ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE GIRLS SOCCER

First team

Mikayla Smith, Spring Hill, senior

Tarah Phongsavath, De Soto, junior

Bailey Belcher, Louisburg, sophomore

Tanith Beal, De Soto, junior

Bailey Billings, De Soto, senior

Hailey Jones, Spring Hill, senior

Madison Plake, De Soto, junior

Maddie McDaniel, Louisburg, senior

Rylee Bergh, Louisburg, senior

Erica Petry, Baldwin, senior

Goalie: Taylor Rogers, De Soto, sophomore

Second team

Alyssa Hargrove, De Soto, junior

Madisen Simpson, Louisburg, junior

Emily Girrens, Spring Hill, senior

Sara Watson, Spring Hill, sophomore

Carmen Rush, De Soto, junior

Caitlin Countryman, Baldwin, freshman

Madeline Keleher, De Soto, senior

Georgia Wilde, Louisburg, sophomore

Isabel Tiller, Baldwin, freshman

Camdyn Clark, Louisburg, freshman

Goalie: Shay Whiting, Louisburg, sophomore

Honorable mention

Olivia Young, De Soto, senior

Amanda Wray, Ottawa, sophomore

Izzie Ford, Louisburg, sophomore

Megann Lawrenz, Baldwin, senior

Lilly Scott, Louisburg, senior

Chloe Brown, Ottawa, senior

Goalie: Mallory Fredricks, Ottawa, senior

Louisburg senior Rylee Bergh tries to beat a De Soto defender for a 50-50 ball during the Wildcats’ state quarterfinal match May 24 in Louisburg. The Wildcats came up short against De Soto in a 3-1 loss, but finished their season with a 14-4-1 record.

Following the final buzzer, this year’s version of the Louisburg High School girls soccer team huddled together for the final time.

Some players had tears in their eyes, others left the field with their heads down. Their journey was over.

Their inaugural season was complete after a 3-1 loss to De Soto in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinal round on May 24 in Louisburg. It wasn’t the way they wanted to see their season come to a close.

“It is going to sting for a while,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “Ultimately, though, there is only one team that isn’t crying at the end of the year.”

De Soto, which split with Louisburg this season, came out on a mission and scored three goals in the first 25 minutes of the match and the Wildcats quickly found themselves in a big hole.

The Wildcats weren’t the same team that beat De Soto two weeks prior and it took them a little while to get into a rhythm.

“The first 20 minutes or so we just played scared,” Conley said. “Unfortunately, that 20 minutes determined the game. It stinks because we have played so hard and free all year. Maybe it is my fault for meeting with them before the game and talking with them more about this than any of the others, I don’t know. We just played nervous, afraid and played not to make mistakes instead of playing free.”

Georgia Wilde tries to console teammate Bailey Belcher (4) while Maddie McDaniel (right) tries to do the same to Madisen Simpson following the Wildcats’ loss on May 24 in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals.

With every De Soto goal, however, the Wildcats played a little looser and it finally ended up with a goal of their own.

A minute following De Soto’s third goal, Louisburg answered. Sophomore Bailey Belcher took a shot on goal – the shot bounced off the goalie and junior Lilly Cook was there for the rebound and cut the De Soto lead to 3-1.

The Wildcats had a couple other shots on goal late in the first half to creep even closer, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

“After that first 20 minutes it was a back and forth game,” Conley said. “It really wasn’t dominated by either team. It wasn’t pretty soccer, but it was what it was and almost got another one at the end of the half and would have made the second half much different.

Senior Lilly Scott clears the ball away from a De Soto player on May 24 in Louisburg.

“We just had some mistakes early when they scored and there was no cover help like we have been preaching the last couple weeks. We weren’t as united as we have been in the back. You will have games like that throughout the year, but when you have a game like that against De Soto, you have to play well to beat them and unfortunately those things came back and got us.”

The loss also meant the team had to say goodbye to its three seniors. Midfielders Maddie McDaniel and Lilly Scott, along with defender Rylee Bergh as all three suited up for the Wildcats for the final time. The team also said farewell to manager Leslie Damian.

“Losing our three seniors is going to be difficult to replace,” Conley said. “They are good kids who work their butts off and leadership wise other kids are going to follow what they do. They don’t have to lead by voice that often, they lead by example and that is the best kind. It is great to have a vocal leader, but if you can lead by example and be that example every time, it just sets the tone for everyone else.

“Maddie had a nagging ankle injury for half the season and Lilly has had quad problems the last three weeks. There isn’t any fussing and not a lot of whining, it is just working hard and doing their job and carrying the team. They busted their butts and never played soft. Rylee kept us in a lot of games in the back and was just all over the place. Maddie got a lot of assists and Lilly helped distribute the ball out of the back which is huge. A lot of the times she was the girl before the assist and that opened up a lot of things. They all did very well academically and are going to further their education. Leslie was awesome too being the manager and team mom. When Mama Leslie talked, the team listened.”

The Wildcats shattered everyone’s expectations for the first-year program as it racked up a 14-4-1 record and captured a regional title. It was a special season for everyone involved and increased interest in girls soccer in Louisburg.

There were no baby steps in the program’s infancy. Instead, the Wildcats took one big giant step forward and are ready to get off the ground and take another one after a little stumble.

Still, the Wildcats know putting together a season like this one could be difficult to duplicate.

“I don’t know if a season like this is going to be repeated because it is going to be tough to do,” Conley said. “With 4A what it is, and the team’s you run into at regionals, it is tough to accomplish what these girls have done. We aren’t going to sneak up on anyone now. They are going to look at the schedule and say ‘Oh, look there is Louisburg, a first-year team.’ There were some teams that didn’t take us very seriously and we outworked them. That is not going to happen next year.”

