TOPEKA – It had been a frustrating
start to the new year for the Louisburg wrestling team.
The Wildcats saw their first two events of 2020 cancelled, including their home tournament. It left them itching to get back on the mat and it showed Saturday.
Louisburg traveled to the Topeka
Invitational for its first competition in nearly a month and the Wildcats were
able to shake off the rust and come home with some hardware. They left Topeka
with four champions and one runner-up as the Wildcats finished fourth out of 10
teams.
Freshman Kaven Bartlett (113
pounds), junior Cade Holtzen (126), sophomore Brandon Doles (160) and sophomore
Aiden Barker (170) each finished first in their respective brackets to lead the
Wildcats. Junior Ryan Owens (120) also advanced to the championship match, but
finished second.
“They were definitely eager to get back on the mat,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We’ve been working hard in the practice room, and after two weeks of some really awesome practices, it’s great to see them get a chance to get on the mats to show what progress they’ve been making.
“The cancellations were frustrating, no doubt about it, but it is what it is. Every year we don’t have any meets canceled due to weather, we’re pretty lucky. I just hate losing our home tournament because it’s a long-standing tradition and a great chance to get some quality matches on our home mats. “
Bartlett (16-3) got his day
started with a technical fall of Topeka West’s Jay Dillon and then outlasted
Burlingame’s Conner Collins for a 2-0 decision in the semifinals. Bartlett then
captured the title with a 4-1 decision over Council Grove’s Jesse Rodgers in
the championship match.
At 126 pounds, Holtzen (18-1)
pinned his way to a title. He made his way to the championship with easy pins
over Bishop Miege’s Daniel Henre and Gardner-Edgerton’s Therron Meade. Then in
the first-place match, Holtzen handed Council Grove’s Wyatt Johnson his first
loss of the year with another pin.
Doles (15-4) opened his day up
with a pair of easy pins over Topeka-Hayden’s TC Thompson and Gardner’s Trenton
Bryan to advance to the championship. He then battled Topeka High’s Caemen
Blake and won with a 7-5 decision.
Barker (10-5) filled in at 170 pounds for the Wildcats and recorded a pair of pins over Gardner’s Aydin Lowery to record his first championship of the season.
Owens (18-1) started the tournament strong as he pinned Gardner’s Zack Thomas and Highland Park’s Javier Osorio to reach the finals. It was there where he suffered his first loss of the season in a 5-0 decision to Council Grove’s Tom VanValkenburg, who is currently ranked No. 4 in Class 321A.
“Our guys really did come out well on Saturday,” Bovaird said. “For Kaven and Aiden, it was their first ever varsity championship. Cade and Brandn have been there before, but they still had to earn it. Kaven held on to win two decisive matches with smart wrestling, especially on top. Cade had a tough opponent in the finals, but one great thing I saw from him was the ability to turn on the heat late in the match. He never let up, and finally got the pin in the third period.
“Brandon faced off against a very unorthodox opponent, a 6A state qualifier, and I think the match wasn’t near as close as the score suggested. He was in control and dominant the whole match. Aiden stepped up to the opportunity to make some noise for himself, and he could have easily let himself get defeated mentally, but he showed some great mental toughness in his matches.
“Ryan Owens ran into the #4 ranked wrestler in 321A, and although he lost 5-0, he was competitive the entire time. That match, while it was a loss, helped him pinpoint some important things to work on, and with his attitude this season, he’ll be bouncing back with no problem. “
Sophomores A.J. Reed (182) and
Johnathan Keegan-Childs (195) each finished fifth for Louisburg, while junior
Jarrett Hoyle (132) and senior Sam Kratochivil (220) each placed sixth.
As a team, the Wildcats finished with 143.5 points to take fourth despite being open in four weight classes. Council Grove won the team title with 171 points, Topeka High was second with 169.5 and Gardner-Edgerton was third with 150.
Louisburg is back in action at
5:30 p.m. tonight when it hosts Lawrence for Alumni Night. The Wildcats will
also travel to the Parsons Invitational on Friday.
