No matter the sport, Austin Moore didn’t back down from a challenge and it was evident whenever he took to the field, the wrestling mat or a track runway.

Moore was an all-league and all-state player on the football field, found himself one victory away from a state wrestling medal and improved throughout the season in the javelin.

It was his success in those athletic avenues that earned him the 2018 Louisburg Sports Zone Male Athlete of the Year honor.

The award, which is in its first year, is to recognize an outstanding Louisburg High School 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.

On the football team, Moore was named a captain and had success on both sides of the ball. As a running back, he recorded 1,215 yards and 15 touchdowns. Defensively, he tallied more than 70 tackles from the linebacker spot.

Moore, a junior, was named to the all-Frontier League first team on both sides of the ball and was an honorable mention all-state selection by the Topeka-Capital Journal. He was also named an all-state, all-purpose player by K-Preps. Moore was also selected as the team’s Offensive Player of the Year and recipient of the BAC Award.

“Austin is a great leader and is always looking to improve himself and his game,” Louisburg football coach Robert Ebenstein said. “He is an extremely dedicated athlete to the program, but the most impressive thing about him is how he puts the team before himself all the time. Austin is not a real vocal kid, but actions speak louder than words and Austin is always leading by example.”

Pictured (from left) is Louisburg boys track coach Andy Wright, football head coach Robert Ebenstein, Austin Moore and Wildcat wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird.

On the wrestling mat, he was also a team captain where he earned a 43-7 record and eclipsed the 100 career win mark. Moore was a state qualifier at 195 pounds and was a regional runner-up to go along with a Frontier League title. He won the team’s Workhorse Award and set a program record with 38 pins. Moore also had the highest GPA on the team.

“Austin has been a pivotal part of our team’s success since he joined us as a freshman,” Louisburg wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird said. “He has a phenomenal work ethic in the practice room, and he is a relentless warrior in competitions. He knows how to set goals and pursue them with all his heart. He doesn’t panic in adverse situations and he finds a way to prevail. No one wants to wrestle him twice. He’s all about competitiveness, dedication, improvement and honor.”

Moore threw the javelin for the Wildcat track and field team as recorded a season best throw of 151 feet in the regional meet and finished eighth.

With all he accomplished during the 2017-18 season, Moore will get another crack at it all when he competes for the Wildcats in his senior season.

For the past two 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 highlight them a little bit. So this year, I wanted to take it a step further.

This 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 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 and then I will tabulate the results and determine the winner. In the next couple of weeks, I will announce this year recipient.

Below are the male nominees for this year’s award in alphabetical order by last name. Congrats to all those who were nominated and best of luck!

2018 LOUISBURG SPORTS ZONE

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Blue Caplinger – Junior – Football, Wrestling, Track and Field

Caplinger played a big role for the Wildcat football team as he shared quarterback duties to start the year and then moved over to the tight end spot, but his biggest impact came on defense where he earned honorable mention all-Frontier League honors. He finished the season with 32 tackles and two interceptions from his secondary spot.

On the wrestling mat, Caplinger was a state qualifier for the Wildcats at 160 pounds and finished his season with a 34-14 record. He won titles at two different tournaments and holds the team record with most career reversals with 71.

Caplinger also fared well on the track where he ran sprints and relays for Louisburg. Caplinger was a member of the 4×400-meter relay team that finished seventh in the state in Class 4A, and also ran on the 4×100-meter relay team that qualified for the Kansas Relays.

Cade Holtzen – Freshman – Cross Country, Wrestling, Track and Field

Holtzen thrived on the wrestling mat this past season as he earned the Wildcats’ lone state medal. He finished sixth overall at 113 pounds and became the second freshman in school history to place at state with a 45-6 record.

He also broke two team records in the process. Holtzen currently holds the mark for most wins in a season (45), most nearfall-2 (23). He also led the Wildcats in five other statistical categories.

Holtzen was a Frontier League and regional runner-up and won tournament titles at four different competitions.

He also ran on the Louisburg varsity cross country team and ran distance races for the Wildcat track team.

Austin Moore – junior – football, wrestling, track and field

On the football team, Moore was named a team captain and had success on both sides of the ball. As a running back, he recorded 1,215 yards and 15 touchdowns. Defensively, he tallied more than 70 tackles from the linebacker spot.

Moore was named to the all-Frontier League first team on both sides of the ball and was an honorable mention all-state selection by the Topeka-Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle. He was also named an all-state, all-purpose player by K-Preps. Moore was also selected as the team’s Offensive Player of the Year and recipient of the BAC Award.

On the wrestling mat, he was also a team captain and recorded a 43-7 record. Moore was a state qualifier at 195 pounds and was a regional runner-up. He won the team’s Workhorse Award and set a program record with 38 pins. Moore also had the highest GPA on the team.

Moore threw the javelin for the Wildcat track and field team as recorded a season best throw of 151 feet in the regional meet and finished eighth.

John Wyatt Reece – Senior – Cross Country, Track and Field

Reece became the first state cross country medalist in several years for Louisburg High School. He finished 11^th overall at the Class 4A meet in Wamego to earn a medal and also earned all-state honors for his effort.

He also finished runner-up in the Frontier League meet and currently holds the third fastest time in school history. He earned first-team all-league honors. Reece also competed at the CCCNC National Race where he medaled individually and was a part of the second place team.

In track, Reece qualified for state in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs and finished ninth at state in the 3,200. He was also a regional runner-up in both events.

Reece was a Kansas Relays qualifier and medalist in the 2,000-meter steeplechase and currently holds the school record.

Reece has signed with Southwest Minnesota State next season and will run for the Mustangs starting next fall.

Madden Rutherford – Sophomore – Football, Basketball, Baseball

Rutherford took over the starting quarterback role as a sophomore for the Wildcat football team and became a dual-threat athlete at that position. He finished with 670 yards through the air and had eight touchdowns. On the ground, he racked up 318 yards and two more touchdowns. His performance helped him to a second-team honor on the all-Frontier League team.

On the baseball diamond, Rutherford was the Wildcats’ top pitcher on the season and also did his job out on in the field as he earned second team all-Frontier League honors as an outfielder. Rutherford started six games this season and pitched 28 innings with a 5.12 earned run average and struck out 23 batters. At the plate, he finished the season with a .408 average, three doubles, a triple, a home run and had 10 RBIs. He also ended the year with only three errors in 19 games.

Rutherford also saw a lot of varsity time for the Wildcat basketball team as he played in 17 games.

Grant Ryals – Senior – Soccer, Golf

Ryals led the Louisburg boys soccer team as he garnered first team all-league and all-state honors this past season. He served as team captain the past two seasons and scored seven goals and had 11 assists from the midfield spot.

His 11 assists put him fourth in the all-time Louisburg single season record and his 23 career assists place him second all-time.

Ryals will continue his soccer career at William Jewell College next season.

Ryals was also a member of the Louisburg varsity golf team and was a part of several runner-up team finishes with the Wildcats.

Two Louisburg wrestlers recently won kids state titles in Topeka. (Left) Kaden Allen jumps into the arms of his father Ken after winning the 12-and-under, 68-pound state crown, while Ryan Owens (right) captured the high school, 100-pound title on March 25.

A pair of Louisburg youth wrestlers ended their season as one of the best in the state.

