play well. I really think it might have helped with how we played and I think
it was one of the best games we played all season.”

“It is a third-year program
with 41 wins, three regional championships, two state final fours and now a
state runner-up,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said after the title game. “We
just have kids who come in and work their butt off. They are not soft, they
aren’t weak and from top to bottom they are going to work hard.

“We worked hard, but we just played Miege. That is one of the
best teams in the state, and that stinks, but our kids played hard, worked
their tail off and it was a great year. We had people criticize us for how we
got there, but we won games and that really motivated the kids. It got them
fired up to go do something bigger than themselves. I couldn’t be more proud of
they stuck together and what they accomplished.”

1. Football wins 10 straight, takes Frontier League title and regional championship

It had been almost two
months since Louisburg and Piper squared off on the football field in what was
one of the more entertaining games on the Wildcats’ schedule.

Back in early
September, Louisburg left Piper High School with a seven-point win – a victory
that would help propel them to a Frontier League championship and a perfect
regular season.

The two teams squared
off again and the stakes were a bit higher. The game, at least for Louisburg
anyway, was even more exciting.

The Wildcats dominated action from the opening kickoff and never looked back in a 48-0 win over the Pirates. In the process, Louisburg won the school’s first regional championship since 2016 and are off to a 10-0 start for the first time since 2010.

Louisburg advanced to the sectional round where it fell to eventual state champion Bishop Miege, 55-21, and finished its season with a 10-1 record.

It was as season
marked with special moments, including a 28-7 victory over then-undefeated
Paola late in the year to secure a league title.

“Being 10-0 and then having
that first loss of the season was very disappointing,” Louisburg coach Robert
Ebenstein said. “Losing always sucks, but losing in the playoffs and having to
wait until next August is the worst.  At the end of the day, Miege is a
very good team and we did some good things. We got them to fourth down on
multiple drives in the first quarter, we just couldn’t make the plays on
those big downs. Then we got behind a little and started pressing.

“Overall it was a great year.
I am very proud of our guys and excited for them that they were able to get
double digit wins for only the third time since 2000, and there was a
lot of really good football played during that time period. It was a lot
fun to be a part of.”

With all that success, honors
started to roll in for its players as running backs Austin Moore and Blue
Caplinger, along with linemen Brayden White and Kiefer Tucker all earned
all-state honors.

Moore and White went on to be
semifinalists for the Simone Awards and Moore was also selected to participate
in the Kansas Shrine Bowl in the summer of 2019. Ebenstein was also named as
coach of the year by the football coaches association.

Most recently, Moore was
named the Kansas Small-Class Player of the Year and Running Back of the Year by
810varsity.com, while White was named the Small-Class Lineman of the Year.
Ebenstein was also named Kansas Small-Class Coach of the Year by 810 Varsity.

Missouri Southern freshman, and Louisburg graduate, Bailey Belcher had a big season for the Lions as she led the team in five statistical categories. For that, Belcher was recognized on the All-MIAA honorable mention team.

 

JOPLIN, Mo. – In her three seasons with the Louisburg High School girls soccer team, Bailey Belcher could score some goals.

She scored a lot of them on her way to a program record 90 goals for her career as a midfielder. Belcher hasn’t slowed down much as she has taken on a new challenge in college.

Belcher, who is a freshman for the Missouri Southern women’s soccer program, was named to the All-MIAA honorable mention team as a forward as she helped the Lions to a 7-8-3 record in a difficult MIAA schedule.

“I was extremely surprised and I wasn’t expecting any type of honors, especially because it is my freshman year,” Belcher said. “Still, it is really exciting.”

The 2018 Louisburg graduate moved from her midfield spot in high school to the forward position for Missouri Southern. Belcher took the new role head on as she led the Lions in points (13), goals (6), shots (43), shots on goal (24) and game-winners (3).

Belcher also finished in the top 10 in three MIAA categories to wrap up what was a successful season. As rewarding as it was, it took Belcher a little time to get adjusted to the college game.

“I feel like my season went really well, especially coming in as a freshman where I wasn’t expecting very much playing time at all,” Belcher said. “But my constant hard work helped get me time on the field. My transition was a little difficult at first, just because I went from play in the middle to up top. Not being able to drop down very much, and making certain runs was an adjustment, but I caught on pretty quick.”