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.
Louisburg sophomore Brandon Doles works for some back points against Frontenac’s Storm Niegsch on Saturday in Tongnaoxie. Doles upset Niegsch, the state’s No. 5-ranked wrestler, in a 5-3 decision.
TONGANOXIE – The Louisburg
wrestling team had one final meet before the end of 2019, and before it even
started, the Wildcats were faced with several challenges.
Maybe the biggest was the fact the Wildcats had three open weight classes during the Randy Starcher Memorial Dual Tournament. That means, in some cases, the Wildcats would have to give up 18 points in every dual.
That was one of the reasons the
Wildcats finished the Dec. 21 tournament with an 0-5 record at Tonganoxie High
School.
Louisburg opened with a 57-21 loss
to eventual champion Shawnee Heights. The Wildcats also came up short to
Coffeyville-Field Kindley (48-28), Frontenac (48-33), Eudora (45-29) and
Independence (45-24).
As tough as the team results were,
the Wildcats still had several individuals who fared well in their final
competition of the year.
Junior Ryan Owens (120 pounds) and
Cade Holtzen (132) were each perfect with a 5-0 record on the day.
Owens picked up a big victory in his first match of the tournament as he pinned Shawnee Heights’ Decker Stickelman, the No. 6-ranked wrestler in Class 5A, in just 28 seconds. Owens later went on to record two more pins and had another victory by major decision.
Holtzen also had a strong
performance as he finished the day with three pins, but also recorded two close
decisions. Holtzen outlasted Eudora’s Will Schreiner by a 3-1 decision and then
held on for a 2-1 victory over Independence’s Zak Al-Bureni.
Sophomore A.J. Reed lifts his opponent and brings him to the mat Saturday in Tonganoxie.
Freshman Kaven Bartlett (113) and
junior Ben Wiedenmann (170) each left Tonganoxie with only one loss.
Wiedenmann, who wrestled through a
knee injury, recorded two pins and also won by technical fall and major
decision. As for Bartlett, he finished with two pins and a 20-7 major decision.
Sophomore Brandon Doles (160)
finished his day with a 3-2 record, but one of those wins were a big one. Doles
upset Frontenac’s Storm Niegsch, who is ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, in a 5-3
decision. He also recorded a pair of major decisions.
Sophomore A.J. Reed (182) had a
2-3 record, while Jarrett Hoyle (138), Johnathan Keegan-Childs (195) and Cole
Ewalt (220, 285) each had one win.
Louisburg will take a break from
the dual competitions and will host the Louisburg Wildcat Classic on Jan. 11 in
its first action back from the holiday break.
Wildcats fall to Olathe West
On Dec. 18, the Louisburg
wrestling team traveled for a quick dual with Olathe West and the Wildcats left
with a 54-29 loss to the Owls.
Ryan Owens (120 pounds), Cade
Holtzen (132) and Xander Chennault (170) each won by pin, while Brandon Doles
(160) picked up a victory by technical fall. Kaven Bartlett (113) won by
forfeit.
Wildcats find positives after winless December Duals
Louisburg senior Harrison Laney works for a pin at 138 pounds Thursday during the Louisburg December Duals Tournament. Laney finished with two wins on the night.
The schedule ramped up for the
Louisburg wrestling team last week as the Wildcats squared off with five teams
during the Louisburg December Duals Tournament on Thursday.
The Wildcats faced off with several difficult squads and saw their day come to an end with an 0-5 record. Louisburg had to overcome obstacles before the tournament even started as junior captain Ben Wiedenmann was a late scratch at 170 pounds due to injury, and the Wildcats had to give up points at that spot.
Still, there were a few positives
for the Wildcats to build on from their home opener.
“Although we went 0-5, the duals were pretty close,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Three of them came down to one match. Ben was out with an injured knee, and that was a last minute decision and we didn’t have a backup ready to go. With a healthy Ben in the lineup or a chance to plan ahead, we might have been able to do things a little differently team-wise, but it is what it is. The wrestlers stepped out there and competed tough. It was a long night and I’m proud of how they battled.”