Kaden Allen (12-and-under, 68 pounds) and Ryan Owens (high school, 100 pounds) each captured a state title on March 25 during the USAWKS State Folkstyle Championship in Topeka as they were a part of 16 Louisburg wrestlers who qualified for the state event.

Allen, who competes with the Rebel Wrestling Club, worked his way through a tough bracket that included an opponent he had lost to on a couple different occasions.

He opened with a pin over Derby’s Nolan Tauer and then won by technical fall in the quarterfinals over Burlington’s Isaiah Moss. Allen got a pin over Newton’s Eddy Southern in the semifinals before squaring off with Andrew Honas of the Sunflower Kids Club.

Allen wrestled a difficult championship match but came away with the title after winning a 2-0 decision to win his first state championship.

“Kaden did great,” Rebels coach Matt Blancarte said. “He beat a kid in the finals who he had lost to multiple times. He got his head right and took care of business. He wrestled a very smart match in the finals.”

As for Owens, who wrestles for Olathe Southside and is a freshman at Louisburg High School, he rattled off three consecutive wins for his championship in the high school division.

Owens opened with an 8-4 decision over Derby’s Cody Woods and then outlasted Kassidy Leiszler of the Con Kids Club for a 4-1 win. In his final match, Owens dominated Hoisington’s Nataliz Galza as he won by a 17-2 technical fall.

Owens just finished his high school season in which he was named the Junior Varsity Wrestler of the Year after he finished the season undefeated. He also saw some time on the varsity level too as he spent a majority of his time pushing senior Thad Hendrix, who was a Class 4A state qualifier.

“It will be a big boost for his confidence,” LHS wrestling coach Bobby Bovaird said of his kids title. “This year it was just kind of unfortunate where he was at being a freshman behind a senior. Then throw in the fact that Ryan has grown up with Thad and being a buddy of the family. They wrestled like four times and all but one of their matches they were within one point of each other. It was great how he pushed Thad and Ryan didn’t stop wrestling hard.”

A pair of other Louisburg wrestlers also made their way to the medal stand.

Nick Beidelschies, who wrestled in the 8-and-under, 43-pound division, took third place overall after he finished with a 5-1 record. Beidelschies, who wrestles for the Paola Wrestling Club, recorded two pins and one major decision.

Xander Lucas, who also wrestles for the Rebels, finished fourth in the 12-and-under, 215-pound class. Lucas pinned Columbus’ Kanyen Smith in his final match to secure his fourth place finish.

“Xander was wrestling up an age group and wrestled very tough,” Blancarte said. “He did not get down after a tough loss and wrestled better than he had all year in his last match. I am proud of all my kids and the improvement made this season.”

Other Louisburg kids to qualify for the state tournament were Colton Blue, Jackson Rankin, Brooks Rankin, Sawyer Blue, Brandon Doles, Brayden Yoder and Tyson Blancarte, who all wrestled for Rebels, and Owen Ebenstein, who competed in the Paola Club.

Wildcat Wrestling Club state qualifiers are (from left) Gabe Bonham, Bronc Noll, Canaan Clayton and Hunter Day.

The newly formed Wildcat Wrestling Club also had a footprint at the state tournament as they sent four wrestlers to state in its first season.

Canaan Clayton, Bronc Noll, Gabe Bonham and Hunter Day also earned spots at state after finishing in the top four at districts. It was a big step forward in the program’s development according to Bovaird, who is the club president and assistant coach.

“Our club is brand new,” Bovaird said. “Canaan is a new kid and he first learned to wrestle in the basement of his house with his dad, and in his first competitive season, he qualified for state and took third in his district. Bronc is a fifth grader who has been chasing his goal the last couple years and he made it to state and is wrestling some of the best matches I have seen from him.

“I had two high school kids qualify, and unfortunately due to state rules I couldn’t coach them, but I was there cheering for them. For both Hunter and Gabe that is two additional tournaments that they got, that they other teammates didn’t.”

Although they didn’t leave with any medals, Bovaird considered the first year of the Wildcat Wrestling Club a success as they had 66 kids on the roster this past season and had 41 compete in tournaments.

“My goal is to not only get these kids wrestling, but to get their friends and little brothers coming in as well,” Bovaird said. “My biggest goal from this year to next year, and it has nothing to do with wins or losses or with how many qualifiers we get, it is are we going to get kids coming back.

“As a high school coach, my biggest concern is that our numbers have been dwindling. The last two years, we have finished with 27 kids and we need more numbers. If we can plant the seeds of love for the sport at this young age, and have positive memories of the sport, when they get to high school it will be easier for them to say they will give it a try.”

Bovaird credits the success of the program to his wife Emily, who spent hours organizing and getting the club going and his coaches that included Shawn Crossley, Jon Clayton, Adam Noll, James Auth, Sam Campbell, Trevor Finch, Janson Lanier, Brandon Ott, Bradley Trageser and Chad White.

“They all did phenomenal work with the kids,” Bovaird said. “I think we have a great coaching staff here and do a good job. It was kind of a crazy first year as Emily and I were trying to get this organized and all the kinks worked out, but we think it was a successful first season.”

Bovaird hopes that the club can be a good way to introduce wrestling to a young audience and get them acclimated before they hit the middle school level.

“We are lucky to have a middle school program, but four-and-a-half weeks is nothing to really get them acclimated to the sport,” he said. “My goal is to have the kids club vertically aligned with the high school program. We do that with our schools, why shouldn’t we do that with our youth sports? I am really excited for what the future holds.”

Louisburg senior Kyle Allen recently signed his letter of intent to wrestle for Hannibal-LaGrange University, an NAIA program based in Hannibal, Mo. Allen finished with a 24-18 record this season at 126 pounds and qualified for state in 2017.

When Kyle Allen walked into the wrestling room at Hannibal-LaGrange University – it felt like home to him.

Allen had always wanted to compete in athletics at the college level and Hannibal-LaGrange wanted to give him the opportunity to make his dream come true.

He didn’t take long to give them an answer.

After verbally committing to the Trojans earlier in the year, Allen made it official on March 15 in front of family and friends at Louisburg High School when he signed his letter of intent to wrestle for the NAIA program.

“I am definitely excited to have this opportunity,” Allen said. “When I took my visit to Hannibal, I went into the wrestling room and they all just welcomed me with open arms. The coaches were great and all of the guys on the team were great as well and that is something that I wanted to be a part of. To have an opportunity to compete at the collegiate level is really is exciting and I am looking forward to it.”

Allen wrestled all four years for the Louisburg program and racked up several wins in the process. He was a state qualifier in 2017 and holds a Wildcat record with all-time career escapes with 85.

On March 15, LHS senior Kyle Allen signed to wrestle at Hannibal-LaGrange. Seated next to Kyle are his parents Kiersten and Ken Allen. Standing (from left) is Hannibal coach Scott Hawes, Louisburg head coach Bobby Bovaird and LHS assistant Brandon Ott.

This past season, Allen was second on the team in technical falls, third in escapes, third in nearfalls and fifth in takedowns.

“I believe Kyle has the mindset to work at getting better every day,” Hannibal-LaGrange coach Scott Hawes said. “I’m excited about having Kyle as part of our wrestling family, and I can’t wait to see how he improves as a wrestler throughout his college career.”

Allen, who wrestled at 126 pounds for the Wildcats this season, will wrestle in the 125-pound class in college and the Louisburg senior is looking forward to the challenge of going up against veteran wrestlers.