Belcher was a key cog for the Lady Cat soccer team in her three years with the program, including the team’s state runner-up finish last season. Along with her 90 goals, she also finished with 30 assists, 210 points, 21 game-winning shots, 16 hat tricks and 278 shots on goal.

She earned first-team All-Frontier League and all-state honors all three years. Belcher was also named to the United Soccer Coaches 2018 All Central Region Team.

Walking into Scott Hinkle’s office, it doesn’t appear he started a new job two weeks ago.

The moving boxes are mostly gone. His desk is organized with everything in its place, along with a calendar crammed full of upcoming events.

Hinkle is not shy to tell people about his love for the Boston Red Sox. Sitting on one wall are two older chairs from Fenway Park, along other memorabilia.

The one thing that Hinkle hasn’t caught up on is his efforts to get some purple gear. An avid Kansas Jayhawk fan, he hasn’t had need to purchase any purple flair in the past. Seems like that will change shortly as he was hired as the new activities director and assistant principal at Louisburg High School earlier this summer.

“I have been a Jayhawk fan all my life,” Hinkle said. “It will be a little weird to wear purple that is for sure, but I am sure I will get used to it. Before I left my old job, people found out where I was going so they started giving me little gifts with purple on it, like markers and stuff like that. They definitely got a kick out of that.”

Hinkle takes over for Jeremy Holloway, who was promoted to principal at LHS and becomes the third activities director in as many years to take over that spot.

“My wife has family in Kansas City and I have family in Wichita and so we were looking to come this way,” Hinkle said. “I had a couple friends that told me that the Louisburg position had opened up. I had heard of Louisburg a long time ago. I actually coached at Ottawa University in the early 90s and was familiar with the area. I came up, interviewed and here I am. It has obviously worked out well.

“Everyone has been so helpful and friendly and it is a good time to be coming to Louisburg. I am excited to be here.”

Before taking the job in Louisburg, Hinkle had spent the last 22 years in the Liberal school district in a variety of roles. He served as the boys high school basketball coach, along with nine years as an activities director, a year as the head girls basketball coach at the local community college and last year he served as assistant principal at the high school.

Hinkle graduated from Valley Center High School, and went on from there to earn his bachelor’s degree from Friends University, where he played basketball, and his master’s from the University of Kansas.

Basketball has always been a passion for Hinkle, but during his time as activities director at Liberal, he had a chance to learn the life of other sports as well.

“Liberal changed a lot from when I first got there in the mid 90s when they were a football and track powerhouse,” Hinkle said. “There were just athletes galore, but the culture kind of changed. We were really good in soccer and decent in track and volleyball. We still had good kids and good athletes, but it was a big transition as far as sports go when I first got there. My kids grew up there and being involved and being able to watch their events was something that has always appealed to me.

“Basketball has always been in my blood. Other than my nine years as athletic director, I have coached in some capacity and I am a big basketball fan. Obviously, being an athletic director I am just a big sports fan in general.”

Still new in town, Hinkle is still trying to get to know his coaching staff, but he is excited about the situation he is walking into with the Wildcats finishing as state runner-ups in volleyball and girls soccer last season. Several cross country, golf, wrestling and track athletes also earned state medals.

However, if there is one thing he wanted to relay to everyone is that he wants to give his coaches the freedom to run their programs.

“I want to let the coaches, coach,” he said. “I am not going to be the guy that says this is how we did things in Liberal and I am not that type of leader. If it comes to the point where they need some advice, I want to be a resource for them. I don’t want to be someone that is looking for something.

“I have met a few of the coaches. I have let them know that I am here if they need anything. I have stopped by the weight room to speak to a few coaches and some have stopped by to introduce themselves. I am still learning names and faces. We have a coaches meeting on the 10^th and I will see and learn a lot more about them then.”

With all the success the Wildcats had last season in the sports arena, Hinkle is happy to be a part of the LHS family and is learning new things about the town every day.

“I have heard all types of things,” he said. “I have heard they take football pretty seriously here. I know they were state runner-up in volleyball and girls soccer last year and that is an exciting thing to walk into. I think expectations are obviously high in those sports, but I think everyone always has high expectations. I am not going to do anything different than normal and I am just going to sit back and observe for a while and take it all in.”