The Louisburg High School soccer gathers on the field to celebrate Thursday’s regional championship win over Basehor-Linwood on Thursday. In just their first year in program history, Louisburg has posted a 14-3-1 record and is one win away from the state tournament.

Two months ago, 24 players got off the bus for the first time nervously anticipating history.

The butterflies in their stomach wouldn’t settle down and they didn’t know what to expect. That night in March at Harmon High School, the group of Louisburg High School girls soccer players were about to become something bigger than themselves – they were becoming a team.

It was a new frontier for the players, along with coaches Kyle Conley and Michael Pickman. Neither had been a part of a new program before as they embarked on trying to form a group of girls – some who haven’t played soccer in several years – into a cohesive unit.

After the Louisburg community helped raise nearly $40,000 to help fund the team, no one on the Wildcat roster wanted to let anyone down. They wanted to make everyone proud, but with that, comes a sense of anxiousness.

The Wildcats came together to win their season opener 2-0 over Harmon and the entire team breathed a collective sigh of relief. That night gave Louisburg the confidence is was looking for.

As it turned out, the players had nothing to worry about. Fast forward to the present and the Wildcats have put together a record no one in the program could have ever imagined in its first season.

Louisburg racked up 13 more wins since that night at Harmon and just captured a regional title with a 3-1 victory over Basehor-Linwood on Thursday. The Wildcats are also currently ranked No. 4 in Class 4-1A.

“I don’t think you can ever envision a new program winning a regional title,” Conley said. “We don’t have a bunch of super club kids and we aren’t a school that gets a bunch of kids to come in every year, but these kids work so hard. We may not be the most skilled teams at times, but we play with so much passion and heart.”

That they do.

This is my first go-round at covering a team in its infancy stages, but I can’t imagine many programs can boast about the start this group of Louisburg players is having. Before the season, Conley was hoping his team could reach the .500 mark – which still would have been a great stepping stone.

Senior Lilly Scott gets ready to pass off to teammate Savannah Reinhart during Thursday’s regional title game.

Instead, Conley and the Wildcats decided to take the elevator to the top floor. There apparently was no reason to stop in the middle.

Louisburg used the leadership of seniors Maddie McDaniel, Lilly Scott and Rylee Bergh to help form the team early in the season and the underclassmen have responded.

Sophomore Bailey Belcher is on a frantic scoring pace as she is sitting at 33 goals for the season, which would probably be a record in many long-standing programs, but Belcher keeps making Louisburg history with every goal.

Then there is Shay Whiting. The Louisburg sophomore had never played goalie before this season, but it hasn’t shown. Whiting has eight shutouts on the season and has emerged as one of the best goalies in the Frontier League.

Louisburg goalie Shay Whiting dives on ball to prevent a goal Thursday.

Whiting has done this being vastly undersized, but what she lacks in size she makes up with tenacity.

“She is a bulldog,” Conley said of Whiting. “She has great instincts, her reaction time is pretty solid and her footwork isn’t bad. She is undersized, so she has to fight that. She just plays hard and doesn’t want to let anything in. If it is going to hit her, she doesn’t care. She is going to break a ball one of these times because she is going to stand there, wear it and eat it up.

“Shay is a smart kid, she learns quickly and she figures it out. Her and Sarah (Wilson) both know what is expected and both work their butts off. Shay has played well all year but Sarah has been right there with her to push her. She has the right attitude and I am really proud of her.”

Although they have been major cogs in the Wildcats’ success, the most astounding thing is Louisburg is winning with a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores. They have all played their roles and done them well.

Those underclassmen have come through with game-winning goals, big stops on defense and have been there to pick each other up.

Yes, this group of Wildcats is quite the story. In just two short months, interest in girls soccer has taken off and more and more people are coming out to see what they are all about.

“Every one of them is playing so hard right now and I don’t think they want to let each other down,” Conley said. “That is awesome. We have avoided any drama and we are playing for each other. We are playing for everyone that comes to watch us, we are playing for this community and for all the girls that want to play high school soccer because now they have this opportunity.

“The girls are embracing that responsibility and they are going to run with it. We are a dangerous team because of it, because we are playing for everyone but ourselves.”

Louisburg hopes that run continues with a win Tuesday against De Soto in the state quarterfinals. The Wildcats defeated then-state ranked De Soto earlier this month in a dramatic come-from-behind win – a victory that put the rest of the league, and state on notice.

These girls are no fluke.

‘It just shows that we can work to get what we want,” Belcher said. “Granted, nobody expected us to be here but we want to go to state and this is what we are going to do.”

Even with a loss Tuesday, this team has nothing to hang their head about. Louisburg has overcome the odds in its first season to become something no one could have fathomed.

They have already won.

Louisburg senior Maddie McDaniel holds up the Class 4-1A regional championship trophy following Thursday’s 3-1 victory over Basehor-Linwood at Wildcat Sports Complex. The Wildcats will play De Soto at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Louisburg during the state quarterfinal match.

As the final buzzer sounded, members of the Louisburg girls soccer team rushed to each other in the middle of the field at the Wildcat Sports Complex. It was a sense of euphoria.

The Wildcats had every reason to be excited.

Louisburg – a program that has been in existence for all of two months – won its first regional title in program history Thursday after it ousted Basehor-Linwood in a 3-1 victory during the regional championship game. Needless to say those type of accomplishments for a first-year program don’t happen every day.

In fact, it rarely happens.

