Wildcat cheer finishes third at state Game Day competition
Members of the Louisburg cheer team are: (Front row) Anna Brizendine, Addison Vargo, Reece Jones; (middle row) Leia Ward, Lilly Burnett, Taryn Osborn, Elle Keating, Brooklyn Roney, Harper Boyle, Kelsey Shelton, Kim Powls, Gretchen Reitz, Kinsley Rayne; (back row) Will Leach, Kayleigh Ramsey, Laney Stohs, Reece Younggren, Reese Anderson, Greta Gatzka, Addison Bishop and Maggie Wanjigi
TOPEKA — The Louisburg High School cheerleading squad is no stranger to the finals of the Class 4A Game Day competition.
Heading into the Nov. 23 showcase in Topeka, the Wildcats have made the final round in each of the last five seasons. Louisburg had no problem making it a sixth straight, and for the fifth time in six years, they came home with a state plaque.
Louisburg finished third in the state competition as it edged out Baldwin for the top three spot in Class 4A.
“Bringing home another trophy from the Game Day Cheer competition was a testament to our team’s hard work, dedication, and growth throughout the season,” Louisburg cheer coach Breanna Kostroske said. “It means so much to us because it reflects their skill, their heart, and spirit—three things we emphasize daily. For our athletes, it symbolizes their resilience and the countless hours they’ve spent perfecting their routines.
“As coaches, we are incredibly proud of their overall performance. They left it all on the floor, and while there is always room for improvement, they gave a performance that showcased their teamwork, precision, and energy.”
The Wildcat team got out to a strong start in the qualifying round. Louisburg took second in that round, sitting 10 points behind Paola, thanks to a score of 80.150 in crowd-leading, which was the best among the 14 teams.
It was a performance that helped build their morale going into the finals.
“The strong showing in the crowd-leading round was a game-changer for us,” Kostroske said. “It gave us a great position heading into the finals and boosted the team’s confidence. However, we know that once the finals round starts you start back at 0, so although we were ecstatic about the high placing in qualifying rounds, it was time to buckle down and do it all again.
“The crowd-leading round is critical because it emphasizes one of the most essential aspects of cheerleading — engaging with the audience and igniting school spirit. The fact that we excelled there shows the team’s ability to connect with the crowd and deliver under pressure. That momentum carried over and gave us a competitive edge in the final round.”
In the finals, the Wildcats had another strong performance in the crowd leading category, which helped them to the third place finish and an overall score of 82.10. Louisburg edged Baldwin, as it had a score of 81.93.
Paola won the state championship with a score of 91.77 and Bishop Miege was second at 84.73.
“State is one of the longest competitions this team goes through,” Kostroske said. “Typically prelims and finals are two separate days, so having them both on the same day with long time in between can really put a lot on some athletes. Although that is the case we saw the team perform to their best ability in the final round, especially given the level of competition. We’ll review the feedback, fine-tune our techniques, and return even stronger. We’re proud of our third-place finish but also motivated to keep pushing ourselves to reach the next level.”
The season doesn’t slow down for Wildcat cheer as it now enters basketball season and it is currently preparing for NCA National Cheer competition that will be held in Dallas in January.
“Along with basketball season, we are working tirelessly on our routine for Nationals in Dallas, which we earned a bid for during our regional competition back in November,” Kostroske said. “We placed second in the co-ed division in St. Charles, Mo., and that has immediately fueled our fire to work day in and out to bring home another Nationals trophy back to Louisburg.”
Members of the Wildcat cheer team that competed at state are: Anna Brizendine, Addison Vargo, Reece Jones, Leia Ward, Lilly Burnett, Taryn Osborn, Elle Keating, Brooklyn Roney, Harper Boyle, Kelsey Shelton, Kim Powls, Gretchen Reitz, Kinsley Rayne, Will Leach, Kayleigh Ramsey, Laney Stohs, Reece Younggren, Reese Anderson, Greta Gatzka, Addison Bishop and Maggie Wanjigi.
Numbers, expectations are high for Louisburg wrestling programs
Louisburg senior Ashton Moore is one of five returning state qualifiers for the Wildcat wrestling team this season. Moore finished fourth at state a year ago.
It was a successful finish for the Louisburg wrestling team last season as it ended with six state qualifiers and a state medalist.
The good news for the Wildcats is most of those qualifiers are back to make another run at it for the 2024-25 season. Plus, there are a lot more that want to join them.
There are currently 55 out for the boys team, which is a big jump from a year ago. Louisburg’s girls program also saw a big leap as it currently now has 10 members, which is up from two last season.
“We’ve got a unique problem this year, and that’s a lack of space,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “I knew we’d be returning a lot of wrestlers from last season, but I didn’t know until the week before the season started that we’d have so many. Right now, we’re at 65 with our numbers, so we’re having to be creative with how we use our space. The team is working hard, and they’re ready to get after it this season.”
On the boys side, the Wildcats do return their lone state medalist from a season ago. Senior Ashton Moore will make a run at back-to-back trips to the state podium.