Louisburg opened the tournament with a close
loss to Prairie View (42-32), fell to Burlington (47-33) and then lost a close
match to Baldwin (42-36). The Wildcats lost to the tournament champion,
Basehor-Linwood (54-25), and then to end the night they came up short to
Independence (42-39).
Juniors Ryan Owens and Cade Holtzen provided
with the Wildcats with a pair of perfect performances. Owens, who wrestles at
120 pounds, recorded three pins on the night to go along with a technical fall
and a major decision.
Holtzen had a big night at 132 pounds as he
also finished with a 5-0 record. He recorded two pins and won the other three
by decision, including a close 2-1 decision to Independence’s Zak Al-Bureni to
end the night.
Senior Sam Kratochvil gets a pin over a Baldwin wrestler Thursday during the Wildcats’ home opener.
Freshman Kaven Bartlett had just one loss at
113 pounds, including a pin of Burlington’s Owen McManus and a 12-5 decision
over Baldwin’s Nakos Benton.
Sophomore Brandon Doles and Aiden Barker also had a winning record. Doles went 3-2 at 160 pounds and won by pin, a technical fall and a major decision. Barker was 3-2 at 182 pounds with two pins.
Harrison Laney (138 pounds), Xander Chennault
(152), A.J. Reed (195) and Sam Kratochvil (220) each ended the night with two
victories. Luke Kelly (126), A.J. Drew (145) and Elijah Eslinger (285) each
recorded a win for Louisburg.
The Wildcats will try and bounce back tonight
when they travel to Olathe West for a dual. Matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.
Louisburg will then travel to Tonganoxie Saturday for another dual tournament.
Wildcats take first at Fort Scott to open season
Louisburg junior Ben Wiedenmann recorded a 5-0 record to go along with two pins Friday during the Fort Scott Dual Tournament. The Wildcats finished first overall with a 4-1 record.
FORT SCOTT – The Louisburg
wrestling team put together an impressive showing in its season opener Friday
at the Fort Scott Dual Tournament.
All the Wildcats did was leave
Fort Scott with a 4-1 record and a first-place trophy for their efforts as they
kicked their season off in high gear. They finished in a tie for first with
Fort Scott, but Louisburg won the tiebreaker based on head-to-head criteria.
Louisburg had just one open spot
the entire tournament and the Wildcats even brought reserves to wrestle
unattached, which would pay off later in the evening.
“One
of the best things about Friday night was that we not only took a nearly full
squad, but even when an injury happened, we were able to have a back-up there
to fill in,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We’re starting to get our
program back up with numbers after last season’s hiccup. With more bodies in
the practice room, we’re able to embrace the ‘iron sharpens iron’ mentality.”
As
it turned out, the Wildcats’ second dual of the night against Fort Scott turned
out to be their biggest one. Louisburg edged Fort Scott for a 40-37 victory after
opening the tournament with a 39-27 win over Blue Valley Southwest.
Freshman
Kaven Bartlett (113 pounds) opened with a pin and junior Ryan Owens (120)
followed with a 14-5 major decision. Sophomore Brandon Doles (160), junior Ben
Wiedenmann (170) and sophomore Aiden Barker (182) each had pins to score key
points for the Wildcats.
The
biggest victory for Louisburg came at 220 pounds when senior Sam Kratochvil
earned a first period pin to secure the win over Fort Scott.
To
end the night, the Wildcats also secured a 42-33 win over Anderson County in
another close victory. Owens, Doles and Wiedenmann earned pins for Louisburg,
but it was another senior that stepped up again for the Wildcats.
Sophomore Aiden Barker works for a pin at 182 pounds Friday in Fort Scott.
With
sophomore A.J. Reed out with an injury, senior Hugh Staver filled in at 195
pounds and earned a first period pin to seal the win for the Wildcats.