“It is like we won everything,” sophomore goalie Shay Whiting said. “This is our first year and it has never been done before. Even if we have been playing for years and years, it is still a big accomplishment. I couldn’t be happier right now.”

The Louisburg girls soccer team poses with their regional championship trophy Thursday following its 3-1 victory over Basehor-Linwood.

The Wildcats (14-3-1) seemed to have the contest in control from the start as they scored a pair of goals in the first 30 minutes to take a two-goal lead. Just like in several other games this season, sophomore Bailey Belcher got things going for Louisburg.

Two minutes into the contest, Belcher dribbled past the Basehor defense and took a shot at the corner of the net to put it past the Bobcat goalie.

With 13 minutes left in the first half, it was a freshman who gave Louisburg a little breathing room. Hayli Detherage had an opportunity in the box and took advantage with a goal to put the Wildcats up 2-0. It was the perfect time for Detherage to get her first varsity goal.

“For her to get her first goal in such a big game like this was so awesome to see,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “I couldn’t be happier for her and all her hard work has paid off.”

Louisburg freshman Hayli Detherage gets some congratulations from her teammates following her first varsity goal in the first half.

From there, it was Basehor that started to increase the pressure on the Wildcat defense. The Bobcats, who outshot the Wildcats 9-8 on shots on goal, started putting some heat on Whiting.

It didn’t work early as Whiting made two diving saves on a flurry of shots to turn away what appeared was going to be a Basehor goal.

Basehor eventually cracked the Wildcat defense with five minutes left in the first to cut the lead in half, but Louisburg still clung to a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Early in the second half, Basehor continued to be on the offensive as it put together two corner kick opportunities and Whiting turned away both. Even when the Bobcats were able to get a ball past the Whiting, the Wildcat defense was there.

The Bobcats took a shot on Whiting, who was coming out of the goal, and it hit off the Louisburg goalie and rolled to the goal. However, senior Rylee Bergh charged toward the goal and kicked it away just before it crossed the line.

Louisburg’s back line of Bergh, Georgia Wilde, Camdyn Clark, Madisen Simpson, Kaitlyn Lewer and Lilly Scott bent, but didn’t break.

Louisburg senior Rylee Bergh heads the ball away Thursday against Basehor-Linwood.

“Defensively, we were sound enough,” Conley said. “We had some moments where we had some lapses, but that is going to happen. The kids just played so freaking hard and it is awesome. We are just playing with house money right now. No one, not even us, expected to be in this spot. Everyone said we wouldn’t be here, so why not see what happens and keep playing with passion and keep playing with heart and we will just sort it out later.”

Although the Wildcat defense didn’t break, it was Belcher who shattered the Bobcats’ spirit with 20 minutes left in the game. Belcher received a pass from Simpson as she took it around the right side and shot it when she was almost even with the goal and hit it in the far corner of the net.

“I was just trying to get it over the goalie, but to be honest I don’t know how I did it,” Belcher said. “I am just so happy. I was hoping for this but I can’t say that I expected it. Everyone kind of came into this game saying it is going to be really close, which it was. I was worried for a little bit there but it turned out OK.”

Louisburg could have had more than three goals as sophomores Savannah Reinhart and Isabella Ford, along with junior Lily Cook and senior Maddie McDaniel all had decent looks at different points throughout the game.

Louisburg sophomore Isabella Ford tries to head the ball into the goal before the Basehor goalie can stop it.

However, it was Belcher’s final goal that left the Louisburg sideline in a frenzy.

“There was not a lot of angle there,” Conley said. “I try to preach to all of them, but especially her, which is to aim at the far post. With girls soccer, goalies unfortunately they don’t have the explosion that a boys team will have, so if you chip it to the back side anything can happen. We like to go to that back stick a lot. Dadgum if that thing didn’t just go in. I am sure I looked like an idiot jumping up and down on the sideline, but it is worth it.”

The Wildcat sideline will be in more of a frenzy if they get another win Tuesday. Louisburg will host De Soto in a state quarterfinal match at 4 p.m.

Louisburg upset De Soto earlier this month as it scored two goals in the final 20 minutes to get a 2-1 win, and the two teams have split on the year. Conley knows De Soto will want to avenge its loss as both teams will have a lot to play for.

“(De Soto) is the program you want to emulate,” Conley said. “They play the right way, they have the right attitude and have the right tenacity. From 1 to 11, they are just quality players. It is going to have to be our work ethic against their skill and use our skill and just play hard. Anything can happen. We have proven that once so I think that gives us a little confidence that it can happen again.

“At the same time, they are going to have a little chip on their shoulder and they are going to come out fired up. It is on us to do our job and execute and anything can happen. I expect a well-played and physical game. I guarantee you that they think we stole it from them, so we just have to go earn it and show them that we are here. It is going to be a really good game.”

Louisburg rolls Ottawa

To get to the regional championship game, Louisburg first had to get past Ottawa and it did so in impressive fashion last Tuesday.

The Wildcats scored six first half goals on their way to a 9-0 victory over the Cyclones in Louisburg on what was a rain-soaked field.

The conditions didn’t seem to slow Bailey Belcher as she recorded a hat trick in the first half and finished with a season-high five goals for the game. Belcher was just one of several players to rack up stats.

Savannah Reinhart scored a pair of goals and also had a pair of assists. Isabella Ford finished with two goals and Maddie McDaniel recorded three assists on the day. Lily Cook also added an assist, while goalie Shay Whiting recorded her eighth shutout of the season.

