Members of the Louisburg girls soccer team are (front row, from left) Lexi Hampton, Missy Meigs, Liz Guzman, Kennady Wilkerson, Sierra Hahn, Macy Lemke, Olivia Barber, Emma Christy, Madi Quinn, Kassidi Lomax, Tehya Harvey; (back row) manager Weston Frank, head coach Kyle Conley, Nova Ptacek, Catie Lemke, Lola Edwards, Bronwynn Williams, Bree Gassman, Adyson Ross, Ruth Minster, Hailey Sword, Reese Johnson, Brianne Kuhlman, Sammy McDaniel, assistant coach Jordan Roquemore and manager Reece Jones.

WICHITA — The Louisburg girls soccer team may have left the Class 4-1A Kansas State Girls Soccer Championships with a pair of losses, but the Wildcats took a lot of pride in what they accomplished.

For the fourth straight season, Louisburg advanced to the state final four and the Wildcats finished fourth in the state – a far cry where many people thought they would end up. The Wildcats lost a pair of 2-1 matches to Mulvane and then to McPherson in the third-place match at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

Louisburg, which lost 12 seniors from a season that didn’t happen due to COVID, returned just three varsity players. Despite all that, the ended up being one of the top teams in the state.

“Playing in another state tournament was everything I could have dreamed of,” Louisburg senior Olivia Barber said. “We may not have won either game, but just making it there is a great accomplishment because we were still one of the top four teams in the state.”

On Friday in the state semifinals, the Wildcats were just minutes away from playing in the state championship. Against Mulvane, freshman Lexi Hampton scored to give Louisburg a 1-0 lead early in the second half.

It didn’t stay that way for long.

Mulvane answered with a goal 10 minutes later to tie it, and then late in the second half, scored the go-ahead goal.

Louisburg had chances close to goal to tie it, but the Wildcats couldn’t find the back of the net and were sent to the third-place match to play McPherson.

“Mulvane has two really good players and I thought we did a good job of taking away their opportunities,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They just got a good backside ball that we weren’t prepared for, then the other one was just a bad bounce and they were able to run through it and get one. 

“We had a couple chances inside the six to at the very least tie it, and maybe win the game, but we just couldn’t get it to go. You know I thought we were the better team overall, but for one reason or another it just didn’t work out for us.”

The Wildcats faced a McPherson team that had just come off a double-overtime loss to Bishop Miege in their semifinal game, and once again, the Wildcats struck first.

After a penalty just outside the box, Barber took the direct kick early in the match and the shot sailed over the goalie’s outstretched arms to give Louisburg the 1-0 lead.

“I’d scored goals before, but I’d never felt the way I did when I scored against McPherson,” Barber said. “Making that goal definitely made all of us play harder because it proved to all of us that we were in it.

“Going into the game against McPherson we were exhausted. We left it all on the field the night before and were a bit nervous because we knew how tough they were. I was so proud of us for staying in the game against McPherson and not giving up.”

McPherson started to take control of the possession midway through the first half, but junior goalie Sierra Hahn kept them scoreless with several diving saves. The Bullpups eventually broke through to tie the match right before halftime.

Then with 15 minutes left in the second half, McPherson scored the game-winning goal to hand the Wildcats their second straight 2-1 loss.

“We all were so admired and proud of each other going to the third place game as we knew we easily could’ve not been in the tournament at all,” senior captain Madi Quinn said. “Out of all the teams I have played with, I have never been so motivated to work hard for the girl next to me. 

“I am so excited to see what these girls accomplish in the coming years in the program. I have been so honored to be a part of this program as I have gained another family.”

Louisburg, which finished its season with a 12-8-1 record, will have several returning players back from this team. However, the fight and never quit attitude is what Conley appreciated the most.

“They just came out and battled all year long and they never quit no matter what the score was,” Conley said. “As a coach, I know that these girls gave me everything they had and they took us pretty far. They didn’t quit entire season and that is what got them to this point. I am so proud of these group of girls.”

The Louisburg girls soccer team was all smiles following its 3-0 victory Tuesday over Heritage Christian in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals.

OVERLAND PARK — The Louisburg girls soccer team is defying the odds – which is saying something considering its history.

The Wildcats, which have won five regional titles in their five seasons of existence to go along with two state runner-up finishes, have possibly done something more extraordinary. 