After finishing fourth at regionals, Moore put together a strong state tournament as he reached the semifinals, before falling in the third place match at 190 pounds. This season, Moore will be bumping up to 215 and is currently ranked No. 3 in the state.
“I think Ashton is going to be an absolute dynamo this season,” Bovaird said. “He’s got a hunger to put a state championship to his name. He’s got great energy on the mat, incredible strength, and a tireless nature.”
Louisburg senior Canaan Clayton is one of five returning state qualifiers for the Wildcat wrestling team.
Moore is one of 12 Wildcat seniors who will lead the way for Louisburg. The other four returning state qualifiers are also seniors in Canaan Clayton (120), Will Showalter (126), Logan Henry (138) and Jay McCaskill (165).
Other seniors Mika McKitrick (132), Greysen Dixon (144), Brayden Yoder (190), Miles Meek (285) and Xander Lucas (285) will all play big roles for the Wildcats this season.
“The trick is staying healthy, of course,” Bovaird said. “The majority of this senior class has been wrestling since a very young age, and now they’re reaching a great deal of success as upperclassmen. I think we can give some of the ranked teams a run for their money this year — Tonganoxie, Paola, and Santa Fe Trail, to name a few. We’ll turn some heads this year, thanks to the guts, experience, and work ethic of these seniors.”
Sophomores Levi Cotter (106), Bryce Thompson (157) and junior Vance Hahn (175) also bring back varsity experience from a year ago. Freshmen Parker Showalter (113) and Bo Ballard (150) will also see varsity time this year.
“On the boys side, we have a very experienced group,” Bovaird said. “In fact, our returning varsity wrestlers earned 261 wins last season. Not only do we have those five returning state qualifiers, but we have a bunch of returning guys who were right there last season, making a run at state. Guys like Levi, Mika, Bryce, Vance, Brayden and Xander are bringing a lot of experience with them, and they’re poised to have great seasons.”
Sophomore Leola Eslinger is one of two returning varsity wrestlers on the girls side.
As for the girls, the Wildcats return their lone two wrestlers from a year ago in Allison Martin (135) and Leola Eslinger (155) and will be joined by eight others.
Ashlyn Spradling (105), Bella Pickman (110), Brooklyn DeWeese (120), Emma Duckworth (125), Brianna Caraway/Evelyn Rue (130), Maliya Collins (145) and Nora Smith (170) will all see varsity time this season.
“I knew we had Leola and Allison coming back from last year, and I knew that we’d have girls like Brianna, Brooklyn, Emma, Bella, and Ashlyn move up from the middle school and Wildcat Wrestling Club programs,” Bovaird said. “The other three decided to give it a try, and I couldn’t be happier with how hard they’re working. All of them have great attitudes and a growth mindset. Leola and Allison got some great experience, and we have a bunch of freshmen who have been wrestling with our club for a while. It’s going to be a phenomenal year for our girls program.”
Louisburg boys look to regroup for 24-25 season
Louisburg senior Myles Vohs drives the lane during a game last season. Vohs is one of six seniors for the Wildcats in the 24-25 campaign.
Despite its ups and downs last season, the Louisburg boys basketball team found itself one victory away from earning a spot in the state tournament.
The Wildcats fell to Baldwin, the eventual fourth place finisher at state, in the sub-state championship and ended its season strong under then first-year coach Ben Doll.
This season, Doll and the Wildcats will face a new set of challenges. Louisburg will have to figure out how to replace the production from seven departing players, including five seniors that all played big roles on last year’s team.
Louisburg does return three players who saw significant varsity minutes, and even started at times, in point guard Myles Vohs and forwards Luke Schultz and Gavin Lohse.
“I mean it will look a lot different because we basically have no returning starters, but we do have three returning guys who played a lot last year and started at moments, so that’s good. We will be working around those three guys to start out with and Myles, Luke and Gavin will have to play a lot and they understand that.
“We will be doing a lot of things to try to try to get them shots and then also, hopefully we can avoid foul trouble and things like that. Those guys, I think we’ll be huge for our team this year and will carry us.”
Vohs was one of the team’s top defenders last season as he led the way with 30 steals, while Lohse was the team’s second leading rebounder. Schultz, who missed part of last season with an injury, still averaged close to five points per game and had 42 rebounds.
Doll knows those numbers will only grow for those three players and is excited to see who will fill those voids in the lineup.
“Myles is just a good leader and he just runs the show and is athletic and kind of understands what we’re supposed to be doing,” Doll said. “The things I’m starting to see in practice is I think actually we’re probably gonna rebound pretty well because Gavin’s a great rebounder and Luke has knack for getting to the right spots and at good angles and stuff like that. So I’ve been really excited, even though we lost some size from last year, that we still got two guys that can get a lot of get a lot done.”
Senior Ethan Kush, who saw a handful of varsity games last season, will contribute. Senior newcomer Aiden Kennedy, who stands at 6-4, will give the Wildcats some size in the paint.