Louisburg seniors (from left) Maddie McDaniel, Lilly Scott, Rylee Bergh and manager Leslie Damian were honored during senior night ceremony following the the Wildcats’ game with Spring Hill on Thursday in Louisburg. 

Maddie McDaniel, Lilly Scott and Rylee Bergh were 20 minutes away from having a senior night to remember.

The Louisburg girls soccer team held a one goal lead over Spring Hill on Thursday in the Wildcats’ regular season finale – one of just two teams to beat the Wildcats all season. With a win would come a spot as the regional’s No. 1 seed and an outside shot at a Frontier League title.

Louisburg had its chance for redemption, but the No. 4-ranked Wildcats couldn’t quite hang on. Spring Hill scored two goals in the final 20 minutes to end Louisburg’s hope for revenge and the Wildcats fell 3-2 in Louisburg.

“I thought we played well enough to win,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We struggled at the start of the game and the start of the second half. We got pushed back and struggled to get our formation set. I felt overall the girls played a decent game, but we really struggled to find feet. It was almost like we tried to play too quick.

“I think we played well enough to win, but just couldn’t quite make the most of our chances. We gave them shots, but they were from distance. That was part of the game plan to limit their quality scoring chances and I felt we did an excellent job at that.”

Senior Lilly Scott (right) clears the ball out of the back during Thursday’s game in Louisburg.

It was a disappointing loss for the three Wildcat seniors as they were honored, along with manager Leslie Damian, during senior night ceremonies following the game. The four were the first senior class to come through the LHS girls soccer program and Thursday’s loss left some mixed emotions.

“It is really an honor because you will be known as the first senior class to have left the girls soccer team and it’s also kind of sad because we only got to play for one year,” McDaniel said. “The game was a good fight between both teams and we gave them a run for their money and had the lead. I think we got too cocky and let them go and that’s when they took it from us, but other than that we had a great game overall. Everyone played great and I was so very proud of everyone and it was sure an emotional game for me.”

The Wildcats found themselves down early as Spring Hill’s Mikayla Smith found the back of the net in the 11^th minute to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead. Smith was the focus of the Wildcat defense and made for a difficult matchup.

“Smith is a stud,” Conley said. “She is as good as you will see at this level. We preached how essential it is to contain them and stand them up. Unfortunately we couldn’t quite get that done, but it was a great match up that will help us from regionals.”

The deficit didn’t seem to bother Louisburg much.

Nine minutes later, it was a pair of sophomores that helped the Wildcats get back in the game on senior night. Izzie Ford crossed the ball to Bailey Belcher in the box and Belcher put the shot away to tie the match and it stayed that way until early in the second half.

Belcher continued her torrid scoring pace as she gave Louisburg the lead with 26 minutes left in the match. She lined up for a free kick from 30 yards out and her high-arching shot sailed over the outstretched arms of the Spring Hill goalie and found the back of the net.

“Bailey has been playing really well lately,” Conley said. “She has been able to get a lot of good chances and finish them. That was a nice free kick. It gave us a shot in the arm and we picked our pace up.”

Five minutes later, Spring Hill evened things up with a goal from Shelby Dawson. Smith then put Spring Hill ahead for good on a goal with 15 minutes left in the match.

Even with the loss, Conley realizes this is a special senior class in many aspects and one he is going to miss once the season is complete.

“This group is going to be tough to replace,” he said. “They are a great group that leads and challenges their teammates each and every day. They played their heart out and did so much to set the bar so high from the start of this program. I could not have asked for a better group of seniors. They are going to be greatly missed and hard to replace. I could not be more proud of them.”

Louisburg sophomore Georgia Wilde wins a 50-50 ball Thursday against Spring Hill.

The season has been special for everyone involved as the Wildcats accumulated a 12-3-1 record on the year and held the No. 4 ranking in Class 4-1A. Those results exceeded expectations many in the program had for themselves.

Two months ago, Louisburg was getting ready to compete in its first game. Now, the Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the Northeast regional with hopes of state tournament aspirations.

“Being a newly created team, the expectations were to win a few games and just get better throughout the season, but being 12-3-1 is better than I could have ever imagined we would be,” Scott said. “A lot of hard work had been put in to get us where we are now. I’m really excited to start the postseason. We get the chance to continue playing as a team for a few more games and to face opponents we have played before, but might not have played well against earlier. I feel like we have a shot at a regional title and hopefully we do well at districts and eventually be on our way to state to battle for a title.”

The Wildcats host Ottawa (2-14) at 4 p.m. today in the first round of the regional tournament. Should Louisburg win, it will play No. 7 Basehor-Linwood for the regional title at 4:30 p.m. in Louisburg.

Louisburg’s junior varsity ended its season on a strong note as it defeated Spring Hill 4-0 to end its season with a 10-2-1 record.

The Wildcats got a unassisted goals from Camdyn Clark and Savannah Reinhart. Leia Shaffer scored on an assist from Hallie Hutsell and Quincy Rice scored on an assist from Reinhart.

Louisburg freshman Hayli Detherage dribbles past at Baldwin opponent during Tuesday’s match in Louisburg. The Wildcats shutout Baldwin 4-0 to get their seventh consecutive win and are now 12-2-1 on the season.

All it took was one minute to put the Louisburg girls soccer team in prime position for its seventh victory in a row.

The Wildcats never let up after that.

Louisburg scored two goals in the opening minute and eventually pulled away for a 4-0 victory over Baldwin on Tuesday in Louisburg. It marked the second win in as many days as it defeated Ottawa on Monday.

The two wins catapulted the Wildcats to a 12-2-1 record on the season and they have locked up one of the top two seeds in the regional tournament next week.