On Tuesday in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals at Heritage Christian, Louisburg left with a 3-0 victory and a spot in its fourth state final four. The way the Wildcats got there was the unexpected part.

Louisburg had to say goodbye to 12 seniors from a team that lost their season due to COVID in 2020 and were expected to vie for a state championship. In 2021, the Wildcats replaced many of those seniors with freshmen and sophomores and it was considered to be a rebuilding season.

Instead, Louisburg has a chance to win its first state championship in school history Friday and Saturday in Wichita as the Wildcats (12-6-1) will face Mulvane (15-4) at 5 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals.

“It is incredible,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The last time we played in 2019, we lost six seniors. Then in 2020, COVID took our season and we lost 16 kids (12 seniors). This was literally like a rebuild and these kids have done nothing but step up and live up to these expectations. They are beat up to no end and they are still out there battling. We are kind of a MASH unit right now, but we live to see another day.”

The Wildcats do have a few players from their last state runner-up team, including senior Olivia Barber who has advanced to the state final four in all three of her seasons. She realizes this season was a little different than most.

“Not many people can say that they’ve gone to state every year so it really makes this year even more special,” Barber said. “To be completely honest back in March I wasn’t really sure what this season was going to look like, but we’ve defied so many odds and grew so much as a team. 

“I really wasn’t sure if we would make it to where we are now, but I am so proud of us for facing so much adversity and getting to this point. Our first couple weeks of practice we were looking a bit rough, but once we figured it out we didn’t look back.”

It didn’t take long for the Wildcats to get on the board against Heritage Christian. 

About 15 minutes into the match, Barber crossed ball into the box. The Heritage goalie dove, missed it and senior Emma Christy was there to tip it in to score the game’s first goal.

It was a 1-0 game at halftime, but with 25 minutes left in the match, sophomore Adyson Ross knocked a shot from close to 25 yards away to double the Wildcats’ lead.

“We wanted to attack the flanks cause their goalie plays high near post,” Conley said. “If we hit it hard to the back side, we worked on just running through and hitting it and Emma did just that. We missed a couple early, but Emma got there and buried it. 

“On Adyson’s goal, she just hit it hard. She has a powerful left foot, and we just told the girls to hit it hard and low, and it would create problems for them and we did just that.”

Barber sealed the win for the Wildcats with a goal of her own late in the match and the celebrations ensued.

Junior Reese Johnson, who had three shots on goal of her own, was also a part of that state runner-up team in 2019 and is looking forward to going back.

“It really means a lot to me to be able to go to state again,” Johnson said. “I’m very proud of us and although Louisburg soccer always seems to find their way into state, nothing is ever guaranteed, so being able to go means the world.”

Louisburg was strong on the back side as well as the Wildcat defense limited the Chargers’ opportunities. Captains Madison Quinn and Ruth Minster cleared a lot of balls away, while goalie Sierra Hahn earned the clean sheet, including a diving save in the second half.

“I thought the back line did really well and didn’t let much get through,” Conley said. “Madison did a good job of going straight to the ball and sticking it hard. I thought maybe this was her best game of the year.

“Heritage has a really good, young team and they are very athletic. They are going to be good for years to come, but I thought we did a good job standing them up.”

The Wildcats will try to make their third consecutive state championship match at 5 p.m. Friday when it squares off with Mulvane at Stryker Soccer Complex in Wichita. The championship and third place matches will be played Saturday.

“I’m extremely excited for this weekend and know that we can do great things,” Barber said. “It’s gonna be tough, but if we show up and play our game we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week nine of the spring sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

Reese Johnson, Junior, Girls Soccer

Louisburg junior Reese Johnson has been one of the veteran leaders for the Wildcat girls soccer team and it showed up at the right time last week. The Wildcats were tied with Eudora in double overtime of the regional championship match, but with 12 seconds left Johnson got the game-winning assist on a goal from Lexi Hampton to help the Wildcats to their fifth regional title.

On the season, Johnson has initiated a lot of the attack for Louisburg as she is second on the team with eight assists and also has nine goals on the year. Johnson and the Wildcats will compete in the Class 4-1A Final Four this weekend in Wichita.

