Louisburg Sports Zone will be running senior spotlights through April and May everyday (Monday through Friday) in an effort to honor seniors who had their seasons taken away due to the spread of COVID-19.
Softball holds a special place in the heart of Allie Boles.
Boles has been playing the sport for as long as she could remember and she grew up always with a bat in her hand. Her father, Dave, brought her up in the sport and coached her till she was 17.
It has been a big part of her life and gave her things that will remain with her forever.
“Softball isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of living life in my opinion,” Boles said. “It brings a lot of life lessons to you. You meet a lot of people. The game of softball to me is unexplainable – you have to love it and know who you want to be on that field for. Softball is and will always be a part of my life. I have big goals and dreams that I look forward to accomplishing.”
After not playing for the Louisburg program since her freshman year, Boles was excited to join her friends and go on one final run her senior season.
“I was super excited and I really wanted to make some memories with some of the girls I used to play with,” Boles said. “I was excited to be coached by coach (Nick) Chapman because he knows a lot about the game and how it goes. I thought we could have been really good this year, not only because of the skill we improved on, but the team’s chemistry was built strong over those few weeks.”
Boles was slated to be a starter and one of the Lady Cats’ biggest bats in their lineup this season, but when she got word that their season was over due to the spread of COVID-19, her heart sank.
“When I first found out I was with my friends,” Boles said. “We found out over a phone call from one of our moms. Hearing her cry and the news that our senior year, and all that we have been looking forward to, had been ripped away from us made us pretty emotional. There were a lot of tears shed.
“Driving by the school, football field and softball fields gives me a pain in my chest every time. I think when you play ball with anyone they automatically become your family and having that ripped away from you hurts. We’ve all been in touch and getting through it together.”
The Lady Cats were on a mission in 2020 to try and earn another trip to state after winning a regional championship a year ago. Boles figured to be a big part of that run, along with the six other seniors on the team.
“She has a bright future in softball,” Chapman said. “She has raw talent that I am excited to see grow at the next level. I think she would have had a huge year and helped our team take the next step along with the rest of these seniors. She committed to this team from the very beginning and demonstrated what it means to play with passion. I am very grateful for her leadership and excited to see what her softball future holds.”
Louisburg senior Allie Boles was excited to return to the Lady Cat program.
Softball still figures to be a fixture in Boles’ life moving forward as she has signed to play in college and is looking forward to growing even more in the sport. Still, she has several fond memories of her short time with the Lady Cat program.
“One of my favorite moments was one of the last moments I was with them,” Boles said. “We had a team dinner on what we didn’t know would be our last day, and during that time we grew together. It felt like a family that had known each other forever, even though it had been a couple short hours. We were playing games all night and laughing, throwing hot dogs at each other and just being goofy.”
Other than softball, Louisburg Sports Zone also had a chance to catch up with Allie on how she has been coping with an early end to her senior year and some of her other interests. Here are her responses from the rest of our Q&A.
LSZ: What have you been missing the most during this time away from everyone?
AB: Honestly, I have been missing the people more than anything. I wish I could be walking down those hallways one more time, or riding to the games on the bus jamming out with the girls. I wish I could have the anxiety of getting ready for finals again, knowing my class is having that same feeling. I would go through all the hard times if it means we could go back to school again. It’s really just shocking that the true meaning of high school is over.
LSZ: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete or in school, and why?
AB: I think my freshman year of basketball was the most fun time of my life. That group of girls are some of my closest friends and playing with them was super fun.
LSZ: What is your favorite activity/hobby outside of sports and why?
AB: I really like to explore, or be with my friends outside or just driving around with the sunroof open. As long as I’m with the people that I love, then I’ll be having a good time.
LSZ: What are your plans after graduation?
AB: After graduation, I will be attending Temple College in Texas to continue my academic and softball career. My goal is to transfer to Oklahoma State after that. I am still undecided on a major at this time.
LSZ: What accomplishments that don’t involve athletics are you most proud of and why?
AB: I think my greatest accomplishment was finishing with a B in College Algebra. When it comes to math I’m not the best, so I was pretty proud.
LSZ: What do you think would be something that a lot of people don’t know about you?
AB: I would say people don’t know about my eye. One pupil is larger than the other because I had surgery when I was a baby and they accidentally cut it making it larger and a darker shade.
Allie’s Favorites
Pro athlete: Sydney Romero
Pro team: Pride Softball
College team: Oklahoma State or University of Oklahoma
Movie: Any Marvel movie
TV Show: The 100
Song: Better Off Gone or Homemade
Band/Musician: Cody Johnson
Pregame meal/snack: Fruit Roll-Up, orange and a granola bar
Class/subject: Biology
Teacher and why: I like too many to pick a favorite
Louisburg Sports Zone will be running senior spotlights through April and May everyday (Monday through Friday) in an efforts to honor seniors who had their seasons taken away due to the spread of COVID-19.
Earning a spot and playing in a state tournament gave Kayla Willey memories that will last a lifetime.
Willey and the Lady Cats upset their way to a regional championship last season after entering the tournament with a 6-14 record. A pair of wins over Ottawa and Chanute put the Lady Cats in the state tournament for the first time since 2014.
Louisburg would end up losing to No. 1 seed Andale in the first round of state a week later, but the experience was something Willey won’t soon forget.
“I think the best moment for me was last year at state and how we got there,” Willey said. “We finally came together as a team and played our hearts out. When we got to the hotel for state, we just had so much fun. Even though we lost, we had an experience of a lifetime and made bonds and memories to last us forever.”
As much fun as that was, Willey was looking forward to another shot at a state tournament. Louisburg was going to do it with a new coach as Nick Chapman moved from junior varsity to varsity head coach and replaced John Ozier.
“I was so excited to play with coach Chap this season,” Willey said. “We had all put in so much work and in those first weeks and I had already been seeing so many improvements in the team. I think we could have really pulled together our wins this year and done great things.”
The worst part is the Lady Cats will never know what could have been as spring sports across the state of Kansas was shelved due to the spread of COVID-19 back in March.
It was difficult news to hear for Willey as she will likely never play softball again – a sport that has been a staple in her life.
“I have played softball since about T-ball age,” Willey said. “My dad played baseball and our parents always let their kids try every sport we wanted. I tried softball and just instantly fell in love with the sport. I just picked up everything about the sport so fast. It has been a huge part of my life. It has run my life from start to finish. I have lived and breathed softball. It has helped me make friendships that I will have for the rest of my life. It has made me who I am.”
Louisburg senior Kayla Willey was a returning starter off of last season’s regional championship team.
Willey has been a big part of the Lady Cat team the last two seasons. She earned All-Frontier League honorable mention honors as a sophomore as she split time between second base and the outfield, and was a key contributor on their regional championship team.
“Willey would have been our starting centerfielder this year,” Chapman said. “She had a lot of speed to chase down a fly-ball and is very quick on the basepaths. Kayla always brought a great attitude and brought cheerfulness that lightened up practice, which was much needed. She really accepted the role of senior leader. When I couldn’t get to the younger players to help them with something, she was all over it; whether it be helping them with their swing or outfield technique.”
Those are the memories Willey will try to hold on to when times get tough as the final two months of her high school career come to a close.
“It has been really hard,” Willey said. “I had planned to play college ball, but I just recently decided that I was not going to play in college. So this last high school season was my last chance to leave behind my legacy and step onto that field knowing this was the sport that changed my life. I have been really sad that I won’t get to finish my senior year as planned. I wanted to have my last prom, walk across the stage for graduation and have my last memories with my class.”
Other than softball, Louisburg Sports Zone also had a chance to catch up with Kayla on how she has been coping with an early end to her senior year and some of her other interests. Here are her responses from the rest of our Q&A.
LSZ: What have you been missing the most during this time away from everyone?
KW: I miss the softball team. I just miss practices and getting to be with all of them.
LSZ: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete or in school, and why?
KW: It has to be getting to go to Indiana for FFA nationals. I loved getting to spend a week away from home, with friends. It was such an experience and I’m glad I got to have it during my senior year.
LSZ: What is your favorite activity/hobby outside of sports and why?
KW: I like to ride horses. I love the relaxation of going on trail rides, but the real fun is getting to an open field and going as fast as the horse can go. I just like the freedom.
LSZ: What are your plans after graduation?
KW: I plan to go to Johnson County Community College for the first two years and then maybe go to the University of Central Missouri to study criminal psychology.