“We played well for the most part, especially playing the day before and that is always something that is unknown,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “With our limited numbers it makes it really hard to do so because it is so easy to get run down. Fatigue-wise we have 24 kids trying to play two games and we had a couple injuries hit again because of the physicality of the game, which is fine. It is the time of the year where you just have to suck it up and be tough.”

The Wildcats have certainly played tough in recent weeks as they have won seven consecutive games and haven’t lost since April 14. That loss, ironically, comes against the Lady Cats’ next foe, Spring Hill.

Louisburg hosts the Broncos on Thursday for senior night after falling to them 3-2 last month. The Wildcats have been on quite a tear since. They have jumped to the No. 4 team in Class 4-1A in the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association rankings and No. 3 in the latest KPI rankings.

Junior Lily Cook (left) and sophomore Savannah Reinhart celebrate following a goal from Cook during Tuesday’s game in Louisburg.

“The girls are focused and they know what is going on,” Conley said. “They are just playing well. We are pretty fired up. With social media and the parents getting a little more excited, people started to pay attention a little bit more, which is kinda cool. We have just been preaching the whole time that you have to stay level-headed no matter how bad or good it gets. You can’t get too high or too low, otherwise it will fall apart one way or another.

“Credit to them, they have done a heck of a job staying level-headed and they enjoy it. They are ready to work and they want more and they know more is there to be had. It is awesome and a lot of fun right now.”

Focus wasn’t a problem for Louisburg against Baldwin as it opened the game with a goal 30 seconds into the contest. Sophomore Bailey Belcher took the open space, beat two Baldwin defenders and took a shot from the top of the box that sailed over the Baldwin goalie’s head for the 1-0 lead.

Thirty seconds later, the Wildcats struck again.

Junior Lily Cook, off an assist from Belcher, found the back of the net to put the Wildcats up 2-0 and they were well on their way to another win.

Toward the end of the first half, Belcher struck again. Junior Madisen Simpson placed the ball over the Baldwin defense and caught Belcher in stride, as she beat the goalie on a 1-on-1 opportunity.

With 22 minutes left in the second half, the Wildcats sealed the win with their final goal. Sophomore Savannah Reinhart made her way toward the goal and took a shot, which rebounded off the Baldwin goalie and Cook was there to put it away.

“It was a good start for us,” Conley said. “Unfortunately for Baldwin that is the way it has been for them lately. They have had a tough go of it with their starts so we knew we could get on them early. They are a much better team than what their record shows and they are really well coached and play the right way.

“It was big for us and I think we got a little comfortable, maybe too comfortable, because they started coming at us and we stopped playing so hard. We both played (Monday) knowing that fatigue was going to set in for somebody, especially with the heat. It was definitely a nice win.”

Junior Madisen Simpson heads the ball away Tuesday against Baldwin.

Louisburg’s defense held Baldwin to just four shots on goal and sophomore goalie Shay Whiting picked up her seventh shutout of the season.

Rylee Bergh, Georgia Wilde, Camdyn Clark, Lilly Scott, Simpson, Bryn O’Meara and Kaitlyn Lewer provided the Wildcats with strong back line.

“In our first game against Baldwin we only gave up three shots and one was because of a foul and the other was a penalty kick,” Conley said. “We knew our defense was sound and that we were going to hold up well. We just needed to make sure we were covered up tight because they play a very direct style.”

The junior varsity picked up another win with a pair of second half goals. Wilde broke a scoreless tie in the second half and then Cook followed up with a goal on an assist from Peyton Shaffer.

Sophomore goalie Sarah Wilson recorded the shutout.

Wildcats breeze past Ottawa

OTTAWA – The question wasn’t whether the Lousiburg girls soccer team would beat Ottawa, but a matter of how long it would take.

Louisburg took it to the Cyclones early and never looked back in the 10-0 victory Monday in Ottawa. The Wildcats scored eight goals in the first half and added two more in the second before the game was called early in the second half due to the mercy rule.

“The girls did a good job handling a different playing style than we are used to seeing and poor field conditions,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The girls played a direct game and were focused. I think it allowed us to work on some things that helped us against Baldwin. They girls played a nice game, but we focused on improving our communication on the field. I think that carried over against Baldwin very nicely.”

Sophomore Bailey Belcher recorded a hat trick in the first half for Louisburg and finished the game with a season-high four goals. Senior Maddie McDaniel and sophomore Savannah Reinhart each had a pair of goals and McDaniel also had an assist.

Freshman Camdyn Clark and sophomore Isabella Ford each added a goal, while freshman Hayli Detherage and senior Lilly Scott each recorded an assist.

It was Ford who got the scoring started early in the first half in her first game back after sitting out with an injury for five weeks. Ford was among the team leaders in goals scored before her injury.

“It was nice to get some kids back that were sidelined with some lingering injuries and to have Izzie back,” Conley said. “She was a little rusty, but you could see that her thought process was in the right place. She knew what she wanted to do with the ball as she received it, so that is always a good sign.”

Sophomore Bailey Belcher heads the ball away from a De Soto player Tuesday in Louisburg. Belcher and the Wildcats knocked off No. 3-ranked De Soto 2-1 to give Louisburg its fifth consecutive win. 

If you look at the rankings, the history and the fact the Louisburg girls soccer team is in its first year of the program, the Wildcats were right where they were supposed to be.

Louisburg was down a goal to No. 3-ranked De Soto late in the second half Tuesday in Louisburg – an admirable place to be all things considered. Coming into the match, De Soto was undefeated in Frontier League action and it is a team that has been to the state tournament two of the last three years.