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

Previous winners:

Week 1: Lexi Hampton

Week 2: Kolby Kattau

Week 3: Jaden Vohs

Week 4: Mia Wilson

Week 5: Johnny Eberhart

Week 6: Alyse Moore

Week 7: Brandon Doles

Week 8: Delaney Wright

The Louisburg girls soccer team hoists its regional championship trophy following the Wildcats’ 2-1 double overtime win over Eudora on Thursday at Wildcat Stadium.

The one thing that the Louisburg girls soccer program has known is regional championships.

In the team’s previous four seasons, the Wildcats have won regional titles in all four and has never known what it is like to lose a regional championship game. 

Louisburg still doesn’t know, thanks to some heroics.

In a double overtime match with Eudora on Thursday at Wildcat Stadium, freshman Lexi Hampton scored the game-winning goal on an assist from Reese Johnson to give Louisburg the 2-1 win over the Cardinals. 

“Winning the regional title meant so much to me and the team because we have worked so unbelievably hard to get where we are,” Louisburg senior Olivia Barber said. “It just proved to us and others that hard work pays off and to never underestimate us.”

The Wildcats are now onto the state quarterfinals for the fifth straight season after missing last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the biggest difference from teams of the past is Louisburg did it with almost a brand new roster.

Louisburg features a lineup full of freshmen and sophomores, and many thought it would be rebuilding year for the Wildcat program.

“We legitimately replaced 15 kids from that roster in 2019 and half of our squad is freshmen and sophomores,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “Everyone said this was going to be a down year or a rebuilding year, but if 11-6-1 and a regional championship is a rebuilding year, then ok. These girls have grinded from day one till now and have improved so much. They have raised the standards for themselves. They didn’t want to give up and they didn’t want to stop.”

Louisburg and Eudora, which split their contests earlier this season, played to a scoreless first half. The two teams made up for it with a lot of action in the second half and in the overtimes.

Wildcat sophomore Tehya Harvey found herself in the right place at the right time early in the second half. The Eudora goalie went to dive on a ball into the box, but it squirted away and Harvey found an empty net to put Louisburg on top.

Eudora’s Kate Erpelding tied the match 10 minutes later as she scored on a shot from about 25 yards out, over the head over Louisburg goalie Sierra Hahn to tie the match.

Just minutes earlier, Hahn knocked a a Cardinal shot away from the net to keep them off the board for the time being.

The match then went into overtime – then into double overtime. It appeared like it was headed for a third, but Hampton struck at the right time.

With 12 seconds remaining, Johnson passed the ball into the box and Hampton was there to put it away and send the Wildcats onto the state quarterfinals.

“When Reese made that incredible pass into the box and Lexi scored, I was so happy,” Louisburg senior Madi Quinn said. “I was so proud of us for not giving up and persevering even though we were all so tired. I think we played pretty well, we were aggressive with the ball and were outworking them.”

The game-winning play wasn’t anything new to the Wildcat players. It was a play that Conley has stressed to them on a daily basis.

“Reese did a great job attacking the endline, played it across and Lexi was right there to come through and hit it,” Conley said. “We have practiced that play every day in practice and it finally paid off. It was awesome and a great finish for a freshman. Couldn’t be happier for these girls.”

Louisburg did have opportunities throughout the match and had 10 shots on goal. Johnson, Hampton and Harvey all had two, while Hailey Sword, Ruth Minster, Nova Ptacek and Lola Edwards each had one.

Louisburg will now try for its fourth straight trip to the Class 4-1A state final four Tuesday when the Wildcats travel to face off with No. 1 seed Heritage Christian (14-2). 

The match is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Heritage Christian and the Wildcats are hoping to keep the momentum going.

“Heritage Christian will be a challenge for sure, but so was Eudora,” Quinn said. “If we walk off the bus with confidence and the right attitude, the game is ours. I am excited to see what will happen, but being this far into regionals, games like this go to double overtime easy. If we play our game, we can do great things.”

Louisburg freshman Hailey Sword battles a Eudora player earlier in the season. The Wildcats, who beat Bishop Ward 10-0 on Tuesday, will play Eudora for the regional championship today at Wildcat Stadium.

Finding the back of the net and taking advantage of opportunities have been a problem at times for the young Louisburg girls soccer team. 

It wasn’t Tuesday.

The Wildcats hosted Bishop Ward in the Class 4A regional semifinals and Louisburg made the most of its chances in a 10-0 victory.

