There hasn’t been a whole lot of good to talk about in the last year or so.

Our life has changed around us. We are having to deal with a new normal and there are a lot uncertainties as to what our future holds. 

It is an unnerving time for a lot of people and our country seems more divided than ever. Still, to get by in this difficult time, you have to look for positives.

For me, the last school year brought me some of the best moments in my journalistic life. The 2020-21 school was arguably one of the most successful seasons in Louisburg High School history from top to bottom, and I was more than grateful to be there for it all.

Just look at what was accomplished last year:

• Boys cross country qualified for state for the first time in school history.

• Girls cross country placed at state for the first time in its history as they took third in Class 4A. Maddy Rhamy, Lola Edwards and Reese Johnson also earned medals.

• Boys soccer had its best finish in school history with a 3rd place state finish.

• Boys basketball advanced to the state championship game for the first time and took second.

• Girls basketball advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 47 years and recorded its best finish in third.

• Wrestlers Alec Younggren and Cade Holtzen took second and third, respectively, at the state tournament.

• Boys golf qualified for state as a team.

• Girls soccer made an improbable run to advance to its fourth straight state final four and the Wildcats took fourth.

• Delaney Wright won three state track titles in the long jump, 200 dash and 400 dash and broke all three school records in the process.

• Maybe perhaps the best accomplishment of all, the Louisburg boys track and field team won the Class 4A state championship as they edged out Andale for the title.

Just a year removed from losing their spring season due to COVID-19, the Wildcats came back stronger than ever and it showed. It was an exciting time to be a Louisburg sports fan.

However, with so much positivity from last season, it is time to turn the page and focus on what the 21-22 season has in store.

First day of fall practice begins this Monday and the football, volleyball, cross country and boys soccer team all have a chance to do some special things this season. I am fortunate I will be able to be there once again to cover it all.

As I talked about earlier, there is a lot of negativity going on in the world right now, but I am more than thankful to have a job where I can get away from all that and cover all the special moments. 

Last season was a much-needed get away for me and it was an unbelievable journey to see all the Wildcat history that was made.

This year has another chance to be a special one. There is no way to predict what will happen, but I do know there is a chance for even more history and records to fall this upcoming year.

Football numbers are up and the Wildcats are poised for a big season, while the cross country, volleyball and boys soccer team all return several key pieces to make a run in the postseason – and that is just what the fall will hold.

The seasons can’t get here soon enough and I am ready to cover it all once again. Hope to see you all out there supporting the Wildcats and maybe you can forget all those stresses in life — even if it is just for a few moments.

Louisburg High School graduate Calvin Dillon got the chance to caddy for PGA legend Tom Watson during the Watson Challenge last month.

Calvin Dillon got the phone call he never expected.

The result left him shaking and speechless. He couldn’t believe who he was talking to. 

On the other end of the line, was none other than golf legend Tom Watson.

Watson needed a caddy for the Watson Challenge and was recommended Dillon, who is a young golfer himself and plays on the Central Missouri State University team.

“I’m a pretty even keeled guy and I usually don’t get too excited or too down about a given situation, but when I learned I was going to caddy for Mr. Watson I was shaking from head to toe and couldn’t speak too well,” Dillon said. “The whole thing was pretty crazy. When I woke up that day, I didn’t think in a million years I would be talking with Tom Watson over the phone about carrying his bag for the week. That’s all that I could think about for the rest of the day and that night. I was filled with so much excitement and nervousness that I could barely sleep.”

Watson’s son was supposed to caddy for him, but went down with an injury and left the PGA legend scrambling for caddy help at the last minute.

Dillon was scheduled to play in a tournament that week as well, but Watson made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“I’m just a lucky kid I guess,” Dillon said. “Mr. Watson contacted Doug Habel who is a tournament director for Central Links, which is the organization that runs the tournament, and asked him if he had any candidates. So Doug contacted me and asked if I would like the job. I was supposed to play in a tournament in Manhattan that same weekend, but it’s not every day that you get to carry an 8-time major winner’s bag, so I withdrew.”