LSZ: What accomplishments that don’t involve athletics are you most proud of and why?
KW: I would have to say getting the opportunity to be Mr. Holloway’s assistant for TA was the best accomplishment I achieved, at least recently.
LSZ: What do you think would be something that a lot of people don’t know about you?
KW: I don’t think a lot of people know that I love Spiderman. I have seen all the Spiderman movies and love them all.
Kayla’s Favorites
Pro athlete: Patrick Mahomes
Pro team: Kansas City Chiefs
College team: K-State
Movie: A Quiet Place
TV Show: Criminal Minds or Vampire Diaries
Song: What She Wants Tonight by Luke Bryan
Band/Musician: Trace Adkins
Pregame meal/snack: Pickles
Class/subject: Ag
Teacher and why: Mr. Morgan – he always makes me laugh. He’s pretty crazy and it just makes class that much more fun.
Players, coaches mourn loss of spring sports season
Louisburg softball, along with the rest of the Wildcat spring sports teams, saw their season come to a close with the spread of COVID-19.
It has been almost a week since 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 in many cases – are still trying to do so.
GIRLS SOCCER
Mackenzie Scholtz didn’t spend as much of her Spring Break relaxing with family and friends as she wanted.
Instead,
she found herself focused on social media, constantly checking updates on what
was going to happen with the rest of her senior year. She was scared that her
final soccer season was going to be taken away from her.
Turns
out, those fears became a reality.
“When
I read it for the first time, I just couldn’t believe it,” Scholtz said. “I
immediately broke down in tears. I think I cried for about four hours non-stop
just thinking that I would never get to step on that field with my best friends
ever again. I had such high hopes for this season too and had been so excited
all year.”
Before
this all came about, none of the 12 Louisburg seniors had any idea they had
already played their last match as a Wildcat.
The
senior class of Scholtz, Avery O’Meara, Erin Lemke, Lily McDaniel, Ashley
Moore, Trinity Moore, Skylar Bowman, Haley Cain, Hannah Straub, Olivia Chase,
Andie Masten and Morgan Messer provided Wildcat coach Kyle Conley with a lot of
good memories, which left the news even harder to stomach.
Louisburg
was looking for its fourth consecutive state final four appearance after
earning second place finishes the last two seasons.
“The decision absolutely broke my heart,”
Conley said. “I couldn’t in a million years fathom something like this could
happen. I honestly felt the cancellation was harsh this early, but would have
rather like to have seen a postponement and then reevaluate at a later date.
This group of 12 seniors was going to be very special. If they would have
returned to the state final four this season, they would have been one of only
two 4A-1A teams to do this improbable feat. This group was 44-18-1 in their
three years. I would be willing to bet this is the most successful program over
those three years in regards to win percentage. Obviously, winning state
championships would trump that, but we were extremely successful.”
The one thing that has helped players get
past this disappointment is that there are so many seniors to lean on and they
have done a lot of that this past week.
“The amount of support from this team has
helped me so much,” Scholtz said. “As soon as we found out that we would no
longer play, all of us seniors were sending nothing but love to one another as
well as to the whole team. Individually, there were many messages sent showing
how much we love each other and that this would get better. Coach Conley and
the younger girls also shared a lot of great messages as well. Hearing positive
words is really helping me get through this whole thing.”
The 2020 Louisburg High School girls soccer team
Many of the 12 seniors and their parents were a part of the group that helped raise money to start the Louisburg program nearly five years ago. They had always dreamed of winning a state title, but the wondering what could have happened is the worst part for a lot of them.
“This group had three goals: they wanted
to win a league title, to win a regional championship and finally win a state
championship,” Conley said. “This would have been our program’s fifth year
and everything was built for this season. I believed in this group and I felt
we were going to compete for that league title and we were going to go back to
the state final four. We wanted three banners: league title, regional championship,
and a state championship. It’s so sad that we will never get the opportunity to
show the state what this team is capable of accomplishing.”
BASEBALL
Kade Larson was all set to begin
his first season as the head baseball coach at Louisburg High School.
Larson, who was hired late last
spring, was looking forward to leading his alma mater and had high expectations
for a group that was young, but returned experience from the year before.
Then came the news from KSHSAA to cancel spring activities, which left Larson, and the rest of the Wildcat program, speechless – including seniors Madden Rutherford, Andrew Krause and Kaden Oehlert.
“To say I am disappointed is an
understatement,” Larson said. “I was very excited for this upcoming year. Being
my first year as head coach I was more than ready to get the season
underway and see what kind of team we had. I thought we could do some great
things this year with the group that we were working with. For the short time
we were able to practice, they had a great chemistry and worked super hard.
“I feel terrible for all the players having
to lose a season like this, especially the seniors. Madden Rutherford and Andrew
Krause were showing great leadership skills and I hate that they had their
final season taken away. They are unprecedented times that I never thought
would happen.”
Rutherford, who is a two-time All-Frontier
League player himself, was ready to make one final run with the Wildcats. Even
though he has signed to play baseball for Washington University in St. Louis,
he regrets not being able to have one final run in high school.
“Personally
I was just ready to just play ball again,” Rutherford said. “My football season
ended with an injury, and two surgeries later I was just starting to get back
into the swing of things. I was excited for the baseball team this season; we
had a different looking coaching staff and a different mentality which was
evident at practice. I’ll always be left wondering what could have happened.”
Senior Madden Rutherford, along with fellow seniors Andrew Krause and Kaden Oehlert, all saw their high school careers come to a close with the spread of COVID-19.
As
difficult as it was for the seniors, the junior class will also have some
obstacles to overcome – especially for those who are wanting to play at the college
level.
“To go with the seniors, this is also
horrible for the juniors,” Larson said. “Junior year is a big
recruiting time and a lot of these guys are missing that. So all around
this just is a bad time for an athlete, but I know they will work through it
and come back next year ready to go.”
Even
with all the hardships athletes are facing, including the loss of a season,
several are trying to find the silver lining in it all.
“The
whole COVID-19 situation has made me appreciate what I have,” Rutherford said. “It’s
hard to truly recognize how nice you have things until they’re taken away. I
just hope and pray that things don’t escalate further.”
TRACK AND FIELD
Carlee
Gassman and Sydni Keagle were ready for the seasons of their lives on the track
this season.
Gassman,
who is a returning a state medalist in the hurdles, was considered one of the
best returning 300-meter hurdlers in Class 4A. As for Keagle, she finished one
spot away from a state medal last year in the 100 hurdles.
Both
Louisburg seniors had high hopes, as did the rest of the Lady Cat track team
that was ranked high in Class 4A in the preseason. That made the news of
canceling spring sports all the more crushing.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Keagle said. “At first I
was in shock and then I was just incredibly sad at this loss of opportunity and
it’s taken a while to come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to
compete in my favorite sport one last time.”
Gassman felt much the same way as she earned three state
medals as season ago. Along with sophomore Delaney Wright, who garnered four
state medals, the two athletes figured to score a lot of points for the Lady
Cats this season.
“When I heard the last quarter of my senior year was cancelled and knowing track would be over as well, I found myself crying about not having school,” Gassman said. “I never thought I’d find myself crying over school. I am just trying to keep my head high – there are better things to come.”
Girls coach John Reece said there were 34 out for track
before the team departed for Spring Break, which was one of the bigger groups
the Lady Cats have had in several years.
The Louisburg 4×400 relay of (from left) Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh, Sydni Keagle and Delaney Wright were some of several returning Lady Cats trying for a big state performance.
“It is a huge bummer
that everything got nixed,” Reece said. “We had a chance to do some great
things this track season on the girls side. We could have been a top three team
at state with a handful of very talented girls. My heart goes out to
the girls and the missed opportunity for them.”
The
same could be said for the boys as the Wildcats featured a big roster of 74
athletes and Louisburg would have been competitive in most events throughout
the season.
“I
am just extremely disappointed,” boys coach Andy Wright said. “We had 74 boys
out, which is the biggest number we have had in several years. We had multiple
state qualifiers returning as well as some newcomers that could have helped
contribute to a successful year.”
One
of those qualifiers was javelin thrower Michael Waldron. The Louisburg senior
finished just a few feet away from earning a state medal a season ago, and now
his attempt at getting there has been dashed.