Louisburg will now play host to Eudora today for the regional championship as the Wildcats look to advance to the state quarterfinals.

“We were in delay several times (due to lightning), but the girls came out and possessed the ball well and attacked,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “I liked how aggressive we were and how our team moved the ball and found the open player. The girls were very unselfish and played a really nice game. They did a nice job communicating and playing simple. It was nice to see the girls play that way.”

The Wildcats (10-6-1) dominated possession as they racked up 33 shots on goal and put away their fair share.

Senior Olivia Barber, along with freshmen Hailey Sword, Lola Edwards and Lexi Hampton, each finished with two goals.

Junior defender Ruth Minster got into the scoring action late with a goal off a corner kick and Catie Lemke came off the bench to score her first varsity goal of the season.

Reese Johnson was a catalyst for the Wildcat attack as she led the way with two assists. Adyson Ross, Tehya Harvey, Bree Gassman, Edwards and Barber each had an assist to their line.

The game also allowed Conley to empty his bench and everyone had the opportunity to play in the first playoff game of the year.

“It was nice to get every girl in the game and for a lot of them it was their first playoff game,” Conley said. “It was fun to watch them compete and play for each other. We dominated possession and did a very nice job of executing our game plan.”

It figures to be a bigger challenge for the Wildcats tonight against Eudora. Louisburg, which will host the Cardinals at 5 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium, split with Eudora during the season as each won ton their home field.

With a regional championship on the line, stakes are much higher and Conley believes his team is ready for the challenge.

“This is going to be an absolute battle,” Conley said. “To me, both teams are solid and play well. I think this game is going to come down to who wants it more and who can execute. Weather could come into play and who can handle that the best will be a factor. Our girls are ready and are prepared. Eudora is a solid team and we will have to play well to beat them.”

It wasn’t the ideal way for the Louisburg girls soccer team to end its season.

The Wildcats recorded a 1-1 tie on the road at Ottawa last Tuesday, before falling to Spring Hill, 7-0, at home on Thursday. Louisburg would have loved a win in one of those matches, but finished its regular season with a 9-6-1 record.

Still, despite the struggles, the Wildcats find themselves in good positions as they earned the No. 4 seed in the Class 4-1A regional playoffs and will host their next two games if they keep winning.

The Wildcats will host Bishop Ward (3-13) at 5 p.m. today at Wildcat Stadium. If they advance, they will meet the winner of No. 5 Eudora (9-6-1) and No. 12 Atchison (4-12) on Thursday for the championship.

“Girls did a great job of playing together and working last week,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We didn’t back down, nor did we give up. This group of girls have something to prove this week.

“The playoffs are what we play the season for. We are ready and will play as hard as we can. We like where we are going into the playoffs, but have work to do. We will focus on Bishop Ward in our first playoff game and take it from there.”

Against Ottawa, Louisburg had numerous chances to put the game away, but couldn’t find the back of the net. For the game, the Wildcats had 17 shots on goal.

Ottawa took a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the first half, but the Wildcats countered ight before halftime. From 25 yards out, freshman Lola Edwards hit a shot that sailed past Cyclone goalie to tie it up.

A second half and two overtimes later, the game ended there and the Wildcats weren’t able to get the road win.

“We truly just didn’t finish at all,” Conley said. “We had a ridiculous amount of opportunities but couldn’t find the back of the net. We absolutely dominated the game but struggled to execute. The girls played hard and were aggressive. It is the same story all year. In our six losses, we outshot the other team in three of those games.”

Edwards led the attack with six shots on goals and freshman Lexi Hampton added four. Olivia Barber finished with two and Bree Gassman had the team’s lone assist.

The Wildcats had to end their regular season schedule against Frontier League champion Spring Hill on Thursday and the Broncos were tough to hang with.

Louisburg had just two shots on the night as Spring Hill came away with seven goals.

“Spring Hill is a really talented team,” Conley said. “Their first 11 players are incredible. We played extremely hard the entire game and didn’t let up. Unfortunately, we had some let downs that led to them scoring. 

“The girls battled and didn’t quit. In a game like that, it is very easy to give up and not try, but the girls just kept playing. We were able to play almost the majority of the girls to get them experience going forward.”

Freshman Lola Edwards settles a pass during Thursday’s home match against Bonner Springs.