Senior guard Billy Vohs, another newcomer, could also see some minutes along with junior guard Derek Frederick.
Louisburg senior Gavin Lohse is the team’s top returning rebounder from a year ago.
“Aiden Kennedy is coming on this year and he’s a big body and he definitely will grab a fair share of rebounds so I kind of feel like we’re going to get a lot of second chances,” Doll said. “Hopefully most teams that we play don’t have the same amount of bigs or athleticism that we have and we should be pretty good at controlling the boards.
“There’s a few younger guys that are stepping in and coming up from the JV that that have done a good job like Derek Frederick. He is filling a good role as a shooter and kind of taking up some of the scoring that we had last year. I think he’ll do a good job there as a new guy coming into the lineup.”
It will be a challenging schedule for the Wildcats this season as they will play every Frontier League team twice. The league currently has three teams ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A in Baldwin (No. 2), Ottawa (No. 4) and Eudora (No. 10). Louisburg will open its season Friday at home against Tonganoxie.
“Baldwin, obviously, I think is still the best team and with the best player in the league, so it’ll be tough to stop,” Doll said. “They’ll be really good and then Ottawa will be as well and we have both those teams before the break. So we’re gonna get right to it, and the rest of the schedule is always just tough.”
For a younger, inexperienced team, Doll knows it will be a challenge early, but knows they will be a different team later in the year.
“Expectations are gonna evolve through the year because the nice thing about basketball at the high school and college level is you want to be playing your best at the end when it comes playoff time,” Doll said. “So that’s going to be our main goal, is to keep building and getting stronger. Going 5-0, 2-3 or 1-4 in December, it doesn’t seem to matter as much when you get to February, so we just want to use these first games and everything to keep building on something that will be sustainable in February and March. I think we have enough young guys that are going to eventually add to us that I think will be a lot better in February.”
Wildcat girls hope learning year catapults them to success this season
Louisburg’s Shylar Whiting pulls up for a shot during a game last season. Whiting is one of seven returning seniors for the Wildcats this year.
It was a learning year for the Louisburg girls basketball team last season.
With no returning varsity players and a roster with no seniors, the Wildcats were forced to grow up fast. After a tough start to the year, the Wildcats saw improvements in the final half.
Although Louisburg finished with six wins on the year, five of those came in the month of February .
Now for the 2024-25 campaign, the Wildcats all of sudden have a lot of varsity experience and a roster filled with seven seniors.
“It is very nice to have all the girls back from last year,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had a great summer and off-season and I think they are very excited to get another opportunity this season.”
The Wildcats will have a good amount of depth this season as they bring back a pair of all-league honorees.
Senior Ashlyn Kuhlman was an honorable mention player last season as she led Louisburg with eight points a game, including a team-high 29 3-pointers. The Wildcat guard also led the team in rebounds with 98 and blocked shots with 45.
Louisburg senior Ashlyn Kuhlman is a returning all-league player for the Wildcats this season.
Another senior, Sami Lane, also returns after being named to the All-Frontier League defensive team a year ago.
Senior guards Jillian Asher, Shylar Whiting and Ally Brown will all see time on the wing, and Asher returns as the team’s primary ball-handler. Sophomore Maddie Yoder, who saw limited minutes a season ago as a freshman, could also see time on the varsity level.
Sabra Brueggen and Addy Stohs, a pair of senior forwards, will also see a lot of time underneath the baskets. They will be joined by juniors Morgan Latham and McKenna Lohse, who both saw a lot of varsity minutes as sophomores.
“I think our experience will be a strength this year and our depth,” coach Lane said. “We have several girls who will get minutes on the varsity team.
“I feel that we have a great balance of posts and guards, and we have been working really hard on our inside-outside game. The girls have been working great together and I do feel like we will have some success playing inside-outside.”
There will also be a little change to the schedule from a year ago. The Wildcats will play every Frontier League team twice, in a league that currently has two teams ranked in the top 10 of Class 4A in Ottawa and Eudora, along with a strong Class 5A program in Spring Hill.
It is a difficult slate of games for the Wildcats, including three in a row to begin the season — at Ottawa, home to No. 6 Wamego and home to Baldwin. Louisburg opens its season Friday at home against Tonganoxie.
“Our league will be super tough this season, but I do think we will be able to compete with all the teams,” coach Lane said. “I feel our game play has improved since last year and I am super excited to see how we play as a team.”
The Wildcats traveled to Piper on Monday for a preseason jamboree with Shawnee Mission West, and were able to shake some of the preseason rust off. Lane liked what she saw from her team during that and in practice.
“Practice has been going great this year,” Lane said. “The girls work very hard every day. We ask a lot out of them and I feel they have really stepped up this year and are giving their best each day.”
Wildcat football earns 17 spots on all-league team
Seven Louisburg players were named to the All-Frontier League first team, including (from left) Ashton Moore, Conlee Hovey, Brayden Yoder, Miles Mees, Myles Vohs, Lucas Swartz and Blaise Vohs. Moore and Hovey were first team selections on both sides of the ball.