Dillon, who won multiple state medals at Louisburg High School, had the chance to walk with Watson in the 3-day tournament and learn from one of the best to play the game.

“The experience was awesome,” Dillon said. “Mr. Watson was super cool and made me feel comfortable. He had me carry his range finder and yardage book in my caddy bib as well as a wet towel over my shoulder to keep his ball and clubs clean.”

The Watson Challenge, which is played at The National Golf Course of Kansas City, ended on June 5 and the three days flew by for Dillon. He even picked up a few things along the way.

“As far as golf goes, the biggest thing that I noticed about his game was that he didn’t short side himself one time,” he said. “In 54 holes of golf, he never once had to hit an uncomfortable chip with no green to work with. He always made sure that if he missed the green, it was always to the fat part, so that he had plenty of room to hit a much more manageable bump and run rather than a difficult flop shot’

Dillon, who will be a redshirt freshman for CMSU this fall, is playing in his fair share of tournaments this summer to improve his game. However, his three days with Watson were the highlight of his year.

He realized as good as he is at golf, Watson is an even better person.

“Something that stuck out to me, and that I will always remember, is that Mr. Watson went out of his way to talk to young kids that were following our group and watching him play,” Dillon said. “After everyone in the group would tee off and start walking, there would maybe be a spot where the players and the gallery would come close together for 100 yards or so. Multiple times throughout each round, Mr. Watson would walk with a kid during that time and talk with them. Being a young kid and getting an interaction like that with a golfing legend is unforgettable. That to me was the coolest thing I saw all week.”

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart made the cut at the Class 4A state golf tournament in Dodge City and finished 31st overall with a 172.

One of Johnny Eberhart’s goals at the Class 4A Kansas State Golf Championships was just to make the cut and play on that second day.

Eberhart did just that during the 2-day tournament on May 24-25 at Mariah Hills Golf Course in Dodge City. The Louisburg senior made the cut with no problem as he shot on a 85 the first day to stay within striking distance.

“After making cuts and seeing my ranking, I felt happy and relieved to make it to day two and to get another round for my team,” Eberhart said. “I didn’t let myself play more freely as I wanted to give myself the best shot to move forward as I could, but there was less pressure to perform.”

On the second day, Eberhart fired an 87 to give himself a total score of 172. He finished 31st overall and finished just outside of medal contention.

“To be able to compete at state was my dream from the beginning of the season,” Eberhart said. “It makes me so proud of our team to be able to play at this tournament.”

The Wildcat team qualified for state after their third place finish at regionals, but the other five didn’t see a second day.

Junior A.J. Arriola just missed the cut with a 91. Sam Wheeler was third on the team with a 97 and Johnny Thompson shot a 106.

Jackson Olson and Dacey Wieland rounded out the Wildcat group with a 116 and 119, respectively.

Mariah Hills Golf Course provided a lot of challenges for the Wildcat golfers, none of which had played in a state tournament before this year.

“Mariah Hills was a very nice course, greens were immaculate and the fairways were tight,” Eberhart said. “The course was long but played to my strengths. It was a great course to hold state for 4A.”

The Louisburg golf team (from left) Sam Wheeler, Jackson Olson, A.J. Arriola, Dacey Wieland, Johnny Thompson and Johnny Eberhart finished third on Monday at the Class 4A regional in Independence and qualified for state.

INDEPENDENCE — For the second time in as many seasons, the Louisburg boys golf team is headed to the state tournament.

Except this time, the Wildcat team is made up of a completely new roster.

The Louisburg group of Johnny Eberhart, A.J. Arriola, Johnny Thompson, Sam Wheeler, Dacey Wieland and Jackson Olson shot a 392 to finish third at the Class 4A regional meet at Independence Country Club. 

The Wildcats were just three strokes behind runner-up Field Kindley. Independence won the regional title with a 361.

