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

ASHTON MOORE, JUNIOR, WRESTLING

Louisburg junior Ashton Moore is off to an impressive start to his wrestling season and that continued last Thursday at the Aaron Patton Memorial Tournament in Wellsville. Moore won the 190-pound title with a 4-0 record and three of those wins came by pin. He went on to defeat Prairie View’s Parker Schwarz in the championship by a 4-0 decision. Moore also helped the Wildcats to a team title.

On the season, Moore currently has a 21-3 record and is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A at 190 pounds. He has 16 pins on the season to go along with 1 technical fall. He is a returning state qualifier for the Wildcats.

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

Previous Winners:

Week 1: Myles Vohs

Week 2: Andrew Jamison

Week 3: Nathan Parker

Week 4: Elias Pugh

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week three of the winter sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

ELIAS PUGH, SENIOR, WRESTLING

Louisburg senior Elias Pugh had one of — if not the best day of his Wildcat wrestling career Saturday during the Louisburg Invitational. Pugh won the 175-pound title and did so in dominating fashion as he helped the Wildcats to a second place team finish at their home tournament.

Pugh finished the day with a 5-0 record and all five wins came by pin. One of those came in the championship match when he pinned Basehor-Linwood’s Logan Plum in the first round. Pugh is currently 13-7 on the season.

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

Previous Winners:

Week 1: Myles Vohs

Week 2: Andrew Jamison

Week 3: Nathan Parker

Louisburg senior Elias Pugh works for a pin during his 175-pound championship match Saturday at the Louisburg Wildcat Invitational. Pugh won the 175-pound title.

The Louisburg wrestling team put on a show in front of its home fans Saturday at the Louisburg Wildcat Invitational. 

The Wildcats finished second in the team standings, had three champions and 10 medalists in their first action back from the holiday break.

In the 12-team tournament, Louisburg racked up 215.5 points. Basehor-Linwood captured the tournament title with 295 points.

“Basehor’s team is definitely stacked, and they’re going to be a power in 5A for a while to come,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Lots of their hammers are freshmen and sophomores. I’m very proud of how our guys battled in the tournament, regardless.”

Louisburg racked up three first place finishes in a row as Elias Pugh (175), Ashton Moore (190) and Brayden Yoder (215) each won their championship matches during the final round.

Pugh went 5-0 on the day and won all his matches by pin. That included a first period pin of Basehor-Linwood’s Logan Plum in the championship match.

As for Moore, who is currently ranked No. 4 in Class 4A at 190 pounds, he also finished with a 5-0 day and had four pins. Moore ended his day with a 16-0 technical fall victory over Royal Valley’s Cyrus Harding.

Moore’s previous four matches all ended by pin in the first period as he put together a dominant day that improved his record to 17-3 on the season.

Yoder had a dominant day at 215 pounds as he went 4-0 with four pins, including a second period pin of Blue Valley West’s Noah Perchellet in the championship match.

“Those three combined for 14 wins (13 were pins and 1 was a tech fall), and they just stepped up and performed at the right time,” Bovaird said. “It was the first varsity championship for Ashton and Elias, and Brayden is now a 2-time Louisburg champion.” 

Junior Logan Henry also put together a strong performance. After losing his first match to the eventual champion, Henry rattled off four straight wins — all coming by pin. 

Henry pinned Leavenworth’s Cameron Turner in the first period of his final match to take third place overall.

“Logan gave the eventual champion a really tough match,” Bovaird said. “They were 0-0 after the first period, and we saw some awesome movement and positioning from Logan. His opponent was an absolute beast on top though. We chose the bottom position in the second period, and that’s where that kid was toughest. Logan bounced back with four pins to finish in third place.”

The Wildcats also had six wrestlers earn fourth-place medals. Levi Cotter (106 pounds), J’Lee Collins (126), Traden Noll (150), Jay McCaskill (157), Jonas Briley (175) and Miles Meek (285) all left the tournament with a medal.

Bovaird liked what he saw from those wrestlers, and several others, who helped the Wildcats to their runner-up team finish. 

“One thing I love about our tournament is how we’re able to bring unattached wrestlers to give them some varsity experience,” Bovaird said. “Initially, we were going to bring 6, but two of those guys ended up bumping up a weight to fill in for injured teammates. Blake Oliphant bumped up to 144 and finished 6th, and Miles Meek bumped up to 285 to take 4th place. Miles was giving up a lot of weight, too — one of his opponents was all of 285 pounds, and Miles was able to get a pin against him. 

“Even though he wasn’t scoring team points, Jonas Briley went 3-2 and earned 4th place in his first varsity meet of the year. Four other guys won medals too in Levi, J’Lee, Traden and Jay. They were all in tough weights, too, and I’m proud of how they battled. Overall, we were 48-36 with 33 pins, 3 tech falls, and 2 major decisions. Pretty solid performance for it being our first tournament back from the break.”

Louisburg is back in action Thursday in a rare midweek tournament as the Wildcats travel to the Wellsville Invitational. Matches begin at 1 p.m. at Wellsville High School. 

106

Levi Cotter (11-9) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 won by fall over Dexter Lytle (Anderson County) 1-4 (Fall 3:22)
• Round 2 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 won by decision over Tanner Holt (Jayhawk Linn) 2-2 (Dec 4-2)
• Round 3 – Trevor Christenson (Basehor-Linwood) 20-2 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 (Fall 0:38)
• Championship Bracket – Landon Higgins (Jayhawk Linn) 17-3 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 (Fall 3:20)
• 3rd Place Match – Eric Vielhauer (Basehor-Linwood) 10-2 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 (Fall 1:44)

113

Canaan Clayton (13-6) placed 5th and scored 11.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Lane Jones (Basehor-Linwood) 4-5 won by fall over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 (Fall 5:37)
• Round 2 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 3 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Devin Vogel (Turner) 3-4 (Fall 1:10)
• Round 5 – Jet Millison (Basehor-Linwood) 13-3 won by fall over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 (Fall 1:23)
• 5th Place Match – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 won by medical forfeit over Jacob Garner (Leavenworth) 3-4 (M. For.)

120

Will Showalter (8-11) placed 11th and scored 4.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Carson McCrory (Basehor-Linwood) 9-2 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 (Fall 2:25)
• Round 2 – Denton White (Jayhawk Linn) 15-1 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 (Fall 1:51)
• Round 4 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 won in sudden victory – 1 over Jace Diezman (Blue Valley West ) 7-13 (SV-1 6-4)
• Round 5 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 won by tech fall over Sammy Blair (Girard) 2-4 (TF-1.5 4:39 (17-2))
• Round 6 – Colby Cross (Turner) 2-3 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 (Fall 0:21)

126

J`Lee Collins (10-6) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.

• Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 won by fall over Myles Finley (Piper) 6-12 (Fall 1:12)
• Round 2 – Samuel Vasquez (Leavenworth) 12-5 won in sudden victory – 1 over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 (SV-1 10-8)
• Round 3 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 won by decision over Owen Thompson (Anderson County) 1-4 (Dec 7-6)
• Round 4 – Matthew Tracy (Royal Valley) 14-4 won by medical forfeit over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 (M. For.)
• Round 5 – Cael Puderbaugh (Basehor-Linwood) 19-2 won by medical forfeit over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 (M. For.)

132

Logan Henry (12-5) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Evan Vielhauer (Basehor-Linwood) 18-2 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 (Fall 2:33)
• Round 3 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Albert Green (Shawnee Mission West) 10-7 (Fall 2:12)
• Round 4 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Eli Herr (Anderson County) 0-5 (Fall 0:02)
• Round 5 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 0:33)
• 3rd Place Match – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Cameron Turner (Leavenworth) 12-9 (Fall 1:13)

132

Freddy Moreau (4-6) placed 5th.

• Round 1 – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Albert Green (Shawnee Mission West) 10-7 (SV-1 8-6)
• Round 3 – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Eli Herr (Anderson County) 0-5 (Fall 1:55)
• Round 4 – Evan Vielhauer (Basehor-Linwood) 18-2 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 1:46)
• Round 5 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 0:33)
• 5th Place Match – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 won by major decision over Domnic Conley (Royal Valley) 7-9 (MD 12-1)

138

Mika McKitrick (9-10) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 won by major decision over Anthony Heger (Blue Valley West ) 1-3 (MD 12-4)
• Round 3 – Bowen Wade (Jayhawk Linn) 14-7 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 (Fall 1:21)
• Quarterfinal – Grey Robinson (Shawnee Mission East) 13-10 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 (Fall 0:59)
• Cons. Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 won by decision over Nathaniel Atwell (Leavenworth) 8-11 (Dec 10-7)
• 5th Place Match – Keith Slaughter (Piper) 9-8 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 (Fall 1:39)

144

Blake Oliphant (4-6) placed 6th and scored 7.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Conner Prothe (Anderson County) 1-4 (Fall 3:18)
• Round 2 – Breck Adams (Shawnee Mission West) 5-10 won by decision over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Dec 8-4)
• Round 3 – Brady Felt (Jayhawk Linn) 12-7 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 2:26)
• Round 5 – Blaise Overbey (Leavenworth) 14-8 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 1:44)
• 5th Place Match – Darren Bausch (Royal Valley) 8-7 won by decision over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Dec 8-5)

150

Traden Noll (13-7) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Ray Phillips (Leavenworth) 6-13 (Fall 0:52)
• Round 3 – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Carson Mills (Piper) 6-4 (Fall 0:50)
• Quarterfinal – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Joe Musick (Shawnee Mission East) 11-9 (Fall 3:50)
• Semifinal – Aj Schaffer (Anderson County) 5-0 won by fall over Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 (Fall 2:00)
• 3rd Place Match – Brady Watts (Blue Valley West ) 10-6 won by decision over Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 (Dec 8-4)

150

Colin Robinson (5-7) placed 5th.

• Round 1 – Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 won by fall over Weston Ross (Royal Valley) 4-9 (Fall 4:54)
• Round 2 – Ruben Escalante (Piper) 16-3 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 (Fall 2:29)
• Quarterfinal – Aj Schaffer (Anderson County) 5-0 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 (Fall 0:39)
• Cons. Round 1 – Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 won by decision over Joe Musick (Shawnee Mission East) 11-9 (Dec 3-2)
• 5th Place Match – Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 won by fall over Carson Mills (Piper) 6-4 (Fall 4:21)

157

Jay McCaskill (15-5) placed 4th and scored 13.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 won by tech fall over Noah Shovlowsky (Shawnee Mission West) 0-4 (TF-1.5 2:03 (19-4))
• Round 2 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 won by fall over Brody Nelson (Blue Valley West ) 3-18 (Fall 1:45)
• Round 4 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 5 – Caden Puderbaugh (Basehor-Linwood) 16-6 won by major decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 (MD 11-1)
• 3rd Place Match – Andres Flores (Jayhawk Linn) 15-4 won by decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 (Dec 10-8)

165

Vance Hahn (4-9) placed 8th.

• Round 1 – Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 won by decision over Blake Thomas (Shawnee Mission West) 6-9 (Dec 9-8)
• Round 3 – Arnez Woods (Leavenworth) 12-9 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (Fall 1:26)
• Quarterfinal – Cody Layton (Piper) 10-8 won by decision over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (Dec 5-1)
• Cons. Round 1 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (SV-1 8-6)
• 7th Place Match – Calvin Riley (Royal Valley) 2-3 won in sudden victory – 1 over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (SV-1 9-7)

165

Bryce Thompson (11-6) placed 5th and scored 8.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 3 – Colten Wittman (Anderson County) 2-2 won by decision over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 (Dec 11-6)
• Quarterfinal – Tucker Hutchison (Basehor-Linwood) 14-3 won in sudden victory – 1 over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 (SV-1 3-1)
• Cons. Round 1 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (SV-1 8-6)
• 5th Place Match – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 won by fall over Colten Wittman (Anderson County) 2-2 (Fall 2:13)

175

Jonas Briley (3-2) placed 4th.

• Round 1 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 (Fall 3:23)
• Round 3 – Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 won by medical forfeit over Kevin Davidson (Shawnee Mission West) 0-2 (M. For.)
• Round 4 – Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 won by fall over Henry Nelson (Shawnee Mission East) 11-12 (Fall 4:11)
• Round 5 – Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 won by fall over Connor Fowles (Blue Valley West ) 16-12 (Fall 1:31)
• 3rd Place Match – Connor Scott (Turner) 6-3 won by decision over Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 (Dec 6-3)

175

Elias Pugh (13-7) placed 1st and scored 32.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 (Fall 3:23)
• Round 2 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Kevin Davidson (Shawnee Mission West) 0-2 (Fall 0:46)
• Round 3 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Connor Fowles (Blue Valley West ) 16-12 (Fall 0:27)
• Round 5 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Henry Nelson (Shawnee Mission East) 11-12 (Fall 3:25)
• 1st Place Match – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Logan Plum (Basehor-Linwood) 9-7 (Fall 1:36)

190

Ashton Moore (17-3) placed 1st and scored 31.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over David Johnston (Shawnee Mission West) 7-9 (Fall 0:47)
• Round 2 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over Josh Doan (Jayhawk Linn) 2-13 (Fall 0:24)
• Round 4 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over Logan Perchellet (Blue Valley West ) 6-6 (Fall 1:13)
• Round 5 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over Grayson Fix (Shawnee Mission East) 6-17 (Fall 0:56)
• 1st Place Match – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by tech fall over Cyrus Harding (Royal Valley) 13-2 (TF-1.5 3:10 (16-0))

215

Brayden Yoder (13-6) placed 1st and scored 31.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Sam Thackery (Shawnee Mission East) 6-7 (Fall 1:07)
• Round 2 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 3 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Derrick Johnson (Shawnee Mission West) 3-13 (Fall 0:47)
• Round 4 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Ethan Ranes (Jayhawk Linn) 10-9 (Fall 1:07)
• Round 5 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Noah Perchellet (Blue Valley West ) 12-7 (Fall 3:07)

285

Miles Meek (4-6) placed 4th and scored 13.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Zaid Khmour (Blue Valley West ) 10-11 (Fall 2:22)
• Round 2 – Caden Gedney (Basehor-Linwood) 10-4 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 4:35)
• Round 3 – Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Malaki Chee (Royal Valley) 4-12 (Fall 3:16)
• Championship Bracket – Cortez Velasco (Shawnee Mission West) 16-5 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 3:43)
• 3rd Place Match – Brandon Bishop (Girard) 7-11 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 3:31)

It was a successful, and eventful, 2023 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 a few programs brought back state hardware.

Below are the top stories from 2023, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the writeup 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.

This year was a blast to cover and I am looking forward to seeing what 2024 will bring. Thank you to everyone for their support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

10. Brings Plenty earns first state cross country medal

WAMEGO — Jerynce Brings Plenty had being eyeing this race since the beginning of the season.

After missing out on the opportunity to run at the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships in 2022 due to an injury, Brings Plenty was itching at the chance to run against the state’s best.

He got that opportunity at the Wamego Country Club and he took full advantage.

Brings Plenty earned his first state cross country medal as he took 12th overall in a time of 16 minutes and 57 seconds. It has been a long time coming for the Louisburg junior.

“Getting 12th place and a state medal meant everything to me,” Brings Plenty said. “All season my main focus was to place as high as I could at state, especially since I had only placed 51st as a freshman and didn’t race my sophomore year.”

The 2023 season was a successful one for Brings Plenty as he earned a medal in every race he finished. He also moved up the school’s all-time leaderboard and currently holds the second fastest time.

9. Brueggen wins two state swim medals; Brown earns first boys state medal

Sabra Brueggen and Colin Brown put together a pair of historic seasons for their respective swim teams in 2023.

Brueggen doubled her medal count back in May at the state meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka. The Louisburg sophomore earned state medals in both the 100-yard backstroke and 50 freestyle.

After earning the one medal as a freshman a year ago, Brueggen was happy to find the medal stand in both races this season.

However, it has been a long road for Brueggen to get back to the state meet. After suffering a knee injury last summer, she had to work hard to get back in time for this go-round in a recovery that lasted nine months.

“Going into high school swim this season, I only had one personal goal in mind, making it back to finals at state,” Brueggen said. “Little did I know that I was going to make it back to the ‘A’ final in both my events, allowing me to medal. This truly meant the world to me because this past year has been one of the toughest ones yet. Overcoming this nine month long recovery, and accomplishing this at state, was an indescribable feeling.”

As for Brown, the Wildcat freshman earned the school’s first state medal in boys swimming back in February at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center in Lenexa. 

Brown recorded a time of 56.46 seconds in the finals of the 100-yard butterfly to take eighth overall. He swam a season-best time of 55.85 in the preliminaries to garner a spot in the finals.

“Colin’s swim in the medal finals was so fun to watch,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. “Hardware from state is not easy to earn and he did a marvelous job all season working toward that final.”

In all, Louisburg sent four swimmers to the state meet in Brown, Brayton Brueggen, Colton Prettyman and Andrew Jamison and the Wildcats turned in several times that earned spots in the consolation finals. As team, the Wildcats finished 15th overall with 44 points.

8. Cheer takes fourth at state

TOPEKA — Louisburg cheer has been no stranger to the big stage when it comes to the state competition.

The Wildcats have become a mainstay in the Class 4A Game Day Spirit Showcase in the last several years that has included a state championship and a pair of state runner-up finishes.

Louisburg found itself in position for another state plaque in November at the Stormont-Vail Events Center in Topeka. The Wildcats qualified for the finals with an impressive performance, but came up just short of another state plaque as they took fourth overall in Class 4A.

“I am so proud,” Louisburg coach Breanna Kostroske said. “This team had to welcome not one, but two new coaches and has worked so hard since May on their competition material and it truly showed on the floor Saturday. Being a new coach you are automatically stressed that you haven’t given enough to all aspects of a game day routine, but we put our faith in the team and they showed up and truly represented themselves in a huge way.”

Members of the Louisburg cheer team are: Elizabeth George, Brooklyn Harmon, Addison Drake, Maddie O’Keefe, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Caroline Dugger, Anna Brizendine, Reece Jones, Addie Vargo, Laney Stohs, Taryn Osborn, Kayleigh Ramsey, Will Leach, Brooklyn Roney, Harper Boyle, Kimmie Powls, Reece Younggren and Reese Anderson. The Wildcats are coached by Breanna Kostroske and Heather Brummel.

7. Pfannenstiel takes AD position, Wildcat basketball hires new coach Ben Doll

The 2023-24 school year for Louisburg High School activities had little different look to it — especially at the top.

Ty Pfannenstiel was hired as the school’s new activities director and took over for Michael Pickman, who will focus on his assistant principal duties and curriculum. 

Pfannenstiel, who has been the boys basketball coach for the last six years, resigned his post to take on the activities director position. He also stepped down as an assistant football coach.

“This is very exciting for me,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I have been a teacher and a coach for 18 years. I still get to be a teacher half-time, and now I get to step into a new role as an administrator. It is going to be all sports and activities and I am looking forward to the new direction.”

Louisburg then hired Ben Doll to replace Pfannenstiel as the new Wildcat boys basketball coach. Doll has patrolled the sidelines as an assistant for two state championship teams and has coached in numerous state tournaments over his 24 year career.

This is Doll’s first head coaching position after spending time as an assistant at St. Thomas Aquinas, Johnson County Community College, Lansing and Blue Valley North.

“I am really excited to get going,” Doll said. “It has been a long time coming. I have a lot of great experiences and I am ready to apply those things I have learned into this job. I am ready to put my own stamp on some stuff as well.”

6. Wrestling qualifies six for state, Eslinger medals

SALINA —  Just like a year ago, Elijah Eslinger found himself one win away from a spot in the state championship match.

Eslinger, who has been ranked in Class 4A at different times throughout the season, has had a long road as a Wildcat heavyweight. One that included a rough freshman year, to progressively getting better.

With a spot in the semifinals at the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships already wrapped up, he had already secured his second state medal in Salina. Although he didn’t make that championship match, Eslinger still left Salina with some hardware.

“To make the semifinals was exciting, especially since it was the closest match I had,” Eslinger said. “It was probably close to the hardest match that I had over the weekend. I feel like I could have done better looking at my matches in hindsight.”

The Wildcats nearly had two more wresters earn spots on the medal stand. Junior J’Lee Collins (126 pounds) and sophomore Ashton Moore (175) both made their way to the blood round and needed a win to secure a state medal.

The Wildcats also experienced some heartbreak as senior Kaven Bartlett fell short of his goal of earning another state medal. At 138 pounds, Bartlett finished the state tournament with a 1-2 record.

Senior Trace Eslinger (215) and sophomore Jay McCaskill (157) also represented the Wildcats at the state tournament, but finished with an 0-2 record.

5. Lohse wins three state medals, Lady Cats sixth at state

WICHITA — Emma Lohse blazed the track for the Louisburg girls track and field team all season, and the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships was no different.

Lohse picked up three medals and helped the 4×100-meter relay to another school record at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium. In all, the Lady Cats medaled in five events and finished sixth in the team standings with 29 points.

“Coming back from Wichita with three state medals was something I had to work for and was happy about the outcome,” Lohse said. “Leaving Cessna Stadium one last time, I was very proud of the way I competed and proud of what I came home with.”

Lohse was just inches away from winning a state championship in the 100-meter dash. At the finish line, the Louisburg senior was step-for-step with Rose Hill’s Kate Dare.

As the two leaned for the finish line, Dare edged Lohse for first as Lohse ran a time of 12.46 seconds. Dare ran a 12.44.

Later in the 200-meter dash, Lohse earned another state medal as she took seventh in 26.77 seconds.

Sandwiched in between those two races, Lohse helped the 4×100-meter relay of Mackenzie Rooney, Suzanna Dansel and Kendall Crossley to a medal of their own.

The Lady Cat relay finished third overall with a time of 49.70 seconds. Andale won in 49.24 and McPherson was second at 49.67.

However, in the preliminaries on Friday, the team broke their own school record for the fourth consecutive time in 49.26 seconds and had the fastest time going into the finals.

Another Lady Cat to find the medal stand was Emma Prettyman. The Louisburg senior put together a strong showing in the discus.

Prettyman earned her first state medal as she finished sixth in the event with a throw of 115 feet, 9 inches.

4. Wildcat pole vaulters dominate 4A state meet

WICHITA — Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Caden Caplinger and Cooper Wingfield had been considered as some of the top pole vaulters in Class 4A for most of the season.

All three had finished at, or toward the top of each of their meets this year, and all of them had high hopes going into state meet at Wichita State.

Carpenter-Ross and Caplinger reached the highest summit Class 4A had to offer as both were crowned state champions following their respective events.

Caplinger became a two-time state champion first as he cleared 15 feet to win the 4A boys pole vault. Wingfield finished as the state runner-up.

“It means a lot and I am just blessed to have the opportunity to be here and win the title, especially with Cooper right on my tail,” Caplinger said. 

Carpenter-Ross thrived under the pressure in the girls competition as she, not only looked for her second consecutive state medal, but her first state championship. 

The Louisburg junior captured her first state title after she cleared 11 feet, which tied a personal best. This coming off a season where she medaled fifth at state a year ago.

“I think it is fantastic,” Carpenter-Ross said. “Going to 11 feet, I was tied with the one girl and I was hoping that I would get it on my first try. Then when I did, it was just an amazing feeling. 

“It was just awesome for me, plus to see my family’s faces up in the stands was really cool too. Being a state champion is awesome and I plan to do it again.”

3. Wildcat football wins back-to-back Frontier League titles

SPRING HILL — It had been 16 years since the Louisburg football team last repeated as back-to-back Frontier League champions.

That drought ended on an October night in Spring Hill.

In a battle of undefeated league teams, Louisburg proved its was the best. The Wildcats scored 21 unanswered points, and shutout the Broncos in the first half, as they cruised to a 35-21 victory.

Louisburg earned back-to-back league crowns for the first time since the 2006 and 2007 campaigns. The Wildcats also finished the regular season with an 8-0 record.

“It is pretty exciting,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “We talked to the guys before the game about how long it is has been since we have won back-to-back league titles and it has only been done four times in our school’s history. So to chalk another one up there feels pretty good.”

The Wildcats advanced to the regional round of the state playoffs in early November, but lost a heartbreaker to Basehor-Linwood, 22-20, and ended a nine game winning streak.

“This season was a lot of fun,” Harding said. “It is a great group of kids and they worked incredibly hard. They were loose and made it fun every single day. I can’t say enough about how good of kids they are and how hard they work. We hoped to still be moving on, but this loss doesn’t take away from what these kids did all year.”

2. Wildcat volleyball takes fourth at state for second straight year

HUTCHINSON — For the second time in as many years, Louisburg is leaving the state volleyball tournament with some hardware.

The Wildcats, for the second straight season, finished fourth Saturday at the Class 4A Kansas State Volleyball Championships in Hutchinson. It marked the 20th appearance for the Wildcats in the tournament.

Getting that hardware and making it to Saturday was certainly a battle for the Wildcats, who had to fight through adversity during pool play on Friday. Louisburg had to deal with injuries and had its fate rest in another team’s hands. 

Despite all that, Louisburg left with a fourth place medal following a tough 23-25, 25-8 and 25-16 loss to Andale in the third-place match Saturday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.

“We are very proud of this team for making it back to the state tournament and finishing in the final four again,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “We, of course, will always strive for higher finishes until we reach that ultimate goal of state champions, but we are proud of where we finished the season and were happy with the success of this team.”

Members of the Louisburg volleyball team are (from left) Adelyn Moore, Caileigh Kilgore, McKenna Lohse, Delaney Nelsen, Aspen Coulter, Evyn Richardson, Ashlyn Berck, Katie Elpers, Izzy Moreland, Megan Quinn, Hailey Sword, Madie Williams and head coach Leanna Willer.

1. Wildcat boys track finishes as state runner-up; Dobbins wins state title in high jump as team medals in 13 events

WICHITA — The Louisburg boys track and field team had the resume of a state champion. 

The Wildcats racked up 87 points during the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State. 

Louisburg medaled in all 13 events it competed and the Wildcats finished the meet with two individual state champions. The ending was supposed to feature the Wildcats holding up a state championship plaque.

“If you would have told me at the beginning of the year we would score 87 points at state and not win a championship, I would have just ignored you and said ‘Whatever,’” Louisburg coach Andy Wright said. “No way that would happen.”

As it turned out, the Wildcats found themselves on the outside looking in for a team state title. Andale finished first with 87.5 points. Louisburg had 87.

It was an emotional letdown for the Wildcats as they were so close to that team goal.

“To beat Andale, we had to score 88 and that is just a testament to how good they are,” Wright said. “They have really good athletes, especially in the throws. At the same time, I couldn’t be more proud of my guys and how they competed. It was just so much fun to watch them lay it all out there. They really did have a great season.”

Mason Dobbins reached new heights at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championship.

Ok, well maybe not literally.

Dobbins who broke a school record in the high jump earlier this year, didn’t reach that height at the state meet — but he didn’t need to. The Louisburg senior cleared 6 feet, 6 inches to win the Class 4A high jump title.

It was the first of four state medals that Dobbins would win on the day as he helped lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A state runner-up plaque.

“It meant everything to be a state champion and to be able to medal in all of my events this year since I didn’t last year,” Dobbins said. “Our team trains so hard, and to be able to be runner up by .5 points, is incredible.”

Dobbins nearly earned his second state title in the 110-meter hurdles as he found himself in a battle with Rose Hill’s Teagan Cobb. The two were stride-for-stride going into he final hurdle, but Cobb nipped Dobbins at the finish line.

Later on, he joined Caden Caplinger, Colyer Wingfield and Ethan Ptacek in the 4×100-meter relay and the team medaled third in 43.38 seconds. Ptacek had to run for Ashton Moore, who was injured during the preliminaries.

Then toward the end of the meet, Dobbins, who was sitting seventh in the 200-meter dash after the preliminaries, battled to keep his team in the state championship race and medaled third in 23.07.

Louisburg senior Nathan Vincent got his team a lot of points in the throwing events as he medaled in the javelin, discus and shot put — with the latter being his best event of the weekend.

Vincent, who just started doing shot put this year, put together his best performance of the season. He recorded a personal best throw of 51-8 in the finals to take third overall. He also went on to take fifth in the discus and sixth in the javelin.

Sophomore Jerynce Brings Plenty also came away with three state medals in the distance events, but none was more precious to him than the 3,200-meter run.

Brings Plenty broke the school record in the event as he medaled third in 9 minutes and 49.41 seconds. He surpassed the old mark of 9:50.60 that was set by Jason Rose in 2007.

He continued his medal streak for the Wildcats as he joined Hunter Heinrich, Blaise Vohs and Colton Blue to medal seventh in the 4×800-meter relay.

Later in the day, Brings Plenty competed in the 1,600 run and took sixth in 4:34.42.

Louisburg senior Nathan Apple left his final state meet with a pair of medals in both hurdle events. Apple finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.29 seconds on Saturday.

Apple also went on to take fourth in the 300 hurdles in 40.55 seconds as he ended his Wildcat track career on a positive note.

The Wildcats ended the state meet with the 4×400-meter relay as the team of Heinrich, Vohs, Colyer Wingfield and Ptacek needed a third place finish or better to win the state title. Unfortunately, the Wildcats came up just short as they took fourth in 3:23.98.

Louisburg set a new personal record by three seconds and was .25 seconds away from tying the school record. The Wildcats also scored points in all three relay events.

Louisburg freshman Leola Eslinger earned a third place medal Saturday at the ACCHS Girls Invitational. Eslinger is currently 9-1 on the season at 145 pounds.

EFFINGHAM — Louisburg is venturing back into the world of girls wrestling this season thanks to a pair of freshmen joining the program.

One of those freshmen, Leola Eslinger, is taking the challenge head on. After winning her first six matches on the junior varsity level, Eslinger competed in her varsity tournament last Saturday at the ACCHS Girls Invitational in Effingham.

Eslinger more than held her own as she earned a varsity medal. The Louisburg freshman finished third at 145 pounds and finished with a 3-1 record. She has also won nine of her first 10 matches to start the season.

“Her first two meets were technically considered JV level, but we had her matched up with higher-level opponents,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “She entered her first varsity tournament at Effingham on Saturday with a 6-0 record. Her lone loss was to the eventual champion from Rock Creek, but she proved that she’s going to be a competitor in girls wrestling this year.”

Eslinger (9-1) opened tournament action with a 32 second pin over Washburn Rural’s Reece Garrett. In the semifinals, she lost her lone match of the day when she was pinned by Rock Creek’s Koda Moeller. 

She responded on the backside of the bracket with a 50 second pin of Sabetha’s Emma Wahwasuck. Then in the third place match, Eslinger earned a pin of Jefferson West’s Kinley Shelman.

Freshman Allison Martin also saw her first tournament action at 130 pounds. Martin finished with an 0-2 record.

“Allison is showing steady improvements every time she steps on the mat,” Bovaird said. “She just started wrestling this year, while Leola has been wrestling for a long time and has a great deal of experience. Those two have been great practice partners and are really laying a steady foundation for the upcoming girls program.”

Louisburg junior Ashton Moore works for a pin during his 190-pound match Saturday at Tonganoxie. Moore finished second at the Randy Starcher Invitational.

TONGANOXIE — Louisburg ventured outside of the dual format for the first time this season Saturday at the Randy Starcher Invitational in Tonganoxie.

The Wildcats more than held their own as they earned six medals on the day and finished sixth in the team standings. It was a positive way to end 2023 for Louisburg as it went up against some tough competition. 

“All-in-all, I think we performed pretty well as a team,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We were up against some pretty solid competition — Tonganoxie is ranked third in 4A, Savannah is ranked fifth in Missouri 2A and Independence is ranked fourth in 4A. Lansing and Frontenac are also pretty tough teams. If they don’t end up ranked at some point, I’d be surprised.”

Louisburg racked up 142.5 points to finish sixth in the team standings. Tonganoxie won their home tournament with 285 points and Savannah (Mo.) was second with 211.

A pair of Wildcats also found themselves in the championship match of their respective weight classes. Juniors Jay McCaskill (157 pounds) and Ashton Moore (190) both made their way to the title match, but finished runner-up.

McCaskill (11-4) had six matches on the day, but wrestled strong throughout the tournament. He recorded four straight pins, and then registered a 10-4 decision over Lansing’s Aidan Lessard in the semifinals.

In the championship, McCaskill lost a tough 6-4 decision to Savannah’s Nic Scheib, who he had pinned earlier in the tournament.

As for Moore, he recorded two pins and a major decision before going up against Junction City’s Griffin Bohanan, who is state placer in Class 6A. Moore got the best of him in a 6-4 decision to advance to the championship.

Moore squared off with Tonganoxie’s Colton Brusven in the championship, but lost a 10-6 decision in a match that was tied going into the third period.

“Both of those guys gave it everything they’ve got,” Bovaird said. “Jay ended up losing to a kid he’d pinned earlier in the tournament, but that finals match was his sixth match of the day. He nearly had that kid pinned again in the third period though. 

“Ashton had a win over a Junction City wrestler who placed third in 6A state last year, and then he went toe-to-toe with a Tonganoxie kid who’s already a 2-time state placer. Ashton had the kid on the ropes, too. A simple moment of hesitation allowed his opponent an angle at his shot to get the winning points. That’s a match that I’m sure the Tongie kid doesn’t want to have again.”

Senior J’Lee Collins finished third at 126 pounds. After losing his first match of the day, Collins responded to win three matches in a row — all by pin — including a first period victory over Tonganoxie’s Jack Wensel in the third place match.

Junior Canaan Clayton (113 pounds), junior Mika McKitrick (138) and senior Traden Noll (152) each finished fourth.

The Wildcats had a full lineup Saturday, and then some, as they had several unattached wrestlers as well that some important mat time.

“J’Lee found himself in a tough match in the first round, and he ended up losing by pin to a kid that we’ll see several more times this season,” Bovaird said. “Canaan won his first medal for us and Traden had a great return to the program with a fourth place medal. Mika showed that he’s a working machine by taking fourth at 138. He only started wrestling a few years ago, and he’s made huge strides and has become an excellent leader.

“Also, we were able to take five unattached wrestlers and get them some varsity mat time, which I always find is huge. It helps us prepare for what’s coming down the road. Kids who aren’t quite varsity level just yet get some experience, plus they get the chance to win some matches and block other teams from scoring points. We had a bunch of our guys take some losses this weekend, but in the bigger scheme of things, we’re learning a ton of things that can’t be taught in the practice room.”

Louisburg will return to action on Jan. 6 when the Wildcats host their home invitational. 

106

Levi Cotter (8-6) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Mason Gibbons (Independence HS) 12-0 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg HS) 8-6 (Fall 3:22)
• Round 3 – Lawson Francis (Savannah) 14-4 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg HS) 8-6 (Fall 3:02)
• Round 4 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg HS) 8-6 won by fall over Tyler Prager (Oskaloosa HS) 0-8 (Fall 0:22)
• Round 5 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg HS) 8-6 won by fall over Gabe Campbell (Eudora HS) 2-8 (Fall 3:09)
• 5th Place Match – Beau Underwood (Tonganoxie HS) 3-6 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg HS) 8-6 (Fall 4:22)

113

Canaan Clayton (11-3) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by fall over Loredo Escobar (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 0-5 (Fall 0:32)
• Round 3 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by fall over David Scurto (Oskaloosa HS) 2-9 (Fall 0:37)
• Quarterfinal – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by fall over Colton Minick (Independence HS) 9-4 (Fall 0:31)
• Semifinal – Kyle Sloan (Frontenac HS) 7-4 won by fall over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg HS) 11-3 (Fall 3:52)
• 3rd Place Match – Brodie Starcher (Tonganoxie HS) 4-1 won by decision over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg HS) 11-3 (Dec 8-5)

120

Will Showalter (6-7) placed 9th and scored 0.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Jordan Bauswell (Tonganoxie HS) 6-5 won by major decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg HS) 6-7 (MD 9-1)
• Round 2 – Kelvin Velasquez (Savannah) 3-6 won by decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg HS) 6-7 (Dec 12-8)
• Round 3 – Zane Aikin (Frontenac HS) 8-5 won by decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg HS) 6-7 (Dec 10-3)
• Round 5 – Sawyer Jorgensen (Lansing HS) 14-0 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg HS) 6-7 (Fall 1:37)
• 9th Place Match – Will Showalter (Louisburg HS) 6-7 received a bye () (Bye)

126

J`Lee Collins (8-4) placed 3rd and scored 19.0 team points.

• Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg HS) 8-4 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Clayton Crookham (Tonganoxie HS) 6-4 won by fall over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg HS) 8-4 (Fall 3:47)
• Round 4 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg HS) 8-4 won by fall over Caleb Waldroff (Savannah) 0-8 (Fall 0:46)
• Round 5 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg HS) 8-4 won by fall over Jacob Garner (Lansing HS) 8-6 (Fall 1:03)
• 3rd Place Match – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg HS) 8-4 won by fall over Jack Wensel (Tonganoxie HS) 3-2 (Fall 1:43)

132

Logan Henry (8-3) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Logan Henry (Louisburg HS) 8-3 won by fall over Joseph Malec (Tonganoxie HS) 0-5 (Fall 0:52)
• Round 2 – Blake Riedel (Tonganoxie HS) 6-3 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg HS) 8-3 (Fall 2:33)
• Round 4 – Logan Henry (Louisburg HS) 8-3 won by fall over William King (Oskaloosa HS) 1-9 (Fall 0:43)
• Round 5 – Brady Sloan (Frontenac HS) 11-3 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg HS) 8-3 (Fall 4:30)
• 5th Place Match – Bryson Jeffers (Savannah) 4-3 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg HS) 8-3 (Fall 3:09)

132

Freddy Moreau (1-4) placed 9th.

• Round 1 – Riley Dilka (Lansing HS) 14-1 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg HS) 1-4 (Fall 3:22)
• Round 2 – Hawken Andrews (Eudora HS) 11-5 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg HS) 1-4 (Fall 3:45)
• Round 3 – Jonathan Fairbank (Independence HS) 4-7 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg HS) 1-4 (Fall 5:31)
• Round 4 – Bryson Jeffers (Savannah) 4-3 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg HS) 1-4 (Fall 4:24)
• 9th Place Match – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg HS) 1-4 won by fall over Joseph Malec (Tonganoxie HS) 0-5 (Fall 1:18)

138

Blake Oliphant (3-2) placed 5th.

• Round 1 – Gavin Henderson (Frontenac HS) 5-8 won by decision over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg HS) 3-2 (Dec 11-4)
• Round 2 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg HS) 3-2 won by fall over Junior Reyes (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 5-5 (Fall 2:12)
• Quarterfinal – Kohen Wright (Independence HS) 9-0 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg HS) 3-2 (Fall 1:37)
• Cons. Round 1 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg HS) 3-2 won by fall over Cristian Colop (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 4-6 (Fall 1:41)
• 5th Place Match – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg HS) 3-2 won by decision over Newt Schreiner (Eudora HS) 9-7 (Dec 4-1)

138

Mika McKitrick (7-6) placed 4th and scored 14.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg HS) 7-6 won by fall over Owen Leffert (Tonganoxie HS) 2-3 (Fall 1:42)
• Round 3 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg HS) 7-6 won by decision over Newt Schreiner (Eudora HS) 9-7 (Dec 6-3)
• Quarterfinal – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg HS) 7-6 won by fall over Cristian Colop (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 4-6 (Fall 1:30)
• Semifinal – Kohen Wright (Independence HS) 9-0 won by tech fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg HS) 7-6 (TF-1.5 1:38 (21-4))
• 3rd Place Match – Dax Duffett (Tonganoxie HS) 3-2 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg HS) 7-6 (Fall 0:58)

144

Greysen Dixon (1-6) placed 10th and scored 0.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Braeden Moore (Tonganoxie HS) 10-1 won by fall over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg HS) 1-6 (Fall 1:05)
• Round 3 – Damian Davis (Junction City HS) 7-8 won by decision over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg HS) 1-6 (Dec 8-3)
• Round 4 – Ethan Jones (Frontenac HS) 3-2 won by decision over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg HS) 1-6 (Dec 8-1)
• Round 5 – Otto Nevins (Lansing HS) 5-5 won by fall over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg HS) 1-6 (Fall 2:34)
• 9th Place Match – Kingston Dishman (Tonganoxie HS) 1-4 won by major decision over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg HS) 1-6 (MD 13-3)

150

Colin Robinson (2-4) placed 7th.

• Round 1 – Lincoln LaFave (Savannah) 12-5 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg HS) 2-4 (Fall 1:07)
• Round 2 – Saxton Renfro (Independence HS) 11-1 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg HS) 2-4 (Fall 1:16)
• Round 3 – Colin Robinson (Louisburg HS) 2-4 won by fall over Brycon Speer (Eudora HS) 6-10 (Fall 1:24)
• Round 4 – Angel Cordova (Frontenac HS) 8-6 won by major decision over Colin Robinson (Louisburg HS) 2-4 (MD 11-2)
• 7th Place Match – Colin Robinson (Louisburg HS) 2-4 won by fall over Binod Bhjuel (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 3-8 (Fall 2:35)

150

Traden Noll (9-5) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Noah Bailey (Tonganoxie HS) 9-1 won by fall over Traden Noll (Louisburg HS) 9-5 (Fall 1:23)
• Round 3 – Traden Noll (Louisburg HS) 9-5 won by fall over Dylan Todd (Junction City HS) 9-6 (Fall 5:19)
• Round 4 – Traden Noll (Louisburg HS) 9-5 won by fall over Jackson Sigrist (Savannah) 0-6 (Fall 1:06)
• Round 5 – Traden Noll (Louisburg HS) 9-5 won by fall over Binod Bhjuel (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 3-8 (Fall 1:32)
• 3rd Place Match – Lincoln LaFave (Savannah) 12-5 won by major decision over Traden Noll (Louisburg HS) 9-5 (MD 12-0)

157

Jay McCaskill (11-4) placed 2nd and scored 24.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg HS) 11-4 won by fall over Aaron Lopez (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 1-10 (Fall 0:25)
• Round 2 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg HS) 11-4 won by fall over Preston Warbritton (Oskaloosa HS) 7-7 (Fall 0:36)
• Round 3 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg HS) 11-4 won by fall over Nic Scheib (Savannah) 16-5 (Fall 4:25)
• Quarterfinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg HS) 11-4 won by fall over Chris Ortiz (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 4-8 (Fall 1:25)
• Semifinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg HS) 11-4 won by decision over Aidan Lessard (Lansing HS) 10-6 (Dec 10-4)
• 1st Place Match – Nic Scheib (Savannah) 16-5 won by decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg HS) 11-4 (Dec 6-4)

165

Bryce Thompson (7-4) placed 7th and scored 4.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Brady Martin (Tonganoxie HS) 11-1 won by fall over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg HS) 7-4 (Fall 1:41)
• Round 3 – Josh Brookshire (Junction City HS) 13-2 won by fall over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg HS) 7-4 (Fall 4:30)
• Round 4 – Robert Ragland (Savannah) 6-9 won by fall over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg HS) 7-4 (Fall 2:53)
• Round 5 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg HS) 7-4 won by fall over Gabrial Hernandez (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 4-7 (Fall 4:42)
• 7th Place Match – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg HS) 7-4 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg HS) 3-5 (Fall 0:48)

165

Vance Hahn (3-5) placed 8th.

• Round 1 – Wyatt Frazier (Frontenac HS) 10-4 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg HS) 3-5 (Fall 1:46)
• Round 2 – Braedon Speer (Eudora HS) 7-3 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg HS) 3-5 (Fall 1:55)
• Round 3 – Vance Hahn (Louisburg HS) 3-5 won by fall over Jan Sagaro (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 2-6 (Fall 3:12)
• Round 4 – LaMarcus Allen (Independence HS) 7-4 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg HS) 3-5 (Fall 3:02)
• 7th Place Match – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg HS) 7-4 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg HS) 3-5 (Fall 0:48)

175

Elias Pugh (7-7) placed 9th and scored 2.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Cooper Bogenhagen (Junction City HS) 11-3 won by decision over Elias Pugh (Louisburg HS) 7-7 (Dec 8-2)
• Round 3 – Dominic Ricciardi (Frontenac HS) 12-1 won by major decision over Elias Pugh (Louisburg HS) 7-7 (MD 19-5)
• Round 4 – Cael Dye (Tonganoxie HS) 3-2 won by decision over Elias Pugh (Louisburg HS) 7-7 (Dec 9-5)
• Round 5 – Thomas Messersmith (Tonganoxie HS) 5-6 won by fall over Elias Pugh (Louisburg HS) 7-7 (Fall 0:52)
• 9th Place Match – Elias Pugh (Louisburg HS) 7-7 won by fall over Ethan Riley (Tonganoxie HS) 0-5 (Fall 0:42)

190

Ashton Moore (11-3) placed 2nd and scored 21.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by fall over Alonzo Burke (Frontenac HS) 8-6 (Fall 1:48)
• Round 2 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by major decision over Elijah Townsend (Lansing HS) 2-3 (MD 15-1)
• Round 3 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by fall over Reilly Neis (Eudora HS) 9-7 (Fall 1:48)
• Round 5 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg HS) 11-3 won by decision over Griffin Bohanan (Junction City HS) 11-4 (Dec 6-4)
• 1st Place Match – Colton Brusven (Tonganoxie HS) 7-0 won by decision over Ashton Moore (Louisburg HS) 11-3 (Dec 10-6)

215

Brayden Yoder (8-6) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Cooper Burnsides (Savannah) 15-2 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg HS) 8-6 (Fall 3:50)
• Round 3 – Chris Coy (Junction City HS) 10-5 won by decision over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg HS) 8-6 (Dec 7-2)
• Round 4 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg HS) 8-6 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg HS) 2-3 (Fall 1:13)
• Round 5 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg HS) 8-6 won by fall over Brayden Folsom (Tonganoxie HS) 0-4 (Fall 1:37)
• 5th Place Match – Jacob Garris (Independence HS) 4-4 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg HS) 8-6 (Fall 1:45)

215

Miles Meek (2-3) placed 7th.

• Round 1 – Cooper Burnsides (Savannah) 15-2 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg HS) 2-3 (Fall 0:47)
• Round 2 – Chris Coy (Junction City HS) 10-5 won by decision over Miles Meek (Louisburg HS) 2-3 (Dec 1-0)
• Round 3 – Miles Meek (Louisburg HS) 2-3 won by fall over Brayden Folsom (Tonganoxie HS) 0-4 (Fall 2:34)
• Round 4 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg HS) 8-6 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg HS) 2-3 (Fall 1:13)
• 7th Place Match – Miles Meek (Louisburg HS) 2-3 won by fall over Noah Carlson (Tonganoxie HS) 0-4 (Fall 0:46)

285

Xander Lucas (4-9) placed 7th and scored 2.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Julian Bush (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 7-4 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg HS) 4-9 (Fall 3:31)
• Round 3 – Trystan Chadwick (Savannah) 10-6 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg HS) 4-9 (Fall 3:27)
• Round 4 – Xander Lucas (Louisburg HS) 4-9 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 5 – Jaxon Dominic (Tonganoxie HS) 3-1 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg HS) 4-9 (Fall 2:50)
• 7th Place Match – Xander Lucas (Louisburg HS) 4-9 won by fall over Daron Cheadle (Kansas City-JC Harmon HS) 0-6 (Fall 1:03)

Wildcats down Olathe West in home opener

Louisburg continued its strong dual run Thursday when it hosted Olathe West in its home opener.

The Wildcats split with the Owls, but earned those extra points to pull out the 39-33 victory and improved their dual record to 9-1 on the season.

“We didn’t wrestle our best, but I think it has a lot to do with several factors,” Bovaird said. “First, it’s the middle of our finals week, and I know that there were a lot of guys on the team who were worried about doing their best to end the semester on a high note academically. Also, it was our last week to certify at our weights we wanted to go for regionals, so there were a number of guys who were working to get down to weight and stay hydrated at the same time. We had some gutsy matches where we showed a lot of fortitude.”

Louisburg jumped out to an early lead and held on for the 6-point win despite losing its final four matches of the night.

Traden Noll, Jay McCaskill, Bryce Thompson, Elias Pugh, Ashton Moore, Brayden Yoder and Levi Cotter each earned victories for the Wildcats. 

Noll held on for a 6-5 decision, while Pugh found himself down 10-0 before earning a pin as both matches proved pivotal in the final score. Yoder also earned a first round pin over a returning 6A state qualifier.

Louisburg junior Mika McKitrick works for a pin Friday during a match in the December Duals at Baldwin. McKitrick was one of six Wildcats named to the All-Tournament Team.

BALDWIN CITY — Louisburg has lived well in the dual format so far in the young season and that continued Friday in Baldwin.

The Wildcats finished with a 4-0 record and won the December Duals as they pulled out a couple close wins in the process. 

Louisburg earned victories over Prairie View, Baldwin, Independence and Burlington as the Wildcats earned top honors. 

“We went in there and had two very gutsy wins — one against Baldwin and one against Independence,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Earlier this year, Baldwin was ranked in the top 10 at state, and Independence is currently ranked fourth in 4A. We’ve got depth and experience on our varsity roster, and the guys are starting to see how that pays off.”

That depth also showed as the Wildcats earned six spots on the December Duals All-Tournament Team.

Logan Henry (132 pounds, 4-0 record), Mika McKitrick (138, 3-1), Jay McCaskill (157, 3-1), Bryce Thompson (165, 3-1), Elias Pugh (175, 3-1) and Ashton Moore (190, 3-1) were all named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Wildcats opened the tournament with a 75-6 victory over Prairie View and then found themselves in a close contest against Baldwin. In that match, Louisburg did the work in the lower and middle weights as the Wildcats built the lead and held on for a 40-33 win, despite losing the final three matches.

“We’ve talked about bonus points — winning by a major decision instead of just a regular decision, fighting off your back to avoid a pin, etc,” Bovaird said. “The mindset has to be that no one outworks us and we never give up.”

Louisburg found itself in another close matchup against Independence as the Wildcats had to rally from an early deficit.

The Wildcats got three straight pins from Thompson, Pugh and Moore. Then Brayden Yoder pulled out a big 3-2 decision at 215 pounds to help secure the win.

Louisburg ended the night with a 72-9 victory over Burlington to secure the tournament title.

A lot of Wildcats found success in Baldwin, but Henry was the lone Wildcat with a 4-0 record and all were by pin at 132 pounds.

Canaan Clayton (113 pounds), Will Showalter (120), J’Lee Collins (126), McKitrick (138), Traden Noll (150), McCaskill, Thompson, Pugh, Moore and Yoder (215) all finished with a 3-1 record on the night.

A pair of Louisburg girls also saw their first action of the season at the Saturday edition of the December Duals. Freshman Leola Eslinger went 3-0 at 145 pounds and freshman Allison Martin lost her lone match at 125 pounds.

“Both girls competed really well, and I’m excited to see how they continue to improve each week,” Bovaird said. “We’re working to add more and more competition opportunities for them this season to get them ready for regionals in February.”

After a runner-up finish at Fort Scott the week before, the Wildcats will try and continue that momentum this week as they host Olathe West in a dual Thursday before traveling to Tonganoxie on Saturday for their final tournament of 2023.

The Louisburg wrestling team finished second at the Fort Scott Dual Tournament last Friday as it posted a 4-1 record on the day.

FORT SCOTT — The Louisburg wrestling team had the showing it was hoping for Friday at the Fort Scott Dual Tournament.

Louisburg won its first four duals of the event, before falling to state-ranked Atchison County in the final one to finish as the tournament runner-up. 

“It’s always nice to bring home some hardware from a tournament, especially when it’s a team plaque,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “The guys wrestled tough Friday night. Our one loss was against Effingham-Atchison County, and they’re ranked No. 5 in 321A as a team. We had some very gutsy individual wins, and that helped us hold off for wins against Blue Valley Southwest and Fort Scott.”

The Wildcats cruised to a 60-22 victory over Jayhawk-Linn to start the day and then followed it up with a 78-6 win over Anderson County. The matches got a little tougher after that.

Louisburg held on for a 39-34 victory over a talented Fort Scott program and then pulled out a 36-34 dual win over Blue Valley Southwest despite losing its final four matches.

Against Atchison County, Louisburg came up short with a 51-27 loss to the Tigers and finished the day with a 4-1 record.

The Wildcats also had to face a little adversity. Senior Colin Robinson, who wrestled at 150 pounds, suffered a broke nose early on, and Bovaird had to reshuffle his lineup.

Sophomore Tyson Blancarte, junior Mike McKitrick and senior Traden Noll all bumped up a weight class to make sure the Wildcats had a full lineup. It ended up being a big part of the Wildcats’ runner-up finish.

Junior Canaan Clayton led the Wildcats with a 5-0 record at 113 pounds, which included three pins. Junior Ashton Moore finished the day with a 4-1 record with three pins at 190 pounds, while freshman Levi Cotter was 4-1 with a pin at 106 pounds.

Junior Jay McCaskill found himself in a loaded weight class at 157 pounds and came out with a 3-2 record, all of his wins coming by pin. One of those pins came against Anderson County’s Masten Wright, who is ranked in the top five in state.

Freshman Bryce Thompson and sophomore Vance Hahn combined for a 5-1 record at 165 pounds and each had two pins. 

Senior Elias Pugh (175 pounds), junior Brayden Yoder (215) and junior Will Showalter (120) each had 3-2 marks. Senior J’Lee Collins (132), freshman Spencer Mattison (126), junior Logan Henry (132/138) and junior Xander Lucas (285) each had a pair of wins.

“We’re fortunate this year to have Canaan join the team,” Bovaird said. “Coach (Shawn) Crossley and I have coached Canaan since he was in elementary school, but since he’s been homeschooled all that time, we’ve never had the chance to have him on the high school team. This year with KSHSAA’s rules modifications, he’s now able to be on the team, and he had a great day.

“Levi and Ashton both went 4-1 and wrestled really tough. Jay was in a beast of a weight with 4 state-ranked wrestlers. He lost tough matches to Fort Scott and Effingham, but was able to pin a ranked kid from Anderson County.”

With all the success the Wildcats experienced at Fort Scott, Bovaird is hoping that it will bleed over into the rest of the year.

“We’re very excited for this season,” Bovaird said. “There are more experienced wrestlers wearing the purple singlets than we’ve had in a long time, and these guys are tough and hard-working. I took extras in four weights, hoping to get them some varsity time. Logan Henry and Tyson Blancarte both stepped in and had some great wins for us — Logan against BVSW and Tyson against Fort Scott. 

“Vance Hahn and Bryce Thompson both split time at 165 and were a combined 5-1 on the evening. Both are pushing each other on a daily basis in the practice room. Miles Meek has been rolling with Ashton, Brayden Yoder, and Xander Lucas at practices this season, but we weren’t able to get him connected with a match unfortunately.”

The Wildcats will try and continue their winning ways this Friday when they travel to Baldwin for the December Duals. They will square off with Prairie View, Baldwin, Independence and Burlington. Matches begin at 4:30 p.m.

Louisburg senior J’Lee Collins is one of three state qualifiers to return to lead the Louisburg wrestling team this upcoming season.

After rolling with some younger lineups the last couple of years, the Louisburg wrestling team is starting to see that experience come to light and the Wildcats are hoping for big things for the 2023-24 season.

The Wildcats return three state qualifiers from a year ago and will feature a full 14-member lineup. Out of the 14, 11 are juniors and seniors.

In all, Louisburg has 37 wrestlers out this season and head coach Bobby Bovaird has liked what he has seen so far in practice.

“We have a little less than we’ve had the last couple of seasons, but I’m still happy with the numbers we’ve got out,” Bovaird said. “The level of experience has increased from previous years, which helps us move quicker in our progression throughout the season. 

“We’ve been having some great practices. The team is staying healthy and working really hard. We have excellent attitudes from our leaders, and our newcomers are falling right in with the program.”

The Wildcats sent six wrestlers to the state tournament a season ago and three of them are coming back to lead this year’s group. Senior J’Lee Collins, and juniors Ashton Moore and Jay McCaskill, will all aim to get back there again.

Another junior, Brayden Yoder, just missed out on a state tournament bid last season and Bovaird is looking to those four to help lead the way this year.

“Just watching those four guys in the practice room, it’s awesome to see their work ethic and leadership,” Bovaird said. “It’s infectious, too. Brayden and Ashton roll with some of our bigger guys, J’Lee is pushing the lower weights, and Jay is right there in the middle weights. Ashton and J’Lee were both a match from finishing in the top 6 at state, and Jay was bouncing back from a nasty knee injury. If he’d had a full season, he would have been ready to make a very strong showing at state. Brayden, despite not making it to state, had an incredible sophomore season.”

In the lower weights, freshman Levi Cotter will open for the Wildcats at 106 pounds, while junior Canaan Clayton will take hold of the 113 pound spot. 

Junior Will Showalter and Collins will wrestle at 120 and 126 pounds, respectively, and both are two of the four team captains. Sophomore Tyson Blancarte or junior Logan Henry will wrestle at 132.

Junior Mika McKitrick, another team captain, will wrestle at 138 pounds. Seniors Traden Noll and Colin Robinson will wrestle at 144 and 150 pounds, respectively, while McCaskill will stay at his 157 pound weight from last season.

Freshman Bryce Thompson and sophomore Vance Hahn will see time at 165 pounds and senior Elias Pugh is at 175 pounds. Moore, a team captain, will bump up to 190 pounds this season.

Yoder (215) and junior Xander Lucas (285) will be among the Wildcat heavyweights this season.

Louisburg will also add a pair of wrestlers to its girls team. Freshman Leola Eslinger (145) and Allison Martin (125) will be the lone Wildcats this season.

“We’re still getting started on the girls side, but we’re bringing in a freshman with great youth wrestling experience in Leola,” Bovaird said. “Allison, while she is new to the sport of wrestling, she’s got experience with jiu jitsu, which will help her quite a bit.”

The Wildcats will open their season Friday at the Fort Scott Dual Tournament. It will be the first of many challenges for Louisburg as its ventures through the Frontier League and several other difficult 4A programs.

“We will have a pretty solid team, top to bottom,” Bovaird said. “We have lots of kids with varsity experience, as well as kids bringing in some great youth wrestling experience. We’re in a tough league with teams like Baldwin, Paola, Bonner Springs, Spring Hill and Tonganoxie, but I think we’ll be pretty competitive within the Frontier League, as well as in Class 4A.”

Louisburg’s Elijah Eslinger, who is coming off back-to-back state medals at the high school level, will wrestle for the Baker University program next season.

Elijah Eslinger didn’t start wrestling till the eighth grade, but that didn’t stop him from accomplishing something great.

Eslinger went on to become a two-time state medalist for the Louisburg wrestling team, and now he is hoping to make even bigger strides at the next level.

The Louisburg graduate signed on to join the Baker University wrestling program and will compete at the NAIA level next season.

“When I signed for Baker, it solidified my goal to continue in the sport that I love,” Eslinger said. 

It has been a labor of love for Eslinger as the results didn’t come right away. As the Wildcat heavyweight, he took his fair share of lumps as a freshman and sophomore.

The wins weren’t always there, but Eslinger kept improving and the results started to show as a junior, where he earned a spot in the state semifinals and brought home a state medal.

Eslinger did the same thing his senior campaign as he became known as one of the top heavyweights in Class 4A.

“I’m incredibly excited for Elijah to compete at Baker for a lot of reasons,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “He started wrestling as an eighth grader and then a year later, he got thrown in with the wolves pretty much. As a freshman, he was our only wrestler at 285 lbs., and if he didn’t represent us in duals, we would have been open there. 

“He went from being winless as a freshman to making the state semifinals two years straight as a junior and senior. Being a Baker University alumnus, I’m excited for the opportunities for growth that he’ll have at Baker. His potential truly is untapped, and I know he’s going to excel in whatever he takes on.”

Eslinger enjoyed the challenge of reaching that state podium.

“I feel that I have had a fairly meteoric growth since freshman year,” Eslinger said. “From no wins my freshman year, to a qualifier sophomore year, to placing both junior and senior years, I have had a great time, which helped me continue to get better.”

Baker is the place where Eslinger believes he can take the next step in his wrestling journey. While on his visit, he enjoyed the coaches what the program had to offer.

At the same time, Eslinger, who will major in history, said the school itself was another big reason in his decision.

“Honestly, while the wrestling program is a great program, it was the academic focus that really won me over,” he said. “Right now I’m planning on going into college with no expectations and will just see what happens.”