“It’s really hard to describe the disappointment I had when I
heard that I wouldn’t be able to throw javelin this year,” Waldron said. “It
was tough and very hard to wrap my mind around, it’s tough knowing that I had
about a week of practice under my belt and a lot of preparation for the first
meet of the year. Just finding out I wouldn’t be competing at all was crushing.”
The season was an important one, not only to Waldron, but to
the rest of the track seniors as well. Anthony Davis (distance), Trent Martin
(pole vault), Charlie Koontz (sprints, relays), Carter Anglin (discus), Garrett
Harding (shot put) and Indy Strumillo (jumps) were all in their final year and
were excited with what lied ahead. A few of them had already made plans to work
out together over Spring Break to get some extra work in.
“I texted Carter Anglin and Garrett Harding about the fact
that our season was over, since we all threw together,” Waldron said. “It was
tough for Carter because I knew he was thinking about a possible state
appearance this year. For Garrett, it was his first year but he had some good
success in the first few weeks with throwing shot put, so I know he was
excited. It’s just a bummer and we have texted each other, and comforted one
another. We are just still in shock – it
was like a slap in the face.”
GOLF
Calvin Dillon has already had the best career in Louisburg High School golf history, and he accomplished that after his junior season.
Still, he wanted a lot more.
Dillon, who is a three-time state medalist, was looking for
that elusive state championship this year and was considered one of the
favorites going into the season. With the cancellation of spring sports it left
Dillon, like many others, wondering ‘What if?’
“It was definitely hard to hear that the regular season, as
well as postseason were canceled,” Dillon said. “It seemed like it happened all
of a sudden. When you hear of professional and collegiate seasons being
cancelled, you feel some remorse and disappointment for them, but when your own
season gets cancelled, it becomes real.”
The remorse for his own season wasn’t what Dillon was feeling. It was the fact that he had hoped to lead a team – full of seniors – to its second consecutive state tournament appearance.
Seniors Drake Varns, Garrett Rolofson, Ryan Haight and Colin
Cook all returned from that team, while other seniors like David Perentis,
Deven Wieland and Luke Wickersham were also trying to vie for the final spots.
Five of the six golfers from Louisburg’s state team returned in 2020 to try and make another trip to the state tournament. (From left) Colin Cook, Drake Varns, Calvin Dillon, Ryan Haight and Garrett Rolofson.
“We definitely had high expectations for this season,” Dillon
said. “With the heavy amount of seniors on the team, as well as our regional
and state experience last year, we were really excited. I think the most
disappointing thing for all of us is going to be the lack of closure. We were
all looking forward to one last go-around, and to have our season disappear in
a matter of days is devastating.”
Like with every other conflict in life, the Wildcats are
trying to make sense of it all and find a positive side to what has been a
forgetful week.
“One
positive that comes from this situation is the gratitude we will now have for
our everyday lives,” Dillon said. “You never know when something catastrophic
like this can happen, and we need to be thankful for the life we do have.
Although this situation is disappointing for us, it was ultimately God’s plan.
He is the one that is in control, and if we seek him in this time of
discomfort, we will find the closure and satisfaction that we lost along with
our senior season.”
GIRLS SWIMMING
It was
an historic season before it even started as Louisburg would join the
Osawatomie-Paola girls swim team for the first time this year.
Unfortunately,
thanks to the pandemic spreading across the country, history will have to take
a back seat for another year.
Head
coach Maddie Carrigan was in her first year with the program after assisting
with the boys team last winter, so finding out the news with everyone else was
a little tough to take.
“It
was really upset when I heard the news,” Carrigan said. “Obviously, I
understand the reason for the cancellation of school and sports season, so I
completely back the decision. It was still a huge bummer for me because this
was my first time having a high school head coaching role. It was a pretty big
honor since I’m only 23 and I was super excited to try some fun new things I
came up with for the girls. The first two weeks were already so much fun and
the girls improved so much, so I can’t imagine how great the whole season would
have been.”
Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg
had three seniors swimmers this season, including Shayla Aye from Louisburg and
Brayden Hanf and Grace Shore from Paola.
In
all, Louisburg had eight swimmers on the team including Aye, Claire Brown,
Bailey Hallas, Sydney Keaton, Dana Mattison, Anna Morrison, Dagen Page and
Reese Reitz.
“Everyone
is really bummed, especially the seniors,” Carrigan said. “We had a lot of
first time swimmers, as well, so I hope this doesn’t deter them from joining
the team again next year.”
SOFTBALL
Last year was a special season for the Louisburg softball
team as the Lady Cats made a run to a regional championship and a state
tournament appearance.
It was a great last part of the season for several of the
Lady Cats.
Unfortunately, with the news of COVID-19, this year’s version
of Louisburg softball team will never get another chance at a magical season.
“When
I found out my season was canceled, I was devastated,” senior Reilly
Ratliff-Becher said. “It would be the last time I ever played softball and it’s
just taken away from me.”
The
seven Lady Cat seniors were excited to begin this season, as was their coach,
Nick Chapman. Chapman was in his first year as head coach with the program
after spending last season at the junior varsity level.
After a couple weeks of practices, Chapman had barely gotten a chance to get to know his new team. Then he had to deliver the news that no one wanted to hear.
“This was not easy news to get,” Chapman
said. “It was even harder to have to tell the girls and even worse that I had
to do it over the phone. It’s still not real. Next week, we were going to get
back to work and prepare for a special season. The girls had bought into what
we were trying to accomplish. Just in two weeks, the culture was changing and
girls were understanding what it meant to play team softball and do what is
best for the team. The end of last week we had our first team bonding night.
The seniors set their team expectations and goals for the year. I listened to
each of them say how excited they were for this specific year and to make one
last run at it.
“I was crushed to have to tell them they
weren’t going to get that chance. All seven of them helped mold this team into
something special and set the tone for what Louisburg softball should be. I was
excited for the product we were going to put on the field game one. I thought
this year was going to be a season full of success.”
The seven seniors consisted of
Ratliff-Becher, Allie Boles, Lauren Cutshaw, Kayla Willey, Kat Coolidge, Gabby
Duggar and August Daniels. Some of those seniors were a big part of the Lady
Cats’ state run a year ago, while others were looking to make an impact on the
varsity level this year.
“I had
very good expectations for this year,” Ratliff-Becher said. “As much as I feel
bad for myself, teammates and my fellow seniors, I feel especially bad for
Chapman. He worked so hard once he found out he got this job. I was so ready to
learn and make him proud this season.
“I
tell myself is that I have to think of other people in this situation. This
could all be much worse. We are just containing this virus and protecting the
ones at the most risk, although it’s going to be hard on everyone for a while.”
Local college athletes watch as seasons canceled due to COVID-19
Bethel College junior Emalee Overbay was off to a great start to her softball season with the Threshers before she saw her season canceled thanks to the COVID-19 virus.
Before the Kansas High School
Activities Association announced it would be canceling the spring sports season
Wednesday, colleges and their athletes were already days in to a horrible
realization.
Both the NCAA and NAIA canceled
all spring sports and their postseasons last week due to the spread of the
COVID-19 virus that has left the entire country scrambling for an ounce of
normalcy.
Louisburg High School graduates
Emalee Overbay and Isabelle Holtzen are still trying to find it.
Overbay, Holtzen and college
athletes across the country were shocked when they were informed their seasons
that they had prepared for months for, was taken away in the matter of minutes.
Although Holtzen and Overbay are considered underclassmen, and still have the opportunity to compete next season, the loss of the next two months of competition has been hard to swallow.
It was a life no one saw coming.
———-
All was going well for Holtzen,
who is a sophomore pole vaulter at the University of Northern Iowa. She competed
in the indoor season over the winter and achieved some personal bests in the
process.
Holtzen finished her indoor
campaign on top as she took third at the Missouri Valley Conference meet with clearance
of 3.63 meters (close to 12 feet). That placing earned her all-conference
honors for the first time in her career.
“Indoor season this year was
honestly a bit of a challenge for me,” Holtzen said. “Early on in the year, I
was able to PR, but then kinda fell into a slump about halfway through. It was extraordinarily
frustrating as I was dealing with a bit of an injury and wasn’t performing as
well as I wanted. Luckily, I have amazing teammates, coaches and family that
helped me figure it out. I was very excited to be able to receive
all-conference honors, especially since it ended up being my last meet of the
year.”
Northern Iowa sophomore Isabelle Holtzen had just competed her indoor track season with all-conference honors before she found out her outdoor campaign was shut down.