Louisburg last went to state in 2019, but the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.

“I am so excited for our team to go to state,” Eberhart said. “We have put in so much time and work into this season and I can’t believe we are going. To me this is one of my favorite high school moments. It will be amazing.”

Eberhart led Louisburg with an 87 and finished fourth overall. After a rough first nine holes, the Louisburg senior bounced back with a strong back nine that was five strokes better.

He also recorded a birdie on the par 4-No. 14, which gave him a little bit of momentum going forward.

“Independence was hard, and it was a grind,” Eberhart said. “The course presented challenges you could not expect and the pins were hard to hit. The hardest part was never playing the course before. The back nine for me just suited my eye. I could play the shots needed and drop putts.”

Junior A.J. Arriola finished just outside of medal contention for Louisburg as he shot a 93 and took 11th overall.

Sam Wheeler was next on the Wildcat team with a 101 and finished 18th. Johnny Thompson was 26th with a 111.

Jackson Olson and Dacey Wieland rounded out the Louisburg lineup with a 123 and 127, respectively.

The Wildcats will travel to Dodge City and Mariah Hills Golf Course for the two-day state tournament, beginning Monday. Tee time is set for 8:30 a.m.

“My expectations for us to make the cuts to Tuesday and to play the best of our abilities,” Eberhart said. “I have my own personal goals like breaking 86 at this long, long course.”

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart watches a tee shot Thursday during the Prairie View Invitational at Deer Trace Golf Course.

LINN VALLEY — Louisburg seems to be playing some of its best golf of the season and it has shown in their last two meets.

The Wildcats’ latest success came Thursday when they competed at the Prairie View Invitational at Deer Trace Golf Course in Linn Valley.

Louisburg shot a 376 to finished third out of nine teams. Santa Fe Trail won with a 320 and Anderson County was second at 359.

Senior Johnny Eberhart medaled to once again lead the Wildcats. Eberhart carded a 90 to finish in a tie for 10th and medaled in his second tournament in as many weeks.

Dacey Wieland, another Louisburg senior, shot a 94 to finish 15th overall and second on the team. Junior A.J. Arriola was one stroke behind him with a 95 and was 16th.

Junior Johnny Thompson was 19th with a 97 and sophomore Jackson Olson carded a 100 to take 22nd.

Freshman Sam Wheeler rounded out the Louisburg lineup with a 104 in 29th. Santa Fe Trail’s Lane Workman won the tournament title with a 73. 

The Prairie View tournament was the final regular season action for the Wildcats before they enter postseason play.

Louisburg travels to Independence for the Class 4A regional tournament at Independence Country Club. Tee time is set for 10 a.m.

Eberhart leads Wildcats at Ottawa

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart carded an 83 to finish in a tie for sixth and helped the Wildcats to a fourth place finish at the Ottawa Invitational on May 3.

The Wildcats recorded a 352 at the Great Life and Fitness course in Ottawa. Ottawa won the tournament with a 328 and Anderson County was second with a 344. Tonganoxie was third with a 346.

“Even though the course is pretty wide open, you still have to putt and chip well,” Louisburg coach Brian Burns said. “I was pleased with the scores and know we will do well in our Regionals. Everyone has improved this year, and I am always happy with the season if that is accomplished.”

Senior Dacey Wieland had his best performance of the season with an 88 and finished in a tie for 12th. Junior A.J. Arriola carded a 90 and took 15th. 

Junior Johnny Thompson was 17th with a 91 and Sophomore Jackson Olson had a 96 to take 26th. Sam Wheeler had a 106 to finish with a 106.

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

Johnny Eberhart, Senior, Golf

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart put together back-to-back rounds of strong golf last week. Eberhart led the Wildcats at the Osawatomie Invitational and Frontier League Invitational with a pair of top five finishes. On what was a cold, blustery day on the Osawatomie Golf Course last Tuesday, Eberhart carded an 85 to finish second overall.

The next day, Eberhart played on the difficult Sycamore Ridge Golf Course in Spring Hill for the league meet and fired an 86 to medal fourth overall in the Frontier League. His score also helped the Wildcats to a third place league finish, just three strokes behind first.

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

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart chips onto the green during the Osawatomie Invitational on Wednesday at the Osawatomie Golf Course. Eberhart led the Wildcats with a second place finish at Osawatomie and a fourth-place finish at the Frontier League meet Thursday in Spring Hill.

The Louisburg golf team had back-to-back days of competitions, but that didn’t seem to bother the Wildcats much – especially Johnny Eberhart.

Eberhart finished second with an 85 at the Osawatomie Invitational on Wednesday, on what was a cold, blustery day at the Osawatomie Golf Course.

The Louisburg senior followed it up with a fourth-place finish at the Frontier League Invitational on Thursday at Sycamore Ridge Golf Course with an 86. He was one of three Wildcats to earn league medals.

“Johnny has been able to play more with the good weather and has been more consistent with his shots,” Louisburg coach Brian Burns said. “He is building his muscle memory in his swing and doing better with his short game. I am very pleased with his mid 80’s and wouldn’t be surprised if he scored a low 80s sometime soon.”

As a team, the Wildcats finished third in the league standings with a 371, just three strokes behind league champ Ottawa. Louisburg finished one stroke behind runner-up Tonganoxie.

Junior A.J. Arriola finished right behind with Eberhart for fifth in the league with a 92, while junior Johnny Thompson was seventh with a 94.

Senior Dacey Wieland had his best round of the season with a 99 and took 21st. Sophomore Jackson Olson shot a 105 in 30th and Sam Wheeler was 42nd with a 111.

“I have not had many individual golfers shoot very well at Sycamore,” Burns said. “I was happy with all four of the scores.  Three medaling and one breaking 100 for the first time on a difficult course.”

Along with his performance at Sycamore, Thompson also earned a medal at Osawatomie on Wednesday. Thompson shot a 90 to finish ninth overall, while the Wildcats were sixth in the team standings with a 376.

Arriola was third on the team with a 94, while Wheeler shot a 107. Bodie Lancaster and Carson Kern each rounded the Wildcat lineup with a 111.

The Wildcats have the week off, but will back in action next Monday when they travel to the Ottawa Invitational. 

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart shot an 85 and medaled fourth at the Paola Invitational last Monday.

PAOLA — The Louisburg golf team took another step forward in its season last week when the Wildcats took part in the Paola Invitational.

Senior Johnny Eberhart and junior Johnny Thompson finished in the top 10 and led the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish with a 373. 

Louisburg finished a stroke behind third place Paola and two strokes behind runner-up Kansas City Christian. Anderson County won the meet with a 358.

It was the kind of showing the Wildcats were looking for at the Paola County Club, in what was their second meet of the season.

“I didn’t expect too many medals this season, but the golfers are one of the most coachable groups I have had,” Louisburg coach Brian Burns said. “We as a team still have a long way to go with building confidence in their swings and the short game, but we are off to a great start.”

Eberhart bounced back in a big way from his opening tournament as he shot a team-best 85 at Paola and medaled fourth overall.

Thompson earned his second medal in as many meets as he shot an 89 to take seventh overall. The Wildcats nearly had a third medalist, but junior A.J. Arriola was 11th with a 93.

“Johnny Eberhart knows that he can shoot in the 80s on that course and he was disappointed with shooting 100 at Dub’s Dread,” Burns said. “He definitely redeemed himself. Johnny Thompson has been consistent in tournaments and he focuses well for competitions.

“I thought A.J. Arriola might get a medal as well as he parred his last two holes, but he just missed it. They all did well.”

Sophomore Jackson Olson was next on the team with a 106, while senior Dacey Wieland and sophomore Brock Varns carded a 107 and 115, respectively. 

Louisburg is back in action Tuesday when it competes in the Osawatomie Invitational. The Wildcats will hit the Sycamore Ridge links in Spring Hill on Thursday for the Frontier League Invitational.

“Sycamore will be a big challenge if they can’t trust their swings,” Burns said. “You have to hit it straight. The greens out there are crazy fast and will be a feat in itself.”

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Louisburg golf team had a new look about it last week during its season opener at the Piper Invitational.

All six of the Wildcat golfers that competed were new to the varsity squad and each of them had to battle a tough course in Dub’s Dread.

Still, Louisburg had a strong showing as the Wildcats shot a 391, which was good for fifth place out of 11 teams.

Junior Johnny Thompson had a nice outing in his varsity debut as he carded a 90 and he finished sixth overall.

“The golfers are improving at a fast rate from where they started,” Louisburg coach Brian Burns said. “Johnny has shortened his swing, which helps him stay more connected and away from slicing as much. This change, and his great chipping short game, helped him score well.”

Another junior, A.J. Arriola, shot a 95 and finished just outside the top 10, in 12th. Senior Johnny Eberhart carded a 100 to take 27th.

Sophomore Jackson Olson was 41st with a 106, while sophomore Carter Stuteville and senior Dacey Wieland shot a 114 to finish in a tied for 53rd.

Mill Valley won the team title with a 341 and Basehor-Linwood was second with a 364. Mill Valley’s Nick Mason won the individual title with a 70.

The Wildcats are back on the links today when they travel to the Paola Invitational. Tee time is set for 2 p.m. at the Paola Country Club.

There hasn’t been a year like 2020, and for most people, they are ready to put it behind them and forget it ever existed.

Still, with all the challenges that 2020 brought, there were still plenty of positives to talk about when it came to Louisburg High School sports. History-making state places and state medals were plentiful on this list, but it wasn’t all positive. Louisburg had to say goodbye to a beloved town figure and athletes had to deal with the loss of spring sports.

Below are the top stories from 2020, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.

When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site. Thanks to the cancellation of spring sports, I don’t have the top 10 like I normally do, but I got close.

This year was a blast to cover, when I had the opportunity, anyway. Still, I am looking forward to what 2021 will bring. Thank you for everyone’s support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

8. Ratliff-Becher wins state powerlifting title

After winning a state championship in 2019 Reilly Ratliff-Becher had every intention of backing up her performance during the Class 4A State Powerlifting Championships on March 7 at Piper High School.

In fact, the Louisburg senior wanted to improve it. Last season, Ratliff-Becher took first in everything but squat, which she got runner-up.

This time around, she got the clean sweep.

Ratliff-Becher took first in bench, squat and clean and that led to her second straight state championship in the 180-pound class.

“It means a lot to me that I was able to win the state title again,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I set a goal for myself to win first in everything since I had got second in squat last year and I achieved it. Even though it wasn’t my best showing with the numbers I got on my lifts.

“The competition was very good this year, as it always is. But, fortunately with all the work I put in to at least maintain my numbers from last year, meant I was able to lift bigger amounts than my competition.”

7. Conley named state and midwest coach of the year

After a third place finish to end the year, Louisburg boys soccer coach Kyle Conley was recognized among the state’s best.

Conley was named as the Class 4-1A Coach of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association in November.

He guided the Wildcats to a 16-2 record on the season and the team’s highest finish in program history when Louisburg ousted Rose Hill, 3-0, in the state third-place game.

Just a few weeks later, Conley was honored once again – this time on the girls’ side.

Despite the lost season, the United Soccer Coaches wanted to recognize coaches for their past accomplishments and for what this past spring was supposed to hold.

Atop that list was Conley as he was named as the Small School Midwest Coach of the Year. 

“I am absolutely honored to receive this award,” Conley said. “There are so many great coaches in the Midwest, but to me this is a program award. None of this is possible without everyone involved; girls coming to work their tails off everyday, parents traveling and supporting us anywhere and everywhere, community helping with supporting the program, the school supporting the girls, etc. Without the support and buy in from the girls, parents and community none of this is possible.”