Everything pointed to De Soto coming to Louisburg and getting a win.

It didn’t happen.

Louisburg kept attacking and broke through for two late goals to upset De Soto 2-1 and give the Wildcats their biggest win in the program’s brief history. It was also the Wildcats’ fifth consecutive victory.

“The game was like a roller coaster,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It was back and forth and had plenty of action. I feel we played pretty decent in the first half with a decent amount of

Louisburg sophomore Savannah Reinhart shields a De Soto player from the ball Tuesday in Louisburg. Reinhart scored the game-winning goal with five minutes left in the match.

pressure. The start of the second half we had no energy and I was worried playing Baldwin the night before might have caught up with us, but the girls just pushed forward and kept playing hard.

“After their goal, we started to push more and play way more direct. It was a great game to be part of and words cannot describe this team’s moxie and heart. They are truly playing for this town and community.”

Following the win, the Wildcats also took a big leap in the KPI rankings. According the rankings, which were released Thursday, Louisburg jumped up to the No. 1 spot in De Soto’s goal midway through the second half certainly seemed to spark the Wildcats. Louisburg, which had a couple shots on goal in the first half, went on the attack in the final minutes of the match.

Sophomore Bailey Belcher got the ball with some space, raced down the sideline and beat her defender. Belcher’s shot toward the far post went in and tied the match.

“That goal gave us the big boost in the arm we were looking for and we were alive,” Conley said.

Louisburg junior Bryn O’Meara clears the ball out of the back Tuesday against De Soto.

The Wildcats (10-2-1) weren’t done.

With five minutes left in the match, junior Lily Cook got a through-ball from the midfield and had a 2-on-1 situation with sophomore teammate Savannah Reinhart. The De Soto goalie was caught out of position and Cook passed the ball off to Reinhart who had a clear look at the net for the game-winner.

“That was exactly what we have been working on in practice and it was fantastic to see it happen in a game,” Conley said.

Louisburg’s defense also limited De Soto’s shots on goal as it played with a bend but don’t break attitude. Sophomore goalie Shay Whiting had a handful of saves, while the defensive backfield didn’t give De Soto good looks at the goal.

“Our goal was not to give them uncontested shots,” Conley said. “We wanted to stand them up and contain them and I feel we did a pretty nice job of that. If we didn’t remain disciplined then it would have led to a lot of chances for them. I was happy with the way our entire team played defensively.”

With three games left in the regular season, the Wildcats have put themselves in prime position for a good seeding come postseason play. Add momentum onto the record and Louisburg seems to be playing its best at the right time.

“Beating a team like De Soto gives us a ton of confidence,” Conley said. “They are extremely talented and are one of the best teams we will play all year. They are actually a program with a rich tradition in soccer that I hope we can strive to emulate.”

Following the game, the Wildcats also took a big leap in the KPI rankings. The rankings, which were released Thursday, had Louisburg as the No. 1 ranked team in Class 4-1A.

Louisburg will try to keep that ranking when it returns to action Monday at Ottawa and then will follow up with another match Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin.

Louisburg pulls away from Baldwin

Louisburg ventured to Baldwin on Monday in hopes of continuing its season-best three-game winning streak.

The Wildcats had some obstacles to overcome as they had some players out with an injury and others were gone to an FFA competition. It meant players had to play in different spots.

That all didn’t seem to matter to Louisburg. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 3-1 victory over the Bulldogs.

Louisburg sophomore Bailey Belcher provided the offensive punch as she finished with a hat trick to account for all three goals. Belcher had two breakaway goals and another that was assisted by senior Lilly Scott.

Baldwin had a chance to get back into the match as it awarded a penalty kick. However, Louisburg goalie Shay Whiting saved the attempt and kept Baldwin off the board.

“The first half against Baldwin was one of the best halves we played in several weeks,’ Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We played with confidence and moved the ball quickly. We jumped on them early and stayed on them. We only gave up three shots and two of them were from fouls.

“The girls played very organized and disciplined. We had a lot of kids fill roles and get playing time that would not regularly get some because of two students (Georgia Wilde and Hallie Hutsell) excelling at FFA dominating their competitions in Manhattan. We were slightly caught off guard by how direct Baldwin played and had to make some adjustments.”

The junior varsity also pulled a shortened 1-0 victory over Baldwin.

Freshman Kaitlyn Lewer scored the game’s lone goal on an assists from Camdyn Clark and the Wildcats got a lot of help from its defense. Sophomore goalie Sarah Wilson recorded the shutout and kept Baldwin scoreless with a save on a penalty kick.

Louisburg freshman Kaitlyn Lewer (middle) celebrates her game-winning goal against Kansas City Christian with teammates Madisen Simpson (left) and Lily Cook on Thursday at Johnson County Community College. The Wildcats improved their record to 8-2-1 on the season.

Kaitlyn Lewer came off the bench to give her team some much needed minutes Thursday against Kansas City Christian, but she did more than give the Wildcats minutes – she won them the game.

In a scoreless game in double overtime, Lewer sent a shot over the head of the K.C. Christian goalie that found the back of the net and gave the Wildcats a 1-0 win at Johnson County Community College.

“I could just feel it was going to go in,” Lewer said. “I am just thankful for the team and for getting me the ball and working their butts off.”

The Louisburg freshman provided the Wildcats a much needed lift when the match appeared as it was going to end on a tie. Louisburg had several shots on goal throughout the contest, but couldn’t get it in the net.

However, the Wildcats didn’t seem to panic as they continued to push at the attack on the Panthers’ defense, which led to Lewer’s game-winning shot.