The thought of canceling the season hadn’t even crossed Holtzen’s mind as she found herself at practice just days later getting ready for a team meeting to talk about the upcoming outdoor season. It was there where she heard the news.
“It truly was a surreal moment, looking around at my fellow athletes and seeing the disbelief, disappointment and sadness in everyone’s eyes,” she said. “No one could believe that it was real. It was so sad to see the seniors realize that they would never get to put their uniform on and compete for UNI again.”
The same could be said for
Overbay.
She had already kicked off her
softball season for the Bethel Threshers and was off to a promising start
herself. Overbay had put up some good numbers and was recently named as the
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
All that optimism quickly went
away when the team was informed on a Friday morning that their season was over.
“None
of it felt real, it still doesn’t,” Overbay said. “I never would have guessed
that my season would have been cut short, or soon evaporated completely. When
the news came out there other schools/colleges were shutting down, I was confused.
I guess I didn’t understand how serious the issue was. I was still very
disconnected from the problem, assuming that nothing like that would happen to
us.
“The
news flooded me with emotion as there goes the possibility of playing my junior
year. What was I going to do with
softball, something that has been so consistent in my life, confusion as to why
all this was happening, why are people canceling our sports, and I couldn’t
help but to think what was going to happen to my seniors. I met up with the
three seniors after the announcement and we all cried together.”
To
help athletes try to get through the difficult time, the NCAA approved an extra
year of eligibility for those spring sports athletes that are affected.
As nice of an option as that was, going back for an extra
year of school to compete in a sport that doesn’t provide a full scholarship in
many cases might not makes sense for those involved.
“A lot of seniors already have jobs lined up and cannot
afford to go to school for another year,” Holtzen said. “While for some this
extra year offers some relief, with my current plan I will not be able to
utilize that year because I plan to graduate in four years.”
The NAIA did much of the same the NCAA did, but like those
athletes, it doesn’t make much sense for them to attend college for another
year when it isn’t in their plans.
“This is great for the people who didn’t have plans for the
following year,” Overbay said. “Looking at it through a seniors’ perspective,
it is hard to put one’s life on hold, to put money towards another year of
tuition when they could be finding a job, and starting a new chapter of their
lives.
“A lot of this is just so inconvenient. I’m not sure what
the girls are going to do, I’m not sure of what I myself will do. It’s all such
a confusing time. All I can do is have faith that God has a plan.”
It has been difficult adjustment for athletes all across
the country and is something no one could have planned for.
Instead, they find themselves trying to make the best of a
bad, unfortunate situation.
“My teammates and I have definitely been leaning on each
other to get through this,” Holtzen said. “Our blood, sweat and tears go into
competing and hopefully getting a PR to earn a spot on the podium. To have that
goal ripped away from us this year was heartbreaking.
“It really brought into focus to never take a minute for
granted because you never know when it will be the last time you compete. Life
is like a track meet – full of obstacles. This is just another bar to get over.”
Top 10 Louisburg Sports Stories of 2019
It was a successful, and eventful, 2019 for Louisburg High School athletics and for those who are connected to the Wildcat program. This past year created a lot of school history for LHS and several programs brought back state hardware.
Below are the Top 10 stories from 2019, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.
When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site. There were stories that I had to leave off that normally would easily make it. 2019 was that successful of a year for Wildcat athletics.
This year was a blast to cover and I was blessed to have the opportunity to go along for the ride with many of these. As much fun as it was, I can’t wait for 2020 to begin. Looking forward to it!
10. Tucker, Ratliff-Becher win powerlifting titles, Tucker breaks state record.
Two Louisburg High
School weightlifters made their way to the top of the podium in March during
the Class 4A State Powerlifting Meet at Basehor-Linwood High School.
Not only did Tucker
win a state title in the 220-pound division, he also broke a 24-year state bench
press record as he recorded a bench of 375 pounds to surpass the old mark of
365. He also won the squat competition at 505 pounds and had a total of 1,165
pounds to run away with the crown.
Tucker’s total was the
highest three-lift mark at the entire state meet in all weight classes.
“I had messed around with 375
and 385 before on bench, so I was confident that I could lift it if I had the
chance,” Tucker said. “I was more worried about my first lifts on bench at 345
and 365 because if I messed up on those attempts then I would not have had the
change to even attempt 375. It was definitely a sigh of relief when I finally
locked it out.
“It was a great feeling to beat the state
record. To put Louisburg up on the record chart definitely brought a smile to
my face.”
Ratliff-Becher had a big day
in the women’s division as she won a state crown in the 180-pound weight class.
She finished with a three-lift total of 575 pounds.
The Louisburg junior took first in bench press with 155 pounds,
first in clean at 150 pounds and second in squat with a 270-pound lift.
“Winning the state title
meant a lot to me,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I have put in a lot of time and
effort in weights class, so it’s nice to see it has paid off. But, also because
I feel as if I put out a message to girls that it’s cool to be strong
physically. I know that being sometimes the only girls in a class with a lot of
strong guys is intimidating. Weightlifting is all about your own personal
growth and seeing how far you can push yourself.
“I was honestly surprised I won because there are lots of very
strong girls there and it’s good competition. It’s also fun to meet new people
that have the same interests and motivation as you.”
9. Golf qualifies for state, Dillon medals for third straight season
As the scores trickled
in to the clubhouse at Paola Country Club, the Louisburg golf team could hardly
stand it.
The Wildcats were
nervously waiting to hear if they had qualified for state, but they knew it was
going to be close. Louisburg had to be in the top three of the team standings
to earn a spot and the Wildcats had some tough competition amongst them.
As it turned out, the
Wildcats had nothing to worry about.
Topeka-Hayden won the
regional title going away with a 332 and Louisburg was just three strokes
behind runner-up Tonganoxie, which had a 349.
“It feels great,
especially with all the hard work we have put in the offseason and last few
months,” Dillon said. “It was our goal coming in and we did it. I felt like we
had a good chance. It was borderline with those four teams being as close as we
are. I knew we had a chance, but it was nice to actually qualify. It was
definitely a little nerve-racking waiting for the scores to come in.”
As impressive as that
feat was for the Wildcats, Dillon’s performance blew away the rest of the
competition.
The Louisburg junior
won his first individual regional title as he carded a 1-over 73 to win the
tournament by six strokes. Dillon’s 73 was his best score on the season and he
has now won all but one tournament on the year.
Dillon went on to record his third consecutive state medal and finished 11th overall in Dodge City after the tournament was postponed several times, and eventually moved due to weather.
8. Wildcat wrestling sends six to state, Moore earns first state medal
Back in early November
of 2018, Austin Moore was in a sling with a broken collarbone and he wondered
why all this was happening.
Moore suffered the
injury during the regional football playoffs and he didn’t get to finish his
final high school season. Not only that, his hopes of getting his first state
wrestling medal was in serious jeopardy.
A little more than
four months later, Moore was on the medal stand with some of the state’s best
wrestlers in his weight class.
“It was pretty special
for me to get a state medal, especially because it has been a goal of mine ever
since I started wrestling,” Moore said. “Overall, I felt like I wrestled pretty
well, but I just wish I could’ve ended it on a win.”
Louisburg’s talent was
certainly on full display during the two-day tournament. Brandon Doles, Blue
Caplinger and Austin Moore won regional crowns, Cade Holtzen was a regional
runner-up, while Gabe Bonham and Ryan Owens also qualified for state by placing
third and fourth, respectively.
As a team, the
Wildcats ended up with 138.5 points and was just 2.5 points out of second
place. Ottawa won the regional with 149.5 points and Eudora was second at 141.
It was the highest regional team finish for Louisburg since 1998.
“The way these guys
wrestled this weekend shows that the program has been doing so many things
right this season,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We’ve had the obstacle
of low numbers, which hurt us in our duals, but when it comes to tournament
time, we have a bunch of guys who are placing high and that gives us a lot of
team points. Taking six to state feels pretty encouraging, and finishing third
at regionals is an awesome statement for this team.
“If a few things had
gone the other way, we would have been in second as a team. On paper, we
weren’t supposed to be in the race for a regional plaque. Almost all of our
guys stepped up and scored huge team points for us.”
7. Louisburg softball captures regional title
OTTAWA – Madison
Svoboda could feel her heart starting to come out of her chest.
Karson Griggs was a
feeling a little nauseous.