The Wildcat girls program has had a successful start in its four years. Conley has a 54-22-2 record during that span, that included two state runner-ups and another state final four appearance. 

6. Louisburg cheer places third at state

The Louisburg cheer squad had to do its postseason competition a little different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It didn’t seem to bother them much as the defending state champions found themselves right in the thick of things again.

Although they didn’t repeat as champs, they were still among the state’s best as the Wildcats cheerleaders finished third in the state back in November.

Unlike performing in front of judges like they did in 2019, the Wildcats had to video tape their performance and send it in to be judged. It fared well as they tallied 83.35 points to finish in the top 3.

Baldwin earned the state title with 88.85 points and Abilene was second with 85.25.

Members of the Louisburg cheer squad are Bella Feikert, Addison Drake, Brooklyn Harmon, Jayden Trester, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Sophie Katzer, Sammy McDaniel, Julia Arriola, Andrea Gaza, JoJo Hendrickson, Sydney Dudzik, Abby Bradley, Anna Poe, Sienna Finch, Mable Graham, Audrey Anderson, Zoe Weers, Anna Morrison and Maggie Madison

5. Holtzen, Owens earn state medals for Wildcat wrestling

Ryan Owens and Cade Holtzen both had their own agendas going into the state wrestling tournament.

Owens, qualified for state last year, but left without a win and he vowed to fix that this time around. As for Holtzen, he came up short in his efforts for a second state medal as a sophomore last season and had all the motivation not to come home empty-handed again.

Both wrestlers more than made up for their rough patches a year ago.

Owens and Holtzen left Salina with a state medal during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. 

Owens made it to the semifinals and wound up earning a fourth-place medal at 120 pounds, while Holtzen finished fifth at 126 pounds.

It also marked the first time since 2016 that Louisburg finished the season with multiple state medalists, when Nathan Keegan and Mason Koechner each brought home medals.

The Wildcats nearly had three medalists as sophomore Brandon Doles finished one win shy of a state medal at 160 pounds with a 2-2 record.

4. Dennis steps down as LHS team doctor

Almost every day of the week, if you were looking for Damon Dennis, he could be found at his office on 11 S. Broadway St., helping treat those pesky aches and pains, taking X-rays, or mending those beaten up athletes after a game.

Doc D – as he his affectionately known – opened Louisburg Chiropractic Office 28 years ago and has served as the Louisburg High School athletic team doctor for almost that same amount of time.

Dennis has seen it all. The walls in his office are lined with mementos from his years of service to both the community and the high school.

He has taped thousands of ankles, seen even more patients and has touched many lives during his time in Louisburg. That is why this week is one of the more emotional times in his life.

In May, he left Louisburg Chiropractic Office and handed the reins over to Dr. Jake Polzin. Add to that, Dennis also stepped away as LHS’ team doctor and left an absence on the sidelines and behind the mic that many in Louisburg have come to know.

“My decision to step down and sell the practice has turned out to be the hardest thing I have ever done,” Dennis said. “I have poured everything I have into my job and community. It has become my entire existence. I was taught from a young age to serve others and your community. I feel like the pressures I have put on myself have become unhealthy. I have put about 40 years work in to 28 and feel like there is never going to be a good time to make such a huge life change. 

“That being said, I feel like I need to make changes while I am still able to do the things that will be best for my family. Dr. Polzin came along and I think he will carry on the work at the office wonderfully. We are a lot alike in many ways. I could not have found anyone better to replace me.”

For many, Dennis has been a big part of people’s lives, especially in the athletic arena. He has served as the LHS team doctor since 1992 and has treated many athletes in those 28 years.

3. Girls Cross Country Takes Third at State

For 23 years, the Louisburg cross country program has been chasing a top three finish at the Class 4A meet.

The Wildcats have had several teams qualify, especially in the last few seasons, but have always come up short of their goal. Following Saturday’s race in Wamego, the Wildcats can finally stop running after it.

The Louisburg girls put together an historic performance at the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships at Wamego Country Club. The Lady Cats earned a state plaque with a third place finish as they surpassed Buhler by eight points to record the school’s first top three state finish.

Junior Reese Johnson, sophomores Claire Brown, Bree Gassman and Nova Ptacek, along with freshmen Lola Edwards, Maddy Rhamy and Erin Apple, will all go down in school history as they became the first Wildcat team to bring home state hardware.

“It means the world to me to be a part of the first team ever to place at state,” Rhamy said. “Coming into the state meet, I was just hoping our team would be in the top half, so you could imagine my excitement when our team placed third. I didn’t even know we made school history until our coaches told us.”

Rhamy was one of two freshmen who earned top 10 finishes individually, along with Edwards. Rhamy finished eighth overall in 20 minutes and 58 seconds, while Edwards was right behind her in 10th in 21:02.

Junior Reese Johnson also garnered a state medal as she was 15th in 21:28 to help the Lady Cats to an historic performance.

It was a proud moment for many in the Louisburg program, and included in that is John Reece. The longtime Wildcat head coach was all smiles following his team’s performance.

“It is 23 years the making,” coach Reece said. “You always have the plans and goals to get to state and then you get a group to go to state and do something great. This year was one of those. With the Frontier League as tough as it is, and then getting third there, put it in our heads that maybe we could do this. They all went out and ran their races, and that just shows their grit and determination and who they are.”

A week earlier, the Wildcats also made history as its was the first time in school history when they qualified the entire boys team to the state meet as they took third at regionals.

2. Boys Soccer Finishes Runner-Up At State

As the Louisburg players huddled around their state plaque, many of them looked at it in awe and wonder.

“Hey guys, we won this,” a player shouted.

The statement was obvious at the time, but nonetheless, their excitement was more than warranted.

For the first time in program history, the Louisburg boys soccer team brought home a plaque from the state final four as the Wildcats defeated Rose Hill, 3-0, on Saturday in the third place match of the Class 4-1A state tournament at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

It was only the second time in school history that the Wildcats had it made it this far, with the other being in 2016, when they finished fourth.

“There are only six teams in the entire state that get to end their year with a win and we wanted to be one of those teams,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We want to be able to hang up a banner on our field and we wanted a plaque so that no one can forget what these kids earned and what they did this season. I am so proud of all of them.”

It was a program defining moment for the Wildcats as they began the weekend searching for a state championship, but lost 2-0 to Bishop Miege on Friday in the semifinals. Still, recording the best finish in school history is nothing for someone to hang their head about, and the Wildcats came out Saturday wanting to make sure they brought some hardware home.

“It’s absolutely crazy to think about what we have accomplished this year, partly because I have only played soccer in high school,” senior captain Logan Faulkner said. “Bringing a state plaque back will just be a reminder of what we did and how we reached our goal.”

1. COVID-19 Cancels Spring Sports

In March, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly closed all schools for the rest of the 2019-20 school year due to the spread of COVID-19.

When most students hear school has been closed, especially in the winter, cheers erupt. In this case, however, the tone was much more somber – especially among the senior class.

Proms were canceled. Any plans they had for a graduation ceremony were put on hold, and for more than 30 seniors, their last opportunity at playing a sport at Louisburg High School was taken away.

In fact, close to 200 students were planning on participating in an activity in the spring, but with no school, the Kansas State High School Activities Association followed suit and canceled the spring season the day after Gov. Kelly’s declaration.

Students, parents and coaches alike have had to come to grips that a season they had been looking forward to all year, was never going to happen. Tears flowed, walls were punched in frustration and some were left speechless.

There would be no game days, no Senior Nights and no postseason runs. Athletes had to figure out how to cope with this fact and it was a challenge for the Louisburg girls soccer, track and field, baseball, softball, golf and swim teams.

Many of those teams had big postseason aspirations after success in 2019 and were left wondering what could have been.