“We
had two guys really step up big for us in two of the duals,” Bovaird said. “Against
Fort Scott, Sam Kratochvil got a huge pin for us at 220, and against Anderson
County, Hugh Staver won big by pinning his opponent at 195. AJ Reed had been
wrestling varsity at 195, but he hurt his ribs against Glendale-Springfield.
Hugh was there to fill in and he followed through with a big win. Our guys are
gaining confidence every match, and that’s what I like to see.
“Xander
Chennault had a great match against Fort Scott. He hasn’t wrestled since
freshman year, but he worked hard to make 152 and when he wrestled the Fort
Scott kid, who’s a pretty talented wrestler, he not only got the first
takedown, but he locked up a cradle and nearly pinned him! Kaven Bartlett has also
been doing great as a freshman at 113. His one loss was a 1-0 decision against
a junior from Anderson County.”
The
four team captains, junior Cade Holtzen (132), Owens, Doles and Wiedenmann, had
just one loss between them as all four scored crucial points for the Wildcats
throughout the night.
Owens was 5-0 with three pins and a major decision, while Doles had five wins and three pins and Wiedenmann was 5-0 with two pins. Holtzen was 4-1 with a pair of pins, and his lone loss was a 3-1 decision to Fort Scott’s Coby Burchett.
Barker also had a successful day at 182 pounds as he finished with a 4-1 record and two pins.
“All
four of them really stepped up and competed well,” Bovaird said. “They had a
combined record of 19-1 on the evening. Ryan looked dominant in his matches,
and Ben looked like he was a lot closer to wrestling shape than he realized.
It’s great to see both of them wrestling at their true weights this season,
rather than having to bump up.
“Brandon
is doing well at his higher weight class, and I’m pretty happy with how he’s
adapted to that move. Cade also looked pretty solid. His lone loss was to the
returning state runner-up, and I liked how he competed. That’s a winnable match
next time we see them.”
Louisburg
also defeated an unattached team 51-24, while their only loss came in a 52-30
setback to Glendale-Springfield, out of Missouri.
The
Wildcats will kick off their home season Thursday when they host the December
Duals. Burlington, Prairie View, Basehor-Linwood, Independence and Baldwin will
all compete in the dual tournament. The first match is set for 4 p.m.
Wildcats return 3 state qualifiers to help lead the way in 2019-20
Junior Cade Holtzen returns to help lead the Wildcat wrestling program this season. Holtzen, along with juniors Ryan Owens, Ben Wiedenmann and sophomore Brandon Doles were all named team captains.
It was successful season for the
Louisburg wrestling program last year as the Wildcats sent six wrestlers to
state tournament and also brought home a medal.
The Wildcats are hoping for that
same type of success, if not more, this time around as they return three state
qualifiers to the mix for 2019-20 season. Those are just a few of the reasons
why head coach Bobby Bovaird is looking forward to seeing what his team can
accomplish.
“Practices
have been going smoothly, and I’m excited for the season to get underway,”
Bovaird said. “We had our annual scrimmage last night and it was great to see
the match-ups. The guys are anxious to get out there to compete, too. They keep
asking about going live all the time at practice. I like that — they’re chomping
at the bit to wrestle.
“We’ll
have a solid core of wrestlers. I don’t think we’ll have as much of a problem
this year with guys having to bump up to fill empty weight classes. We have
more kids who are new to the sport than we’ve had in previous years, but
they’re some solid athletes. They’ve been picking up pretty quickly.”
Juniors
Cade Holtzen and Ryan Owens, along with sophomore Brandon Doles, are returning
state qualifiers who will lead the Wildcats this season and were named team
captains along with junior Ben Wiedenmann.
Holtzen
earned a state medal his freshman season and was one win away from a second a
year ago. Doles was a regional champion a year ago as a freshman, while Owens
was also a state qualifier.
With
an early portion of their schedule that will be consisted of duals, Holtzen
will wrestle at 132 pounds to start the season and Owens will remain at 120
from a year ago. Doles moves up a class to a 160 pounds and Wiedenmann will
take the mat at 170.
Brandon Doles, who won a regional title as a freshman, returns to help the Wildcats at 160 pounds.
“They’ve
been working hard in the off-season,” Bovaird said. “Last summer, Cade and
Brandon were on the mat quite a bit, and Ben was hitting the weight room pretty
hard. Ryan has been keeping active with working out at Louisburg Jiu Jitsu.
These four were voted team captains this season, and I’m excited to see their
leadership on and off the mat.”
Louisburg
will have two open weights to begin the season, 106 and 152, but Bovaird
believes they might be able to fill the 152 slot later in the season.
Freshman Kaven Bartlett will wrestle at 113 pounds, while Luke Kelly will start the year at 126. Senior Harrison Laney (138 pounds), junior A.J. Drew (145), sophomore Aiden Barker (182), senior Hugh Staver (195), senior Sam Kratochvil (220) and freshman Elijah Eslinger (285) will complete the Wildcats’ lineup.
Although he may be one of the youngest on the team, Bartlett provides a good deal of experience as he has wrestled in kids club for several years.
“Kaven
is another kid coming into the program who’s been wrestling since a young age,”
Bovaird said. “He’s a competitive kid and is really coachable. This past
summer, he’s been getting into different practice rooms, getting exposure to
new practice partners and coaches. He’s got the right mindset to have a very
successful high school career.”
The
Wildcats open their season at 3 p.m., Friday at the Fort Scott Dual Tournament.
As excited as Bovaird is for this season, he is just as optimistic about the
future of his Wildcat program.
“Our overall numbers are back up again this year,” Bovaird said. “Last year was a fluke with our low numbers, but we also had a very good retention rate. I’m looking to continue that retention and building our numbers back up to where they were a couple years ago. There’s the old saying ‘Iron sharpens Iron,’ and that’s true. With more numbers, we’ll find the program back on the growing track.
“In 2018-19, there were
over 100 kids in Louisburg (grades K through 8) who were involved in wrestling.
That includes the area clubs and the middle school program. There’s a wave of
strong wrestlers coming in the next few years, and I’m excited to see what this
group establishes as a foundation for the future.”
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.
Frontier League sends proposal to KSHSAA to separate private schools
A big change to the Kansas High School
Activities Association (KSHSAA) postseason could be coming sooner rather than
later if a proposal, submitted by the Frontier League, passes the KSHSAA Board
of Directors and its member schools.
Last month the Frontier League,
led by Paola High School principal Jeff Hines and Louisburg superintendent Dr.
Brian Biermann, petitioned KSHSAA to separate public and private schools into
their own postseason competitions.
In order for it pass, the petition
must be signed by 20 percent of the 355 member schools according to KSHSAA
bi-laws. The Frontier League got the 71 needed petitions and have now submitted
this to appear in front of the KSHSAA Board of Directors for vote in their
Sept. 18 meeting.
The board of directors would then
have to pass it by simple majority of those in attendance to bring the proposal
to a vote from all the member schools.
“Kansas needs to catch up with
the rest of the country and get this competitive imbalance under control in our
state,” Hines said. “The longer we wait then more students will be negatively
impacted. We have a responsibility as educators to create the best
opportunities possible for our students. No one can honestly say we have
the best system possible right now. It can definitely be improved.”
The proposal submitted by the Frontier League is the same one the state of Texas uses that keeps the schools in their same classification, but only separates the schools come postseason.
Other options were discussed
before submitting the proposal, such as implementing a multiplier on all
private schools like Missouri currently does. In fact, it is the most popular
proposal among the schools that were surveyed by Hines last January.
They also talked about the “Oklahoma
model” where schools are bumped up a classification based on success for
competitive balance.
Seventy-four percent of the
schools said they would support a population multiplier, 64 percent would
support competitive balance factors and 51 percent would support separate
divisions.