Lewer received a pass from junior Madisen Simpson and she took a touch near the sideline. She took the shot with her left foot and the shot sailed toward the far post for the goal.

“The second half Kaitlyn had a couple chances there but she kept going toward the endline and I told her to just go toward the goal, make one touch and play it to the back stick and see what happens,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “She did that exact thing in the second overtime and it worked out well for all of us. It was just fantastic.

“I am very happy for her. She has been playing very well and quite honestly, by needing numbers for JV, it has kind of been hurting her varsity time because she is definitely earning the time.”

The Louisburg defenders also played a big role in the double overtime win. The Wildcats limited the K.C. Christian shots on goal, and although there were a couple close calls, the defenders were in the right place.

Senior Rylee Bergh heads the ball away from a Kansas City Christian player Thursday.

Rylee Bergh, Georgia Wilde, Camdyn Clark, Simpson, Lewer and Lilly Scott were all six involved on keeping the game tied, while sophomore goalie Shay Whiting made several saves to earn her second consecutive shutout and fifth on the season.

“I think we did a good job,” Conley said of his defense. “Except for their corner kicks, the shots they had were from distance or contested and that was our whole goal. We don’t want to give up free looks and the girls are doing a good job of containing and not giving up a good look.”

The Wildcats (8-2-1) had their fair share of good looks.

Sophomore Bailey Belcher crossed the ball into the box midway through the first half to teammate Savannah Reinhart but her shot near the goal was saved. Late in the first half, Belcher had a shot hit off the crossbar, but bounced away.

“It is the first time that I have had to yell at them after the first half because we just went through the motions and let them dictate the pace,” Conley said. “In the second half and the overtimes, we just came out like gangbusters. We were playing hard, we pressured all over the place and we had countless chances we just couldn’t put it home. I thought we did well in the back as well. The girls just played so stinkin’ hard.”

Louisburg came close to scoring its first goal in the second half as Belcher went on a breakaway in the opening minutes, but her shot was saved by the Panther goalie.

A few minutes later, Clark nearly scored on a header off a corner kick, but her shot was knocked away and Belcher’s follow up attempt was stopped by a trio of Panther defenders.

After a scoreless first overtime, the Wildcats finally broke through on Lewer’s shot early on in the second overtime.

“We just kept going at them and going at them and you could tell their backs were getting tired,”
Conley said. “The whole overtime thing was if you had a chance to go past their backs, just go and that is what Kaitlyn did.”

Louisburg returns to action today when it travels to Baldwin for what is a makeup game after its postponement last week. The Wildcats were supposed to play at home today against Baldwin, but that match has been moved to May 10.

The Wildcats will host Frontier League leader De Soto on Tuesday.

Louisburg freshman Camdyn Clark tries to settle the ball in the air Friday during the Wildcats’ home match with Basehor-Linwood. The Wildcats scored an early goal in the first half and it was enough to get a 1-0 win.

Bailey Belcher raced down the field with the ball at her feet.

She made one defender miss. Then another. A third defender tried to poke the ball away from Belcher, but it wasn’t going to happen.

The Louisburg sophomore made her way through the Basehor-Linwood defense and put a goal away 10 minutes into Friday’s contest. As it turned out, it’s all Louisburg needed.

The Wildcat girls soccer team racked up its seventh win of the season with a 1-0 victory over the Bobcats in Louisburg. Thanks to a timely goal and stingy defense, it was enough to give the Wildcats their second straight win and they have won four of their last five matches.

Louisburg is now 7-2-1 in its inaugural year as it gets ready for the final few weeks of games.

“I don’t think anyone in their wildest dreams thought we would be where we are right now,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “But the girls are playing well right now and working hard. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The Wildcats faced a Basehor-Linwood team that plays a similar style and made for an even match as neither team had many shots on goal.

Louisburg goalie Shay Whiting dives to stop a Basehor-Linwood shot Friday in Louisburg.

However, junior Lily Cook had a couple early opportunities for Louisburg as she had two shots on goal that just missed the back of the net and the Wildcats dominated possession early.

Following Cook’s opportunities, Belcher had an opportunity of her own with a goal in the 10^th minute to put the Wildcats up early.

“She just kept going down the field,” Conley said of Belcher. “Basehor was flat-footed and they dove at her. She just made a few quick touches and she was through. That is what we try to do by laying the ball and moving the ball because then we have the momentum going forward because those defenders are always on their heels. If you have any speed burst at all, you are going to go right by them and Bailey took full advantage of that.”

Louisburg continued to control possession into the second half before Basehor-Linwood saw a few cracks in the Wildcat defense as they put three shots on goal in the final 20 minutes of the second half.

Sophomore goalie Shay Whiting made two diving saves to keep Basehor out of the net and preserve her fourth shutout of the season.

“(Basehor) didn’t have many good chances, but I was a little worried that they might put one in because we didn’t have many chances ourselves,” Conley said. “It was just a good game that was played 18 (yard line) to 18 and those are tough games to play. We haven’t had many games like that, but the girls played well. We had a couple chances in the first half and had one that hit the crossbar later, but we couldn’t get many to go in.

“We controlled the first 20 or 25 minutes of that second half but then we started to fall apart a little bit. I think we got tired. I was just worried that we were going to get comfortable with that lead, but the girls did a good job and they fought.”

JV blanks Basehor-Linwood

Louisburg’s junior varsity soccer team had a little easier time finding the back of the net against Basehor-Linwood as it jumped out to an early lead and didn’t look back in a 3-0 win.

Freshman Camdyn Clark opened the scoring in the game’s opening minutes on an assist from Peyton Shaffer and fellow freshman Hayli Detherage followed it up with a goal of her own.