Hinkle will experience some different things along with his new position. This season, the Frontier League will welcome three new teams – Bonner Springs, Piper and Tonganoxie – and will say goodbye to De Soto.

Another big change will be the postseason formats with several sports as the Kansas State High School Activities Association reshuffled their classification system, eliminating Class 4A-Division II.

“With the changes in the league, the classification system and being a new AD, it is probably a good time to be coming on,” Hinkle said. “The learning curve is going to be the same for all of us.

“I walked into a good situation for scheduling because (Holloway) already had everything all taken care of,” he said. “I think the dynamics of the league are going to change. Liberal’s former girls basketball coach is the coach at Piper and I know a little bit about them. As far as the programs and rivalries, that is something that is going to come with time.”

Even with all the changes in his life – moving, starting a new job, getting to know new faces – Hinkle is ready for what lies ahead and the staff at Louisburg has helped with that transition.

“It has been a whirlwind and it has been information overload,” he said. “It is a lot of the same things I did in Liberal as athletic director, I just haven’t done it for the last five years. Being an assistant principal at Liberal last year, I think, helped me prepare for the principal side.

“People have just gone out of their way to be helpful. From the administration to the custodial staff to the secretaries, everyone has been super helpful. When I was out around town, people have welcomed me and it has been a friendly feel everywhere I have been.”

Senior goalie Carson Buffington goes through a drill with assistant coach Michael Pickman during the Wildcats’ week-long team camp that ended on June 15. 

 

Two weeks after advancing to the state title game, and finishing its 2018 season with a state runner-up trophy, the Louisburg High School girls soccer team was back to work.

After a little time to relax and celebrate their accomplishments, the Wildcats came back focused for their team camp that started on June 11 in an effort to do what it takes to end their season with a win in 2019.

“It is quick, but ultimately their bodies need to shut down for a little bit,” Louisburg head coach Kyle Conley said. “We gave them about a week off, but the last couple of years we started the first day that we could. I think their heads are right though. Last season, we got a little bit unfocused, weren’t as dedicated as we could be and that was frustrating. We are starting from the top down and refocusing our dedication and why we are here.”

Focus was a big emphasis for Conley in his week-long camp as he tried to get his team to reach even higher goals. Along with the camp, the players will have weight sessions throughout the summer in an effort to get in better shape.

Conley had 28 players out for camp, and even with some players out of town, he believes he has just the right numbers.

Going into next season, Conley sees anywhere from 8 to 10 new players joining the team and that is where summer workouts provided an added benefit.

“This week really helps a lot with the new ladies that we have coming in to give them an idea of what to expect and what it is going to be like,” Conley said. “That way when we get into the season, they will know what to do and we don’t have to spend as much time teaching and can get more work done.

“It is a lot of the same fundamentals. We are going to institute some new stuff, but our girls are a creature of habit. They like doing things that they are comfortable with, at the same time we need to stretch them out of their comfort zone a little bit. The first three days were a lot of the same stuff we’ve done, but we did some new stuff and introduced some new formations. The main thing is we just want them to be focused and be prepared.”

It is also a good possibility that the Wildcats will use different formations next season due to the departures of four seniors to graduation, including the program’s all-time leading scorer in Bailey Belcher, and all-league players in Shay Whiting and Savannah Reinhart.

“It is going to take a lot of work to get back to where we want to be,” Conley said. “We are going to have to replace a lot of offense with Bailey leaving, the stability that Savannah put up on the side, Shay in goal and Avery (Barber) providing depth in the back. We only lose four, but it is going to look quite a bit different. We are going to move some kids around and try them in new spots. We need to make it to where we are not so easy to scout. All these kids are coachable and hopefully we can fill those voids as best we can.”

Earning a spot in the state championship game gave the Wildcats a lot of confidence heading into the offseason, especially considering they did it in just the program’s third year of existence.

Still, the Wildcats faced a lot of up and downs in 2018 and Conley hopes to eliminate the roller coaster ride for next season.

“I think it was the expectation for us when we were coming into last season was to play for a state championship,” he said. “When we got fourth two seasons back, we had a lot of offense coming back and I though on paper that our team should be better. I thought second place is where we deserved to finish, but that whole season was just a roller coaster. We weren’t consistent and that is on me. That is what we are talking about here is being mentally prepared, being a team leader and a good example.”