With a three goal lead in the second half, and the match seemingly in hand, the Louisburg girls soccer team had to deal with a more exciting ending than what it had anticipated.

Bonner Springs scored two goals to make it a one score game and the Wildcats found themselves in a battle, both physically and mentally.

Tensions got elevated, and in what was a physical match, the Wildcats were able to hold on for a 4-3 victory Thursday over Bonner Springs. 

“We just literally went round of round with each other,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It felt like a 12-round boxing match out there. Kids were getting taken out late. We made our fair share of fouls too, but when you see that and nothing gets called it is kind of frustrating. You are dealing with injuries, long stoppages in play and it was tough.

“It was tough to keep your composure. You are up 4-1, then they get two and then all of a sudden we are playing not to lose. We struggled a little bit to find feet and keep it simple. I am really proud of the girls for playing hard and keeping their heads and not retaliating. They played really hard. We are banged up, and this game definitely didn’t help that. We need to get healed up and get back after it.”

Freshman Lexi Hampton opened the game with a goal early in the first half, but Bonner Springs countered with one late to tie it at halftime.

The Wildcats (9-5) seemed like a different team early in the second half as they answered with two goals in the first minute of play. Junior Reese Johnson and Hampton both found the back of the net to put Louisburg up 3-1.

Senior Olivia Barber was a big factor in those goals as she finished with a game-high three assists and was a force in the midfield.

Freshman Lola Edwards made it a 4-1 lead a few minutes later after she scored off a rebound. The game was seemingly in hand.

“I had a nice little discussion with the girls at halftime,” Conley said. “Then we came out and played exactly how we were asking them to do the whole time. It was frustrating that we didn’t start that way. We had a lot of chances throughout and we just didn’t finish them. We were able to let (Bonner) stick around a little bit.”

Bonner Springs answered with a goal midway through the second half, but it came at a cost for Louisburg.

Wildcat goalie Sierra Hahn suffered an injury while going in for a save and had to leave the contest. Her departure took away some of the momentum they developed.

“Any time anyone comes off the field and they are in a lot of pain, your thought goes to your teammate,” Conley said. “It is hard to stay focused because you are so worried about your teammate. We came out really flat after that and struggled because there are bigger things than soccer.”

Goalie Macy Lemke came on to replace Hahn, and despite a goal after her departure, Lemke made a couple saves and the Wildcat defense was able to hold on to preserve the win.

Louisburg will try and make it two wins in a row today when it travels to Ottawa. 

Wildcats lose close match to Basehor-Linwood

On May 3, the Wildcats traveled to Basehor-Linwood and played the tough Class 5A program close, but left with a 2-1 loss.

Louisburg was down 1-0 at halftime, but freshman Lexi Hampton tied it up on an assist from Reese Johnson.

Basehor-Linwood would answer midway through the second half on what would be the game-deciding goal.

“We played great at Basehor,” Conley said. “We played high energy. We had three breakaways in the first half, but we just couldn’t get one to go. They have one really good player, and Hailey Sword basically just took her out of the game. She played unbelievable and played all 80 minutes for us.

“The defense played great as well and the defensive mids played great. They all just played really hard and played simple. It was a back and forth game and we were able to take away a lot of their intermediate chances. Sierra played really well and we just couldn’t get one there at the end.”

Goalie Sierra Hahn led the Louisburg defense with 21 saves. Lola Edwards and Olivia Barber each had two shots on goal, while Tehya Harvey, Adyson Ross, Hampton and Johnson each had one.

Louisburg defender Sammy McDaniel clears a ball out of the back during a match earlier this season. The Wildcats went on the road and came away with a 3-0 win Friday at Lansing.

Sometimes the best thing to happen after a loss is the opportunity to get right back on the field, and Friday it certainly helped the Louisburg girls soccer team.

Following a 2-0 loss to Eudora on Thursday, the Wildcats traveled to Lansing the very next day in hopes of putting that loss behind them. It did the trick as Louisburg blanked the Lions in a 3-0 victory and the Wildcats are now 8-4 on the season.

“Playing back-to-back is difficult, and having limited players, we had a big challenge head of us,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We came out and dominated the game, and had a lot of shots. We pressed a little bit and were trying to do too much. We finally settled down and played our game. 