Those are some of the
same feelings that were flooding the Louisburg softball’s team dugout during the
final inning of the Class 4A regional championship game against Chanute on
Tuesday in Ottawa.
Louisburg held a one
run lead, but Chanute had the tying run on third, two outs, and a trip to the
state tournament was on the line. On the mound was sophomore Brooklyn
Diederich, and with two strikes, the Chanute batter fouled five straight
pitches.
The tension was
mounting.
Finally, on the 10th pitch
of the at-bat, Diederich got what she was looking for – a swing and miss.
“I want to cry, but at
the same time I am just really happy,” Griggs said. “It is exciting because I
never thought something like this could happen, especially this year. It feels
really nice and now maybe people will actually start taking us seriously.”
Not many gave people
gave the Lady Cats a chance as they entered the Class 4A regional tournament
with just five wins and were forced to begin tournament action in the play-in
game.
After a 17-2 win over
Parsons last Monday in the play-in game, No. 15 Louisburg advanced to the
regional semifinals and upset No. 2 seed Ottawa, 9-7, which helped set up the
Lady Cats’ first state tournament appearance since 2014.
“I think a lot of
other teams underestimated us,” Diederich said. “The fact that we came out and
played our hardest ball showed what type of team we actually are. It is just
crazy.”
At the state tournament in Salina a week later, the Lady Cats faced off against Andale and lost to the eventual state champion in the first round, 10-0.
6. Cross Country qualifies for state, Moore breaks school record and takes third at state
BALDWIN CITY – One by one,
members of the Louisburg girls cross country team crossed the finish line and
coach John Reece was unsure whether or not his team did enough to qualify for
state.
The Lady Cats had made
school history by qualifying the last two seasons, but the third time was a
little bit in jeopardy – that was until the results were released.
As it turned out,
Reece didn’t need to be so worried.
Louisburg finished third overall with 96 points in October at the Class 4A regional meet at the Baldwin Golf Course, and beat out Bishop Miege by six points to earn a spot at the state meet this weekend in Wamego.
The team of Trinity
Moore, Carlee Gassman, Reese Johnson, Claire Brown, Ruth Minster, Kennady
Wilkerson and Bree Gassman competed for the Lady Cats at state.
“This group of girls runs
well, they race well and they train well together,” coach Reece said. “They are
a good group and this is just as exciting as the other two times. The
competition was a lot tougher than the previous two times. We had to run our
races and we did. From our third to fifth runners was about an eight point
spread.”
Trinity Moore has left a
lasting impression on the Louisburg cross country program over the last four
years, but she saved the best moment for her final act.
Moore broke her own school record with a time of 19 minutes and 39 seconds to finish third overall at the Kansas Class 4A State Cross Country Championships at the Wamego Country Club a week later.
The Louisburg senior
recorded the program’s best ever state finish as she eclipsed her fourth-place state
medal from a season ago.
“It meant so much to
me to finish with such a great race for my high school career,” Moore said.
“Going into the race, I didn’t know how well I would finish. This race had the
best competition that I have ran against all year and I think that is what
really pushed me.
“When I saw my time
crossing the finish line, I was ecstatic. I felt great the entire race and was
able to control everything I did. Finishing third was icing on the cake. I was
surprised but so incredibly happy to be able to place in such a great spot, but
I also knew that this what I had worked for all year.”
This made the fourth
state medal for Moore in her high school career and she improved on her state
finish every year. Last season, she took fourth overall and bested her state
time from a year ago by more than 30 seconds.
5. Boys Soccer wins league, regional titles to earn No. 1 seed in playoffs.
For more than 70
minutes, the goals for Louisburg were hard to come by and it started to leave
an eerie feeling on Halloween night.
However, the Wildcats
got their treat when it was all over.
“This group is
special,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It is going to be tough when it is
all over. This group has changed our culture. They came back to what this
program believes and they have bought in to what we are teaching them. They
have worked so hard since June. For these seniors, this is their third title in
four years and I think it is a lot of fun for them.
A school record 16
wins, a Frontier League championship and a regional title are all something
worth celebrating, but following the state quarterfinal match with Bishop
Miege, all Louisburg could think about was the finality of it all.
Despite all those
accomplishments, the Wildcats fell one win short of their main goal – a spot in
the state final four.
Louisburg saw its season come to a close with a 3-0 loss to Bishop Miege at the Wildcat Sports Complex. The Wildcats lost to the eventual state champion, as Miege went on to defeat Wichita-Trinity on Saturday, 3-1, for the Class 4-1A state championship – the Stags’ fourth in a row.
As difficult as the
loss was for Louisburg, there was no forgetting how big of a jump the Wildcats
made from the season before as they went from a 6-win team to one that earned
the East’s No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.
“Going 6-11 last year
and seeing this Miege team almost mercy-ruling us in the regional championship
last year in the rain, was a program changer,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley
said. “After that was over, we talked about how things needed to change and it
starts now. For our first practice in June, I told them that they are the ones
that has to change them. Since day one, they have played for each other, played
hard in practice and it was a total mindset change. When someone got hurt, it
was the next guy up. We missed two starters for half of the year and it was
always the next guy up taking advantage of his opportunity to fill in. The
freshmen stepped up huge for us.
“This team is special.
16 wins is a school record and only two losses is probably a school record.
This team is incredible, played so hard and did everything I asked them to do.
They were always there to pick each other up and that is what this soccer
family is all about. It will be tough to say goodbye to these kids.”
4. Volleyball knocks off Miege to win regional title, takes fourth at state
ATCHISON – The
sub-state semifinal game between Louisburg and Bishop Miege had all the feels
of a state tournament match.
Partially because a
year ago, it was.
Louisburg met Miege in
the state championship match only to see the Stags send the Lady Cats to a
runner-up finish in two sets. Then three weeks ago the two teams met again, and
like before, Miege dispatched of Louisburg in two sets.
However, Bishop Miege
saw a different Louisburg team during the sub-state tournament at Atchison High
School – one they didn’t expect.
The Lady Cats came out on fire and never let up in a 25-18 and 25-22 win over Miege to end the Stags’ season. It marks the first time in at least 12 years, if not longer, that Miege will not be at the state tournament.
Since the state
tournament began in 1971, Bishop Miege has made 39 state appearances during
that time in either Class 5A or 4A and is the most in Kansas history.
“Our energy was going
to be the difference in that match, so we knew we had to bring it,” Louisburg
senior Erin Lemke said. “We knew we had the same skill set as Miege, but our
energy was what was going to pull us through there in the end. To get there, we
just had to believe in ourselves and work hard this past week to give us the
confidence that we needed.”
However, even after
pulling off a big revenge win that expended a lot of energy, the Lady Cats
still had a sub-state championship match to play against No. 2 seed Atchison.
The No. 7 seed Lady Cats took care of business as they won in straight sets,
25-12 and 25-15, at Atchison High School.
For the third straight
season, the Lady Cats were among the last four teams playing and brought home a
little hardware for their efforts. Louisburg took fourth overall after losing
its third place match to Towanda-Circle, 2-1, in October at Hutchinson Sports
Arena.
“Every season our goal
is to put ourselves in the best position to qualify for state and then to
hopefully advance to bracket play on Saturday,” Louisburg coach Jessica
Compliment said. “Leading up to state, we talked about how nothing is
guaranteed and in order to make it to bracket play, we have to show up and play
our best from the first whistle to the last whistle. If we play our game, then
hopefully the winning will take care of itself and we’d advance.
“The eight teams at
state this year were all very talented. I was happy that we qualified for the
semifinals because that put us one step closer to the championship. Even though
we didn’t reach the championship match and finished fourth, I was still very
proud of how the team played throughout the tournament.”
3. Louisburg cheer wins first state championship
The Wildcat
cheerleaders competed at the Class 4A KSHSAA Game Day Spirit Showcase
Competition on Nov. 23 at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka and came
back home with a big trophy in tow.
“I was so nervous at
the awards,” Louisburg senior Lauren Vincent said. “We were all holding hands
and had our heads down. We thought that we would get second place at best, most
likely third. We were content because we put everything out on the mat and did
the best we could. But when they called out second place and it was Augusta, we
screamed, cried, and hugged each other because we knew that we had just won.
“When our name was
called for first, we jumped up and hugged each other. Then I ran out onto the
mat and grabbed the trophy and we held it up and jumped around victoriously. It
was the best feeling in the entire world. Knowing that all of our hard work had
finally paid off was indescribable feeling of joy.”