The Louisburg football team may have come up short of its goal of winning its third straight league title, but several Wildcat players certainly left a mark with their opposing coaches.
The All-Frontier League football team was released last week and Louisburg was well-represented throughout the roster. The Wildcats earned 17 spots overall, including nine first-team selections.
Seniors Ashton Moore, Conlee Hovey, Brayden Yoder, Myles Vohs, Miles Meek, Lucas Swartz and junior Blaise Vohs all earned first team selections.
Alex Saad, Erik Lien, Logan Henry and Yoder were also awarded second team honors, while Darby Van Eaton, Johnny Hendrickson, Jimmy DeVary and Myles Vohs earned honorable mention.
“I felt like we were represented well,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “Anytime you get recognized by an opposing coach it is a huge honor. I felt like our players played well this year and the amount of representation we had on the all-league teams shows the quality of players that we have”
Moore and Hovey both had big years for the Wildcats and were recognized as such. The two Louisburg seniors earned first team honors on both sides of the ball.
Moore was a first team all-league running back as he led the way with 611 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. He also had 14 catches for 132 yards and another touchdown to amass 750 yards of total offense despite only playing defense for the first few games of the season.
He was also named a first team all-league linebacker as the K-State commit led the Wildcats with 80 tackles on the season and had 6.5 tackles for loss.
As for Hovey, he was named a first team all-league defensive end after tallying 47 tackles, 5.5 for a loss and he had three sacks.
Hovey was also a first team selection at tight end as he had 25 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns.
“Both of those guys are big time players,” Harding said. “Obviously to get first team on both sides of the ball you have to be making a difference out there on game nights and they did just that. In addition to being great football players for us they were also great leaders. Both of those guys are going to play on Saturdays and we are excited to watch them continue to compete.”
Also on the offensive side, Myles Vohs was a first-team selection at wide receiver and was the Wildcats’ biggest threat in the passing attack. Vohs had a team high 41 receptions for 852 yards and had nine touchdowns.
Vohs was also named as an honorable mention defensive back with 20 tackles, seven pass break ups and also had an interception for a touchdown.
“Myles was a big play threat for us anytime he touched the ball,” Harding said. “No matter how he got it he had the ability to take it all the way. He also had a knack of making big time contested catches. He was a major focus of opposing defenses and he was still able to be incredibly productive all throughout the year. “
Meek did a good job opening holes for the Louisburg offense and was a first-team all-league selection on the offensive line that accumulated nearly 3,000 yards of total offense.
“Miles really turned himself into a player over his four years,” Harding said. “We are extremely proud of his work ethic and consistency that he provided us. Miles was incredibly smart and could’ve played any of our five offensive line positions in an instant at a high level.”
On defense, Yoder played at high level all season for the Wildcats and was rewarded as he was selected as a first team defensive tackle. He was second on the team with 68 tackles, including six tackles for a loss and a team-high 5.5 sacks.
He was also recognized for his play offense as he was a second team selection as an offensive lineman.
“Brayden was extremely productive from his defensive tackle spot,” Harding said. “He is back to back first team DT and deservingly so. Brayden plays with good technique and good effort all the time. We are really glad that he was on our football team and are proud of his accomplishments.”
Swartz, who played mainly as a safety for the Wildcats, made big plays throughout the year for Louisburg and earned first team honors as a multipurpose player on defense. He finished the year with 42 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Swartz also recorded a blocked field goal on special teams.
“Lucas always played with an incredible motor,” Harding said. “If we had 11 guys that could play with Lucas’ motor then we would have an easy job. He made a bunch of big plays for us this year including the game winning stop in OT against Tonganoxie. He was definitely deserving of his first team honor.”
On special teams, Blaise Vohs earned top honors this season as a first-team all-league kicker. He missed just one extra point on the season and was 3-for-3 on field goals.
“Blaise was nails for us all year as a kicker,” Harding said. “He was also key to our kickoff unit being able to directionally kick as well as get touchbacks to start opposing offenses backed up. We are very excited to have Blaise back for his senior season.”
Saad also had a big season for the Wildcats and was named as a second team all-league quarterback. In his first season as a starter, Saad was 109-for-167 and had 1,702 yards with 16 touchdowns. He also rushed for 115 yards and a score.
“Alex just got better and better throughout the year,” Harding said. “He was really good at scrambling and making plays that were off script. He was also great with our RPO plays that kept defenses honest and made big plays for us. Alex is a really gifted athlete and you could see that on display on Friday nights.”
On defense, Henry and Lien also played big roles on one of the top units in the Frontier League.
Henry was a second team selection as a safety and he finished the year with 50 tackles and five pass break-ups to go along with a team-high four interceptions.
“Logan had a knack for always being around the ball,” Harding said. “Whether it was filling the alley from his safety spot or breaking up a pass, he had a really good year for us. Finishing the year with 4 interceptions was a great accomplishment by Logan and we are proud of his development over his 4 years.”