“Yeah, I want to go down there and have fun and enjoy my time there, but I don’t want to just wrestle, I want to be able to go down there and compete,” Allen said. “I am not satisfied with just making it this far. I want to improve every year and go down there and help them win some matches. I know that it is going to take a lot of hard work, but I am ready the challenge and we will see where that takes me.”

Wrestling and academics won’t be the only items on Allen’s agenda when he gets to college. He is planning on majoring in music education and plans to join a HLGU choir and possibly participate in a musical.

“Kyle is a well-rounded individual,” Hawes said. “He has excelled in music competition and has received several awards. He has also competed in track, football and soccer, including a three-time conference placer and state qualifier in wrestling. I have been impressed with Kyle’s work ethic and desire to improve. Kyle’s coaches commented that he has excellent character. This will contribute to his future development as a wrestler.”

Louisburg freshman Cade Holtzen was all smiles following his blood round win over Columbus’ Gabe Porter that secured him a state medal at 113 pounds. Holtzen went on to finish sixth overall.

SALINA – As the final whistle sounded in his blood round match, Cade Holtzen looked up into the rafters of the Tony’s Pizza Events Center and smiled.

He had finally reached his goal.

Holtzen defeated Columbus’ Gabe Porter by a 6-0 decision Saturday during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships in Salina and secured his state medal.

“It is one of the best feelings that I have had in my life,” Holtzen said. “Just knowing that I’m going to place – you just can’t match that with anything else.”

It certainly wasn’t easy for the Louisburg freshman as he faced a win or go home with nothing scenario heading into his match with Porter. Holtzen pulled out the victory and eventually finished sixth overall at 113 pounds to give Louisburg a state medalist for the third consecutive season.

“It is pretty cool,” he said. “I have been working for this all season, so to get a state medal is great. It may not have been as high as I wanted, but any state medal is pretty amazing.”

Holtzen had a special year for the Wildcats as he finished with a 45-6 record and broke the school record for most wins in a single season. He won four different tournaments and was a Frontier League and regional tournament runner-up.

Cade Holtzen finished his season with a 45-6 record, breaking the school record for most wins in season.

To add to his resume, he became only the second freshman in school history to earn state medal – second to only Austin Hood, who would go on to with three state titles.

“I’m so proud of Cade and all he accomplished this season,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Cade has been putting in lots of hard work. Last season as an eighth grader, he took third at USAWKS kids state, and then he competed at the national duals tournament for Team Kansas. He went to several camps over the summer and was one of our Ironman Award winners.

“He’s living proof that hard work pays off. Combine his work ethic with his athleticism and mental toughness, and you’ve got a kid with lots of potential and a bright future ahead of him.”

Holtzen opened the state tournament with a technical fall win over Tonganoxie’s Hunter Harris, but lost his quarterfinal match to Abilene’s William Stroda as he was pinned in the second period.

He rebounded to win his consolation wrestleback match with a 12-0 major decision over McPherson’s Landon Crews and then followed it up with his win over Porter. Holtzen then lost a close consolation semifinal match to Rose Hill’s Kyle Sackett by a 2-1 decision, before getting pinned by Winfield’s Chris Ray in the fifth-place match.

“I think I was just excited that I placed, so I didn’t wrestle as good as I could have in my last two matches,” he said. “My consolation semifinal match, I wrestled pretty good, but I could’ve moved a little more on bottom and the same with that last match. He (Ray) just caught me and I couldn’t get out of it.”

Junior Austin Moore finished one win shy of a state medal, but he earned his 100th career win with a pin Saturday in Salina and ended his year with a 43-7 record.

The Wildcats nearly had another state placer when Austin Moore reached the blood round and had a matchup with a familiar foe win Tonganoxie’s Connor Searcy.

Moore, who lost to Searcy three times earlier in the year, got a takedown and then an escape to go up 3-0. Searcy would record a takedown of his own in the second period and then got an escape in the third to tie it up. Searcy then got a takedown with just seconds left in the match to get a 5-3 decision.

It was a tough loss for the 195-pound junior, who wrestled well in several matches.

Moore opened with a first-period pin of Wichita Trinity’s Tucker Trevett, but later fell to El Dorado’s Braden Morgan, the eventual state champion, in the quarterfinals. He bounced back to pin Atchison’s Riley Smith in the consolation wrestleback round before falling to Searcy and coming up one win short of a medal.

His pin of Smith turned out to be his 100^th career win and will look to add to that total next year.

“It’s got to be frustrating for Austin, seeing that earlier in the season he’d pinned the kids who took 5th and 6th place,” Bovaird said. “That’s the way state works sometimes. You get bad draws, and it looks like other kids get good draws. In the end, you’ve still got to show up and wrestle. Austin did that — he showed up and wrestled his heart out. Unfortunately, he had a couple of tough opponents standing in his way. Three of the top six placers at 195 came from our regional, and Austin was right there being competitive with the best of the state.

“He’s going to be much more driven next year, that’s for sure. And it’s hard to imagine Austin Moore being even more driven than he already is. I know it’s a tough way to end the season, but I’m pretty proud of how Austin has done. His pin against his Atchison opponent was his 100th career win, and he’s just a junior. There’s plenty more victories to come next season.”

Senior Ryan Adams finished the state tournament with a 1-2 record at 145 pounds and a 33-8 mark on the season.

Senior Thad Hendrix (106 pounds), senior Ryan Adams (145) and junior Blue Caplinger (160) all finished two wins shy of a medal as they each lost their consolation wrestleback matches. Senior Tucker Batten (138) finished the tournament 0-2 despite wrestling two difficult opponents.

“We’re getting more and more competitive at the state tournament,” Bovaird said. “A few years ago, it was a huge relief just to qualify a group. Now, we’re going down looking to score points and bring home medals. It’s really a mindset thing. A kid can have all the best physical preparation, but if he’s not ready psychologically, a lot can go wrong.

“That’s been a focus of ours this year, the psychology of being successful in wrestling. More and more of our kids are buying into it, and you can see the results at the state level. Thad, Ryan and Blue all went 1-2 at state. All their losses came to state placers. Blue lost both matches by 2 points. Tucker had some tough opponents, too, but he battled pretty hard in each of his matches.”

Junior Blue Caplinger was 1-2 in state tournament action at 160 pounds, which gave him a 34-14 record on the year.

In the end, a Louisburg wrestler found his way to the medal stand for the third consecutive year, but Bovaird believes his team’s season was a successful one in its own right.

“We had a great season, one full of successes,” Bovaird said. “We won 18 duals (the second most single-season dual victories in a season), we took first at three tournaments (Prairie View, Topeka and Parsons), and we had six wrestlers with 30-plus wins this season. There have been some rocky times with Louisburg wrestling the last couple of years, but I feel like we’re on the right track to establishing our community as a powerhouse in the sport — at all levels.”

Senior Thad Hendrix was 1-2 at 106 pounds, but ended his season with a 31-17 record.