The Louisburg
cheerleaders that competed are Lexi Pena, Lauren Vincent, Ashlyn McManigal,
Brooklyn Mitchell, Gabby Tappan, Andrea Gaza, Eleanor Willming, Jayden Trester,
Lacie Kallevig, Sammy McDaniel, Mable Graham, Anna Morrison, Bella Feikert,
Audrey Anderson, Sydney Dudzik, Kaitlyn Vest, Jolie Hendrickson, Abby Bradley
and Zoe Cutshaw. Louisburg’s head coach is Jayna Guerra.
Not only were the
Wildcats the third team to win a state title in school history, they were also
the first female squad to win a team crown as well. All the history just added
to what was a special day for the program.
“It means so much to
me and all my teammates,” Tappan said. “As someone who’s been a part of a variety
of sports my entire life, I know how hard each of our teams work to do their
very best in whatever sport they’re a part of. We are so thankful that we got
to make history for Louisburg and it is something that I can guarantee that
each and every one of us will remember it for the rest of our lives.”
2. Girls soccer
takes second at state, Conley named coach of year and Scholtz, Buffington awarded
players of year.
When it was all said and done, the Louisburg girls soccer team held its trophy high in front of the Wildcat faithful and the tears were easy to spot.
After nearly 200
minutes of soccer in a nine-hour time period, including one match that ended in
penalty kicks, the Wildcats were spent. They gave everything they had.
Frustration and
sadness was easy to see following the Wildcats’ loss to the defending state
champion, but the team realizes what they have accomplished in just four years
of existence is to be celebrated.
“Being in this
situation two years in a row is something that doesn’t happen very often,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “There are a bunch of teams that haven’t been
to a state final four and we have been to three in three years. It is pretty
cool and it is special.”
It was a wild 24 hours
for the Wildcats. Louisburg was supposed to play Hayden on Friday in the
semifinals, but severe weather forced the postponement to early Saturday
morning.
The Wildcats battled
Hayden through four overtimes and eventually led to penalty kicks. After an
intense first five penalty kicks that left the match still tied, senior goalie
Carson Buffington recorded a big save and then senior Hallie Hutsell converted
the sixth penalty kick to break the tie and give Louisburg a 2-1 win over
Hayden.
“We usually play 80 minutes, but this time we
had to play 110 minutes and we were gassed,” Conley said. “We were holding on
and had some chances at the end to win it, but then we went to overtime and
then to penalty kicks. It was all about to see if we could survive. Emotionally
it was just a high for us and an unbelievable response and a great finish.
Carson making a big save, Hallie putting it in for the win – it was just a
great game.”
In the championship match,
the Stags were just too much for the Wildcats and junior Sophia Stram provided
a big spark. Stram scored all four goals for Miege in the title game, all of
which came in the first half, and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer.
“They are just so freaking good,” Conley said. “I think the
girls were mentally ready, but I don’t think their legs were quite ready, but
we lost to one of best teams in the state of Kansas. They have great players,
they are well-coached, but our girls played their butts off.
Coming off its second
consecutive state runner-up appearance, Louisburg had some positive
repercussions from its historic season.
However, none bigger
came when the all-state teams were released by the Kansas Soccer Coaches
Association. Not only did six Wildcats earn all-state selections, but they were
honored with some of the highest awards out there.
Louisburg was also
recognized on the other side of the ball as senior Carson Buffington was named
the Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year.
“Seeing Mackenzie and
Carson recognized for their positional player of the years was fantastic,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They both had incredible years.”
The Wildcats weren’t
done, as for the second consecutive season, Conley was named as the Class 4-1A
Coach of the Year as he guided Louisburg to a 17-4 record. He also led the
Wildcats to three consecutive final four appearances.
1.4×400 boys wins state championship, Wright wins four state medals and team breaks six school records at regional meet.
Three days after
arriving in Wichita for the Kansas State Track and Field Championships, Justin
Collins, Blue Caplinger, Ben Wiedenmann and Chris Williams finally got the chance
to get on the Cessna Stadium track.
The four Wildcat
runners had the top time in Class 4A going into the 4×400-meter relay, but
weather threw a little wrench into their plans. The meet, which was supposed to
end on a Saturday, was postponed to Sunday morning and all races were judged by
times with no preliminaries.
It wasn’t the ideal
situation, but they made it work – and it worked well.
That was just one
event in what was an historic week for Louisburg track.
Louisburg freshman Delaney Wright earned four state medals, while junior teammate Carlee Gassman finished with three as the Lady Cats went on to finish 10th in the team standings. The Lady Cats earned several other medals at the state meet coming off an impressive performance at regionals.
During the Class 4A
regional meet at Paola High School, Wright qualified for state in four events,
broke two school records and earned a regional title in her first postseason
track meet.
Wright won a regional
title in the long jump and finished second in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She
also helped Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh and Sydni Keagle to a second place finish
in the 4×400-meter relay.
“I am so grateful for
everything,” Wright said. “I had been having trouble with my hip this week and
I just wanted to come out and make state in at least one event. I didn’t
realize I would make it in four. It is an unbelieveable feeling.”
As a team, the Lady Cats nearly earned the regional runner-up trophy as they racked up 86.5 points and finished a half a point behind second place Baldwin and Bishop Miege, who tied for second. Paola won the regional title with 107 points.
KSHSAA releases classifications for 2019-20 school year
The Kansas State High School Activities Association released its classifications for the 2019-20 school year, along with the football classifications for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
There were a few changes in both areas, but more so on the football side.
Football classifications are determined based on enrollment figures in ninth, 10th and 11th grade. Louisburg is still in 4A with 432 students and is toward the lower half of the classification.
Entering Class 4A beginning in the 2020 school year will be St. James Academy, Lansing and Great Bend, who have all moved down from Class 5A. Wamego also made the jump back in from Class 3A.
Goddard, Pittsburg and Spring Hill all saw their enrollment grow and will be moving up from 4A to 5A next year. Baldwin saw their enrollment decline and will move down to Class 3A in football the next two years.
In the rest of the sports, not much changed with regards to Class 4A for this year.
Enrollment figures for all grades in Louisburg this year is 573, which puts the school in the upper half of Class 4A. The biggest school is Buhler with 661 and Bishop Miege is the second biggest at 656 and Ottawa is third at 653.
Three schools will make the move up to Class 4A this year. Clay Center, Girard and Holton all saw their enrollment increase and will come back to 4A, while Osawatomie, Anderson County and Wichita-Trinity Academy will move out of 4A to 3A this year.
Chapman takes over Louisburg softball program
After spending a year as an assistant, Nick Chapman has been hired to be the new Louisburg High School head softball coach. Chapman takes over for John Ozier, who spent the last four years guiding the Lady Cats.
Before the end of the 2019 season,
Louisburg head softball coach John Ozier informed his team that this year would
be the end of his tenure with the Lady Cats.
Ozier, who spent four seasons as the Lady Cats’ coach, certainly got a nice send-off from his team as they won a regional championship for the first time since 2014 and earned a trip to the state tournament.
“My goal was to get these kids to
maximize their talents for them to believe in themselves,” Ozier said. “I
really didn’t want it to come down to my last season and final three games of
regionals for that to happen, but I will take it. That was a run I will never
forget. I have been around sports my entire life and this is one memorable part
that will always stick with me. I told the girls that whenever they go back to
high school, to make sure they go find their regional plaque. It is not for
bragging rights, it is to represent what we have put into this season and walk
away with the pride of what we did.
“For some, reaching state may not
be that big of a deal, but when you are a program that is scratching and
clawing to make every opportunity count, it just meant so much to me. I had
great support from people at the school and I wouldn’t have traded it for
anything.”
Now that the Lady Cats have some
momentum going into the 2020 season, they needed to find a new leader and they
didn’t have to look far.
Nick Chapman, who served as the
Louisburg assistant and junior varsity coach last season, will take over Ozier’s
post as he was officially hired as head coach following the USD 416 school
board meeting earlier this month.
“I am extremely grateful and excited to
be the next head coach of Lady Cat softball program,” Chapman said. “Going into
last spring, I was originally going to be volunteering on the baseball team. (LHS
AD Scott) Hinkle and Ozier came to me to a couple weeks before the season
started about coaching softball and I decided to go that route. It’s a decision
I would make every time, if I had to go back and do it again.
“John did a great job getting this
program started in the right direction. The pieces just fell in place for me to
take the reins. I have had two really awesome mentors this last year in Shawn
Lowry (girls basketball) and John in terms of what it takes to coach at a high
level. It’s summertime and I am already looking forward to spring.”
John Ozier stepped down as the Louisburg softball head coach after four years with the program.
Chapman, a Louisburg High School
graduate, played baseball for the Wildcats and continued his passion for the
game in college when he played for MidAmerica Nazarene University.
Coaching softball hadn’t even entered
Chapman’s mind until last spring, but he enjoyed getting to know the game more
and is looking forward to leading the Lady Cats in the future.
“Playing baseball all of my life at a high
level, it was a little bit of an adjustment at first, but to me it’s all the
same,” Chapman said. “I have the baseball/softball mindset so it was a pretty
easy transition for me into softball. There are some small strategic
differences and softball is a little bit faster game. Softball pitching is
something that I will have to learn as we go, but I am lucky enough to have an
amazing pitching coach on staff (Megan Balke) who also played in college and I
trust her to prepare our pitchers. At the end of the day, it’s the team who
scores the most runs wins and that’s the same for both sports.”
Although wins and losses are important to any high school team, Chapman wants his players to be able to come away with invaluable experiences as the Lady Cats hope to take that next step forward in their development.
“My main goal, first and foremost, is to create a program where the female athletes who leave the program, leave with valuable life skills that they will use in the next phase of their life,” Chapman said. “Sports is such an amazing platform to instill life-long lessons that athletes carry with them for the rest of their lives. I don’t think I would be where I am at today without the guidance of my coaches.
“Softball-wise it’s time for this program to take the next step.
We are coming off a regional championship and state appearance. We got there
because we put the team first and expected to win. From the first day, it’s all
going to be about what’s best for the team and putting in the work to compete in
a tough Frontier League. I have already talked to some of the girls about the
kind of legacy they want to leave on this program. There’s a lot of new things
happening in this program right now and we can really start to build something
special where we expect to be in the state tourney year after year. We are
going to be well prepared physically and mentally when we step on the field for
the first time next season and expect to win when we step between the white
lines.”
Chapman will begin his head coaching duties in July when he hosts his first high school camp in an effort to create excitement around the program and to have girls interested in playing softball.
“I am excited for this whole journey to start,” Chapman said. “We
have a great group of girls coming back next year and I am ready to get after
it. It just stinks that we have to wait until February/March to do it.”
Rison, Griggs selected to all-league softball team
Louisburg senior Molly Rison (15) earned second team All-Frontier League honors recently after she batted . 453 on the season with just four strikeouts.
The Louisburg softball team
finished the 2019 season as the one of the top eight teams in Class 4A and the
Lady Cats were well-prepped for a run in the postseason thanks to a tough
Frontier League schedule.
Louisburg, along with league schools Paola and Eudora, qualified for the state tournament and lended itself as one of the toughest leagues in 4A.
So, when the league coaches sat
down to discuss the all-league teams, it wasn’t a surprise to see a pair of
Louisburg players honored.
Senior Molly Rison was selected as a second team All-Frontier League player in the infield, while fellow senior Karson Griggs was an honorable mention selection in the infield.
“I was disappointed a few more of our players did not receive league recognition this season,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “However, with that said, I have always been a coach that places more value on the contributions of each player to the overall team goals. During this season, and especially during our postseason run, we had so many kids figure out the importance of the philosophy of ‘what can I do to help the team.’ It took some time, but this approach paid some incredible dividends.”
Karson Griggs led the Lady Cats with five home runs and seven doubles on the season. She was named as an all-Frontier League honorable mention.
Rison and Griggs were big parts of that
approach as they drove in a lot of runs from the heart of the Lady Cat order.
As the Louisburg first baseman, Rison was
a key fixture in the Lady Cat lineup as she batted .453 on the season with a
.539 on-base percentage, a .594 slug and a 1.133 OPS. In 76 plate appearances,
Rison recorded 10 walks and struck out just four times. She also recorded six
doubles, a home run and 21 RBIs.
Griggs had the most power on the Lady Cat
team as she recorded a team-high five home runs to go along with a .397
average, 21 RBIs and a team-high seven doubles.
“I was proud to see Molly and Karson get recognition in a very
talented league,” Ozier said. “I would have liked to have seen Maddie (Svoboda)
get honored, along with some of our underclassmen that were nominated. I look
for some of our younger players to receive league recognition in seasons to
come.”
2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Year nominees
For the past three years, Louisburg Sports Zone has given out Athlete of the Week awards during each of the three sports seasons. I do it to recognize special athletic achievements and to highlight the athletes.
For the second straight year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”
Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. They will then vote for their top 3 male and female athletes and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. In the next week, I will announce this year’s recipients.
Below are the nominees for this year’s award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!
Carson was a 3-time letter winner in her senior season and
was named as a team captain in volleyball, basketball and soccer.
In volleyball, Buffington earned second team All-Frontier
League honors as she helped lead the Lady Cats to a Class 4A state runner-up
performance. She also moved from her starting setter position to the outside
hitter spot and had a lot of success for the Lady Cats as she tallied 130 kills
in her new position. With all that success, Buffington was also selected to the
Greater Kansas City Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Match.
Buffington also wrapped up a strong career for the Louisburg
basketball team as she averaged eight points and seven rebounds to go along
with three steals a contest. She was named as a Frontier League honorable
mention this past season, and she also was selected as an all-state honorable
mention.
In girls soccer, Buffington was the starting goalie for Louisburg in all 20 games. She posted 13 shutouts, which is a school record and had a .952 goals against average, which is also a school record. Buffington had 90 saves on the season that ended as a Class 4-1A state runner up for the second consecutive year. For her efforts, she was also selected second team All-Frontier League. Buffington was also named first team all-state goalie and was named Goalkeeper of the Year.
ANNA DIXON – SENIOR – VOLLEYBALL
Anna wrapped up her fourth volleyball season as a varsity starter for the Lady Cats and guided Louisburg to its second consecutive Class 4A-state runner-up finish.
Dixon, who is currently with the Kansas State volleyball
team, ended her senior season with 584 kills and had a hitting percentage of
.260. She also added 325 digs, 50 aces and 42 blocks as she played all six
rotations. With those lofty numbers, Dixon earned several big time honors in
her final season.
She was selected as an All-Frontier League first team player
and was also named to the 4A State All-Tournament Team. Those honors continued
as she was named the Kansas Volleyball Coaches Association Class 4A Player of the
Year and earned a spot on KVA All-State First Team.
Following the season, Dixon was also named as an
Under-Armour All-American also earned MaxPreps/American Volleyball Coaches
Association Player of the Week honors.
ALYSE MOORE – SOPHOMORE – BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD
Alyse is a 3-sport varsity letter-winner this past year as she earned letters for the basketball, softball and track and field teams. This past spring season, Moore went to state in two different sports and became the first Wildcat athlete in recent memory to do so.
In her first season in track and field, Moore threw the
javelin for the Lady Cats and went on to become regional champion as she
eclipsed her personal best throw by almost 25 feet in just her third
competition of the season. The following week, she medaled fourth at the Class
4A state tournament with a personal best throw of 131 feet and 9 inches.
Moore was also the starting shortstop for the Lady Cats as
she helped Louisburg to its first regional championship since 2014.
During the basketball season, Moore was a starter for the
Lady Cats and averaged six points, five rebounds and three steals a game.
TRINITY MOORE – JUNIOR – CROSS COUNTRY, SOCCER
Trinity is 2-sport letter-winner for Louisburg this past
year as she had state performances in both cross country and soccer.
During the fall, Moore was the top runner on the Louisburg girls cross country team as she helped the Lady Cats to a regional runner-up finish and qualified for state as a team for the first time in school history. Moore medaled fourth at the Class 4A state meet in Wamego and currently holds the school record for the fastest time in program history. She also earned first-team All-Frontier League honors for her third place finish at the league meet.
In soccer, Moore was a starter on the Wildcat team that recently finished as the Class 4-1A state runner-up for the second consecutive year. At the midfield spot, she finished the season with 12 goals and six assists and was also named to the All-Frontier League first team.
DELANEY WRIGHT – FRESHMAN – BASKETBALL, CROSS COUNTRY, TRACK AND FIELD
Delaney is a 3-sport letter-winner as she took part in cross country, basketball and track and field and competed at the state level in two of those.
Wright found most of her success in track and field as she
earned four medals at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships
in Wichita this past month. She medaled in the long jump, 400-meter-dash,
200-meter dash and as a member of the 4×400-relay.
During the regional meet, Wright broke two school records
(long jump, 400 dash) and earned a regional and Frontier League title in the
long jump. She also earned a medal in the long jump at the Kansas Relays
earlier in the season.
In cross country, Wright was a member of the Louisburg team
that finished as a Class 4A regional runner-up and qualified for the state meet
as a team for the first time in school history. In basketball, Wright saw
playing time at the varsity level as a freshman at different points throughout
the season.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
BLUE CAPLINGER – SENIOR – BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WRESTLING
Blue is a 4-sport letter-winner in football, wrestling,
baseball and track and field and competed at the state level in two of the
sports.
In football, Caplinger was an All-Frontier League player on
both sides of the ball as he was named to the first team defense as a defensive
back and second team offense as a multi-purpose player. On defense, Caplinger,
who helped Louisburg to a 10-1 record and a regional championship, had 31
tackles from the safety spot and also had two tackles for a loss, two fumble
recoveries and an interception. Offensively, he had 544 total yards and six touchdowns.
On the wrestling mat, Caplinger was a regional champion at
170 pounds and finished his season with a 33-5 record. The Louisburg senior
fell one match short of state medal with a 2-2 record at the Class 4A state
tournament. He currently holds the school record for most career reversals (72)
and most career escapes (86). Following the season, he was also named to the
KWCA Academic All-State first team.
Caplinger split time between baseball and track and field in
the spring. Although he spent time as a reserve and pinch-runner on the
baseball team, Caplinger found a lot of success on the track.
He qualified for state as a member of two relays. Caplinger was a member of the 4×400 relay team that won the Class 4A state championship in 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Caplinger also helped the 4×100 relay to a fifth place finish and went on to garner two state medals.
Caplinger will join the Benedictine football team this fall.
AUSTIN MOORE – SENIOR – FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WRESTLING
Austin is a 3-sport letter winner in football, wrestling and
track and field and was among the state’s best in two of the sports.
Moore thrived on the football field for the Wildcats as he helped Louisburg to a 10-1 record and a regional championship. Moore was a first team All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball and was the league’s leading vote-getter. He went on to rack up all-state awards as the Louisburg senior earned Class 4A first team all-state honors as a running back from the Topeka Capital-Journal and the Kansas Football Coaches Association. Moore was also named as a Class 4A first team all-state linebacker from the Wichita Eagle.
When the season was all said and done, Moore tallied 1,554
total yards from the running back spot, including 1,428 yards on the ground,
and had 21 touchdowns before he broke his collarbone during the regional
championship game.
With those numbers, he was named the Kansas Small Class
Player of the Year by 810 Varsity and was All-Purpose Player of the Year by
Kpreps.com. Earlier this year, Moore was also named to the Kansas Shrine Bowl
roster.
On the wrestling mat, Moore missed more than half of the
season with his broken collarbone, but came back in a big way. Moore won his
first 14 matches when coming back at 220 pounds, which included a regional
championship. He went on to earn his first state medal as he finished fourth at
the Class 4A state tournament with a 3-2 record. He was also named to the KWCA
Academic All-State first team.
During the spring, he was a member of the Louisburg track and field team and threw the javelin for the Wildcats. He was also on the throwers relay that ranked Top 5 nationally at one point in the season.
Moore will join the Kansas State football team this fall.
KIEFER TUCKER – SENIOR – FOOTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WEIGHTLIFTING
Kiefer is a 2-sport letter winner in football and track and
field and also went to state competition in two activities.
Tucker was a presence on the line of scrimmage for the
Louisburg football team as he was a first team All-Frontier League player on
both sides of the ball and helped the Wildcats to a 10-1 record and a regional
championship.
The Louisburg senior was among on the leaders on the
offensive line as he helped pave the way for more than 3,500 yards of total
offense. On defense, Tucker recorded 55 tackles from the defensive end spot,
including three tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and
a sack. Those numbers helped earn him honorable mention all-state honors and was
also named to the all-state team by the Kansas Football Coaches Association.
The honors kept coming for Tucker as he was recently selected to participate in
the Kansas Shrine Bowl.
During the winter, Tucker was a member of the Louisburg
powerlifting team and certainly made his mark there as well. Tucker won the Class
4A state championship in the 220-pound class and broke a 24-year-old record in
the bench press with a lift of 375 pounds.
In track and field, Tucker qualified for state for the first time in the discus. He finished as a regional runner-up and went on to take ninth at the Class 4A state meet in Wichita, just one spot away from earning a state medal.
Tucker will join the Emporia State football team this fall.
Lady Cats fall to Andale in first game of state tourney
Louisburg senior Karson Griggs tags out an Andale runner Thursday during the Class 4A state softball tournament in Salina.
SALINA – The Louisburg softball team was still riding high into the state tournament after the Lady Cats’ regional championship victory a week earlier.
Louisburg’s only problem was the
Lady Cats were the No. 8 seed going into tournament action and had to face off
with No. 1 seed Andale/Garden Plain.
The Lady Cats had hoped to pull off another surprise after knocking off two higher seeds at regionals a week prior. Unfortunately, Andale used one big inning to pull away from Louisburg and handed the Lady Cats a 10-0 loss Thursday at the Bill Burke Complex in Salina.
Andale scored eight times in the
third inning and the Wildcats were never able to catch up as the Indians
eventually knocked Louisburg out of the state tournament with two runs in the
sixth inning to complete the shutout.
“Andale is a team, where if you
give them a little opening by making mistakes here and there, they are going to
make you pay for it and that is kind of what happened,” Louisburg coach John
Ozier said. “We talk about winning as a team and losing as a team and these
girls were so supportive of each other, even after we had a couple hiccups
there.”
Louisburg senior Madison Svoboda makes contact with a pitch Thursday in Salina.
Louisburg got off to a good start in the top of the first inning to try and put some pressure on Andale after a single from Madison Svoboda and a walk from Molly Rison. The Lady Cats weren’t able to get a hit to bring home a run, and as it turned out, that was their best chance to score.
Lady Cat starter Brooklyn
Diederich held Andale scoreless through the first two innings, but with one out
and no one on in the third inning, Andale reached with nine straight batters
and took an 8-0 lead
August Daniels and Mia Wilson came
in for relief against Indians, and while Andale went scoreless the next two
frames, it scored two more runs in the sixth to get the win. Andale went on to
advance to the championship game, but it fell to Augusta, 5-2.
Alyse Moore and Svoboda had the
lone hits for the Lady Cats, while Rison walked two times to lead the Louisburg
offense.
First baseman Molly Rison runs into foul territory to make a catch against Andale.
“I think the most important thing
for us was to come out early in the game and show them that we were not going
to be intimidated and we were not going to back down,” Ozier said “That is
exactly what we did. We made some nice plays and we had a chance to make some
noise there in that first inning and just couldn’t get that hit to get it
going.”
With the loss, Louisburg had to
say goodbye to its three seniors in Karson Griggs, Rison and Svoboda. They
helped give the Lady Cats (8-15) a memorable final run to its season that included
their first regional championship since 2014.
“When they started off, Karson and Molly both started as freshmen and they didn’t know any different and didn’t know they were supposed to be anxious or nervous,” Ozier said. “They just always had that attitude. We got Maddie her sophomore year, and even though they were our underclassmen, they have led our team these last few years. They came out and played so hard, especially in that regional tournament and they didn’t want to go home.
“It was hard for them to address
their teammates after this was over, but we issued a challenge to the
underclassmen that this is a taste of what it is like and we were just so proud
to represent our school and community.”
Outfielder Paige Eccher runs into to make a catch Thursday during the state tournament in Salina.
Although the Lady Cats’ season ended with a loss, it was still a memorable run for Louisburg, and one many of the players won’t soon forget after their wins in regionals against No. 2 seed Ottawa and No. 7 Chanute.
“I wish I could have predicted this,” Ozier said. “To see these kids walk out there as one of the top eight teams in 4A is really just a great moment for us coaches. It was a great moment for me as well, going through some of the lean times, and we reached the goal that I had for this team. We have some degree of respect and credibility back, and that will be up to the younger kids to take that and run with it and keep it going.”