Kaitlyn Lewer, another Wildcat freshman, sealed the win with a goal in the second half. Sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Wilson earned the shutout.

The Wildcats now have a 7-1-1 record on the year.

Louisburg senior defender Rylee Bergh (left) kicks the ball away from a Spring Hill player and out of the box while goalie Shay Whiting and defender Georgia Wilde (right) look on Thursday in Spring Hill. On Monday, the Wildcats defeated Wyandotte 6-1 and fell to Spring Hill 3-2 on Thursday.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Coming off a tough loss against a ranked team in Spring Hill last week, the Louisburg girls soccer team needed a little pick-me-up.

The Wildcats got that Monday.

Louisburg traveled to Wyandotte for its second straight road contest and left with an easy 6-1 victory at Wyandotte High School. The Lady Cats scored four goals in the first half and never looked back.

“The girls were a little lackadaisical to start the game and that is to be expected after the Spring Hill game and prom weekend,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We were waiting on the ball and slightly passive for the first 20 minutes or so.

“I feel even though that we only scored two goals in the second half that we played much better. We controlled the pace of play and played much better soccer. We played to feet and changed the attack regularly. We tried to use the game to work on some things and improve our formation and build up.”

Sophomore Bailey Belcher made things difficult for the Wyandotte defense as she finished up with the best offensive performance in the team’s short history. Belcher had a hat trick before halftime and ended up with four of the Wildcats’ six goals.

“Bailey played very aggressive with the ball,” Conley said. “She was very motivated and played at a high level. It almost seemed like they were defending our other midfielders and choose to give her space.

“Bailey is improving each day and still learning the game. You can see she is starting to put it together and it is reflecting in her play. She took advantage of what the other team gave her.”

Along with Belcher’s three goals in the first half, Louisburg senior Maddie McDaniel added to the scoring effort when she put a shot away off an assist from sophomore Savannah Reinhart.

The Wildcats (6-2-1) added to their lead in the second half with another goal from Belcher and one from junior Lily Cook.

Louisburg also got a good effort from its back line as it limited Wyandotte’s chances on goal. Also, the Wildcats have several players out with injury and Conley used more of his bench and younger players to help out.

“I was very pleased on how the underclassman played,” Conley said. “They did a nice job filling in and playing a very nice game. I was also very pleased with how we defended. Those six girls in the back play their tails off and are doing well to improve their chemistry each and every night out.”

The junior varsity also improved their record to 6-1-1 on the season with a 3-0 victory. Louisburg picked up two goals from Quincy Rice and another by Reinhart. Goalie Sarah Wilson recorded the shutout.

The Wildcats return to action Friday when they host Basehor-Linwood. The varsity is set to begin at 4 p.m., with the junior varsity to follow.

Louisburg rally comes up short against Spring Hill

Down three goals at halftime to the No. 5 ranked team in Class 4A, Louisburg faced an uphill battle on the road Thursday against Spring Hill.

Instead of hanging their heads at halftime, the Wildcats put together a comeback to cut Spring Hill’s lead. Although the rally came up short in Lousburg’s 3-2 loss, it gave the Wildcats confidence moving forward.

“The first half was a little disappointing, but I think the second half showed our true grit and what this team was made of,” Conley said. “They battled back when it would have been very easy to give up or go through the motions. I was proud of our effort and fight in the second half. We are a team that is going to be resilient and battle regardless the situation.”

Louisburg’s Madisen Simpson (right) tries to fight off a Spring Hill player to win a 50-50 ball Thursday.

Spring Hill forward Mikayla Smith made it tough on the Wildcat defense early. Smith, who has signed to play soccer at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, recorded a hat trick in the first half to help give the Broncos a 3-0 lead.

The Wildcat defense buckled down in the second half and limited Spring Hill’s shots on goal. Senior Rylee Bergh led the Louisburg defense as she helped mark Smith with the help of Georgia Wilde, Camdyn Clark, Bryn O’Meara and Kaitlyn Lewer, while goalie Shay Whiting had five diving saves in the second half to keep the game close.

“Defensively, it was a game of two halves,” Conley said. “I was pleased with the limited opportunities they had in the first half but not how we over played Smith. In the second half, I was proud of how our team played more aggressive in the midfield which allowed our back four to be a little more isolated but they held up very well. Rylee, Cammie, Georgia, Kaitlyn and Bryn played very well.

“They had better scoring chances in the second half, but that was because of the limited help because we were pushing a lot of girls forward in the attack. Shay did a nice job of making some very nice reaction saves. She also did a nice job of making sure she got her hands to the ball and be as big as she can to take away as much of the goal as she can.”

With 33 minutes left in the contest, senior Maddie McDaniel hit a shot from just outside the box that sailed just over the reach of the Spring Hill goalie to give Louisburg its first goal.

The Wildcats would have plenty of other chances as they had shots on goal from Savannah Reinhart and Bailey Belcher to keep the pressure on.

Clark helped cut into Spring Hill’s lead with 14 minutes left as she headed a corner kick from McDaniel into the goal to make it a 3-2 deficit, but the Wildcats could get no closer.

“I think it showed the girls that they can play with anyone, but also shows the importance of coming ready to play,” Conley said. “It was a wild game that was back and forth and changing the formation slightly helped us become more offensive. I think a game like this greatly helps our confidence and showing us that we can play with anyone, but we need to come ready to play at the first whistle.

“The game was awesome. As a coach you could not be more impressed with our effort and never-say-die attitude. I was incredibly proud of every girl in their effort, attitude and belief in one another.”