“We played well, but just could not find the back of the net. We had a ridiculous amount of opportunities, but they packed it in and made it difficult to get any shots through to the goal. Credit to them, but they had a lot of blocked shots. We grinded it out and then we really played well. I liked how our girls found a way and played so hard.”

Goals were hard to come by early on in the contest as the match was scoreless at halftime, despite the Wildcats having opportunities on goal.

It all changed in the second half.

Freshman Hailey Sword got the ball just inside the box and sent a shot past the Lansing goalie for the team’s first score about 15 minutes into the second half.

Several minutes later, Louisburg struck again. Senior Emma Christy took the ball down the left side and put a shot on goal. The shot was knocked away, but freshman Lola Edwards was there to get the rebound and tap it in for the goal.

Sophomore Tehya Harvey found herself in a scrum in front of the goal just moments later and sealed the win with a score of her own to put the Wildcats up three.

The Louisburg defense didn’t allow a shot on goal for the entire game, while junior goalie Sierra Hahn earned the clean sheet for the Wildcats

The schedule doesn’t let up any for Louisburg as it will play its fourth game in seven days today when the Wildcats travel to Basehor-Linwood. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

Wildcats fall to Eudora on road

After defeating Eudora earlier in the season, the Cardinals got their payback on Louisburg as they handed the Wildcats a 2-0 setback Thursday in Eudora.

Louisburg had some opportunities, but Cardinals took advantage of theirs as they converted a penalty kick and scored another in the second half to pull away.

“Eudora came out and played with a massive amount of energy,” Conley said. “The game was pretty back and forth, but we struggled to finish our chances. They had limited chances, but capitalized on them. We struggled to find the back of the net. We played hard and had a decent amount of possession but could not get the ball to the back of the net. 

“A debatable penalty kick was called and that gave them the lead. Then in the second half their player hit a fantastic shot for them to go up two. I thought we played as well as they did and that the game was not a 2-0 difference. It was a tough game but there were lots of opportunities for us to learn from and to get better.”

Junior Reese Johnson had two shots on goal for the Wildcats, while freshmen Lexi Hampton and Lola Edwards also had good looks at the goal.

Louisburg seniors (from left) manager Weston Frank, Madi Quinn, Olivia Barber, Emma Christy, Kennady Wilkerson, Liz Guzman, Missy Meigs and manager Reece Jones were honored on Senior Night prior to their 6-0 win over Ottawa on Tuesday.

The Louisburg girls soccer team was in the midst of its first losing streak of the season and the Wildcats needed it to end before it got any further.

As it turned out, Senior Night was the perfect remedy.

Louisburg honored its six senior players and two managers prior to Tuesday’s home contest against Ottawa, and what was an already a special night, turned out even better when the game was over.

The Wildcats (7-3) scored six goals, four in the second half, as they rolled to a 6-0 shutout of the Cyclones and ended its two game skid.

“It is good to get back to the things that we like to do and get back to the way we like to play,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The kids played hard and they are playing the right way. They are still young and they are learning. 

“Our seniors are trying to lead, and they are doing a good job, but there are so many kids in different spots or new spots. We are piecing it together, but it was good to get everyone back on the same page. It is crazy how a win seems to fix everything. It is good to see the girls giggling and laughing again. That stuff just helps us confidence wise.”

Prior to the match, seniors Madi Quinn, Olivia Barber, Emma Christy, Kennady Wilkerson, Liz Guzman and Missy Meigs were honored with their parents, as were managers Weston Frank and Reece Jones.

It is a group of kids that Conley has enjoyed and was glad they were able to end their Senior Night with a victory.

“It is a great group of girls,” Conley said. “All six of them play their butts off every night and they all do anything that we ask. They never complain. They all pack their lunch, work their tails off and play so hard. They are everything that this program stands for and are always there for each other. That is the best part and you can’t ask for any more from a kid. 

“Individual achievements are great, but them being there for each other is the best part. Watching them be leaders and always encouraging their teammates, is so much fun to watch. That is the best you can ask for a senior class to be.”

It was a pair of freshman that led the Wildcat attack and got the team started offensively. 

Freshmen Lexi Hampton finished the day with a team-high two goals, while freshman Lola Edwards had a a goal, including four shots on goal.

Senior Olivia Barber converted a penalty kick to help put Louisburg up 2-0 at halftime and she also had a team-high two assists.