As for Lien, he is in his first season as a starter and made the most of it as he earned a second team spot as a linebacker. He finished the year with 49 tackles, three tackles for a loss, three pass breakups and an interception.
“Erik was very consistent,” Harding said. “He really turned himself into a good football player over his four years. Erik was really smart and we could move him around to many different spots within the defense. He had a really good season and we were happy to see him get recognized with all-league honors.”
The Wildcats also had three other players earn all-league spots.
Hendrickson was the third Wildcat offensive lineman to be recognized on the all-league team. The Louisburg junior was named as an honorable mention as a guard on an offense that had 3,000 total yards.
He opened those holes up for Van Eaton as he was named as an honorable mention running back. He recorded 426 yards on the ground and had five touchdowns to go along with 102 yards receiving.
On defense, DeVary was named as an honorable mention defensive lineman. The Wildcat senior finished the year with 22 tackles, but had 5.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL
OFFENSE
First Team
QUARTERBACK: Haydon Hull, Ottawa, junior
RUNNING BACK: Ashton Moore, Louisburg, senior; Patrick Stumpff, Spring Hill, senior; Tanner Hand, Tonganoxie, senior
BACK: John Onyenagubo, Baldwin, senior; Kyle Blanz, Bonner Springs, senior; Dez Hoobler, Eudora, freshman; Myles Vohs, Louisburg, senior; Lucas Gholston, Spring Hill, senior; Nate Sims, Ottawa, junior; Jayce Mourning, Ottawa, sophomore
MULTIPURPOSE: Kyle Blanz, Bonner Springs, senior; Nate Simms, Ottawa, junior
SPECIAL TEAMS
First Team
KICKER: Blaise Vohs, Louisburg, junior
PUNTER: Brooks Bayer, Spring Hill, sophomore
RETURNER: Nate Sims, Ottawa, junior
Second Team
KICKER: Josh Audiss, Ottawa, senior
PUNTER: Nate Steinlage, Eudora, senior
RETURNER: Benny Ragan, Spring Hill, junior
Honorable Mention
KICKER: JD Troutman, Paola, senior; Cody Lobb, Tonganoxie, freshman; Ryan Jackson, Spring Hill, senior PUNTER: Max Harvey, Baldwin; Martin Guerra, Bonner Springs, sophomore; Carter Hepner, Ottawa, senior
RETURNER: JD Troutman, Paola, senior
Six Wildcats named to All-Frontier League soccer team
The Louisburg boys soccer team had six recently named to the All-Frontier League team. Seniors Colton Blue, Emmett White, Jacob Brown, Ethan Sharp, junior Owen Marsh and sophomore Brody Bovaird all earned all-league honors.
The Louisburg boys soccer team saw a big improvement during the 2024 season and the Frontier League coaches took notice.
The Wildcats doubled their win total from the 2023 season and reached the regional championship game. Although they ended their season with a 9-9 record, several players began to receive honors last week.
Louisburg earned five spots on the All-Frontier League team that was recently released, including one first team, and one second team selection.
Senior Colton Blue earned first team honors, while senior Emmett White was a second team selection. Seniors Ethan Sharp and Jacob Brown, along with junior Owen Marsh and sophomore Brody Bovaird earned honorable mention.
“Once again, the final four in Kansas 4-1A had a representative from the Frontier League with Baldwin,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Year-in and year-out, our league is really tough. I thought we had pretty good representation, getting one player on the first team. I wish we’d be able to get more on the second team, but again, we had a very tough league this year. I was pretty happy to see our guys getting more and more respect from the league coaches.”
Blue was a team captain for the Wildcats and had a strong season in the midfield. He led the team with 12 goals, 11 assists, 37 shots on target and had three game-winning goals as he was a big factor for Louisburg all year.
“Colton has been the ‘drill sergeant’ of our program,” coach Bovaird said “Essentially, the last two years, he’s been such a powerful leader for the team. He commands respect not by being feared, but by setting the example, being vocal, and lifting up his teammates. This season, he’s led the team in nearly every stat.”
White earned second team all-league honors for the second consecutive season, despite battling an injury for most of the year. The Wildcat forward still managed to make a big impact.
On the season, he was third on the team with nine goals and tied a team-high 3-game winning goals. He also had four assists and 25 shots on target.
“Emmett has shown resilience and commitment throughout the season, playing through a serious injury that happened in the fourth game,” coach Bovaird said. “I’m so proud of his toughness. He only missed one game this season, and I think this was a huge inspiration to his teammates. Due to his selflessness and grit, he earned the captain’s band for two seasons in a row. Even with his ankle injury, he’s still our third-highest scorer this season.”
The Wildcats earned four spots on the honorable mention, including a pair of seniors in Brown and Sharp.
Brown has seen varsity playing time the last three seasons in the midfield and that continued this year. He tallied three goals and also had eight shots on target.
“Jacob has been like a second assistant coach for me the past two years,” coach Bovaird said. “We often talked about strategy, formations, and practice ideas, which was huge for our team. I felt like he really helped me grow as a coach. His knowledge has been one of the keys to our success, and as a senior leader, his impact on our offense has been invaluable.”