2018 KSHSAA 4A Championships Results for Louisburg

106

Thad Hendrix (31-17) place is unknown and scored 1.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Gabe Fox (Augusta) 37-11 won by major decision over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 31-17 (MD 12-2)
• Cons. Round 1 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 31-17 won by decision over Jordan Zimmerman (Hays) 25-15 (Dec 10-6)
• Cons. Round 2 – Isaac Novotny (Marysville) 31-14 won by decision over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 31-17 (Dec 8-5)

113

Cade Holtzen (45-6) placed 6th and scored 9.50 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 45-6 won by tech fall over Hunter Harris (Tonganoxie) 17-23 (TF-1.5 3:05 (16-0))
• Quarterfinal – William Stroda (Abilene) 43-3 won by fall over Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 45-6 (Fall 3:48)
• Cons. Round 2 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 45-6 won by major decision over Landon Crews (McPherson) 30-15 (MD 12-0)
• Cons. Round 3 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 45-6 won by decision over Gabe Parker (Columbus) 25-16 (Dec 6-0)
• Cons. Semi – Kyle Sackett (Rose Hill) 35-8 won by decision over Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 45-6 (Dec 2-1)
• 5th Place Match – Chris Ray (Winfield) 27-17 won by fall over Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 45-6 (Fall 1:50)

Senior Tucker Batten was 0-2 at state but finished his season with a 30-14 record.

138

Tucker Batten (30-14) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Darryl Rylant (Clearwater) 42-3 won by fall over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-14 (Fall 2:37)
• Cons. Round 1 – Jose Lopez (Bonner Springs) 30-18 won by fall over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-14 (Fall 2:05)

145

Ryan Adams (33-8) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Kaden Jacobson (Basehor-Linwood) 38-8 won by fall over Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 33-8 (Fall 1:22)
• Cons. Round 1 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 33-8 won by fall over Jonah Clarke (McPherson) 26-15 (Fall 3:16)
• Cons. Round 2 – Christian Hannon (Andover Central) 16-10 won by decision over Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 33-8 (Dec 10-9)

160

Blue Caplinger (34-14) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Storm Slupianek (Marysville) 37-3 won by decision over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 34-14 (Dec 3-1)
• Cons. Round 1 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 34-14 won by fall over Drew Perez (SM-Bishop Miege) 30-10 (Fall 2:57)
• Cons. Round 2 – Jadon Koehler (Pratt) 31-10 won by decision over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 34-14 (Dec 2-0)

195

Austin Moore (43-7) place is unknown and scored 7.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 43-7 won by fall over Tucker Trevett (Wichita-Trinity Academy) 24-18 (Fall 1:14)
• Quarterfinal – Braden Morgan (El Dorado) 40-1 won by tech fall over Austin Moore (Louisburg) 43-7 (TF-1.5 4:10 (16-0))
• Cons. Round 2 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 43-7 won by fall over Riley Smith (Atchison) 21-12 (Fall 1:27)
• Cons. Round 3 – Connor Searcy (Tonganoxie) 43-7 won by decision over Austin Moore (Louisburg) 43-7 (Dec 5-3)

Louisburg junior Austin Moore gets a pin in his opening round match Friday at the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships. Moore finished 1-1 on the day at 195 pounds.

It was a successful first day for the Louisburg High School wrestling team Friday at the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships as five of six Wildcats are still alive for a state medal.

Although all five are on the consolation side of the bracket, each of the wrestlers each garnered a victory at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.

Freshman Cade Holtzen (113 pounds) and junior Austin Moore won their first match of the day and ventured in to the quarterfinals. Holtzen won by technical fall in his opening bout against Tonganoxie’s Hunter Harris, but was later pinned by Abilene’s William Stroda. Stroda is currently ranked No. 2 in the state.

Holtzen (42-4) will wrestle McPherson’s Landon Crews (30-14) to start the day Saturday and will need two victories to guarantee himself a medal.

As for Moore, he pinned Wichita Trinity’s Tucker Trevett in the first period of his opening match. However, Moore went up against El Dorado’s Braden Morgan, the No. 1 wrestler at 195 pounds, and lost by technical fall.

Moore will face off with Atchison’s Riley Smith (21-11) to start the consolation round and he must also win two victories to garner a state medal.

Senior Thad Hendrix (106), senior Ryan Adams (145) and junior Blue Caplinger (160) all suffered losses in the first round, but all three bounced back to win their first consolation match. Like Holtzen and Moore, all three wrestlers will need to win two matches on Saturday to guarantee themselves a spot on the medal stand.

Hendrix (31-16) responded to beat Hays’ Jordan Zimmerman by a 10-6 decision and will wrestle Marysville’s Isaac Novotny (29-12) to start consolation wrestlebacks.

Adams (33-7) was nearly eliminated in his consolation match as he found himself down 7-2 to McPherson’s Jonah Clarke, but opened the third period with the pin after he was pinned in his first match by Basehor-Linwood’s Kaden Jacobson, the state’s No. 3 ranked wrestler. He will face off with Andover Central’s Christian Hannon (15-9) to begin tournament action tomorrow.

Caplinger (34-13) battled hard in his first match against the state’s No.1 wrestler in Storm Slupianek from Marysville and lost by a 3-1 decision. He then found himself down 2-0 to Bishop Miege’s Drew Perez in the second period of his consolation match, but bounced back to record a pin. Caplinger will meet Pratt’s Jadon Koehler (28-9) tomorrow.

Senior Tucker Batten (138) suffered losses in both of his bouts today. Batten was pinned by Clearwater’s Darryl Rylant, the No. 2 wrestler in the state and then was pinned by Bonner Springs’ Jose Lopez. He ended his season with a 30-14 record.

The consolation round will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

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Louisburg junior Blue Caplinger is one of six Wildcats wrestlers who will be competing in the Class 4A state tournament this weekend in Salina. 

SALINA – The Louisburg wrestling team has had its fair share of success when it comes to the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships.

The Wildcats have a board full of medalists and state champions in their practice room to help document their history. They hope to add a few more names to that list after this weekend.

Thad Hendrix (106 pounds), Cade Holtzen (113), Tucker Batten (138), Ryan Adams (145), Blue Caplinger (160) and Austin Moore (195) will all compete at the highest level beginning at 10 a.m. Friday in Salina at Tony’s Pizza Event Center when state action gets underway.

Each wrestler will have their own fair share of obstacles to get through if they want to reach the medal stand. For starters, it will be the most competitive tournament they have competed in all season.

Despite that, Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird believes his wrestlers have a good chance to be recognized among the top wrestlers in their weight class.

“At the end of the day after regionals, I talked to each of the guys who qualified,” Bovaird said. “I told them, ‘You have a choice to make. You can choose to be satisfied with qualifying for state, or you can choose to make the most of your trip.’ Each of them said he wanted to bring home a medal. I think they understand that if they never set a goal for winning a state title, then they never will win a state title. Those kinds of achievements don’t happen by accident.

“I think these guys are all ready to go. We could have an historical state tournament, or we could have a lackluster tournament. It’s in the hands of the wrestlers, and I’m confident that they’re going to be ready to make some history.”

Although four of the six Louisburg qualifiers have competed in the state tournament before, only one have them has ever taken home a state medal as the top six in each weight class earn medals in the double elimination tournament.

Ryan Adams, 145-pound bracket

Adams, a senior and a 3-time state qualifier, finished sixth at state last season at 138 pounds and he is hoping for an even higher placing this time around. Adams, who is 32-6 on the season and ranked No. 5 in the state, will have a tough match in his first round against Basehor-Linwood’s Kaden Jacobson (32-6), who is ranked No. 3 in the state.

Should Adams get past Jacobson, he will meet the winner of Ark City’s Jake Beeson (22-0), who is No. 1 in the state, and McPherson’s Jonah Clarke (26-10).