However, KSHSAA would not be able
to make this change with a multiplier due to state statute K.S.A. 72-130 that
states a high school association “must establish a system of classification of
member high schools according to student attendance.”
KSHSAA would not be able to pass a
new bi-law that goes against state statute, and therefore, the Kansas State
Legislature would have reword the statue to allow the association to make those
changes.
The Frontier League believes the Texas model, or separate postseason divisions, does not deal with classifications. Also, this model had more support from 5A and 6A schools as neither classification would likely vote for a multiplier.
“We don’t view that as a classification decision as we are not affecting classification, but KSHSAA and their lawyers view that it is,” Biermann said. “5A and 6A schools that we talked to really wanted us to push for the Texas model because they don’t want to play them (private schools) either. The biggest thing for me is if 5 and 6A schools don’t want to play them, then why do we? As a superintendent, I am supposed to create opportunities for kids. We had four teams last year in both soccer teams, football and volleyball that all saw their season end to Bishop Miege. It is not right that we have kids and coaches that work their tails off and they don’t have the opportunity to win.
“Am I all about state
championships? Absolutely not. But we also know the reality of it in the
current system. Winning state championships is important for communities and is
always a goal. I am not ever going to give up on this idea and neither will the
Frontier League.”
The public versus private school
debate has been going on for the last several years and Hines has been leading
the charge since 2015 when he put together a study that displayed the disparity
of state championships won by private schools.
In 2018-19, private schools won 32
percent of the state championships in Classes 5A through 1A. There are currently
no private schools in 6A. Twenty-one of those 24 state titles were won by
private schools in Class 4A and 5A.
That is a high number considering
that out of the 355 member schools, only 27 of them are private.
The Frontier League wanted to see change, so Hines surveyed the 355 member schools late last year and presented his findings to KSHSAA in January. More than 88 percent of the schools responded, that included 22 private institutions, and 87 percent said they want the current system changed.
Although most schools said they
would support the multiplier model more, Hines and the rest of the league
schools, believe it is the best way to proceed at this time.
“Our
survey indicated that separate divisions was the least popular option among
member schools, however as a league we feel like it is the most appropriate
option,” Hines said. “A multiplier will pass through and will be our next
option if this does not go through. A multiplier will impact many private
schools that are not quasi sports academies that are not very successful in athletics. The
separate divisions avoids this situation.”
If
the proposal does pass the board of directors, KSHSAA will then put it to a
vote with all 355 member schools and it must pass by a simple majority and by
four of the six classes.
From
there, KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick would take it to the Kansas
Legislature before change could be implemented.
“We
know it won’t happen overnight,” Biermann said. “Even if this passes, nothing
will change this year and probably not the following year. It could be three
years out with the way football schedules take shape. We are honestly ok with
that if we knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel. If this would
not pass, we would turn right around and do the multiplier one.”
Despite what happens at the
upcoming board of directors meeting, Hines believes changes to the system will
happen sooner rather than later.
“I am now confident something will get done,” Hines said. “I
think it will ultimately take a multiplier to get something done. If the
separate divisions fails then we will propose a multiplier for the spring board
of directors meeting.”
A lot of obstacles are still in the way for change to happen, whether it has to deal with state statues or member votes, but none of the schools in the nine-member Frontier League are going to stop until they see a more even playing field.
“I am very proud of the Frontier League, and even though we compete against each other, we are very unified on this,” Biermann said. “It is about fairness and equality and I am tired of having my kids at Louisburg High School not having the same opportunity as some others. The throttle is down and it is going to stay down.”
USD 416 to offer new sports for upcoming year
The Louisburg High School cross country team will have some company this season as Louisburg Middle School is offering cross country for the first time this year and the younger Wildcats will attend many of the same meets as the high school. LHS will also offer boys and girls swimming this year and have discussed girls wrestling for the future.
There are always changes with
every incoming school year, but Louisburg residents will see a couple major
ones for the 2019-20 school year on the activities side.
Late last spring, the USD 416 Board of Education approved to add three new activities to the Wildcat sports slate in middle school cross county and boys and girls swimming. All three will give students opportunities to try something different for the upcoming year.
Middle school cross country will
coincide with the high school season in the fall and those athletes will attend
many of the same meets in 2019. Louisburg will open its season on Sept. 5 at
the Anderson County Invitational in Garnett.
The Wildcats will then travel to Wellsville and Prairie View on Sept. 19 and 26, respectively, before wrapping its season on Oct. 10 in Eudora for the Frontier League meet.
There will be separate seventh and eighth-grade divisions for the meets and the middle school runners will run two miles, while the high school will continue to run its usual 5-kilometer course.
Current high school coach John
Reece will also serve as the middle school head coach, while Paul Restivo takes
over assistant coach duties. It is an exciting time for Reece and the Wildcat
program.
“Having a feeder program at the middle
school level feeding into the high school level is invaluable,” LHS activities
director Scott Hinkle said. “Having a feeder program is what builds and
sustains successful programs.”
Louisburg will also participate in
boys swimming, which takes place during the winter season, along with girls
swimming that competes in the spring. USD 416 approved to co-op with the
current Osawatomie-Paola team during the season, and if any swimmers should
qualify for the state meet, they will compete on their own for Louisburg.
USD 416 superintendent Dr. Brian
Biermann met with interested swim parents last year and worked with the Kansas
State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) in getting the approval to join
the Osawatomie-Paola team for this school year.
Hinkle conducted interest meetings
late in the spring with current high school students and eighth-graders moving
up into high school.
“The students that attended the initial
organizational meeting were very excited and inquisitive,” Hinkle said. “We had
approximately 24 at the high school meeting – 12 boys and 12 girls. We probably
had 10 or 12 show up for the middle school meeting. Usually when you introduce
a new sport a lot of kids are interested in hearing about the new opportunity
and what options are available to them.”
Due to the possible increased numbers for the Osawatomie, Paola and Louisburg team, there was also a new hire made as Maddie Carrigan, who is in her first year as a para at LHS, will be the assistant coach and will help out current head coach Gerri Hart.
When the addition of swimming was
first announced, there was talk of how to get the swimmers to and from practice
every day at the Miami County YMCA in Osawatomie. If the numbers worked, the
parents were going to be allowed to take a school van and do a rotation
schedule to take the athletes to practice.
However, due to what could be
bigger numbers than anticipated, the district might have to come up with a
different option.
“We have explored many options in regard to transportation,” Hinkle said. “We may have gotten real lucky in hiring an assistant swim coach who could help with the transportation. If numbers dictate more than a van, then the district is committed to transport the swimmers in a district school bus. The logistics of all of those factors will have to be worked out.”
Another activity that the district considered
adding was girls wrestling. The sport was approved by KSHSAA as a sanctioned
sport last April and it became the 23rd championship sport in
Kansas.
Although some schools will begin programs right away, Louisburg head wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird knows it might take a little time to get a team put together here.
“I’m pretty excited for girls wrestling to finally become a
sanctioned sport in Kansas,” Bovaird said. “I’m on the state board of directors
for USA Wrestling – Kansas, and we’ve been seeing huge numbers out for girls
wrestling at the youth level. Because of that, we’ve known for a while that it
was bound to happen at the high school level. Neighboring schools have been
seeing a big interest in girls wrestling, and I hope we’re able to see some of
that same interest here.
“Last year, we had five girls join the Wildcat Wrestling Club,
and I think it was a great experience for them. As they get older and continue
with the sport, I hope to see them bringing their friends to try it out.”
Louisburg won’t be the only district in Kansas where girls
wrestling will take time to develop, but Bovaird has a plan in place for
current female athletes to begin their journey into wrestling.
“I plan on working with our AD (Hinkle) to set a plan in place
to accommodate interest in girls wrestling at the high school,” Bovaird said. “For
the next two seasons, if a tournament only offers a boys division, then girls
will be allowed to compete against male wrestlers. If there is a girls
division, then they will compete against females only. After the 2020-21
season, all competitions will be separated by gender. For the time being, we’re
going to operate as a single program — one practice, one coaching staff, one
team, regardless of gender. As numbers grow and we get closer to the 2021-22
season, we’ll need to restructure to accommodate the state’s requirement for
separation.
“We have a history of solid female athletics in Louisburg, and I
think the timing is just right for us to expand our wrestling program to
include more females. Since I’ve been here, we’ve had girls join the team, but
never in big numbers. I hope to be able to build a foundation for a solid girls
program, especially since I have a 7-year-old daughter whom I’d love to see get
the benefits of the sport of wrestling.”
Blue Caplinger selected as 2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete of the Year
Blue Caplinger made history in a few different ways for Louisburg High School during the 2018-19 season.
Caplinger, along with fellow LHS student Alyse Moore, became the first Wildcat athlete in recent memory – if ever – to participate in two sports during the same season. All that led up to what was a spectacular finish to his senior year.
Caplinger helped the 4×400-meter
relay to a state championship in late May, which was the school’s first individual
track title since 2015. When all was said and done, Caplinger lettered in four
sports this past year.
These are just a couple of the
reasons why Caplinger was chosen as the 2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete
of the Year.
The award, which is in its second
year, is to recognize an outstanding LHS student athlete. Louisburg Sports Zone
asked the head coaches at LHS to submit nominations and those nominations were
then organized and submitted back to the coaches for a vote.
The coaches then submitted their
top three choices and the number of votes were added up, which decided the
winner.
Caplinger was one of the leaders
of the Wildcat football team that reeled off 10 straight wins to start the season
and captured a regional championship before falling to eventual state champion
Bishop Miege.
He was an All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball as he earned first team defensive honors from the safety spot with 31 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Blue Caplinger poses for picture with his coaches (from left), boys track coach Andy Wright, head football coach Robert Ebenstein and baseball coach Joel McGhee. Not pictured is wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird.
Caplinger played a couple different positions offensively and earned second team all-league honors as a multi-purpose player. He had 310 yards rushing and four touchdowns to go along 234 yards receiving and two more scores.
He was also the lead blocker on a
lot of the big runs that teammate Austin Moore – who was a first-team
all-league and all-state running back – had during the season.
“Blue was the most all-purpose player we had,” Louisburg football coach Robert Ebenstein said. “He was the ideal teammate who put the team first all the time. He always did anything that was asked of him. He was a tough competitor and a great all-around person.”
During the wrestling season, Caplinger was a state-ranked
wrestler at 170 pounds for much of the year. He ended his season with a team-high
33-5 record and was a regional champion.
At the Class 4A state tournament, Caplinger finished one win shy of his first state medal. In all, Caplinger finished with a team high in wins and also holds the school record for most career reversals (72) and most career escapes (86). He ended his Wildcat career with a 111-57 record.
“Anyone who knows Blue understands what a great young man he
is,” Louisburg wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Blue embodies so much
about what wrestling is all about. I wanted him to get that state medal so
badly, and he came so close not once, but twice. With these sorts of setbacks,
Blue has demonstrated that he’s gained the resilience to be a champion in life.”
In the spring, Caplinger became a dual-sport athlete as he
participated in both baseball and track and field.
Although his focus was on track, Caplinger helped out the
Wildcat baseball team as a pinch-runner as he stole five bases in eight games.
However, Caplinger did a lot of his damage on the track as he was one of the Wildcats’ top sprinters. He joined Justin Collins, Ben Wiedenmann and Chris Williams to win the Class 4A state title in the 4×400-meter relay.
Caplinger, along with Charlie Koontz, Wiedenmann and Collins, also medaled fifth at state in the 4×100 relay. Both relays broke school records this past season in the Frontier League and regional meets.
Caplinger will continue his athletic career this fall as he plans to attend Benedictine College on a football scholarship.