As for Sharp, he was a big piece to the Wildcat defense as a team captain and is a two-year starter on the Louisburg back line. He finished his season with a goal, an assist and contributed to five shutouts.
“As a captain and cornerstone of our defense, Ethan’s leadership on and off the field has been incredible,” coach Bovaird said. “We had four seniors across the back line, which was huge for our team this season. Ethan was a vocal and steady presence from our summer training to game day, anchoring our backline with confidence.”
Marsh was a big-time scorer for the Wildcats this season as he tied Blue with a team-high 12 goals and tallied four assists. He also had 25 shots on target and two game-winning goals.
“Owen built on a strong sophomore season by elevating his play, learning when to make the right pass, and figuring out when to go at the goal and take the shot himself,” coach Bovaird said. “This unselfish approach has led to a season-high goal count, showing the results of his team-focused mindset. His growth from last season and throughout this season led to a surge of success in the stats.”
As for Brody Bovaird, the Wildcats sophomore came off the bench to give Louisburg crucial minutes during several games this season as he had a goal, two assists and eight shots on goal.
“If ‘assists to assists’ were an official stat, Brody would lead by far,” coach Bovaird said. “He’s a playmaker on the wing, combining speed and unselfishness to set up opportunities for his teammates. Several coaches made comments about his speed with the ball as he flew down the wing. His quiet leadership and determination to fight for every ball make him a spark whenever he’s on the field. When he’s on the field for us, he makes things happen.”
GOALIE: Tom Bolarinwa, Bonner Springs, senior; Kaden Applegate, Spring Hill, junior
Week 10 Athlete of the Week: Conlee Hovey
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 10 of the fall sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.
CONLEE HOVEY SENIOR, FOOTBALL
Louisburg senior Conlee Hovey had a big season for the Wildcat football team and he put together one of his better games on Nov. 1 in the Wildcats’ final game against Bishop Miege. Hovey, a tight end, led Louisburg with five catches for 78 yards in the Wildcats’ first round playoff loss to Miege that ended the Wildcats’ season with a 7-2 record.
Hovey played on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats and also had a strong game at defensive end. He finished with five tackles on the night and was among the team’s top tacklers on the season.
The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.
Ellison, Cotter battle tough conditions at state cross country
Louisburg sophomores Truman Ellison and Levi Cotter competed well Saturday in their first state cross country meet in Wamego.
WAMEGO — When Truman Ellison and Levi Cotter lined up for the Class 4A boys state race Saturday, they were the last competition of the day.
The 4A girls, along with both the Class 1A and 2A races, had already gone and normally going last wouldn’t matter. However, rainy conditions at the Wamego Country Club course left it a muddy mess.
It wasn’t exactly ideal racing conditions, but the Louisburg sophomores made the best of a tough situation.
Both runners finished in the middle of the pack as Ellison took 52nd overall in 19 minutes and Cotter was right behind him in 58th in 19:05.
“Levi and Truman ran well at the state,” Reece said. “For two sophomores to qualify was a great accomplishment. With such a young team this year, this experience gained will benefit the team and individuals over the next few years.”
The race was a difficult one for everyone involved as they had to work around standing water and muddy holes left by runners in the five previous races. Still, Reece liked what he saw from his two competitors.
“The conditions were miserable for all who were there, both athletes and spectators,” Reece said. “Being the last race of the day, the wet areas became mud pits, which could have presented a challenge, but they both embarrassed the conditions and competed well.”
Wamego won the boys Class 4A state championship with 52 points and Buhler was the state runner-up with 66. McPherson junior Caleb Mueller won individual state title in 16:33.
In the Class 4A girls race, Buhler won the state crown with 78 points and Eudora was the state runner-up with 89, just edging out Baldwin, which had 90.
It was a Frontier League dominated race as senior Hanna Keltner won the state title in 19:18 and Baldwin’s Irelyn Kennedy was second in 19:51. Paola freshman Ella Needham was third in 20:00.
Five Wildcats selected to all-league volleyball team
Louisburg had four second team selections in McKenna Lohse, Caileigh Kilgore, Adelyn Moore and Aspen Coulter. Senior Ally Brown was named honorable mention.
The Louisburg volleyball team saw its season come to an end in the sub-state championship to the eventual state runner-up in Rock Creek, but the Wildcats still put together another successful season.
It was one that caught the eye of some of the Frontier League coaches as they honored several Wildcat players when the all-league teams were released last week.
Five Wildcats were honored, including four second team selections in senior Aspen Coulter, juniors McKenna Lohse and Caileigh Kilgore and sophomore Adelyn Moore. Senior Ally Brown was named as an honorable mention.
“Overall, we were well-represented,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “This is the first time in a while that we were able to get multiple girls recognized at a higher level than honorable mention, so I was of course happy to see that. Our team is sometimes difficult to vote for as we are very well-balanced. We don’t necessarily have 1-2 major studs that everyone knows and recognizes immediately as the player that hurt them the most. Throughout the season we had different girls stepping up at different times and different players who led us through those matches.
“When league coaches vote, they are looking at the season stats that I put in front of them but they are also remembering back to the time(s) that we played against each other and who stood out to them, so it’s encouraging to see so many girls get recognized. I think arguments could be made about other players as well, but to have five players be selected to the all-league team is pretty great.”
Lohse was a starting middle blocker for the Wildcats and did several things well as she led the team in four different categories. She led the way with a team-high 211 kills, along with a team-best 56 aces and a hitting percentage of .236 and was tops in blocks in league matches.
“Kenna was the player for us that needed to get going, and if we could get Kenna going, everyone else seemed to follow,” Willer said. “She also seemed to have very little fear when playing against our tougher opponents this season. In fact, one could argue that her best games were those against the tougher teams. She truly rose to the occasion in those big moments and we are excited to see what we will be able to get from her in her senior season.”
Kilgore was another weapon at the net for the Wildcats as she was the top hitter from the outside and was second on the team with 205 kills.
“Caileigh was a strong hitter for us and led us in attempts as she had the responsibility of getting not only the good sets to put it away, but also a lot of the out-of-system sets as is common with outside hitters,” Willer said “We love that she is not afraid to take a rip at a ball. Her presence was big for us as her kills were often the most impactful for team momentum. She was in the top 10 in the league for kills, which earned her a place on the all-league team. We are looking forward to seeing what Caileigh will bring to our team next year.”
Setting them up for all those kills was Moore, who was in her second year as the setter after sharing those responsibilities last year as a freshman. As a sophomore, all Moore did was lead the Frontier League in assists with 743.
She made her presence known all over the court as he also had 98 kills, 26 blocks, 31 aces and 186 digs.
“Adelyn ran our team and she proved herself to be one of the best setters in the league,” Willer said. “She is an all-around athlete who works hard non-stop. She plays good defense, leads the team with our offense, and has done a great job of making her presence known at the net despite her height.
“She is the type of kid who puts her head down and gets to work during a match. You’ll never see her complain or get angry with her teammates, and she is always finding a way to get the job done. As she is only a sophomore, we are so excited that she will be back for two more years and can’t wait to see what she can accomplish.”
Coulter earned a spot on the second team for her defense as the team’s libero. As a team captain, Coulter led the team with 301 digs, which was second in the league.
She was also aggressive from behind the service line with 34 aces and had 65 assists on the season.
“Aspen held down the back court as our libero this year and she did a great job for us defensively,” Willer said. “Additionally, she was our most consistent server and also aggressive from behind the line. She was second in the league in digs this year and made some notably awesome plays on defense, which led to her earning a spot on the all-league team.
“Her willingness to just go for it on defense as she’s not afraid to hit the floor helped our team on the defensive end all year. Furthermore, she expanded her range to play not only left back but also middle back this season and we are proud of her for taking on a change in her role to help the team.”
Another team captain, Brown earned honorable mention from her defensive specialist spot. She made an impact defensively and from behind the service line.
Brown was second on the team with 228 digs and was also second in aces with 47. She also led the team in serve attempts and points scored while serving.
“Ally was largely the heart and soul of this team as a really strong leader,” Willer said. “She was always the one to speak up with words of wisdom, motivation, encouragement, or tough love when needed. She was a defensive specialist for us this year and accepted that role wholeheartedly.
“Her stats earned her a place on the all-league team because coaches recognized the spirit that she brought to the court as well as the great defense she played. Her dig numbers were right up there close to a lot of the Liberos while only being on the court half the time, and that speaks volumes about what she was able to do for our team.”
Wildcats nearly pull upset of Miege in first round of playoffs
Louisburg’s Ashton Moore finds some running room Friday against Bishop Miege in the first round of the state playoffs.
The mountain of playing Bishop Miege is always a tough one for public schools to climb, especially when it comes to football.
Miege, which has won seven state titles in the last 10 years, has never lost to a non-private school in the playoffs during that decade long of dominance.
Louisburg wanted to be the first team to hand it that loss Friday as the No. 2 seed Wildcats hosted the No. 15 Stags in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
The Wildcats were so close to that mountaintop, but came up just short as they fell to Miege, 21-14, to end their season with a 7-2 record.
Louisburg was behind 14 points, only to rally and tie the game at halftime. The Wildcats had one final drive to try and tie it again late, but a Miege interception dashed the Wildcats’ hopes of an upset.
“In this moment, the only word I can come up right now is proud,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “I am so proud of the team. Our biggest emphasis was we had to start fast and we didn’t. They got out to a 14-0 lead, and most times when you play teams like Miege that can snowball and get out of hand quick. Those guys just battled and were able to tie it up at halftime. Then for us to continue to fight and have a chance to tie it at the end — proud is all I can say about them.”
Bishop Miege got out to a quick start as they took a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown by Vinny George in the first quarter and then Stag quarterback Marco Rodriguez scored on a 4-yard run of his own to put Miege up 14-0 early in the the second quarter.
It didn’t get much better as the Wildcats found themselves on their own 2-yard line on their next drive. However, it was there when the game started to turn.
Louisburg made several big plays, including a 40-yard pass from quarterback Alex Saad to Rickey Giles, and the Wildcats drove 98 yards that ended on a 13-yard run by Ashton Moore to cut the Miege lead in half. Moore also had a 22-yard screen pass from Saad that set up the score.
“We had a negative play that set us up in a bad situation,” Harding said. “For them to battle through that, put a drive together and get a touchdown was great to see and 98-yard drives don’t happen very often, especially against a good defense like Miege. I think that drive was a good representation of what these guys did all night.”
Louisburg senior Brayden Yoder celebrates a sack Friday against Bishop Miege.
The Wildcat defense then came up with a big play as senior Brayden Yoder recorded a sack on third down and force a Miege punt near midfield with under three minutes left in the first half.
Louisburg got its quick strike offense going as Saad connected with Myles Vohs on a 43-yard pass to get into Miege territory. That set up a 17-yard pass from Saad to Moore to tie it up with 40 seconds left in the second quarter.
The Wildcat offensive line of Yoder, Miles Meek, Xander Lucas, Nate Capuro and Johnny Hendrickson, along with tight ends Conlee Hovey and Erik Lien, opened holes for several big plays in the first half.
Hovey had a team high five catches for 78 yards to lead the Wildcats, while Vohs had 4 catches for 57 yards. Saad alluded pressure for most of the night as he completed 17 of 27 passes for 251 yards.
“Their confidence was high at halftime and they were feeling good about their situation, especially after being down 14 points and battling back,” Harding said. “Unfortunately we weren’t come out and put a drive together in the second half, but our defense played phenomenal all game and kept us in the game.”
Louisburg’s defense had one of — if not its best — game of the season. The Wildcats held a high-powered Miege offense to 21 points, despite being put in tough situations most of the night.
Louisburg senior Lucas Swartz dives to try and bring down a Miege player Friday at Wildcat Stadium.
They held the Stags to three field goal attempts, two of which were missed and the other was blocked by senior Lucas Swartz to keep it a one score game in the second half.
Junior Gage Feldkamp also had a big interception to keep the Stags out of the endzone. Senior Russell Wiseman had seven tackles, while Vohs and Yoder each had six to be among the team leaders in stops.
“I would have to say this was our best defensive performance of the year,” Harding said. “We shut down their run game and made them throw it. We did a good job against that as well. They are a high-powered offense, so to hold them to 21 points, especially when they had good field position for most of the night, was really good.”
Moore had a big night for the Wildcats as he finished with a team-high 10 tackles. He also ran the ball hard on offense as he tallied 70 yards from scrimmage to go along with his two scores in his final game in a Louisburg uniform.
“Ashton was extremely motivated,” Harding said. “You could tell that by the way he was running the football. He was flying around on defense and he is a great player. We are extremely lucky that he is at Louisburg and he had a great career for us. I know he is going to have a great career moving on as well.”
Miege added a touchdown in the third quarter to take a 21-14 lead, but the Wildcat offense would stall for most of the second half, until one final drive in the fourth.
Louisburg’s defense forced a Miege punt with just under two minutes left in the game.
Louisburg senior Myles Vohs makes a leaping catch in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game against Bishop Miege.
Saad immediately hit Vohs on a leaping 16-yard catch to put the ball at the Miege 40 yard line. With 1:12 left in the game, Saad threw a pass toward the endzone that was tipped and Miege made a diving interception that all but ended the contest.
“We were going to go for 2 for sure and go for the win,” Harding said. “I was really looking forward to having that opportunity. We got down there, but we had a penalty and couple negative things happen to where we couldn’t get it in the endzone.
“I don’t think we are into moral victories by any means, but I think every one of them can hold their heads high. They all put their best efforts into this and this was the most focused we have been all year in terms of preparation. They came out and played really well. They should be proud of everything they have accomplished.”
It marked the end to what was a special season for the Wildcats as they won their first seven games to start the year and just missed out on a third consecutive Frontier League title.
It was also the last time 24 seniors will wear the Louisburg uniform as they gave everything they had in their final contest.
“To have a senior class that is this large is a great thing,” Harding said. “Every single one of them had a role on our team, and they did a good job playing that role. We are very lucky to have each and every one of them and they are going to be great individuals past high school and beyond football. I am proud of all their accomplishments.”
LOU 0 14 0 0 — 14
BM 7 7 7 0 — 21
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
B: Vinny George 4 run (kick good)
Second quarter
B: Marco Rodriguez 4 run (kick good)
L: Ashton Moore 13 run (Blaise Vohs kick)
L: Ashton Moore 17 pass from Alex Saad (Vohs kick)
Third Quarter
B: Teryn Jackson 33 pass from Rodriguez (kick good)
STATISTICS
RUSHING — Ashton Moore 14-32; Darby Van Eaton 2-18; Alex Saad 7-12