Hampton and Edwards opened the scoring for Louisburg in the second half. Then junior Reese Johnson had a sliding shot that rolled past the Ottawa keeper for a 5-0 lead.

Sophomore Bree Gassman had a shot that ricocheted off an Ottawa player late in the match for an own goal to compete the scoring. Gassman and Edwards also had assists on the day.

Johnson and Hampton each had five shots on goal to lead the Wildcats and Barber had two. Adyson Ross and Hailey Sword also had shots on target.

“Ottawa played a flat back and we tried to do some give and go’s and break it down a little bit,” Conley said. “It would open a huge gap when they stepped so we tried to exploit that and Reese did a really good job of that. Lex and Lola and just killed them up top. We just wanted to keep attacking and it worked out.”

The Louisburg defense also played strong as it posted its seventh shutout of the season and junior goalie Sierra Hahn recorded the clean sheet. Hahn also had five saves on the night.

“We let them have some looks early on, but the girls were able to clean it up a little bit,” Conley said. “After that I thought the girls played pretty well. We were a lot more aggressive moving forward and it didn’t seem like they were as nervous back there.”

Louisburg will try and make it two wins in a row tonight when it travels to Eudora. The Wildcats will also travel to Lansing on Friday to finish out the week.

Louisburg sophomore Adyson Ross battles a Eudora player Monday during the Wildcats’ home contest against the Cardinals.

After suffering its first loss of the season, Louisburg head coach Kyle Conley wasn’t sure what to expect from his young group Monday against Eudora.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out that they would be just fine.

The Wildcats scored two second half goals and the Louisburg defense earned the shutout in the 3-0 victory at the Wildcat Sports Complex.

Louisburg controlled possession, and despite a few Cardinal opportunities, the Wildcats improved their record to 6-1 on the season and got back on the winning track.

“When you have a team that is kind of young and inexperienced, you just don’t know what that next game was going to be like,” Conley said. “We were kind of nervous about it, but the girls responded well. We are a physical, strong and scrappy team, but Eudora is going to play hard every time. 

“To be honest, I think Eudora did a good job taking away some of the things that we wanted to do, but at the same time we did a good job exposing the outer flanks and attacked the outside. Reese (Johnson) just absolutely did a great job in that regard.”

The Wildcats got many of their opportunities on that outside and put 18 shots on goal, three of which found the back of the net.

Senior Olivia Barber opened the scoring in the first half with a shot from the right side that found the far corner and the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Louisburg could have had an even bigger lead, but the Wildcats missed on a few scoring opportunities in both the first and second halves.

“We were just pressing too much and were almost trying to play too perfect,” Conley said. “That is not part of the game. We just need to take what they give us and go from there. We probably could have scored two or three more goals in that first half, but I’m proud of the way the girls responded and kept attacking.”

Freshman Lola Edwards continued to be on attack mode early in the second half as she put the Wildcats up two with a goal. Fellow freshman Lexi Hampton followed suit late in the game with a shot from the left side that found the right corner of the net.

Hampton, along with sophomore Bree Gassman, recorded assists. Sophomore Adyson Ross and junior Reese Johnson also had shots on goal.

Barber led Louisburg with nine shots on target, while Edwards and Hampton finished eight and seven, respectively.

Defensively, the Louisburg back held strong and goalie Sierra Hahn recorded 12 saves on the night to earn another shutout.

Ross and freshman Hailey Sword also provided the Wildcats with strong play in the middle.

“We stood Eudora up and let them have what they wanted from deep,” Conley said. “We tried to take away their through ball and they got us once there toward the end, but we did a good job covering. We could have been a little tighter and more disciplined in the back, but I thought defensively we played really well.”

Louisburg will try and make it back-to-back wins when it travels to Piper for a 4:30 p.m. matchup. 

Wildcats lose first game of season to Spring Hill

Last week, Louisburg got a first hand look at just how good of a team Spring Hill was when the Wildcats went on the road.

Spring Hill scored three first half goals and the Broncos cruised to a 9-0 win over the Wildcats.

“Spring Hill is probably the best team I have seen since I came here in 2016,” Conley said. “They are incredible. At the same time, five of those goals we basically gave them because of mistakes on our part. They are legit and as advertised. They aren’t nine goals better than us, but they are really good. Our girls still kept playing hard in that regard, but we just didn’t execute so well.”