Thad Hendrix, 106-pound bracket

Hendrix (30-15) is another 3-time state qualifier for Louisburg and is hoping to bring home his first state medal. Hendrix, who finished as a regional runner-up last week, will face Augusta’s Gabe Fox (33-9) in the first round, and should he advance, will meet the winner between Bonner Springs’ Cruz Lara (33-5), who is ranked No. 2, and Hays’ Jordan Zimmerman (25-13).

“I definitely know what I am going to be getting into at state this year,” Hendrix said. “I am not new to it and I know how the days work. I know what I need to do to place and it is all about whether I can accomplish that or not.”

Cade Holtzen, 113-pound bracket

Holtzen qualified for state for the first time as a freshman and has made statement in his first year. He is currently No. 6 in the state at 113 pounds and has posted a 42-3 record, with two of those losses coming to a defending state champion.

Still, Holtzen, a regional runner-up, will have a difficult road as well. He will square off with Tonganoxie’s Hunter Harris (17-21) in the first round and then would meet the winner between Abilene’s William Stroda (39-2) and Pratt’s Kaiser Pelland (23-15). Stroda is currently the No. 2 wrestler in the state.

“I am really excited for it,” Holtzen said. “I can’t wait and I feel that I can do pretty well. I am looking for a state medal, so hopefully I can get that. We will just have to see what happens.

“It is great to see about half of our team being able to go to state. It means we still have a lot of people in the practice room and that we can still get better. It is not just an individual thing, it is about the team too and it is always nice to have more teammates cheering you on.”

Austin Moore, 195-pound bracket

Moore (41-5), a regional runner-up, will be making his second trip to state and be looking for his first state medal at 195 pounds.

If he gets past his first round match against Wichita Trinity’s Tucker Trevett (23-16), Moore will square off with the winner between El Dorado’s Braden Morgan (36-1) and Holton’s Killian O’Connor (19-18). Morgan is currently the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state.

“I am really happy to see my teammates qualify too and see their hard work pay off,” Moore said. “All of us that made it to state have worked really hard, especially this past week.

“My goal is to place at state. It has been a goal of mine for a long time and hopefully I can achieve it this weekend.”

Tucker Batten, 138-pound bracket

Batten and Caplinger will be making their first state tournament trip.

Batten (30-12), a senior, will have a tough first round matchup as he will square off with No. 2 ranked Darryl Rylant (39-1) from Clearwater.

Blue Caplinger, 160-pound bracket

Caplinger (33-12) will have a difficult first round opponent as well. He will meet No. 1 Storm Slupianek (33-2) from Marysville.

Even if the Wildcats’ lose one match, each of them will have an opportunity to medal by winning matches on the backside of the bracket.

The state tournament will run into Saturday, with the consolation rounds starting at 9 a.m.

Louisburg senior Ryan Adams was one of six Lousiburg wrestlers to qualify for the Class 4A state tournament last Saturday during the regional tournament in Burlington. Adams finished third overall at 145 pounds.

BURLINGTON – Going into the blood round of the Class 4A regional wrestling tournament in Burlington, Louisburg had already qualified three for the state tournament and were looking for more.

The Wildcats put four wrestlers in the pivotal round and it wasn’t going to be easy.

Senior Thad Hendrix (106 pounds), freshman Cade Holtzen (113) and junior Austin Moore already had spots locked up as they wrestled in regional finals, but four more were trying to garner a state berth on the back side of the bracket.

With a spot in the state tournament on the line, Louisburg came away with three more qualifiers last Saturday as they will send six overall to the upcoming Class 4A state tournament this weekend in Salina. The top four in each weight class earned a state bid.

Senior Tucker Batten (138), senior Ryan Adams (145) and junior Blue Caplinger (160) punched their tickets with big wins in the consolation semifinals. It was also the first time Batten or Caplinger had qualified for state.

“Tucker and Blue probably gave me the biggest adrenaline rushes of the weekend,” Bovaird said. “After their matches, I had to get out and walk to try to bring down my heartrate. Very exciting matches, and I’m so proud to see them pull things together at the regional tournament to qualify for state. Nothing is ever guaranteed at this point in the season, and these guys really had to fight for their victories.”

Coach Bobby Bovaird and the Louisburg fans cheer on Blue Caplinger after he qualified for state at 160 pounds.

When it was all said and done, Hendrix, Holtzen and Moore each finished second their weight class. Adams and Batten finished third, while Caplinger took fourth. Junior Gabe Bonham (132) also made it to the blood round, but lost a 6-0 decision to finish one win shy of a state berth.

“We had six wrestlers seeded in the top four in their weights, and all six of them ended up qualifying,” Bovaird said. “We had two or three others who were positioned in their brackets in spots where I thought they might have been able to upset some guys and make it in. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make that happen this year.”

Hendrix will make his third trip to the state tournament and will do so thanks to a pair of wins to start the tournament on Friday. He started off with a major decision over Anderson County’s Carter Sommer and then followed that up with a pin of Fort Scott’s Donald Harper to put him in the regionals finals.

The Louisburg senior went on to fall in his finals match by an 11-7 decision to Chanute’s Trent Clements, but Hendrix is excited for what lies ahead.

Louisburg senior Thad Hendrix goes in for a takedown in his regional title match Saturday in Burlington.

“My goal was to make it to state and see what I could do out there again,” Hendrix said. “It is just awesome making it for three years now and it is a big deal and was a whole lot of fun.

“Going into the tournament, I knew that I could do some work in my bracket. I knew what my potential was and it definitely worked out. I think I wrestled my best. I was gunning for first place, but things didn’t go my way there, but second is not bad either.”

Like Hendrix, Holtzen didn’t have much drama in his first three matches at 113 pounds. He opened with a 34 second pin of Iola’s Damiean Dryden and then went on to pin Labette County’s Joe Hobbs in the second period. Holtzen made the regional finals after he pinned Anderson County’s Ashton Miller in the second period.

Holtzen, the No. 6-ranked wrestler at 113 pounds, faced off with Paola’s Preston Martin – the defending state champion, and made things interesting before he eventually got pinned. Holtzen got the first takedown on Martin and then almost had back points before he eventually fell late in the first period.

Louisburg freshman Cade Holtzen took second overall at 113 pounds Saturday during the regional tournament in Burlington.

“I wrestled pretty good,” Holtzen said. “I was able to get the takedown (on Martin) and was feeling pretty good, but he got an escape and then I almost got him again and thought I had him pinned for a second. But he is a good wrestler and he got me with a funk move and he is really tough on top.

“It is a pretty cool feeling to be able to go to state, especially as a freshman. I feel like I wrestled pretty good, but I could have wrestled better in a couple of my matches. I am just excited to be going to state though.”

Moore rolled through his part of the bracket at 195 pounds that eventually saw him advance to the regional finals. He recorded a pair of pins in 19 and 31 seconds, respectively, to start tournament action and then got a revenge win against Prairie View’s Chanz Gerleman after he pinned him in the first period to earn his second straight trip to state.

A familiar opponent awaited Moore in the finals in Columbus’ Ridge Smith. Moore had seen Smith the last three years at regionals, and each time ended with a loss.

Junior Austin Moore took second at regionals at 195 pounds and qualified for state for the second straight year.

The Louisburg junior made things interesting as he nearly tied the match with a takedown in the third period, but fell in a 5-2 decision.

“I wrestled him in the third place match last year and I knew he was going to be tough,” Moore said. “He is good on his feet and he got strong tie-ups on me. I thought I was going to be able to get that takedown at the end, but I wasn’t able to get it and he was just able to ride me out.

“It is a really good feeling to go to state though. It is always a goal of mine to qualify for state and hopefully I can medal. I feel like I wrestled better on my first day, but I am just looking forward to state.”

Batten, Adams and Caplinger each made the regional semifinals and had close losses in each of those matches.

Batten won a 7-3 decision over Paola’s Bre Douglas to start the day and advanced to the semis against Spring Hill’s Wyatt Dickie. Batten took a 5-0 lead, but came up short in a wild 13-10 decision.

Tucker Batten forces his opponent to the mat during his consolation semifinal match.

That loss sent Batten to the consolation semifinals where he downed Anderson County’s Gavin Wolken by a 5-0 decision to qualify for state. He then advanced to the third place match where he defeated Douglas again, this time by an 8-0 decision.

As for Adams, the No. 5-ranked wrestler in Class 4A, he opened with a pair of pins to reach the semifinals where he squared off with Paola’s Brendan Ohlmeier. Adams was upset by Ohlmeier by a 4-2 decision that sent the Louisburg senior to the blood round.

Adams then won by a 13-5 major decision over Frontenac’s Jeremiah Mellnick to qualify for state for the third consecutive year, and pinned Chanute’s Dalton Misener in 43 seconds in the third-place match.

“Ryan had a little hiccup Friday night in the semis — his opponent was ready for him,” Bovaird said. “It was smart wrestling and coaching on Paola’s part. Ryan bounced back just fine and won two dominant matches Saturday to finish third.”

Caplinger had to wrestle through a difficult 160-pound bracket, that featured three-state ranked wrestlers, including himself.

Blue Caplinger is congratulated by his coaches following his blood round win Saturday in Burlington.

He started off with a pin of Osawatomie’s Drake West and then won a close 2-1 decision over Chanute’s Brayden Dillow, before falling by a 7-4 decision to Burlington’s Brett Bober.

Caplinger bounced back to pin Anderson County’s Dalton Duke in the second period to earn a state bid. His third-place match was just as exciting, but lost in overtime to Columbus’ Kale Smith, who had a takedown in the extra period.

Louisburg also had to say goodbye to a pair of seniors in Kyle Allen (126) and Garrett Caldwell (182), who each wrestled their final matches with the Wildcats.

“It’s tough seeing that happen, especially since Garrett and Kyle have put in so much time,” Bovaird said. “Those two really dedicated quite a bit of off-season time to wrestling. I can’t thank them enough for the example they’ve set for the younger wrestlers. They volunteer their time at the youth wrestling practices, they’re always the first ones to step up when I need volunteers, and they won quite a few matches wearing the purple singlet.”

All six Louisburg wrestlers will try to get a state medal starting this Friday when they compete at the 4A tournament in Salina at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. Action begins at 10 a.m., and continues into Saturday.

LOUISBURG REGIONAL RESULTS

TEAM SCORES

1. Chanute 198
2. Paola 145
3. Burlington 135
4. Anderson County 5
5. Spring Hill 122
6. Louisburg 117
7. Prairie View 5
8. Columbus 86
9. Ottawa 60
10. Frontenac 51
11. Labette County 27
12. Fort Scott 22
13. Osawatomie 21
14. Parsons 15
15. Iola 7
16. Baxter Springs 0

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

106

Thad Hendrix (30-15) placed 2nd and scored 19.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-15 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-15 won by major decision over Carter Sommer (Garnett-Anderson County) 9-28 (MD 11-0)
• Semifinal – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-15 won by fall over Donald Harper (Fort Scott) 8-9 (Fall 1:52)
• 1st Place Match – Trent Clements (Chanute) 19-13 won by decision over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) 30-15 (Dec 11-7)

113

Cade Holtzen (42-3) placed 2nd and scored 22.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 42-3 won by fall over Damiean Dryden (Iola) 1-8 (Fall 0:34)
• Quarterfinal – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 42-3 won by fall over Joe Hobbs (Altamont-Labette County) 14-20 (Fall 2:35)
• Semifinal – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 42-3 won by fall over Ashton Miller (Garnett-Anderson County) 25-17 (Fall 3:53)
• 1st Place Match – Preston Martin (Paola) 38-2 won by fall over Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) 42-3 (Fall 1:44)

126

Kyle Allen (24-18) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 24-18 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Kyle Montojo (Fort Scott) 23-16 won by fall over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 24-18 (Fall 4:43)
• Cons. Round 2 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 24-18 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 3 – Jaden Malson (Parsons) 18-10 won by fall over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) 24-18 (Fall 2:20)

132

Gabe Bonham (18-15) place is unknown and scored 4.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) 18-15 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Logan McDonald (Chanute) 27-11 won by fall over Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) 18-15 (Fall 4:29)
• Cons. Round 2 – Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) 18-15 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 3 – Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) 18-15 won by fall over Will Wunderly (Fort Scott) 2-9 (Fall 2:32)
• Cons. Semi – Ethan Totty (Burlington) 33-6 won by decision over Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) 18-15 (Dec 6-0)

138

Tucker Batten (30-12) placed 3rd and scored 13.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-12 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-12 won by decision over Bre Douglas (Paola) 25-17 (Dec 7-3)
• Semifinal – Wyatt Dickie (Spring Hill) 27-12 won by decision over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-12 (Dec 13-10)
• Cons. Semi – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-12 won by decision over Gavin Wolken (Garnett-Anderson County) 24-21 (Dec 5-0)
• 3rd Place Match – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) 30-12 won by major decision over Bre Douglas (Paola) 25-17 (MD 8-0)

145

Ryan Adams (32-6) placed 3rd and scored 19.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 32-6 won by fall over Gunnar Laurance (Columbus) 4-20 (Fall 0:16)
• Quarterfinal – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 32-6 won by fall over Casen Barker (Iola) 6-7 (Fall 2:26)
• Semifinal – Brendan Ohlmeier (Paola) 31-12 won by decision over Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 32-6 (Dec 4-2)
• Cons. Semi – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 32-6 won by major decision over Jeremiah Mellnick (Frontenac) 14-14 (MD 13-5)
• 3rd Place Match – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) 32-6 won by fall over Dalton Misener (Chanute) 26-14 (Fall 0:43)

152

Jacob Briley (1-12) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Cole Denny (Garnett-Anderson County) 35-7 won by fall over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) 1-12 (Fall 1:26)
• Cons. Round 1 – Osmosis Jones (Columbus) 2-15 won by decision over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) 1-12 (Dec 9-2)

160

Blue Caplinger (33-12) placed 4th and scored 13.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 33-12 won by fall over Drake West (Osawatomie) 3-19 (Fall 0:49)
• Quarterfinal – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 33-12 won by decision over Brayden Dillow (Chanute) 19-8 (Dec 2-1)
• Semifinal – Brett Bober (Burlington) 38-5 won by decision over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 33-12 (Dec 7-4)
• Cons. Semi – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 33-12 won by fall over Dalton Duke (Garnett-Anderson County) 27-10 (Fall 2:47)
• 3rd Place Match – Kale Smith (Columbus) 27-8 won in sudden victory – 1 over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) 33-12 (SV-1 3-1)

170

Ben Wiedenmann (9-20) place is unknown and scored 2.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Tucker Mace (Ottawa) 23-22 won by decision over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) 9-20 (Dec 6-0)
• Cons. Round 1 – Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) 9-20 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) 9-20 won by decision over Dawson Mast (Burlington) 12-14 (Dec 9-4)
• Cons. Round 3 – Hunter Boone (LaCygne-Prairie View) 30-13 won by fall over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) 9-20 (Fall 1:32)

182

Garrett Caldwell (16-25) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Mikey Stribling (Paola) 30-12 won by fall over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) 16-25 (Fall 1:22)
• Cons. Round 1 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) 16-25 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Braden Robinson (Chanute) 15-15 won by fall over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) 16-25 (Fall 2:27)

195

Austin Moore (41-5) placed 2nd and scored 22.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 41-5 won by fall over Dean Diviney (Spring Hill) 4-12 (Fall 0:19)
• Quarterfinal – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 41-5 won by fall over Isaiah Levy (Garnett-Anderson County) 19-10 (Fall 0:31)
• Semifinal – Austin Moore (Louisburg) 41-5 won by fall over Chanz Gerleman (LaCygne-Prairie View) 16-2 (Fall 1:54)
• 1st Place Match – Ridge Smith (Columbus) 32-3 won by decision over Austin Moore (Louisburg) 41-5 (Dec 5-2)

220

James Nelson (2-11) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – James Nelson (Louisburg) 2-11 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Dallas Higginbotham (Garnett-Anderson County) 36-3 won by fall over James Nelson (Louisburg) 2-11 (Fall 0:32)
• Cons. Round 2 – James Nelson (Louisburg) 2-11 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 3 – Antonio Espinosa (Ottawa) 17-22 won by fall over James Nelson (Louisburg) 2-11 (Fall 1:52)

285

Hunter Day (17-24) place is unknown and scored 4.00 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Wyaitt Cox-Halliburton (LaCygne-Prairie View) 32-13 won by fall over Hunter Day (Louisburg) 17-24 (Fall 2:34)
• Cons. Round 1 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) 17-24 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) 17-24 won by fall over Austin Woodard (Spring Hill) 12-21 (Fall 2:11)
• Cons. Round 3 – Todd Fritch (Chanute) 20-14 won by fall over Hunter Day (Louisburg) 17-24 (Fall 0:44)

Blue Caplinger gets a hug from his coaches after he secured a state berth at 160 pounds Saturday at the Class 4A regional tournament at Burlington High School.

Below is a photo gallery from today’s Class 4A regional wrestling tournament in Burlington as the Louisburg High School wrestling team qualified six for the state tournament.

Senior Thad Hendrix (106 pounds), freshman Cade Holtzen (113), senior Tucker Batten (138), senior Ryan Adams (145), junior Blue Caplinger (160) and junior Austin Moore (195) all punched their ticket to the Class 4A state tournament in Salina.

Hendrix, Holtzen and Moore all reached the regional finals, but each finished second overall. Batten and Adams won their their third-place match and Caplinger took fourth.

Congrats to the Wildcat wrestling team and all those that qualified for state.

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Louisburg junior Austin Moore puts a Baldwin opponent on his back Saturday during the Frontier League Tournament at Baldwin High School. Moore won the 195-pound title with a 6-0 record.

BALDWIN CITY – The Louisburg High School wrestling team had hopes of bringing home a third straight Frontier League title Saturday.

Those hopes were quickly dashed as the Wildcats fell to No. 1 seed Paola in its opening dual of the day, but all was certainly not lost.

Louisburg finished second in the two-day league dual tournament at Baldwin High School with a 5-1 record and finished with a pair of league champions. The Wildcats returned to Louisburg with a lot more hardware as 11 of the team’s 14 wrestlers found their way to the medal stand as each of them finished in the top four in the league.

Senior Ryan Adams (145 pounds) and junior Austin Moore (195) led the way as each of them finished as a league champion with a 6-0 record.

Adams won his first Frontier League championship as six of his wins came by pin and the others by a technical fall and a forfeit. Moore was just as dominant as he finished with five pins and both wrestlers are heading into the regional tournament this weekend with a lot of momentum.

“Ryan is absolutely in the right place mentally,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “He’s always been there with his skills, but these past three or four weeks, I’ve seen him getting focused like never before. I’m pretty excited to see him pursue his goals at regionals and state. He’s stepping up as a leader, he’s pushing himself at practice, and he’s getting into a competitive mindset for his matches.

“Austin is just plain dominant. There are very few 195-pounders that we’ve seen that are more physical than he is. Austin will have some tough matches at regionals — the Prairie View kid and the Columbus kid are going to be tight matches — but he’s been pushing himself at practice to get ready for the end of the season.”

The Wildcats had hoped to bring home their third straight Frontier League title and were well on their way to doing that after a good day on Friday. Louisburg opened with a 51-20 win over Eudora and beat De Soto 66-15, which set up a close dual with Spring Hill.

The dual was tied going into the heavyweight match, but Louisburg junior Hunter Day put the Wildcats over the top with a pin and gave them a 40-34 victory.

“The Spring Hill dual was probably the best part of the weekend,” Bovaird said. “That was an exciting dual — a fun one for both teams. We’ve always had a rivalry with them, and these past few years we’ve been able to compete with them and come out on top.”

If Louisburg was going to win another title, it was going to have to overtake rival Paola in the first dual of the day Saturday. Unfortunately, the Wildcats got out to a bad start and couldn’t recover in a 51-29 loss.

Louisburg lost its first four matches before the Wildcats got victories from Gabe Bonham (132), Tucker Batten (138) and Adams to keep them in it, but Paola won five of the next seven to pull away. Paola would eventually beat Spring Hill in its final dual to secure the league title for itself.

“There’s no shame in finishing behind Paola, especially with the group they’ve got this year,” Bovaird said. “There are some outstanding wrestlers, big and small, veteran and rookie. You could tell how much they wanted the league title. It was a total team effort on their part, and you’ve got to give them credit. Coach (Russ)Hermreck has a quality team.

“I know our guys wanted to come out on top. We just didn’t match up well with them this year. Our strong weights went up against their strong weights, and in the end, they came out on top. The first four weight classes were key, and those losses really set the tone for the dual. It especially hurt that we gave up pins in three of those weights. Gabe got us going again at 132, and Tucker and Ryan had clutch pins at 138 and 145, but it wasn’t enough to get our momentum going.”

Louisburg senior Ryan Adams works for a pin Saturday against Paola. Adams won the league title at 145 pounds.

The Wildcats had six wrestlers that were one win away from winning a league title for themselves. Senior Thad Hendrix (106), sophomore Cade Holtzen (113), junior Hunter Bindi (120), Batten, and junior Blue Caplinger (160) each finished second overall in their weight class.

In Holtzen’s and Caplinger’s case, they fell to state-ranked wrestlers ahead of them. Holtzen, who is No. 6 at 113 pounds, was pinned by defending state champion, and No. 1 ranked, Preston Martin of Paola. Caplinger, who is No. 5 at 160, lost a 10-5 decision to Eudora’s Elijah Kennedy, who is ranked No. 3.

Both Wildcat wrestlers finished the day with a 5-1 record and all five of Holtzen’s wins came by pin. Caplinger also recorded three pins and a major decision.

Batten had a big day at 138 pounds with three pins to go along with his 5-1 record. Hendrix and Bindi also had 5-1 marks with a pair of pins and Bindi added a major decision.

“We had some great efforts from a lot of guys,” Bovaird said. “Thad, Cade, Hunter, Tucker and Blue came close with their wrestling this weekend. Thad was tied with his Paola opponent before getting pinned late in the match. Cade hit a couple nice attacks on the defending state champ from Paola.

“Hunter has been out of competition until this weekend and he figured out a lot about where he’s at with his recovery. Even though he lost to the Paola kid, he can still use his mat time this week to get in better condition and strengthen his ankle. Tucker got caught with little gas in his tank against his Spring Hill opponent, but we’ll see that kid again at regionals. Blue battled it out with his Eudora opponent, but just couldn’t get in there offensively to score those crucial takedown points.”

Day also found his way to the medal stand as he finished third in the league in the heavyweight division, while senior Kyle Allen (126), Bonham and senior Garrett Caldwell (182) each earned a fourth place medal and provided the Wildcats with some big wins over the two-day tournament.

Junior Blue Caplinger gets some back points during his 160-pound match against Ottawa. Caplinger finished second in his weight class.

The season will come to an end for some Louisburg wrestlers this weekend when the Wildcats travel to Burlington for the Class 4A regional tournament. The top four in each weight class will qualify for the state tournament the following weekend in Salina.

Tournament action will kick off on Friday and continue into Saturday. Bovaird knows it will be a difficult tournament for some of his wrestlers, but he is looking forward to seeing what is in store for his team.

“We’ll have some tough weights, that’s for sure,” he said. “I’m excited for our team though. It’s been a fun season, full of ups and downs, but these guys have been growing so much from November to now. They’ve kept their focus and rebounded from some of the snags that kept us from achieving some wins earlier in the year.”

2018 FRONTIER LEAGUE TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Team Places

1. Paola
2. Louisburg
3. Spring Hill
4. Baldwin
5. Ottawa
6. Eudora
7. De Soto

LOUISBURG RESULTS

Match #1 Round 1

Louisburg defeated Eudora 51-20

• 106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Will Schreiner (Eudora) Fall 4:47
• 120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Larry Gulley (Eudora) Fall 5:14
• 126 – Holden Andrews (Eudora) over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) Dec 8-2
• 132 – Hagan Andrews (Eudora) over Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) Dec 7-4
• 138 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Cael Lynch (Eudora) Dec 8-4
• 145 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) over Andre Whitson (Eudora) Fall 1:22
• 152 – Brayden Clark (Eudora) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 2:29
• 160 – Elijah Kennedy (Eudora) over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) Dec 10-5
• 170 – Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 182 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Christopher Huslig (Eudora) Fall 0:50
• 220 – Tristen Brecheisen (Eudora) over James Nelson (Louisburg) Fall 1:22
• 285 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• Eudora’s team score was adjusted by -1.000 for unsportmanlike

Match #2 Round 2

Louisburg defeated De Soto 66-15

• 106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Zak Kalafut (De Soto) Fall 1:43
• 113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Aidyn Wigg (De Soto) Fall 3:01
• 120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Lane Warner (De Soto) Fall 2:52
• 126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Evan Werner (De Soto) Fall 3:40
• 132 – Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 138 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Dylan Dossett (De Soto) Fall 0:20
• 145 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) over Jackson Mocca (De Soto) Fall 0:53
• 152 – Andres Marquez (De Soto) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 2:00
• 160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 170 – Luke Barger (De Soto) over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) Dec 5-0
• 182 – Cooper Pflaum (De Soto) over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) Fall 3:45
• 195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 220 – James Nelson (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 285 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) over Jacob Goodin (De Soto) Fall 1:44

Match #3 Round 3

Louisburg defeated Spring Hill 40-34

• 106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Landon Rockers (Spring Hill) Fall 3:29
• 120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Garret Smith (Spring Hill) Maj 14-2
• 126 – Trajan McCormick (Spring Hill) over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) Dec 3-1
• 132 – Noah Nemer (Spring Hill) over Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) Fall 4:29
• 138 – Wyatt Dickie (Spring Hill) over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) Dec 11-4
• 145 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) over Jakob Stovall (Spring Hill) Fall 1:04
• 152 – Mason Bell (Spring Hill) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 0:45
• 160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Chase Rooney (Spring Hill) Fall 2:51
• 170 – Alex Denning (Spring Hill) over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) Maj 16-3
• 182 – Ethan Getz (Spring Hill) over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) Fall 1:18
• 195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Dean Diviney (Spring Hill) Fall 0:18
• 220 – Keegan Crotchett (Spring Hill) over James Nelson (Louisburg) Fall 0:21
• 285 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) over Austin Woodard (Spring Hill) Fall 0:42

Match #4 Round 4

Louisburg received a Bye

Match #5 Round 5

Paola defeated Louisburg 51-29

• 106 – Jordyn Knecht (Paola) over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) Fall 4:00
• 113 – Preston Martin (Paola) over Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) Fall 1:02
• 120 – Noah Bowden (Paola) over Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) Dec 6-2
• 126 – Michael Searcy (Paola) over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) Fall 1:10
• 132 – Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) over Tommy Downum (Paola) Fall 3:15
• 138 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Bre Douglas (Paola) Fall 2:00
• 145 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) over Brendan Ohlmeier (Paola) TF 19-2
• 152 – Tanner Schlessner (Paola) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 2:17
• 160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Gavin Stark (Paola) Fall 3:31
• 170 – Aaron Maxwell (Paola) over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) Fall 2:52
• 182 – Mikey Stribling (Paola) over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) Fall 1:11
• 195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Jeffery Schartz (Paola) Fall 2:27
• 220 – Tommy Shay (Paola) over James Nelson (Louisburg) Fall 1:28
• 285 – Jake Miller (Paola) over Hunter Day (Louisburg) Fall 1:44

Match #6 Round 6

Louisburg defeated Baldwin 62-15

• 106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Lucas Hopper (Baldwin) Fall 3:51
• 113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Benton Flory (Baldwin) Fall 0:59
• 120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Lane Anderson (Baldwin) TF 19-0
• 132 – Josh Broyles (Baldwin) over Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) Dec 8-5
• 138 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Cayden Blake (Baldwin) Fall 0:42
• 145 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) over Gavin Lang (Baldwin) Fall 1:37
• 152 – Griffin Wehrman (Baldwin) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 3:30
• 160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Scott Harman (Baldwin) Fall 5:13
• 170 – Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) over Dylan Voigts (Baldwin) Dec 5-4
• 182 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) over Cade Grossoehme (Baldwin) Fall 1:09
• 195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Zach Flowers (Baldwin) Fall 0:32
• 220 – James Nelson (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 285 – Garrett Borth (Baldwin) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #7 Round 7

Louisburg defeated Ottawa 61-15

• 106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Kael Lane (Ottawa) Dec 11-9
• 113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Richard Blevins (Ottawa) Fall 0:31
• 120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 132 – Gabe Bonham (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 138 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 145 – Ryan Adams (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
• 152 – Jared Parenti (Ottawa) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 0:13
• 160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Daidrien Aho (Ottawa) Maj 13-3
• 170 – Tucker Mace (Ottawa) over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) Dec 4-0
• 182 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) over Mason Swanson (Ottawa) Fall 0:44
• 195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Brett Ferguson (Ottawa) Fall 1:35
• 220 – Antonio Espinosa (Ottawa) over James Nelson (Louisburg) Fall 2:32
• 285 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf