Louisburg senior Elijah Eslinger works for a pin Wednesday during the Frontier League Tournament at Bonner Springs High School. Eslinger won the 285-pound title.

BONNER SPRINGS — Team-wise, it wasn’t the finish Louisburg was hoping for, but the Wildcats left their mark on the Frontier League Tournament on Wednesday in Bonner Springs. 

Senior Elijah Eslinger earned the league championship at 285 pounds with a pair of pins as one of four Wildcats to find their way to the podium. Kaven Bartlett (138 pounds), Ashton Moore (175) and Brayden Yoder (190) also recorded top four finishes.

Louisburg finished seventh in the team standings with 97 points, while Paola won the league title with 263.5. Tonganoxie was runner-up with 247.5 points.

“This year might be the toughest I’ve ever seen the Frontier League,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Paola and Tonganoxie are ranked high at state, and each of the other schools has several really tough kids in their lineups. 

“Being objective when I look at how we wrestled, I feel like there were several matches that we should have won. Mistakes were made and some things didn’t go our way, but that’s the reality of it. We’ve got time to review our performance, but more importantly we’ve got time to reset and refocus as we get ready for regionals.”

Eslinger won his second straight tournament in impressive fashion as he recorded a 39 second pin of Baldwin’s Jonathan Wren in the semifinals before pinning Tonganoxie’s Gavin Rhoads in 1:41 in the title match.

“Elijah’s league title makes it two varsity tournaments in a row that he’s won, and that’s really exciting to see happen,” Bovaird said. “I see him getting himself pretty focused and ready to go, regardless of his opponent. The key to his success as we get into the postseason is going to be keeping him focused on doing what he does best and not over-thinking or over-analyzing things.”

Bartlett also found himself in the championship match at 138 pounds and went up against Paola’s Ryan Pankov, who is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A. Bartlett had to wrestle from behind and eventually lost a 7-2 decision.

Leading up to that match, Bartlett earned pins over Ottawa’s Grady Sumrall and Bonner Springs’ Lane Vogel to advance to the title round. He is now 33-4 on the season.

“Despite a couple key moments that (Pankov) capitalized on, I feel like Kaven has been wrestling pretty well lately,” Bovaird said. “He’s still just as driven and focused in the practice room, and he’s got the right mindset to overcome that sort of match.”

Moore finished his tournament with a 3-1 record at 175 pounds to take third overall. The Louisburg sophomore opened with a pin of Eudora’s Max Mitchell and advanced to the semifinals.

He went up against Tongnaoxie’s Wyatt Harris and lost a tough 4-2 decision. Moore then responded with a pin of Caden Bartek of Spring Hill and then pinned Baldwin’s Wesley Martin in the third place match.

Yoder finished his day with a 2-2 record to take fourth at 190 pounds. He began the tournament with a major decision of Spring Hill’s Logan Alexander, but lost a tough overtime match to Tonganoxie’s Rocco Gehring, in a 5-3 decision.

The Louisburg sophomore bounced back to get a 12-0 major decision of Paola’s Sam Shore, before getting pinned by Ottawa’s Seth Ferguson in the third place match.

Louisburg will now prepare for its most important tournament of the season. The Wildcats will travel to Baldwin on Saturday for the Class 4A regional tournament.

The top four finishers in each weight class will advance to the state tournament the following week in Salina.

“On paper, our regional looks like it might be weaker than the others, especially the Wichita-area regional, but when you look at the caliber of kids in Kansas 4A this season, it’s still a very tough division,” Bovaird said. “We’ve got teams like Tonganoxie, Holton and Baldwin who have been ranked in the top ten all season, as well as teams with some very talented individuals. I think our team is ready for the final push to the end of the season.

“The winter sports season feels like it’s so much longer than the others, and that takes a toll on the kids at times. We do what we can to help combat any sort of burnout or mindset fatigue, and we keep pushing our kids to do their best. All our guys have been great at practice — they’re present, they’re focused, and they’re ready to get to work.”

106

Will Showalter (14-24) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Jeremy Welch (Bonner Springs) 26-12 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 14-24 (Fall 2:41)
• Cons. Round 1 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 14-24 won by fall over Gabriel Campbell (Eudora) 4-12 (Fall 0:35)
• Cons. Semi – Brodie Starcher (Tonganoxie) 14-15 won by tech fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 14-24 (TF-1.5 4:07 (18-3))
• 5th Place Match – Asher Englert (Baldwin) 17-16 won by decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 14-24 (Dec 7-0)

113

Broden Vargo (2-15) placed 6th and scored 5.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Broden Vargo (Louisburg) 2-15 won by decision over Beckham Erpelding (Eudora) 2-8 (Dec 6-0)
• Semifinal – Brock Sutton (Ottawa) 16-2 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg) 2-15 (Fall 1:40)
• Cons. Semi – Jordan Bauswell (Tonganoxie) 8-15 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg) 2-15 (Fall 4:47)
• 5th Place Match – Liam McDowell (Bonner Springs) 2-2 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg) 2-15 (Fall 1:49)

120

Keegan Rogers (7-20) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Hawken Andrews (Eudora) 23-7 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg) 7-20 (Fall 1:04)
• Cons. Round 1 – Cole Mader (Ottawa) 18-20 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg) 7-20 (Fall 2:04)

126

J`Lee Collins (19-16) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Dax Duffett (Tonganoxie) 11-14 won by fall over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 19-16 (Fall 5:31)
• Cons. Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 19-16 won by fall over Noah Van Foeken (Eudora) 13-19 (Fall 3:56)
• Cons. Semi – Ryan Pahl (Spring Hill) 21-15 won by fall over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 19-16 (Fall 2:54)
• 5th Place Match – Gunner Reichard (Baldwin) 19-17 won by fall over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 19-16 (Fall 4:13)

132

Mika McKitrick (11-22) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Braeden Moore (Tonganoxie) 29-1 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 11-22 (Fall 0:25)
• Cons. Round 1 – Dalton Dempsey (Baldwin) 18-10 won by tech fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 11-22 (TF-1.5 3:28 (15-0))

138

Kaven Bartlett (33-4) placed 2nd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 33-4 won by fall over Grady Sumrall (Ottawa) 18-20 (Fall 3:18)
• Semifinal – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 33-4 won by fall over Lane Vogel (Bonner Springs) 25-13 (Fall 3:50)
• 1st Place Match – Ryan Pankov (Paola) 27-5 won by decision over Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 33-4 (Dec 7-2)

144

Colin Robinson (4-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Brady Martin (Tonganoxie) 32-7 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 4-16 (Fall 1:01)
• Cons. Round 1 – Dalton Evans (Ottawa) 25-14 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 4-16 (Fall 4:37)

165

Vance Hahn (2-27) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Clayton Younger (Paola) 30-5 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 2-27 (Fall 0:50)
• Cons. Round 1 – Ben Brooks (Spring Hill) 10-18 won by decision over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 2-27 (Dec 7-1)

175

Ashton Moore (15-5) placed 3rd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 15-5 won by fall over Max Mitchell (Eudora) 7-14 (Fall 1:08)
• Semifinal – Wyatt Harris (Tonganoxie) 13-4 won by decision over Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 15-5 (Dec 4-2)
• Cons. Semi – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 15-5 won by fall over Caden Bartek (Spring Hill) 14-20 (Fall 2:14)
• 3rd Place Match – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 15-5 won by fall over Wesley Martin (Baldwin) 19-18 (Fall 3:00)

190

Brayden Yoder (30-12) placed 4th and scored 12.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 30-12 won by major decision over Logan Alexander (Spring Hill) 8-18 (MD 10-0)
• Semifinal – Rocco Gehring (Tonganoxie) 22-12 won in sudden victory – 1 over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 30-12 (SV-1 5-3)
• Cons. Semi – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 30-12 won by major decision over Sam Shore (Paola) 20-17 (MD 12-0)
• 3rd Place Match – Seth Ferguson (Ottawa) 32-10 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 30-12 (Fall 2:12)

215

Trace Eslinger (21-17) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Cooper Stone (Ottawa) 10-6 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 21-17 (Fall 3:05)
• Cons. Round 1 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 21-17 won by fall over Branden Gregory (Eudora) 2-22 (Fall 2:19)
• Cons. Semi – Carson Martin (Paola) 4-2 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 21-17 (Fall 0:58)
• 5th Place Match – Conner Murry (Baldwin) 24-12 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 21-17 (Fall 0:50)

285

Elijah Eslinger (35-5) placed 1st and scored 24.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 35-5 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 35-5 won by fall over Jonathan Wren (Baldwin) 14-18 (Fall 0:39)
• 1st Place Match – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 35-5 won by fall over Gavin Rhoads (Tonganoxie) 17-14 (Fall 1:41)

Louisburg senior Elijah Eslinger works for a pin Saturday during his 285-pound match at the Baldwin Invitational Touranment. Eslinger won his weight class with three pins.

BALDWIN CITY — Louisburg heavyweight Elijah Eslinger has experienced his fair share of success so far this season.

The one thing that has escaped him has been a tournament championship. Eslinger, a returning state medalist, checked that off his list Saturday. 

The Wildcat senior won the 285-pound weight class in dominating fashion at the Baldwin Invitational Tournament. Eslinger, who is currently ranked No. 6 in Class 4A, won all four of his matches in under two minutes, which included three pins.

“It dawned on me earlier this month that Elijah has yet to win a varsity tournament, and I wanted to see what we could do to help him with that,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “I’m so proud of him for getting out there and doing his job at Baldwin. Before his semifinals match, I pulled him aside and told him that he needs to focus on the task at hand — on the present moment — and go out with controlled aggression, focus, and determination. That’s exactly what he did, too. 

“He was on pace to have 4 pins in 4 matches, but in the finals his opponent ended up injury defaulting. Judging by how Elijah was wrestling that day, that match was looking to end in a pin as well.”

Eslinger also helped the Wildcat team to strong showing that led to four individual medals and an eighth place team finish. Louisburg finished with 93 points, while Tonganoxie won the 18-team tournament with 258. Wamego was second with 163.5

Despite being down two starters due to illness and injury, Bovaird was happy with his team’s performance.

“The great thing was that we finished in eighth place, the same spot as last year, and we also had two starters out,” Bovaird said. “J’Lee Collins has been sick and Jay McCaskill is recovering from a knee injury. Team-wise, had we been at full strength, we could have finished even higher. This is a tough tournament that consists of only 4A schools. It’s a great litmus test for how we might do against these teams in the post-season, and there were a bunch of teams there that we don’t normally see until regionals or state.”

Along with Eslinger (32-5), three Wildcats found the medal stand. Senior Kaven Bartlett (138 pounds) and sophomore Ashton Moore (175) both finished third overall, while sophomore Brayden Yoder (190) medaled fourth.

Bartlett (30-3), who has been wrestling through an injury, finished his day with a 3-1 record, with his lone loss coming in the semifinals to Holton’s Cale Hein in a 6-2 decision.

The Louisburg senior bounced back to record a 3-0 decision over Baldwin’s Ethan Williams and then pinned Wamego’s Austin Meyer in the third place match.

As for Moore, he was seconds away from finding a spot in the championship. In the semifinals, Moore (11-4) lost a tough overtime match to Perry-Lecompton’s Christian Conklin by an 8-6 decision.

Moore then responded with a pin of Ottawa’s Sam Clevenger and outlasted Eudora’s Braedon Speer in the third place match for a 2-0 decision.

“Kaven is bouncing back from some injuries at Blue Valley Northwest, and Ashton is still getting back into wrestling shape,” Bovaird said. “Kaven’s semifinal loss against the Holton kid was a rematch from this tournament last year. It was a tough kid and he wrestled well against us, but I could tell that Kaven was in a lot of pain. He showed a great deal of toughness bouncing back from that match.

“Ashton lost in overtime to a senior with over 30 matches on the season. The loss of mat time from the first half of this season was definitely a factor in that loss, but that’s the way things go. Ashton has the grit and work ethic to help push his wrestling skills to the point where he’s able to win those matches at regionals and state.”

Yoder found himself in the most difficult weight class in the tournament that featured four of the top six wrestlers in the state.

Yoder took on that challenge as he left with a medal and took fourth overall, which included a pin of Ottawa’s Seth Ferguson, who was ranked No. 6 in the state.

He began the tournament with a 2-0 decision of Labette County’s Cody Hambleton, before having to meet Baldwin’s Jack Harvey, who is No. 1 in the state. Yoder was pinned, but came back to win his next two matches.

Yoder (27-10) pinned Tonganoxie’s Rocco Gehring in his next match, before pinning Ferguson in the second period of the second round of consolation. He the faced Goodland’s Maverick Spresser in the third place match and lost a close 3-2 decision to the No. 4-ranked wrestler in the state.

The Louisburg sophomore’s performance earned him a No. 6 ranking in the latest Class 4A rankings.

“Brayden was talking to the coaching staff and mentioned the depth of his weight class earlier in the week, and my response was that it’s the perfect setting for him to come out of his shell,” Bovaird said. “The way he’s been wrestling lately, Brayden’s name needs to be in consideration with state rankings and tournament seedings. Four of the top-six wrestlers in the state were in that bracket, and Brayden beat one of them. I’m very excited for Brayden, but at the same time, no one who’s worked with that young man in the practice room should be surprised.”

Louisburg will take a week to rest up before getting back on the mats for the Frontier League Tournament on Feb. 8 at Bonner Springs High School. Matches begin at 3 p.m.

106

Will Showalter (12-21) placed 7th and scored 3.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 12-21 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Brodie Starcher (Tonganoxie) 11-14 won by tech fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 12-21 (TF-1.5 4:23 (15-0))
• Cons. Round 2 – Asher Englert (Baldwin) 13-12 won by decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 12-21 (Dec 6-2)
• Cons. Round 3 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 12-21 received a bye () (Bye)
• 7th Place Match – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 12-21 won by decision over Maverick Hug (Holton) 16-11 (Dec 7-0)

120

Keegan Rogers (7-17) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Dane Ogden (Osawatomie) 13-8 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg) 7-17 (Fall 1:08)
• Cons. Round 1 – Braxton Chase (Baldwin) 2-5 won by decision over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg) 7-17 (Dec 6-5)

126

Greysen Dixon (2-6) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Knox Karnowski (Wamego) 23-4 won by fall over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg) 2-6 (Fall 1:12)
• Cons. Round 1 – Greysen Dixon (Louisburg) 2-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Ty Ketter (Goodland) 11-13 (SV-1 7-5)
• Cons. Round 2 – Noah Van Foeken (Eudora) 14-18 won by decision over Greysen Dixon (Louisburg) 2-6 (Dec 5-4)

132

Logan Henry (6-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Parker Slayman (Osawatomie) 20-7 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg) 6-16 (Fall 1:00)
• Cons. Round 1 – Quentin Pisano (Buhler) 7-15 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg) 6-16 (Fall 0:32)

132

Mika McKitrick (9-17) place is unknown.

• Champ. Round 1 – Cason Wyrick (Labette County) 7-2 won by tech fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-17 (TF-1.5 2:18 (15-0))
• Cons. Round 1 – Brett Paramore (Perry-Lecompton) 16-15 won by decision over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-17 (Dec 6-3)

138

Kaven Bartlett (30-3) placed 3rd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 30-3 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 30-3 won by fall over Grady Sumrall (Ottawa) 14-14 (Fall 3:30)
• Semifinal – Cale Hein (Holton) 24-9 won by decision over Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 30-3 (Dec 6-2)
• Cons. Round 3 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 30-3 won by decision over Ethan Williams (Baldwin) 15-13 (Dec 3-0)
• 3rd Place Match – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg) 30-3 won by fall over Austin Meyer (Wamego) 14-9 (Fall 2:21)

144

Jesse Murphy (18-13) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Brian Llamas (Santa Fe Trail) 4-5 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg) 18-13 (Fall 2:46)
• Cons. Round 1 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg) 18-13 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Tanner Templeton (Labette County) 14-11 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg) 18-13 (Fall 1:52)

165

Vance Hahn (2-24) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Thomas Romero (Eudora) 4-6 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 2-24 (Fall 0:45)
• Cons. Round 1 – Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 2-24 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 2 – Nick Allen (Rock Creek) 8-12 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 2-24 (Fall 2:52)

175

Ashton Moore (11-4) placed 3rd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 11-4 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 11-4 won by fall over Ricardo Jimenez (Baldwin) 13-13 (Fall 1:35)
• Semifinal – Christian Conklin (Perry-Lecompton) 24-7 won in overtime over Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 11-4 (OT 8-6)
• Cons. Round 3 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 11-4 won by fall over Sam Clevenger (Ottawa) 15-14 (Fall 4:42)
• 3rd Place Match – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 11-4 won by decision over Braedon Speer (Eudora) 17-5 (Dec 2-0)

190

Brayden Yoder (27-10) placed 4th and scored 15.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 27-10 won by decision over Cody Hambleton (Labette County) 7-4 (Dec 2-0)
• Quarterfinal – Jack Harvey (Baldwin) 29-0 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 27-10 (Fall 3:25)
• Cons. Round 2 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 27-10 won by fall over Rocco Gehring (Tonganoxie) 21-11 (Fall 2:32)
• Cons. Round 3 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 27-10 won by fall over Seth Ferguson (Ottawa) 25-9 (Fall 2:35)
• 3rd Place Match – Maverick Spresser (Goodland) 24-6 won by decision over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 27-10 (Dec 3-2)

215

Trace Eslinger (20-13) placed 8th and scored 8.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 20-13 won by fall over Branden Gregory (Eudora) 2-18 (Fall 1:24)
• Quarterfinal – Hunter Benedict (Tonganoxie) 27-7 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 20-13 (Fall 3:19)
• Cons. Round 2 – Cooper Bittle (Rock Creek) 19-7 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 20-13 (Fall 1:20)
• Cons. Round 3 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 20-13 won by fall over Cole Flory (Santa Fe Trail) 15-15 (Fall 0:59)
• 7th Place Match – Rhett Ihrig (Goodland) 19-10 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg) 20-13 (Fall 1:48)

285

Grant Strubbe (5-10) place is unknown.

• Champ. Round 1 – Gavin Rhoads (Tonganoxie) 15-13 won by fall over Grant Strubbe (Louisburg) 5-10 (Fall 1:05)
• Cons. Round 1 – Grant Strubbe (Louisburg) 5-10 won by fall over Kevin Whitten (Eudora) 8-13 (Fall 1:21)
• Cons. Round 2 – Grant Strubbe (Louisburg) 5-10 won by fall over John Goodwin (Prairie View) 4-13 (Fall 4:13)
• Cons. Round 3 – Alex Strother (Santa Fe Trail) 4-3 won by fall over Grant Strubbe (Louisburg) 5-10 (Fall 2:40)

285

Elijah Eslinger (32-5) placed 1st and scored 30.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 32-5 won by fall over Blake Hamic (Wamego) 4-16 (Fall 1:08)
• Quarterfinal – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 32-5 won by fall over Hunter Diederich (Topeka-Hayden) 6-3 (Fall 1:15)
• Semifinal – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 32-5 won by fall over Jonathan Wren (Baldwin) 10-14 (Fall 1:15)
• 1st Place Match – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg) 32-5 won by injury default over Osiris Unruh (Jeff West) 20-6 (Inj. 1:13)

Louisburg senior Elijah Eslinger gets a pin Thursday to give the Wildcats a 39-36 win over Ottawa on Senior Night at Louisburg High School.

Out two starters and down double digits at home to Ottawa on Senior Night, there was a little unknown if Louisburg could pull out a dual win over the Cyclones.

On one of the more important nights of the year, the Wildcats came through. Louisburg won five of the last seven matches, and even the ones it didn’t get a victory, prevented the Cyclones from getting some key points in a 39-36 Louisburg win.

Louisburg sophomores Greysen Dixon (126 pounds) and Jonas Briley (157) were filling in for starters J’Lee Collins and Jay McCaskill, who were out. Although Dixon was pinned in his match, Briley came through with a pin to keep the Wildcats in it.

Then against difficult opponents, senior Jesse Murphy (144) and freshman Vance Hahn (165) made things tough as they lost by decision, allowing only three points to Ottawa in each match.

“Two key starters being out left us in a little bit of a situation, but I think we’re in a spot with our program where the next man up can step out and do their part for the team,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “J’Lee has been sick, so Greysen Dixon stepped up and filled in. Going into the third period, he was looking good and was only trailing 4-8 when he got caught on his back. Jay banged up his knee at Blue Valley Northwest, so sophomore Jonas Briley bumped up and filled in at 157. Coach Crossley and I have worked with Jonas since he was a little kid, so we knew that his grit and intensity would help him in that match, and it definitely paid off for us when he got the pin. 

“Two others really stepped up and went above and beyond — freshman Vance Hahn dropped a decision at 165 and senior Jesse Murphy lost by decision at 144, both of them against pretty strong opponents. We’d talked about ‘bonus points’ before the dual and how it’s important to fight off your back in a dual. The guys have really bought into the team aspect of high school wrestling.”

Louisburg won six other matches on the night as Will Showalter (106), Kaven Bartlett (138) and Brayden Yoder (190) each won by pin, while Ashton Moore won by decision at 175 pounds. Hayden Heffernon (113) also had a bye to give the Wildcats six points.

All that set things up for senior Elijah Eslinger. With the Wildcats down three points going into the final match, the Louisburg heavyweight recorded a quick first period pin to give his team a 3-point win.

“With Elijah being our closer, it’s a great way to wrap up a dual,” Bovaird said. “Look at what he went through as a freshman — weighing 225 pounds and going up against upperclassmen who weighed all of 285 pounds. He took his lumps that year, and then as a sophomore he figured out a few things. Now, he’s focused, disciplined, and reliable. I love having a team leader like him to be our anchor.”

It all made for a memorable Senior Night that saw the Wildcat program honor their 11 seniors and their parents. Kaven Bartlett, Kaleb Carter, Elijah Eslinger, Trace Eslinger, Brecon Klugman, Cameron McClellan, Jesse Murphy, Kyle Oram, Aidan Robinson, Grant Strubbe and Luke York all saw their final home competition.

The senior group started small, but more than doubled in size three years ago.

“The dedication of these seniors has been outstanding, and I’m so proud that we were able to get a team victory on Senior Night,” Bovaird said. “That was one of the objectives we talked about before the dual — sending our seniors off on a high note. This would be their last chance to compete in our home gym, and it’s important to make a statement at home like that in front of family and friends. 

“While we have a large group of seniors, there’s only a handful that’s been out all four years — Kaven Bartlett, Elijah Eslinger, Trace Eslinger, Jesse Murphy, and Luke York. The others joined the program as sophomores and stuck with it. That’s probably the thing I’m most proud of. These guys have all bought into what the sport of wrestling can offer. They stayed committed to the program and I know they’ll be reaping the benefits down the road from what they’ve learned from wrestling.”

The Wildcats will continue their difficult schedule Saturday as they compete in the Baldwin Invitational. Matches begin at 9 a.m.

“I’m definitely excited for the challenges of Baldwin this weekend,” Bovaird said. “There are some teams we don’t see very often before state — Goodland, Jeff West, Wamego and Rock Creek. We’ll get a lot of head-to-head matches against strong kids. It’ll be a great litmus test to see what we need to polish up on before league, regionals and state.”

Louisburg sophomore Jay McCaskill works for a pin in his 157-pound championship match Saturday at the Husky Invitational at Blue Valley Northwest High School.

OVERLAND PARK — Louisburg saw its toughest competition to date Friday and Saturday at the Husky Invitational at Blue Valley Northwest High School.

The Wildcats were one of 21 teams from three states in the two-day tournament. Louisburg was also the second smallest school in the competition. 

That didn’t stop Louisburg from reaching the medal stand as five Wildcats left the tournament with hardware. One Wildcat found his way to the top.

Sophomore Jay McCaskill won the 157-pound weight class as he barreled to the title with a 7-0 record, that included six pins. McCaskill pinned Lawrence Free State’s Gabe Swoyer in the championship match.

“Something I love seeing is when a young wrestler wins a varsity tournament for the first time in his career,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Jay was dominant last week, especially at this tournament. I mean, between the three duals and this two-day tournament, he went 10-0 with 8 pins. He’s been a young wrestler with lots of potential, but I think his is a huge turning point for him. This is the point where his confidence in his abilities needs to surge, where he realizes that he belongs at the top of a podium, not just on it or next to it.”

McCaskill was one of several Wildcats to earn medals. Sophomore Brayden Yoder finished third at 190 pounds, while another sophomore, Ashton Moore was fifth at 175. Senior Kaven Bartlett (138 pounds) and junior J’Lee Collins both earned sixth place honors.

As a team, the Wildcats finished 10th out of 21 teams with 294 points. Andover won the tournament with 453.5 points and Maize was second with 419.

“Going into the start of the tournament, I liked how things looked with our seeds,” Bovaird said. “As the first couple of rounds kicked off, it was just a mad dash trying to keep up with everything. They had seven mats in two gyms, so the coaches were running around like crazy. At multiple times, we had one coach working three mats at the same time. Before we knew it, the team scores were reflecting us in the top 5 pretty consistently. We were winning a lot of matches against some good competition.

“The first day of competition was pretty solid for us, but the second day we ran into some buzzsaw wrestlers, and that’s what we wanted out of this tournament. We wanted to be able to see the talent of teams like Andover, Maize and Topeka Seaman — teams with guys who are not just ranked in their classifications, but also ranked in all classes. This is the time of the season when we need to be ramping things up to prepare for the post-season.”

Yoder found a lot of success in the 190-pound weight class. He won his first three matches on Friday to reach the quarterfinal round, before falling in overtime to Free State’s Blaine Larkin, 6-4.

The Louisburg sophomore followed that up with two more wins and then defeated J.K. Mullen’s (Colorado) Oliver Scelza in a 10-3 decision for third place to improve his record to 24-8.

Moore, who just came back from injury last week, went 3-1 in his pool matches. He eventually wrestled for fifth place as he defeated Blue Valley Northwest’s Nick Bock in an 8-3 decision.

Bartlett, tried to battle though an injury at 138 pounds, but eventually had to pull out of competition following a win in the second round of consolation. He finished 2-2 in the tournament eventually took sixth.

As for Collins, he went 2-1 in pool action before eventually earning a spot in the fifth place match. He lost to Olathe Northwest’s Leo Blanding by a 6-3 decision.

“Brayden’s success has been a lot of fun to see from the corner,” Bovaird said. “He’s a methodical, patient, and strong wrestler, and he’s pretty bright too. Ashton is performing very strong as well, and I’m really happy for how he’s been able to jump right back into things. He’s at a tough weight, and his three losses came to state-ranked kids with 20-30 wins and full seasons. J’Lee missed wrestling his freshman year due to a knee injury, but with his experience last year and his surge in confidence this year, we’re starting to see him make huge strides. He’s such a gifted athlete and his work ethic and positivity sets the tone in the practice room. This is a great thing to see — J’Lee winning some medals at tournaments. 

“Kaven had a rough go this weekend, losing two matches and then having to default out to sixth place. His weight class was possibly the toughest of the tournament, too. He ran into a stud freshman from Colorado who’s going to have a stellar career, and then he dropped a close match to a ranked kid from Lawrence Free State, all the while battling a hip injury and some dislocated ribs. Kaven is a warrior, but the thing we’re going to have to be careful about is keeping him from jumping into things before his body is ready. He’s got some recovery, but at the same time he’s also go the motivation to make up for lost time and finish his senior season strong.”

Louisburg will be back on the mats Thursday as the Wildcats host Ottawa for a Frontier League dual. It will also be Senior Night for the Wildcat program.

The Wildcats will then competed in the Baldwin Invitational on Saturday.

106

Will Showalter (11-19) placed 12th and scored 16.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 won by fall over Sabastain Lackey UNA (Bonner Springs Braves) 5-7 (Fall 3:50)
• Round 3 – Raul Placensia (SM South Raiders) 18-12 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 (Fall 4:16)
• Round 4 – Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 won by fall over Miles Bouton (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 11-12 (Fall 1:53)
• Round 5 – Denton White (Jayhawk Linn Jayhawks) 29-2 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 (Fall 1:29)
• Cons. Round 1 – Jace Diezman (BV West Jaguars) 9-7 won by major decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 (MD 11-0)
• 11th Place Match – Zac Pai (Andover Trojans) 10-15 won by major decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg Wildcats) 11-19 (MD 11-2)

126

J`Lee Collins (18-13) placed 6th and scored 27.0 team points.

• Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 won by fall over Zach Smith (BV North Mustangs) 13-18 (Fall 4:18)
• Round 3 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 won by major decision over Elliott Rogers (Marion Wolves) 2-10 (MD 13-5)
• Round 4 – Draven Bennett (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 25-9 won by decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 (Dec 7-4)
• Round 5 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Luke Potter (Andover Trojans) 25-8 won by fall over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 (Fall 5:44)
• Cons. Round 2 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 won by decision over Reece Parks (Maize Eagles) 17-15 (Dec 7-5)
• Cons. Semi – Draven Bennett (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 25-9 won by decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 (Dec 10-5)
• 5th Place Match – Leo Blanding (Olathe Northwest Ravens) 24-13 won by decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-13 (Dec 6-3)

132

Mika McKitrick (9-15) placed 13th and scored 17.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Landon Sherrow (Andover Trojans) 17-9 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 (Fall 2:56)
• Round 2 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 won by fall over Remy Frentrop (Lawrence Lions) 2-7 (Fall 1:33)
• Round 3 – Logan Meinheit (BV West Jaguars) 34-4 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 (Fall 1:18)
• Round 4 – Luke Kelly UNA (Maize Eagles) 7-7 won by major decision over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 (MD 21-8)
• Round 5 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 won by injury default over Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 (Inj. 0:00)
• 13th Place Match – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 won by fall over Karimza Nola (Blue Valley Tigers) 10-17 (Fall 2:38)

132

Logan Henry UNA (6-14) placed 16th.

• Round 1 – Presley Hartwig (Olathe Northwest Ravens) 7-8 won by fall over Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 (Fall 2:46)
• Round 2 – Dante Dupuch (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 10-6 won by fall over Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 (Fall 3:11)
• Round 3 – Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 4 – Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 5 – Thomas Cullum (Bonner Springs Braves) 21-9 won by injury default over Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 (Inj. 0:02)
• Cons. Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Wildcats) 9-15 won by injury default over Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 (Inj. 0:00)
• 15th Place Match – Grant Woods (BV North Mustangs) 8-13 won by forfeit over Logan Henry UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-14 (For.)

138

Kaven Bartlett (27-4) placed 6th and scored 28.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 won by fall over Ray Phillips (Leavenworth Pioneers) 3-18 (Fall 0:50)
• Round 2 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 won by fall over James Bi (BV Northwest Huskies) 23-13 (Fall 4:13)
• Round 3 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 4 – Isaak Chavez (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 27-5 won by major decision over Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 (MD 9-1)
• Round 5 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – D`onte Goodman (Law Free State Firebirds) 29-8 won by decision over Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 (Dec 9-7)
• Cons. Round 2 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 won by decision over Lain Anderson (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 18-15 (Dec 4-1)
• Cons. Semi – Nakaylen Shabazz (Maize Eagles) 34-5 won by injury default over Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 (Inj. 0:01)
• 5th Place Match – Wes Logan (Marion Wolves) 16-10 won by medical forfeit over Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Wildcats) 27-4 (M. For.)

144

Jesse Murphy (18-11) placed 8th and scored 25.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 won by fall over Tahj Edwards (Lawrence Lions) 3-6 (Fall 0:24)
• Round 3 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 4 – Camden Padgett (Maize Eagles) 25-5 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 (Fall 1:18)
• Round 5 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 won by fall over Braeden McGrath (Bonner Springs Braves) 7-7 (Fall 2:00)
• Quarterfinal – Bradley Trimmell (Andover Trojans) 24-7 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 (Fall 2:48)
• Cons. Round 2 – Xavier Davis (Leavenworth Pioneers) 22-11 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 (Fall 4:58)
• 7th Place Match – Dylan Farrell (Law Free State Firebirds) 13-11 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-11 (Fall 2:42)

157

Jay McCaskill (22-6) placed 1st and scored 53.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by fall over Alexander Fowler (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 6-11 (Fall 0:44)
• Round 2 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by fall over Conrad Vogel UNA (Blue Valley Tigers) 0-6 (Fall 0:31)
• Round 3 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by fall over Daniel Munro UNA (BV Northwest Huskies) 6-9 (Fall 4:29)
• Round 4 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 5 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by decision over Arlo Collier (Lawrence Lions) 3-4 (Dec 7-5)
• Quarterfinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by fall over Ty Mull (Marion Wolves) 5-11 (Fall 1:30)
• Semifinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by fall over Sam Dew (BV West Jaguars) 10-8 (Fall 3:13)
• 1st Place Match – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg Wildcats) 22-6 won by fall over Gabe Swoyer (Law Free State Firebirds) 21-14 (Fall 4:10)

175

Elias Pugh UNA (6-7) placed 11th.

• Round 1 – Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 won by fall over Fernando Melendez (Turner Golden Bears) 6-11 (Fall 1:17)
• Round 2 – Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 won by fall over Gunnar Noard (SM West Vikings) 12-15 (Fall 2:42)
• Round 3 – Zackery Adams (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 16-10 won by fall over Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 (Fall 5:00)
• Round 4 – Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 5 – Kaleb Valdez-Lemos (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 27-3 won by fall over Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 (Fall 0:28)
• Cons. Round 1 – Adam Rose (Marion Wolves) 14-11 won by fall over Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 (Fall 2:02)
• 11th Place Match – Elias Pugh UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-7 won by fall over Daniel Loza (Bonner Springs Braves) 8-14 (Fall 4:11)

175

Ashton Moore (8-3) placed 5th and scored 35.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 won by fall over Reece Meyer (Lawrence Lions) 4-9 (Fall 0:47)
• Round 3 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 won by fall over Ange Badji (SM South Raiders) 0-11 (Fall 0:53)
• Round 4 – Tate Hutchinson (Andover Trojans) 31-4 won by decision over Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 (Dec 4-2)
• Round 5 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 won by fall over Anthony Andrews (BV North Mustangs) 15-11 (Fall 3:10)
• Quarterfinal – Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 won by medical forfeit over Caleb Sharp (Olathe Northwest Ravens) 22-13 (M. For.)
• Semifinal – Kaleb Valdez-Lemos (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 27-3 won by fall over Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 (Fall 0:46)
• Cons. Semi – Denton Dobbins (Blue Valley Tigers) 27-9 won by fall over Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 (Fall 2:01)
• 5th Place Match – Ashton Moore (Louisburg Wildcats) 8-3 won by decision over Nick Bock (BV Northwest Huskies) 19-14 (Dec 8-3)

190

Brayden Yoder (24-8) placed 3rd and scored 34.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 won by fall over Cole Evans UNA (Blue Valley Tigers) 2-14 (Fall 2:52)
• Round 2 – Cole Compton UNA (Andover Trojans) 15-10 won by decision over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 (Dec 3-1)
• Round 3 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 4 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 won by major decision over Dylan Shojayi (Blue Valley Tigers) 14-9 (MD 9-0)
• Round 5 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Blaine Larkin (Law Free State Firebirds) 15-11 won in sudden victory – 1 over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 (SV-1 6-4)
• Cons. Round 2 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 won by decision over Michael Costello (Olathe East Hawks) 22-11 (Dec 9-3)
• Cons. Semi – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 won by decision over Tristen Winfield (Andover Trojans) 6-4 (Dec 5-2)
• 3rd Place Match – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Wildcats) 24-8 won by decision over Oliver Scelza (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 18-13 (Dec 10-3)

215

Kyle Oram UNA (6-9) placed 13th.

• Round 1 – Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 3 – Ami Hall (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 9-7 won by fall over Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 (Fall 2:32)
• Round 4 – Braedon Njewel (Blue Valley Tigers) 8-9 won by fall over Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 (Fall 1:48)
• Round 5 – Ronan Wunsch (Maize Eagles) 29-7 won by forfeit over Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 (For.)
• Cons. Round 1 – Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 received a bye () (Bye)
• 13th Place Match – Kyle Oram UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 6-9 won by medical forfeit over Nico Cocumelli UNA (BV West Jaguars) 4-11 (M. For.)

215

Trace Eslinger (18-10) placed 8th and scored 26.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 won by fall over ​Brady Walsh UNA (Marion Wolves) 4-15 (Fall 0:43)
• Round 3 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 4 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 won by fall over Robert Svoboda (BV West Jaguars) 16-10 (Fall 5:15)
• Round 5 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 received a bye () (Bye)
• Quarterfinal – Braedon Njewel (Blue Valley Tigers) 8-9 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 (Fall 1:36)
• Cons. Round 2 – Brayden Harman (Andover Trojans) 14-13 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 (Fall 4:37)
• 7th Place Match – Robert Svoboda (BV West Jaguars) 16-10 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 18-10 (Fall 3:50)

285

Grant Strubbe UNA (3-8) placed 16th.

• Round 1 – Tamer Alomari (Olathe North Eagles) 11-8 won by decision over Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 (Dec 10-7)
• Round 2 – Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 won by fall over Jaydn Morris (Bonner Springs Braves) 7-19 (Fall 2:45)
• Round 3 – Jaxson Thomas (Topeka Seaman Vikings) 34-3 won by fall over Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 (Fall 0:26)
• Round 4 – Jordan Hansett (BV North Mustangs) 16-14 won by fall over Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 (Fall 1:09)
• Round 5 – Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Round 1 – Luke Hinman (Blue Valley Tigers) 13-17 won by fall over Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 (Fall 2:43)
• 15th Place Match – Archer Swienton (Leavenworth Pioneers) 3-8 won by fall over Grant Strubbe UNA (Louisburg Wildcats) 3-8 (Fall 0:20)

285

Elijah Eslinger (28-5) placed 7th and scored 33.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 won by fall over Noah Case (Marion Wolves) 8-11 (Fall 0:44)
• Round 2 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 won by fall over Calab Van Meter (J.K. Mullen Mustangs) 9-8 (Fall 0:46)
• Round 3 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 4 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 won by fall over Max Childers (Law Free State Firebirds) 5-6 (Fall 0:50)
• Round 5 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 won by fall over Devion Murray (Olathe East Hawks) 4-4 (Fall 1:24)
• Quarterfinal – Jordan Hansett (BV North Mustangs) 16-14 won by fall over Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 (Fall 0:45)
• Cons. Round 2 – Brody McMannamon (BV West Jaguars) 22-18 won by fall over Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 (Fall 0:40)
• 7th Place Match – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Wildcats) 28-5 won by fall over Noah Case (Marion Wolves) 8-11 (Fall 0:52)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week six of the winter sports season, sponsored by Vohs Pharmacy.

JAY MCCASKILL, SOPHOMORE, WRESTLING

Louisburg sophomore Jay McCaskill put together his best performance of the season last Saturday in the 157-pound weight class of the Husky Invitational at Blue Valley Northwest. In a tournament that featured 21 teams from three states, McCaskill won his weight class with a 7-0 record, that included six pins. He pinned Lawrence Free State’s Gabe Sawyer in the championship match.

On the week, that included three other duals, McCaskill finished with a 10-0 record on the week and recorded eight pins. He currently has a record of 22-6 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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

Week 5: Trace Eslinger

Louisburg sophomore Ashton Moore works for a pin Tuesday during the Wildcats’ home dual against Olathe South. It was Moore’s first match of the season after returning from injury.

In a week that features three duals and a two-day tournament, the Louisburg wrestling team is off to a strong start.

Louisburg hosted a double-dual Tuesday against Labette County and Olathe South and walked away with a pair of victories. 

The Wildcats’ winning ways continued Wednesday as they traveled to Lawrence High for a dual and left with a 43-33 victory.

“Overall, it’s pretty nice to come away with three dual wins,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We’re going into our final dual of the season next week with an 8-5 record, and with the exception of a few times, we’ve had a full line-up the entire season. That’s the great thing about how the program has grown. We’re not only fielding a full line-up, but we’re also able to get solid kids out there to fill in when a starter is out for illness or injury.”

Louisburg opened Tuesday’s action against Labette County and put together comfortable 53-25 victory over the Grizzlies. It was a little more uncomfortable for the Wildcats against Olathe South.

The Wildcats were down double digits, but got pins in three of their last four matches to squeak out a 42-39 victory. With his team down by three going into the final match, senior heavyweight Elijah Eslinger recorded a pin to seal the win.

“Definitely a roller-coaster of a dual,” Bovaird said. “There were some matches I thought could have gone our way, but those matches were lost because of mistakes that we can easily fix. There’s no sense in getting upset about it, as long as we’re learning every chance we get on the mat. With the youth of our team this year, that’s the important thing — learning as we go. I can get upset at kids making mistakes or I can step up and be a mentor and help them grow from it. These kids don’t need an angry coach yelling from matside, so our coaching staff will continue to work to help them make improvements. 

“Two of our duals came down to Elijah’s matches — if he won or lost, that determined the final result for the team. That’s a lot of pressure, and Elijah was a stoic warrior about it. I’m very proud of him for having that sort of courage, fortitude, and focus.”

Louisburg also saw the return of sophomore Ashton Moore, who made his varsity debut at home Tuesday. Moore, who wrestles at 175 pounds, is a returning state qualifier and was cleared after suffering an injury during football season.

Moore picked up right where he left off last season as he earned a 3-0 record in the three duals, which included two pins.

“It was great having Ashton back on the mat,” Bovaird said. “He’s been itching to get back after it all season, and he made sure to get out there and get his job done. Condition-wise, he really didn’t look too bad. He’s been working out on his own to stay strong and in shape, but there’s really only one way to get into wrestling shape, and that’s by wrestling.

“He’s shown a great amount of mental discipline with how he carried himself this week. I think it’s a matter of time before his name starts creeping into the state rankings, and I think he’s poised to bounce back for a great sophomore season.”

Against Lawrence on Wednesday, senior Kaven Bartlett put his undefeated record on the line against Lawrence’s Trevon Swearinger, who is currently ranked No. 6 in 6A.

Bartlett dominated his match at 138 pounds as he won by major decision and improved to 24-0 on the year. He is currently the No. 4 wrestler in Class 4A.

“It was a great match in which Kaven maintained control almost the whole time,” Bovaird said. “He got some great takedowns and was dominant on top. It looked like he might get the pin a couple of times, but his opponent was a pretty strong and athletic kid and was able to fight off his back.”

Freshman Keegan Rogers, Bartlett, junior Colin Robinson, senior Kaleb Carter, sophomore Jay McCaskill, Moore, sophomore Brayden Yoder and Eslinger all earned wins against Lawrence.

Eslinger, Yoder, Moore, Bartlett, Carter and McCaskill were all undefeated in the three duals, while junior J’Lee Collins, Rogers and Robinson were 2-1.

The Wildcats will get back on the mats this Friday for the 2-day Blue Valley Northwest Invitational. Matches are slated to begin at 4 p.m.

“This will be the toughest tournament of the season so far, and I’m excited to see how we fare against all of these bigger schools, as well as some out-of-state competition,” Bovaird said. “Every weight class has multiple state-ranked kids from 6A down through 321A. It’ll be a great measuring stick for where we’re at right now, as well as what we need to be focusing on to get ready for the end of the season.”

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

TRACE ESLINGER, SENIOR, WRESTLING

Louisburg senior Trace Eslinger won his first tournament title of the season last Saturday at the Topeka High Invitational. Eslinger won the 215-pound championship with a 7-2 decision over Council Grove’s Tyler Hutchinson, despite weighing 25 pounds under the 215-pound limit. He also recorded a pin in the semifinals.

Even though he is giving up several pounds to his opponents, Eslinger is currently 15-5 on the season after Saturday’s win at Topeka High as he helped the Wildcats to their second straight team championship.

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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Week 4: Kaven Bartlett

The Louisburg High School wrestling team won the Topeka High Invitational on Saturday as the Wildcats edged Council Grove for the title.

TOPEKA — Since coming back from the holiday break, all the Louisburg wrestling team has done is win.

The Wildcats continued that Saturday as they competed at the Topeka Invitational. Louisburg captured its second straight tournament victory as the Wildcats scored 156 points and edged out Council Grove by three points to leave with some hardware.

Louisburg also did it short-handed as one of their wrestlers was out with an illness and the Wildcats weren’t able to field a full roster.

“It felt great to win the team title, especially considering the fact that we were without a big point scorer at 157,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Jay McCaskill was sick and unable to compete. I think there were a few matches that were pretty winnable that we needed to go our way, but ultimately, they were great learning opportunities.”

The Wildcats also left Topeka with a pair of champions. Seniors Kaven Bartlett (138 pounds) and Trace Eslinger (215) won their respective weight classes and were two of seven Wildcats to earn top 3 finishes.

Bartlett won the 138-pound crown with a pin of Topeka West’s Maxwell Cook in the semifinals and then earned a first period pin of Council Grove’s Caden Honer in the finals. Bartlett improved his record to 21-0 on the season is currently ranked No. 3 in Class 4A.

Eslinger captured his first tournament title of the season at 215 pounds. The Louisburg senior pinned KC Washington’s JohVonte Ross in the third period of his semifinal match and then earned a 7-2 decision over Council Grove’s Tyler Hutchinson in the finals.

“Trace is regularly weighing in at 190 or 188, and he’s giving up a lot of weight in his matches at 215,” Bovaird said. “He’s been a warrior this season, never complaining and always giving his best efforts. Definitely very proud of how he wrestled Saturday.”

Sophomores Will Showalter (106 pounds), Mika McKitrick (132), Brayden Yoder (190) and junior Elias Pugh (175) also earned a spot in the championship match and all four finished with runner-up honors.

Yoder faced a ranked-opponent in his championship match. He squared off with Council Grove’s Ace Monihen, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3-2-1A. Yoder battled, but came up just short in a 4-0 decision to take second.

Senior Jesse Murphy (144), junior J’Lee Collins (126) and senior Elijah Eslinger (285) each finished third, while freshman Keegan Rogers (120) took fourth.

“That was one of the reasons why we’d kept this tournament on our schedule the last few years,” Bovaird said. “It gives our younger guys a chance to boost confidence, and the month of January is a grind for wrestlers. The next two tournaments are tough ones, and then we start our championship series of League, Regionals, and State. 

“Will Showalter was so close to winning his first championship at 106, losing in the final seconds on a takedown and nearfall. He wrestled great all weekend. Mika McKitrick and Elias Pugh both made the finals for the first time of their career. Both of them wrestled with confidence and focus. Elijah Eslinger, Jesse Murphy, and J’Lee Collins all bounced back from disappointing losses to finish third in their weights. I thought they showed great leadership by being resilient and refocusing. Brayden wrestled a very tough match in the finals to a Council Grove wrestler who’s ranked No. 2 in 321A and No. 7 in all classes.”

The schedule starts to heat up for the Wildcats this week and it all starts today as they host Labette County and Olathe South for a double dual. Action begins at 6 p.m. at Louisburg High School.

Louisburg will then follow it up with another dual Wednesday at Lawrence High School, before competing at the two-day tournament Friday and Saturday at Blue Valley Northwest.

“This is the kind of test we need, and it’s great to help break up the monotony of January,” Bovaird said. “We have three duals and a big tournament. Should be lots of great matches for our guys. The first two weeks of January gave us some great encouragement and motivation, and now it’s time to put it to the test against some of the best wrestlers in the area.”

106

Will Showalter (9-12) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Will Showalter (Louisburg Boys) 9-12 won by fall over Aidan Oldham (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 5-11 (Fall 3:24)
• Semifinal – Will Showalter (Louisburg Boys) 9-12 won by fall over Maverick Hug (Holton) 15-9 (Fall 1:00)
• 1st Place Match – Scotty Leandro (Burlingame) 14-6 won by decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg Boys) 9-12 (Dec 12-10)

113

Broden Vargo (1-9) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Cesar Sandoval (Holton) 11-9 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg Boys) 1-9 (Fall 2:45)
• Cons. Round 1 – Broden Vargo (Louisburg Boys) 1-9 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Semi – Elijah Phelps (Topeka West Boys) 3-6 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg Boys) 1-9 (Fall 5:52)

120

Keegan Rogers (5-14) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Keegan Rogers (Louisburg Boys) 5-14 won by fall over Gavyn Chovanec (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 2-10 (Fall 1:48)
• Semifinal – Lucas Baetz (Holton) 16-5 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg Boys) 5-14 (Fall 0:34)
• Cons. Semi – Keegan Rogers (Louisburg Boys) 5-14 won by fall over Seth Quaney (Burlingame) 3-14 (Fall 4:40)
• 3rd Place Match – Tyree English (Topeka High Boys) 11-8 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg Boys) 5-14 (Fall 2:26)

126

J`Lee Collins (11-8) placed 3rd and scored 11.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Sean Morrissey (Holton) 5-5 won by decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Boys) 11-8 (Dec 7-6)
• Cons. Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Boys) 11-8 received a bye () (Bye)
• Cons. Semi – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Boys) 11-8 won by fall over Ethan Lif (Council Grove Boys) 8-6 (Fall 1:16)
• 3rd Place Match – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg Boys) 11-8 won by decision over Sean Morrissey (Holton) 5-5 (Dec 15-10)

132

Mika McKitrick (6-12) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Boys) 6-12 won by fall over Jordan Stiner (Topeka High Boys) 8-9 (Fall 2:23)
• Semifinal – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Boys) 6-12 won by fall over Caleb Sullivan (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 12-12 (Fall 3:16)
• 1st Place Match – Michael Weatherly (Topeka West Boys) 17-9 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg Boys) 6-12 (Fall 0:41)

138

Kaven Bartlett (21-0) placed 1st and scored 22.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Boys) 21-0 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Boys) 21-0 won by fall over Maxwell Cook (Topeka West Boys) 5-7 (Fall 1:22)
• 1st Place Match – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg Boys) 21-0 won by fall over Caden Honer (Council Grove Boys) 7-3 (Fall 1:28)

144

Jesse Murphy (16-7) placed 3rd and scored 12.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Boys) 16-7 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Hadley Smith (Council Grove Boys) 17-6 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Boys) 16-7 (Fall 3:27)
• Cons. Semi – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Boys) 16-7 won by fall over Calvin Noonan (Burlingame) 5-7 (Fall 1:25)
• 3rd Place Match – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg Boys) 16-7 won by fall over Ethan Harralson (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 9-11 (Fall 3:40)

150

Colin Robinson (1-11) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Jace Goodman (Council Grove Boys) 18-3 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg Boys) 1-11 (Fall 1:09)
• Cons. Round 1 – Michael Cooper (Topeka West Boys) 6-20 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg Boys) 1-11 (Fall 4:33)

165

Vance Hahn (2-19) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Joseph Cisneros (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 5-2 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg Boys) 2-19 (Fall 2:54)
• Cons. Round 1 – Jacob Drone (Bishop Miege Boys) 9-12 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg Boys) 2-19 (Fall 2:41)

175

Elias Pugh (3-4) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Elias Pugh (Louisburg Boys) 3-4 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Elias Pugh (Louisburg Boys) 3-4 won by fall over Kaleb Moore (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 3-1 (Fall 1:02)
• 1st Place Match – Cole Wilson (Council Grove Boys) 9-11 won by fall over Elias Pugh (Louisburg Boys) 3-4 (Fall 2:56)

190

Brayden Yoder (16-6) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Boys) 16-6 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Boys) 16-6 won by fall over Korden Kinney (Burlingame) 8-11 (Fall 0:48)
• 1st Place Match – Ace Monihen (Council Grove Boys) 21-0 won by decision over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg Boys) 16-6 (Dec 4-0)

215

Trace Eslinger (15-5) placed 1st and scored 20.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 15-5 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 15-5 won by fall over JohVonte Ross (KC Washington Boys) 7-8 (Fall 4:54)
• 1st Place Match – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 15-5 won by decision over Tyler Hutchinson (Council Grove Boys) 15-8 (Dec 7-2)

285

Elijah Eslinger (20-3) placed 3rd and scored 12.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 20-3 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Holden Ziegler (Council Grove Boys) 16-2 won by fall over Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 20-3 (Fall 1:12)
• Cons. Semi – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 20-3 won by fall over Bennett Vann (Gardner-Edgerton Boys) 4-2 (Fall 1:33)
• 3rd Place Match – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg Boys) 20-3 won by fall over Cooper Martin (Topeka High Boys) 17-13 (Fall 2:30)

The Louisburg wrestling team captured the Wildcat Classic team title Saturday, its first home tournament championship in nearly 25 years.

It had been a long time coming.

Louisburg had waited years for the opportunity to say that it won its home invitational — the Wildcat Classic. The time came Saturday as the Wildcats captured the title with 183 points and outlasted runner-up Shawnee Mission East, which had 160.

To put in perspective how long it had been since the Wildcats last won their home tournament, none of the current Louisburg wrestlers had been born yet and assistant coach Shawn Crossley was a senior in high school.

Louisburg last won the team crown in 1998 and it was a nice moment for a team that already had plenty to celebrate with individual titles and career milestones.

“This tournament has a lot of history over the years, and I thought it was pretty awesome for the guys to be able to go out and win it as a team,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Back in the 1970-71 season, then head coach and athletic director Don Meek started up the tournament, and we won the inaugural Wildcat Classic. Before this year’s tournament started, we had a nice pep talk in the practice room, and Coach Crossley talked about how awesome it felt to have the team win this tournament when he was a senior in 1998. 

“Looking through the records I have, that 1998 tournament was the last time we’d won our home tournament. We had some hiccups throughout the day, but in the end, the guys finished strong and everyone contributed to the team effort.”

The Wildcats also experienced a lot of individual success as senior Kaven Bartlett and sophomore Brayden Yoder won individual titles in their respective weight classes.

Bartlett had a 4-0 record on the day that included three pints. He faced off with Anderson County’s A.J. Shaffer in the championship at 138 pounds and left with a 7-2 decision.

In his semifinal match, Bartlett earned career win No. 100 with a pin of Shawnee Mission East’s Grey Robinson.

“The last time Kaven wrestled that Anderson County kid, he’d given Kaven a scare, but this time, it was definitely Kaven’s match,” Bovaird said. “He was calm and collected in his scrambles, he was direct with his attacks, and he was smart throughout the whole match. He made a statement with that match, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s able to do with each successive tournament we go to this year.”

Yoder picked up his first tournament win of the season. At 190 pounds, the Wildcat sophomore breezed through his bracket with four pins and a 13-2 major decision of Royal Valley’s Cyrus Harding to improve his record to 15-5 on the season.

“One thing I said to Brayden after one of his matches was that this year, he’s been methodical, diverse, and dynamic in his matches,” Bovaird said. “He’s doing things right, he’s moving his feet and keeping pressure on top, and he’s hitting a variety of techniques. With those things, I’m hoping to see more confidence from him, and this weekend, he totally stepped up his game. To win his first varsity tournament as a sophomore, I’m pretty proud of how he’s been wrestling.”

The Wildcats also had four wrestlers finish with third place honors. Junior J’Lee Collins (126 pounds), senior Jesse Murphy (144), senior Trace Eslinger (215) and Elijah Eslinger (285) found a way to the medal stand.

Sophomore Jay McCaskill also earned a spot on the podium as he was fourth at 157 pounds.

A number of Wildcats also earned their first varsity victories of the season in Kaleb Carter (144), Colin Robinson (150), Vance Hahn (165), Elias Pugh (175) and Grant Strubbe (285).

“There were a lot of great things this past weekend,” Bovaird said. “Everyone contributed team points that helped us win the team title. We had a full line-up, which was great because we were the only team to be able to do that. The timing of our tournament is rough because it’s right after the holiday break, and kids are always struggling with illnesses, injuries, and weight at this point. We had a bunch of guys wrestle unattached, too, and that was beneficial for the team because most of them were able to win matches and block other teams from scoring points.” 

Louisburg will try for back-to-back tournament wins this Saturday when the Wildcats travel to the Topeka High Invitational. 

106

Will Showalter (7-11) placed 5th and scored 7.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Devin Vogel (Kansas City-Turner) 6-3 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg ) 7-11 (Fall 2:17)
• Round 2 – Denton White (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 14-1 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg ) 7-11 (Fall 0:00)
• Round 3 – Mitchell Horrigan (Leavenworth ) 10-6 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg ) 7-11 (Fall 3:28)
• Round 4 – Peyton Rivera (Hoyt-Royal Valley) 7-4 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg ) 7-11 (Fall 1:22)
• Round 5 – Will Showalter (Louisburg ) 7-11 won by fall over Brady Spegal (Blue Valley West ) 0-10 (Fall 2:36)

113

Broden Vargo (1-7) placed 5th and scored 5.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Broden Vargo (Louisburg ) 1-7 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 2 – Makao Groneman (Kansas City-Piper) 5-9 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg ) 1-7 (Fall 1:19)
• Round 3 – Scott Fohlmeister (Blue Valley West ) 10-7 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg ) 1-7 (Fall 0:33)
• Round 4 – Jacob Garner (Leavenworth ) 6-7 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg ) 1-7 (Fall 1:23)
• Round 5 – Alex Lowe (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 2-4 won by fall over Broden Vargo (Louisburg ) 1-7 (Fall 0:24)

120

Keegan Rogers (3-12) placed 9th and scored 1.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Zach Schaffer (Anderson County) 5-0 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg ) 3-12 (Fall 0:57)
• Round 3 – Dylan Abeta (Leavenworth ) 3-5 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg ) 3-12 (Fall 2:28)
• Round 4 – Payton Mills (Kansas City-Piper) 12-7 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg ) 3-12 (Fall 0:38)
• Round 5 – Colby Cross (Kansas City-Turner) 3-6 won by fall over Keegan Rogers (Louisburg ) 3-12 (Fall 0:45)
• 9th Place Match – Keegan Rogers (Louisburg ) 3-12 received a bye () (Bye)

126

J`Lee Collins (11-7) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg ) 11-7 won by fall over JaVon Simmons (Kansas City-Piper) 5-13 (Fall 1:09)
• Round 2 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg ) 11-7 won by fall over Baylor Ritter (Shawnee Mission East) 0-5 (Fall 0:28)
• Round 3 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg ) 11-7 won by fall over Maximo Carrassquilla (Blue Valley West ) 11-13 (Fall 5:48)
• Championship Bracket – Finan Marien-McManus (Shawnee Mission East) 6-9 won by decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg ) 11-7 (Dec 8-6)
• 3rd Place Match – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg ) 11-7 won by fall over Maximo Carrassquilla (Blue Valley West ) 11-13 (Fall 4:11)

132

Mika McKitrick (4-11) placed 6th.

• Round 1 – Ethan Jenkinson (Shawnee Mission East) 20-2 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg ) 4-11 (Fall 1:03)
• Round 2 – Nick Hoover (Kansas City-Piper) 11-8 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg ) 4-11 (Fall 0:24)
• Round 3 – Xander Finn (Leavenworth ) 12-8 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg ) 4-11 (Fall 1:08)
• Consolation Bracket – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg ) 4-11 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg ) 6-6 (Fall 0:00)
• 5th Place Match – Xander Finn (Leavenworth ) 12-8 won by tech fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg ) 4-11 (TF-1.5 1:43 (17-0))

132

Logan Henry (6-6) placed 7th and scored 6.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Bowen Wade (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 11-5 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg ) 6-6 (Fall 2:47)
• Round 2 – Logan Meinheit (Blue Valley West ) 22-3 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg ) 6-6 (Fall 0:28)
• Round 3 – Logan Henry (Louisburg ) 6-6 won by fall over Darren Bausch (Hoyt-Royal Valley) 0-5 (Fall 0:53)
• Consolation Bracket – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg ) 4-11 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg ) 6-6 (Fall 0:00)
• 7th Place Match – Logan Henry (Louisburg ) 6-6 won by fall over Darren Bausch (Hoyt-Royal Valley) 0-5 (Fall 0:44)

138

Kaven Bartlett (19-0) placed 1st and scored 27.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg ) 19-0 won by fall over Quinn Breuckmann (Blue Valley West ) 7-15 (Fall 1:49)
• Round 2 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg ) 19-0 won by fall over Ray Phillips (Leavenworth ) 3-10 (Fall 1:55)
• Round 3 – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg ) 19-0 received a bye () (Bye)
• Championship Bracket – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg ) 19-0 won by fall over Grey Robinson (Shawnee Mission East) 11-8 (Fall 0:49)
• 1st Place Match – Kaven Bartlett (Louisburg ) 19-0 won by decision over Aj Schaffer (Anderson County) 4-1 (Dec 7-2)

144

Kaleb Carter (1-4) placed 8th.

• Round 1 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg ) 14-6 won by fall over Kaleb Carter (Louisburg ) 1-4 (Fall 3:50)
• Round 3 – Kaleb Carter (Louisburg ) 1-4 won by fall over Armando Gomez (Shawnee Mission West) 1-4 (Fall 0:37)
• Round 4 – Xavier Davis (Leavenworth ) 16-5 won by fall over Kaleb Carter (Louisburg ) 1-4 (Fall 1:20)
• Round 5 – Trent Rymer (Kansas City-Piper) 6-6 won by decision over Kaleb Carter (Louisburg ) 1-4 (Dec 6-0)
• 7th Place Match – Joe Musick (Shawnee Mission East) 4-14 won by fall over Kaleb Carter (Louisburg ) 1-4 (Fall 4:15)

144

Jesse Murphy (14-6) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg ) 14-6 won by fall over Kaleb Carter (Louisburg ) 1-4 (Fall 3:50)
• Round 2 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg ) 14-6 won by fall over Armando Gomez (Shawnee Mission West) 1-4 (Fall 1:30)
• Round 3 – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg ) 14-6 won by fall over Trent Rymer (Kansas City-Piper) 6-6 (Fall 0:47)
• Round 5 – Xavier Davis (Leavenworth ) 16-5 won by fall over Jesse Murphy (Louisburg ) 14-6 (Fall 2:52)
• 3rd Place Match – Jesse Murphy (Louisburg ) 14-6 won by fall over Colton Wittman (Anderson County) 3-2 (Fall 2:39)

150

Colin Robinson (1-9) placed 7th and scored 3.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Masten Wright (Anderson County) 5-0 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg ) 1-9 (Fall 1:05)
• Round 2 – Raymond Carrillo (Kansas City-Turner) 11-6 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg ) 1-9 (Fall 1:35)
• Round 3 – Weston Ross (Hoyt-Royal Valley) 1-7 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg ) 1-9 (Fall 5:07)
• Consolation Bracket – Garrett Seely (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 6-5 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg ) 1-9 (Fall 0:41)
• 7th Place Match – Colin Robinson (Louisburg ) 1-9 won by fall over Weston Ross (Hoyt-Royal Valley) 1-7 (Fall 1:36)

157

Jay McCaskill (12-6) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.

• Round 1 – John Wright (Anderson County) 4-0 won by fall over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg ) 12-6 (Fall 5:01)
• Round 2 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg ) 12-6 received a bye () (Bye)
• Round 3 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg ) 12-6 won by fall over Kaden Roebuck (Kansas City-Turner) 5-7 (Fall 3:31)
• Round 4 – Brady Watts (Blue Valley West ) 17-6 won by decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg ) 12-6 (Dec 10-5)
• Round 5 – Ruben Escalante (Kansas City-Piper) 11-5 won by major decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg ) 12-6 (MD 14-4)

165

Luke York (0-3) placed 7th.

• Round 1 – Kenny Woods (Blue Valley West ) 15-7 won by fall over Luke York (Louisburg ) 0-3 (Fall 0:38)
• Round 2 – Quentin Enriquez (Kansas City-Piper) 8-10 won by fall over Luke York (Louisburg ) 0-3 (Fall 1:06)
• Round 3 – Luke York (Louisburg ) 0-3 received a bye () (Bye)
• Consolation Bracket – Aiden Owen (Anderson County) 1-4 won by fall over Luke York (Louisburg ) 0-3 (Fall 0:35)
• 7th Place Match – Luke York (Louisburg ) 0-3 received a bye () (Bye)

165

Vance Hahn (2-17) placed 5th and scored 9.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Christian Taylor (Girard) 9-5 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg ) 2-17 (Fall 0:27)
• Round 2 – Connor Scott (Kansas City-Turner) 9-8 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg ) 2-17 (Fall 1:44)
• Round 3 – Vance Hahn (Louisburg ) 2-17 won by fall over Aiden Owen (Anderson County) 1-4 (Fall 2:47)
• Consolation Bracket – Vance Hahn (Louisburg ) 2-17 received a bye () (Bye)
• 5th Place Match – Vance Hahn (Louisburg ) 2-17 won by major decision over Aiden Owen (Anderson County) 1-4 (MD 11-2)

175

Elias Pugh (2-3) placed 5th and scored 7.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Sawyer Vas (Kansas City-Piper) 13-2 won by fall over Elias Pugh (Louisburg ) 2-3 (Fall 1:05)
• Round 2 – Gunnar Noard (Shawnee Mission West) 8-9 won by fall over Elias Pugh (Louisburg ) 2-3 (Fall 1:44)
• Round 3 – Porter Foltz (Anderson County) 2-3 won by fall over Elias Pugh (Louisburg ) 2-3 (Fall 3:42)
• Consolation Bracket – Elias Pugh (Louisburg ) 2-3 won by fall over Connor Fowles (Blue Valley West ) 10-13 (Fall 4:03)
• 5th Place Match – Elias Pugh (Louisburg ) 2-3 won by decision over Porter Foltz (Anderson County) 2-3 (Dec 10-9)

190

Brayden Yoder (15-5) placed 1st and scored 32.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg ) 15-5 won by fall over Grayson Fix (Shawnee Mission East) 3-13 (Fall 0:57)
• Round 2 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg ) 15-5 won by fall over Brady Brooks (Kansas City-Piper) 5-7 (Fall 1:24)
• Round 3 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg ) 15-5 won by fall over Noah Perchellet (Blue Valley West ) 9-12 (Fall 2:28)
• Round 4 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg ) 15-5 won by major decision over Cyrus Harding (Hoyt-Royal Valley) 7-5 (MD 13-2)
• Round 5 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg ) 15-5 won by fall over Kaiden Lands (Leavenworth ) 3-7 (Fall 1:32)

215

Kyle Oram (5-6) placed 4th.

• Round 1 – Kyle Oram (Louisburg ) 5-6 won by fall over Ethan Ranes (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 1-6 (Fall 1:08)
• Round 2 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg ) 13-5 won by fall over Kyle Oram (Louisburg ) 5-6 (Fall 1:27)
• Round 3 – Arrick Williams (Girard) 17-1 won by fall over Kyle Oram (Louisburg ) 5-6 (Fall 0:51)
• Round 4 – Kyle Oram (Louisburg ) 5-6 won by fall over Nicco Coccumelli (Blue Valley West ) 1-4 (Fall 1:04)
• Round 5 – Jayden Schuessler (Shawnee Mission East) 15-7 won by fall over Kyle Oram (Louisburg ) 5-6 (Fall 1:54)

215

Trace Eslinger (13-5) placed 3rd and scored 16.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Jayden Schuessler (Shawnee Mission East) 15-7 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg ) 13-5 (Fall 3:25)
• Round 2 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg ) 13-5 won by fall over Kyle Oram (Louisburg ) 5-6 (Fall 1:27)
• Round 3 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg ) 13-5 won by decision over Nicco Coccumelli (Blue Valley West ) 1-4 (Dec 11-7)
• Round 4 – Trace Eslinger (Louisburg ) 13-5 won by fall over Ethan Ranes (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 1-6 (Fall 1:07)
• Round 5 – Arrick Williams (Girard) 17-1 won by fall over Trace Eslinger (Louisburg ) 13-5 (Fall 1:20)

285

Elijah Eslinger (18-2) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg ) 18-2 won by fall over Zack Benso (Girard) 3-14 (Fall 0:37)
• Round 2 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg ) 18-2 won by fall over Brody McMannamon (Blue Valley West ) 13-13 (Fall 2:57)
• Round 3 – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg ) 18-2 won by fall over Cortez Velasco (Shawnee Mission West) 4-2 (Fall 1:32)
• Championship Bracket – Luke Clayton (Shawnee Mission East) 18-7 won by fall over Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg ) 18-2 (Fall 3:30)
• 3rd Place Match – Elijah Eslinger (Louisburg ) 18-2 won by fall over Brody McMannamon (Blue Valley West ) 13-13 (Fall 2:21)

285

Grant Strubbe (2-3) placed 6th.

• Round 1 – Luke Clayton (Shawnee Mission East) 18-7 won by fall over Grant Strubbe (Louisburg ) 2-3 (Fall 4:39)
• Round 2 – Gabe Cornett (Kansas City-Turner) 16-3 won by fall over Grant Strubbe (Louisburg ) 2-3 (Fall 0:24)
• Round 3 – Grant Strubbe (Louisburg ) 2-3 won by fall over Isaiah Casner (Mound City-Jayhawk Linn) 3-11 (Fall 1:48)
• Consolation Bracket – Grant Strubbe (Louisburg ) 2-3 won by fall over Zack Benso (Girard) 3-14 (Fall 0:30)
• 5th Place Match – Cortez Velasco (Shawnee Mission West) 4-2 won by fall over Grant Strubbe (Louisburg ) 2-3 (Fall 0:41)

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week four of the winter sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

KAVEN BARTLETT, SENIOR, WRESTLING

Louisburg senior Kaven Bartlett started 2023 in the best way possible — with a tournament win — and Bartlett set a career milestone in the process. Bartlett picked up career win No. 100 on Saturday during the Louisburg Wildcat Classic as he went on to win the 138-pound tournament title with a 7-2 decision over Anderson County’s A.J. Schaffer.

Bartlett also helped the Wildcats to a team title in their home tournament. It was their first Wildcat Classic championship since 1998. On the season, Bartlett is 19-0 and is currently ranked No. 3 in Class 4A at 138 pounds.

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: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield