Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 11 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.
MCKENNA LOHSE, SOPHOMORE, BASKETBALL
Louisburg sophomore McKenna Lohse had a big week for the Lady Cat basketball team in their two victories over Paola and Harrisonville last week. Against Paola, Lohse came off the bench and nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds in a 39-35 victory over the Panthers.
Two days later against Harrisonville, Lohse got the start and dominated the glass for the Lady Cats. She finished with a team-high 11 rebounds in a 40-33 victory. She also had four points, two assists and two steals in the win.
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.
Wildcats fall to Harrisonville on Senior Night to end regular season
Louisburg senior Nathan Parker drives to the basket for two of his game-high 18 points last Thursday against Harrisonville.
In what started out as a night of celebration for the Louisburg basketball team, turned into one of disappointment.
The Wildcats hosted Harrisonville for Senior Night on Thursday, in what was also their regular season finale. Despite a solid start, Louisburg came up short in a 57-52 loss.
Harrisonville used a big second quarter to take the lead and it never relinquished it, despite a late Louisburg rally that cut the deficit to two late in the contest.
“We played hard,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “I have never doubted that and Harrisonville is a very good team that has 20 wins on the year. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but it was one where we thought we could go toe-to-toe with them. There were just a few moments in the game where we couldn’t get stops and we were just trading buckets. I think we lost the game in about the middle portion where all that was going on.”
The game was tied at 9-all after the first quarter, but Harrisonville scored 19 points in the second and went into halftime with a seven-point lead.
Harrisonville got out to the lead thanks to its performance from the outside. It knocked down nine 3-pointers for the game, with seven of those coming in the first half.
Louisburg also struggled from the free-throw line as it converted just 13 of 24 attempts for the game.
“They hit a lot of threes and we didn’t convert at the free-throw line,” Doll said. “ That just isn’t going to cut it. We left a lot of points on the table. You have to make free throws when you are in close games and the guys know that. We have to do a better job of that.”
Harrisonville stretched its lead out early in the fourth quarter, before the Wildcats went on a little rally of their own.
Louisburg senior Brock Vohs goes up for a shot against Harrisonville on Thursday.
It started on a basket from Conlee Hovey and was fouled. Hovey missed the free throw, but got the rebound and put back to make it a four-point possession.
Brady Hickey knocked in a free throw to make it six-point contest, then Hovey scored again under the basket on an assist from Brock Vohs. Harrisonville took the lead back to six, but Nathan Parker knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to make it a one possession game late.
Harrisonville was then called for a technical foul, and Parker hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 53-51. The Wildcats got the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead.
The Wildcats attacked the basket, but the shot rimmed off and Harrisonville got the rebound. It went on to make its free throws and sealed the win.
It was the final home game for seniors Nathan Parker, Brady Hickey, Brock Vohs, Jaymes Melton and Luke Hill. The five players and their parents were honored before the game.
All five started the game for the Wildcats and got them out to a 7-0 lead.
“They are going to be an extra special group for me with this being my first year here,” Doll said. “It was easy to start all five of those guys because all of them have been such good contributors and such hard workers. We actually started the game really well.
“This is what this part of the season is about too is to keep these guys playing and hopefully we can get them five more games here and not end it too early. They are going to do a lot of great things in their life, but this will be the only time that people will pay to watch you play basketball, so you need to enjoy that.”
Parker had a big game for the Wildcats as he scored a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Hovey almost finished with a double-double as he added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Hickey added seven points and a team-high four assists
Louisburg (8-12) earned the No. 10 seed in the Class 4A sub-state tournament and will make the trip to No. 7 Coffeyville-Field Kindley (14-6) on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tipoff.
“I told the guys we just have to move on from this real quick,” Doll said. “This is going to be like any basketball tournament, it is all about the matchups. We wish we could be hosting a home game and have a better seed, but it is do or die now. This is what we showed up in the summer for, and all the work we put in throughout the year, is for this moment. Now hopefully we can play far into March.”
PAOLA — Louisburg got a chance to hand its rival a loss on its Senior Night and the Wildcats took full advantage.
Louisburg made the short journey to Paola last Tuesday and the Wildcats spoiled the Panthers’ special night as the Wildcats used a big second half to pull away for a 46-29 win over the Panthers.
The last time the two teams met, the Wildcats forced a running clock and held the Panthers (0-20) scoreless in the second half. It was a much different game this time around as Louisburg held just a two-point lead at halftime.
“We knew this was a game they wanted to get, especially with it being their Senior Night, so we knew we were going to get their best shot and we did,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “They are still playing hard to their credit and we played well enough to get a win.”
Louisburg senior Brady Hickey drives to the basket last week against Paola.
Louisburg junior Myles Vohs got the Wildcats out to a good start as he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to put the Wildcats up 11-4. Paola battled back and trimmed Louisburg’s lead to 21-19 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats ramped it up defensively as they held the Panthers to just 10 second half points, including a 14-4 run in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
“Our goal in this game was to do better against a zone if they threw one at us because we have struggled with that a lot this year,” Doll said. “At the same time, I knew if we got out and pressed them that we could get them to turn over the ball. We didn’t do a very good job of that early, but in the fourth quarter we did a really good job of playing free and loose. We forced a lot of turnovers and that is what got us the win. Plus we hit free throws too and that helped a lot.”
On defense, the Wildcats forced 12 turnovers on the night and turned those into 14 points on the other end.
Senior Nathan Parker led Louisburg in scoring with 13 points, while Hickey added nine points and a team-high Sven rebounds in the win. Junior Conlee Hovey also pulled down seven rebounds, while junior Luke Schultz finished with a team-best four assists.
Lady Cats end season with back-to-back wins over Harrisonville, Paola
Louisburg sophomore McKenna Lohse (4) celebrates with her teammates after a made basket Thursday at home against Harrisonville.
In what began as a rough start for the Louisburg girls basketball team, Thursday’s final regular season game ended what was a winning stretch for the Lady Cats.
Louisburg outlasted Harrisonville, 40-33, at home to finish 5-3 in its final eight games after starting the season with eight straight losses.
The victory over Harrisonville, and Paola earlier in the week, gave the Lady Cats the momentum they need as they head into postseason play this Tuesday.
“Finishing the season with a win at home was a great way to end,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Winning both games last week was a great way to end our season. This was the first week all season we did win 2 games and I know that this will help the girls confidence going into substate week.
“I am so proud of the girls and their efforts in the second half of the season. We ended 5-3 the last eight games of the season and I think the girls have improved a lot since the first game.”
The Lady Cats were able to get the win without having to score a field goal in the fourth quarter. Louisburg was able to do its damage from the free-throw line.
All eight of its points in the fourth quarter came at the line as Louisburg was able to ice the game away after taking an eight point lead going into the final frame.
For the game, the Lady Cats were 15 of 21 from the free-throw line and were able to keep Harrisonville at arm’s length.
“Our free-throw shooting on Thursday was a huge positive,” Lane said. “We only scored free throws in the fourth quarter, which won the game for us. I also felt like every girl contributed to that win.”
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in scoring with 12 points on the night, including three 3-pointers. She also tallied a team-high five blocked shots and three steals.
Louisburg junior Sami Lane pulls up for a jumper Thursday against Harrisonville.
Jillian Asher added nine points in the win, with seven of those coming from the free-throw line. Zyleigh Melton, Sami Lane and Ally Brown each finished with five.
Sophomore McKenna Lohse had a big night on the boards for Louisburg as she pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. Sabra Brueggen and Lane each pulled down five rebounds, while Brueggen also had three steals.
“I honestly think this was the best we had done all season with handling pressure,” coach Lane said. “The girls did a good job taking care of the basketball and not throwing it away in pressure situations.
“The posts did a great job rebounding and holding their position against a very physical Harrisonville team. The posts also did a great job on offense and holding their position to get the ball inside. When we get the ball inside and kick it back out, we have a higher shooting percentage.”
Louisburg will begin postseason play on Feb. 27 as the No. 14 seed in sub-state. The Lady Cats will travel to No. 3 Ottawa for the sub-state semifinals. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
PAOLA — In a lot of cases, free throws can decide the difference between and win a loss.
It was certainly the difference for Louisburg last Tuesday in Paola. The Lady Cats made 12 of 14 free-throw attempts in the second half, many of those coming in the fourth quarter, as they were able to hold on for a 39-35 victory over the Panthers.
“Free throws were big for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We had several players come up and hit them late in the game. They were huge and accounted for a lot of our points the second half.”
Juniors Jillian Asher and Sabra Brueggen each hit jumpers to begin the fourth quarter to give Louisburg a four-point lead. The Lady Cats kept the advantage the rest of the way as they went 8-for-10 from the line, including makes from Ashlyn Kuhlman, Shylar Whiting, Asher and Brueggen.
Louisburg jumped out to an early 11-3 lead to start the game, but the Panthers rallied back to eventually take the lead in both the second and third quarters.
Louisburg junior Shylar Whiting pulls up for a shot in the lane last week against Paola.
Kuhlman led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points to go along with four rebounds and three blocks. Whiting also finished with eight points, including 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.
Sophomore McKenna Lohse gave the Lady Cats a spark the needed off the bench. Lohse nearly had double-double with eight points and nine rebounds and gave Louisburg some crucial minutes on the inside.
“It was good win and it was great to get that win on the road,” Lane said. “I don’t think it was our best appearance of the year, but we had some girls come off the bench that did really well.
“I thought Kenna had a great game and she definitely kept us in it,” Lane said. “She hasn’t played a ton this year, but she really stepped up and made a difference.”
Louisburg junior Will Showalter is picked up by assistant coach Shawn Crossley after he qualified for state Saturday at the Class 4A regional in Tonganoxie.
TONGANOXIE — The Class 4A regional wrestling tournament in Tonganoxie had its fair share of challenges for Louisburg, but several wrestlers were able to continue their season for another week.
The Wildcats qualified six for state during Saturday’s tournament and all of them finished in either third or fourth place against some difficult competition.
Canaan Clayton (113 pounds), Will Showalter (120), Logan Henry (132), Traden Noll (150), Jay McCaskill (157) and Ashton Moore (190) will wrestle for a state medal this week in Salina.
As a team, the Wildcats finished sixth in the team standings with 97 points.
“It was so exciting to see these guys get out there and check off one of their season goals,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Taking six is a pretty decent number, especially when you look at how the teams ahead of us did: Tonganoxie qualified 10, Santa Fe Trail qualified 9, Baldwin qualified 7 and Holton and Silver Lake qualified 5.”
Louisburg junior Ashton Moore took fourth overall at 190 pounds.
Moore and McCaskill are returning state qualifiers for the Wildcats and had a challenging bracket as both wrestlers finished fourth overall.
Moore, who was ranked No. 5 in Class 4A coming into the tournament, had two other state-ranked wrestlers in his bracket and he met one of them in the semifinals.
After a quick first period pin in his quarterfinal match, Moore squared off with Tonganoxie’s Colton Brusven in the semifinals. Brusven, who is No. 3 in the state, narrowly defeated Moore by a 6-4 decision in overtime.
Moore followed it up with a seven second pin of Silver Lake’s Blaise Hill to secure a trip to state. Moore then lost a tough 3-2 decision to Ottawa’s Sam Clevenger in the third place match.
Louisburg junior Jay McCaskill tries to get some back points during his 157-pound match at Tonganoxie.
As for McCaskill, he won his first two matches of the day by first period pins, but then went up against Ottawa’s Dalton Evans in the semifinals and lost 9-4.
McCaskill secured a state berth with a 7-0 decision over Santa Fe Trail’s Luke Greenfield, before falling 11-7 to Bishop Miege’s Graham Hawks in the third place match.
“Ashton has been taking things easy since the Baldwin tournament when he tweaked his knee, and he’s been easing back into full-fledged competition mode,” Bovaird said. “He lost to the Tonganoxie kid in overtime, which was a great match. He’s got a little bit of rust to knock off, but I’m really excited to see how he does in his state bracket.
“Jay also had some great matches last weekend. He’s at a point in the season where he’s going out there and wrestling hard. He’s not being overly conservative and holding back; he’s taking risks, he’s not afraid of losing or making mistake, and that will make him very dangerous at the state tournament.”
Louisburg junior Canaan Clayton finished third overall at 113 pounds.
The other four Wildcat qualifiers will make their first trip to state as all of them recorded big wins at Tonganoxie.
Clayton shook off a semifinal loss to win back-to-back matches at 113 pounds and punched his ticket to state. He pinned Silver Lake’s Preston Stafford in the consolation semis and then won a 4-0 decision over Baldwin’s Asher Englert in the third place match.
Henry also ended his regional tournament with victory and did so while battling an illness. He wrestled six matches on the day and finished 4-2.
Louisburg junior Logan Henry tries to put an opponent to his back during his 132-pound match Saturday in Tonganoxie.
After a semifinal loss to Baldwin’s Gunnar Reichard, Henry rattled off three straight wins, including a pin of Eudora’s Newt Schreiner in the consolation semifinals to earn a state berth. He then followed it up with a pin of Silver Lake’s Zach Rodenbaugh to take third.
Noll also had his fair share of tough matches at 150 pounds. He opened with a pin of Bishop Miege’s Jacob Drone in the quarterfinals, but lost a tough 3-2 decision in overtime of the semifinals to Santa Fe Trail’s Chayse Jeanneret.
Noll would bounce back to earn a spot at state with a 3-0 decision over Baldwin’s Max Harvey in the blood round. He was then pinned by Silver Lake’s Trent Harris in the third place match.
Showalter, a junior captain for the Wildcats, had a busy day with five matches. He opened with a loss in the semifinals to Baldwin’s Jayden Wastage, but then recorded back-to-back pins to reach the consolation semifinals.
Louisburg senior Traden Noll earned a state bid Saturday in Tonganoxie.
It was there where Showalter earned a hard-fought 6-5 decision over Eudora’s Dane Baumgartner. The Louisburg 120-pounder then lost to Santa Fe Trail’s Bryce Combes in the third place match.
“What an exciting weekend for those guys,” Bovaird said. “Canaan has wrestled with our club team since the beginning, and it was awesome news to hear that KSHSAA would be allowing homeschool kids compete for their high school programs. He’s such a hard worker, very respectful, and a fantastic addition to the program. Logan showed how much of a warrior he is by stepping on the mat battling a little sickness this weekend. He was leading his quarterfinals opponent 17-8 when the fatigue got to him. Logan then rattled off four straight wins to finish third.
“Traden has been aiming for a trip to the state tournament for a long time. He’s put in so much work with the sport of wrestling over the years, and I’m so proud to see his hard work pay off. Will was in one of those brackets where certain things had to work out just right, and at the end of the day, Will stepped up and did what he needed to do in order to get to state. “
As celebratory as the regional was, it was also the end of the road for some Wildcats — including seniors J’Lee Collins (126) and Elias Pugh (175) — who saw their high school careers come to an end with a 1-2 tournament performance.
“While it was awesome to see those six wrestlers be able to qualify for state, it was also pretty heart-breaking for the other eight wrestlers,” Bovaird said. “Two of them are seniors who have given us great leadership all season. A lot of tears were shed by the wrestlers, their families and the coaches. The thing is, with J’Lee, he hasn’t finished his journey with the sport of wrestling, as he’ll be wrestling for Benedictine next year. Elias has had at least one junior college program asking about him. Our other six wrestlers that didn’t qualify are all underclassmen with at least one more year left with the program.”
The state tournament will feature a 3-day format this season due to having both the Class 3-2-1A boys and 4-1A girls tournaments in Salina as well. Action will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday with the first round, followed by the championship quarterfinals and the first round of consolation.
There will be more consolation action on Friday, followed by place matches and the championship on Saturday.
“It’s going to be an interesting experience,” Bovaird said. “This is the first time that state has been stretched out over three days. That’s three weigh-ins the guys will have to make. They’re doing three rounds Thursday, three on Friday, and then the consolation semis and medal matches Saturday. It’s exciting, though, because we’ll also be able to see the girls 4-1A state tournament and the 3-2-1A boys state tournament. We’ve never been able to watch those.”
106
Levi Cotter (21-20) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Bryce Cormier (Silver Lake) 31-9 won by major decision over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 21-20 (MD 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 21-20 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Semi – Caul Johns (Ottawa) 23-17 won by major decision over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 21-20 (MD 8-0)
113
Canaan Clayton (24-16) placed 3rd and scored 10.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 24-16 received a bye () (Bye)
Semifinal – Brodie Starcher (Tonganoxie) 19-12 won by major decision over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 24-16 (MD 10-0)
Cons. Semi – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 24-16 won by fall over Preston Stafford (Silver Lake) 12-21 (Fall 0:26)
3rd Place Match – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 24-16 won by decision over Asher Englert (Baldwin) 12-12 (Dec 4-0)
120
Will Showalter (18-24) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 18-24 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Jayden Westgate (Baldwin) 27-5 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 18-24 (Fall 2:40)
Cons. Round 2 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 18-24 won by fall over Kaden Wuellner (Meriden-Jefferson West) 1-20 (Fall 1:59)
Cons. Round 3 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 18-24 won by fall over Carson Cunningham (Ottawa) 3-18 (Fall 2:11)
Cons. Semi – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 18-24 won by decision over Dane Baumgartner (Eudora) 2-3 (Dec 6-5)
3rd Place Match – Bryce Combes (Santa Fe Trail) 24-9 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 18-24 (Fall 2:32)
126
J`Lee Collins (24-17) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 24-17 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Cole Mader (Ottawa) 22-17 won by fall over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 24-17 (Fall 2:54)
Cons. Round 2 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 24-17 won by fall over Bennett Jackson (Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege) 7-26 (Fall 1:19)
Cons. Round 3 – Garrett Homles (Silver Lake) 32-11 won by decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 24-17 (Dec 4-2)
132
Logan Henry (25-14) placed 3rd and scored 21.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 25-14 won by fall over Payton Teel (Hiawatha) 5-19 (Fall 1:26)
Quarterfinal – Gunnar Reichard (Baldwin) 14-20 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg) 25-14 (Fall 4:19)
Cons. Round 2 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 25-14 won by fall over Yanni Jimenz (Topeka-Hayden) 7-17 (Fall 2:25)
Cons. Round 3 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 25-14 won by major decision over Cesar Sandoval (Holton) 15-19 (MD 15-5)
Cons. Semi – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 25-14 won by fall over Newt Schreiner (Eudora) 19-19 (Fall 2:10)
3rd Place Match – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 25-14 won by fall over Zach Rodenbaugh (Silver Lake) 17-10 (Fall 0:55)
138
Mika McKitrick (18-23) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 18-23 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Dax Duffett (Tonganoxie) 19-10 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 18-23 (Fall 1:07)
Cons. Round 2 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 18-23 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 18-23 won by fall over Parker Gillen (Silver Lake) 24-17 (Fall 2:01)
Cons. Semi – Ethan Williams (Baldwin) 28-8 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 18-23 (Fall 3:52)
144
Blake Oliphant (6-20) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 6-20 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Cale Hein (Holton) 40-5 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 6-20 (Fall 2:00)
Cons. Round 2 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 6-20 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Grady Sumrall (Ottawa) 14-22 won by decision over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 6-20 (Dec 8-2)
150
Traden Noll (30-14) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 30-14 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 30-14 won by fall over Jacob Drone (Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege) 20-21 (Fall 3:27)
Semifinal – Chayse Jeanneret (Santa Fe Trail) 25-10 won in tie breaker – 1 over Traden Noll (Louisburg) 30-14 (TB-1 3-2)
Cons. Semi – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 30-14 won by decision over Max Harvey (Baldwin) 21-18 (Dec 3-0)
3rd Place Match – Trent Harris (Silver Lake) 31-15 won by fall over Traden Noll (Louisburg) 30-14 (Fall 0:27)
157
Jay McCaskill (34-14) placed 4th and scored 13.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 34-14 won by fall over Maddex Doherty (Wellsville) 12-25 (Fall 0:29)
Quarterfinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 34-14 won by fall over Andrew Keithley (Holton) 21-17 (Fall 0:26)
Semifinal – Dalton Evans (Ottawa) 32-12 won by decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 34-14 (Dec 9-4)
Cons. Semi – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 34-14 won by decision over Luke Greenfield (Santa Fe Trail) 18-9 (Dec 7-0)
3rd Place Match – Graham Hawks (Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege) 33-8 won by decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 34-14 (Dec 11-7)
165
Bryce Thompson (18-14) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 18-14 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Dylan Williams (Baldwin) 24-11 won by fall over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 18-14 (Fall 4:31)
Cons. Round 2 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 18-14 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 18-14 won by fall over Malakie Laws (Perry-Lecompton) 14-22 (Fall 1:38)
Cons. Semi – Jude Krentz (Topeka-Hayden) 27-3 won by fall over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 18-14 (Fall 4:42)
175
Elias Pugh (21-17) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Keldyn Cox (Baldwin) 12-17 won by fall over Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 21-17 (Fall 1:07)
Cons. Round 1 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 21-17 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 21-17 won by decision over Chris McClendon (Wellsville) 8-7 (Dec 9-8)
Cons. Round 3 – Kayden Clelland (Silver Lake) 17-15 won by decision over Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 21-17 (Dec 5-4)
190
Ashton Moore (35-7) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 35-7 won by fall over Coltin Wade (Perry-Lecompton) 1-8 (Fall 1:04)
Semifinal – Colton Brusven (Tonganoxie) 22-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 35-7 (SV-1 6-4)
Cons. Semi – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 35-7 won by fall over Blaise Hill (Silver Lake) 3-22 (Fall 0:07)
3rd Place Match – Sam Clevenger (Ottawa) 28-15 won by decision over Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 35-7 (Dec 3-2)
215
Brayden Yoder (25-18) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 25-18 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Carter Wilmarth (Wellsville) 29-4 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 25-18 (Fall 3:45)
Cons. Round 2 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 25-18 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 25-18 won by fall over Rickey Lowery (Perry-Lecompton) 13-24 (Fall 0:58)
Cons. Semi – Conner Murry (Baldwin) 21-10 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 25-18 (Fall 2:23)
285
Xander Lucas (12-23) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 12-23 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Alex Strother (Santa Fe Trail) 26-7 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 12-23 (Fall 1:01)
Cons. Round 2 – Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 12-23 won by fall over Ean Winsor (Holton) 5-17 (Fall 2:21)
Cons. Round 3 – Jacob McConnell (Wellsville) 16-18 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 12-23 (Fall 0:38)
Week 10 Athlete of the Week: Colton Prettyman
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week 10 of the winter sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.
COLTON PRETTYMAN, JUNIOR, SWIMMING
Louisburg junior Colton Prettyman helped the Wildcat boys swim team to an historic finish last Saturday the Class 5-1A state meet in Topeka. Prettyman and the 200 medley relay team of Colin Brown, Andrew Jamison and Noah Sharp medaled sixth overall as they shaved more than five seconds off their personal best time. The four Wildcat swimmers also finished ninth in the 200 freestyle relay.
Prettyman also swam individually in the 50 freestyle, made the consolation finals and took 13th overall in a season best time of 23.35 seconds. He also competed in the 100 breaststroke at state. Prettyman scored points in three events and helped Louisburg to an eighth place team finish.
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.
Wildcat swim makes history earning five medals at state
Louisburg sophomore Colin Brown earned medals in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke during the Class 5-1A state meet Saturday in Topeka.
TOPEKA — The Louisburg boys swim program is still relatively new compared to other teams around the state, but the Wildcats made its presence felt Friday and Saturday at the Class 5-1A state meet in Topeka.
Louisburg had its best postseason finish in its young history as the Wildcats finished eighth overall in the team standings with 104 points thanks in part to just four swimmers.
Two of those athletes — Colin Brown and Andrew Jamison — each brought home individual medals. Brown, Jamison, Colton Prettyman and Noah Sharp also medaled in the 200-yard medley relay.
“This year felt like a whole new experience from last year,” Jamison said. “From me making it into an ‘A’ Final and our medley relay making it to an ‘A’ final, brought the competition to a whole new level. Everything felt more intense and felt like we had more pressure on us to preform well but it was still a fun and overall positive experience. Getting the team into the top eight with only 4 swimmers was a big accomplishment for us especially going up against teams that have up to three times as many people.”
Almost every time a Louisburg swimmer hit the pool, whether it was in the preliminaries or the final, a new personal best time was recorded.
That was certainly the case for Brown, who was the team’s lone returning state medalist from a year ago as a freshman. He was able to triple his medal count this season.
Brown competed in the 100-yard butterfly and finished fourth overall with a personal best time of 53.84 seconds, which was nearly two seconds better than his seed time.
He did the same in the 100 backstroke as he medaled fifth in 55.53 seconds, which was another personal best.
Louisburg sophomore Andrew Jamison earned medals in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke Saturday at the state meet in Topeka.
“I am very satisfied with how I did in both of my individual events,” Brown said. “They were both personal records and I had a lot of fun swimming both of them. To medal for a second straight year, not only in one event this year but two was a surreal feeling that I hope to repeat next year.”
Jamison also picked up two individual medals after making the consolation finals last year as a freshman.
He shaved two seconds off his personal best time in the 200 individual medley to take fifth in the finals after finishing seventh in the prelims.
Jamison then went on to take sixth in the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute and 1.88 seconds, which was another personal best time by more than a second.
“I was very pleased with my races this past weekend,” Jamison said. “My 200 IM exceeded my expectations in time and placement. My 100 breaststroke goal this season was a 59, and that was a very tough goal, but I am still pleased with what I swam.
“Getting a medal individually was a really cool experience. It did add a lot of pressure in prelims to secure that ‘A’ final spot and once I did there was a moment of relief, but then the pressure of preforming set in. Even with all that it was still an amazing experience I will never forget.”
The Wildcats started the meet by competing in the 200 medley relay, and it set the stage for what was to come.
Colton Prettyman dives into the pool Friday at the Class 5-1A state meet in Topeka.
Brown, Jamison, Prettyman and Sharp shaved more than five seconds off their seed time to medal sixth overall in 1:42.93, after finishing seventh in the prelims.
The quartet nearly medaled in another relay, but just missed out in the 200 freestyle as they took ninth in a personal best time of 1:34.66.
“The relay swims were probably my favorite part of the meet, and to be in the first relay to make an ‘A’ final in Louisburg history is an honor,” Brown said. “With everyone in the relay returning next year I am hoping for even better results.”
Although he didn’t reach the medal stand, Prettyman still scored team points for Louisburg. He made the consolation finals in the 50 freestyle and finished 13th overall in 23.35, which was another personal best.
Louisburg freshman Noah Sharp swims a leg of the 200 medley relay Friday during the prelims of the Class 5-1A state meet in Topeka.
He also competed in the 100 breaststroke and took 20th in 1:07.50.
Other members of the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill team competed at state. Osawatomie’s Luke Hebert finished 15th in the 50 freestyle and 16th in the 100 butterfly.
Paola’s Landen Terflinger was 21st in the 200 freestyle and 23rd in the 50 freestyle. Spring Hill’s Dylan Mabe was 19th in the 100 backstroke.
Wildcats’ rally falls short in home loss to Eudora
Louisburg senior Luke Hill pulls up for a shot in the lane last Tuesday against Eudora.
Louisburg had one of its better shooting nights of the season last Tuesday at home against Eudora.
The Wildcats shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, hit six 3-ponters and outrebounded the Cardinals on both ends of the floor. Louisburg had a lot of things in its favor.
Turnovers, on the other hand, was the one aspect that haunted the Wildcats as they committed 17 mistakes, which led to 28 Eudora points in what was a 52-49 loss to the Cardinals.
“We’ve had bad turnovers at the wrong time all season and we have just struggled to finish games and take care of the ball,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “Throughout the game we didn’t do a good enough job on their best player and they got to the foul line. There were other times where we were too focused on him and another player was able to slip in for an easy basket. We are right there in almost every game against good teams, but the timing of these turnovers are just killing us.”
Along with the turnovers, the Wildcats had a tough time slowing Eudora’s Logan Sullivan. The Cardinal senior finished with a game-high 27 points, including going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Eudora controlled the game for much of the first three quarters, but the Wildcats started to chip away at the Cardinal lead. With a minute remaining in the third, the Wildcats trailed 44-38 but Luke Schultz hit a basket inside to make it a four-point game.
Then to start the fourth, senior Brady Hickey drove to the basket for two more. After a Eudora basket, Louisburg senior Myles Vohs made it a two-point game again on a lay-up.
The Wildcats took the lead on a 3-pointer by senior Luke Hill and were up 47-46 with 4:45 left in the game. It stayed that way until the 1:50 mark, when Eudora scored on a back door play to grab the lead back.
Louisburg committed two turnovers on back-to-back possessions late and the Cardinals took care of business from the free-throw line to secure the win.
“We have had enough of these games where we get down and we almost always come back,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “The heart is there and we do enough to get ourselves ready to win a game. We always battle back and that is just who we are right now and it is good to always see them fight.”
Louisburg junior Gavin Lohse goes up for a shot and gets fouled last week against Eudora.
Senior Nathan Parker led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points and was the lone player in double figures. Junior Conlee Hovey had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Hickey also finished with nine.
Hill added eight in the loss to go along with the go-ahead 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
“Luke did a good job, and hit a big shot there,” Doll said. “I think Nate, Luke and Brady all hit threes for us. We had some guys knock down some big shots for us.
“I think teams are really focused on Conlee right now and I think that will open some shooters up on the perimeter and we took advantage of some of that. Conlee has earned himself enough respect that he is drawing a lot of attention and it was good to see our shooters knock some shots down.”
Louisburg has two games remaining in the regular season and the Wildcats will travel to Paola on Tuesday before returning home Thursday against Harrisonville on Senior Night.
Louisburg second half rally comes up short against Eudora
Louisburg sophomore Zyleigh Melton puts up a shot in the lane last Tuesday at home against Eudora.
The Louisburg girls basketball team put together a strong second half against Eudora last Tuesday at home.
Unfortunately, the Lady Cats didn’t quite have enough to overcome a rough first half. Eudora handed Louisburg a 38-30 loss after the Lady Cats held the Cardinals to just 14 second half points.
Louisburg outscored Eudora 19-14 in the second half, but scored just 11 first half points and committed 25 turnovers for the game.
“We played good in the second half for sure, and if we could figure out the first half I think we would be winning more basketball games,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “We beat them in the second half so that was good and I think the girls did fine. It took us a minute to get going, but the girls played hard.”
The Lady Cats were without two players due to illness, so they were playing short-handed, but battled to the end. Louisburg found itself down 15 points midway through the third quarter, but the Lady Cats were to trim the deficit to just five at one point.
Eudora had a 30-15 lead with under three minutes left in the third, but the Lady Cats went on a 10-1 run that went into the fourth quarter.
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen battles for a rebound last Tuesday against Eudora.
Addy Stohs started it with a free throw, Zyleigh Melton knocked down a 3-pointer and Ashlyn Kuhlman made a basket and was fouled that ended the third.
In the fourth, Kuhlman hit a pair of free throws and Sabra Brueggen knocked in a basket to make it a 6-point game. After a 3-pointer by Eudora, the Lady Cats followed with four straight points from Melton, that included her second 3-pointer to cut it to five.
Louisburg could get no closer as it scored just one point in the final four minutes and the Cardinals were able to hold on for the win.
“We obviously cut the turnovers down a little in the second half, but we also started going to the basket more,” Lane said. “I think that opens up more shots for everybody and we were able to hit some shots from the outside.
“Our defense is getting better and that is why we are getting better. We are playing solid defense, we are rebounding pretty well, but we just need to find some offense somewhere.”
Melton led the Lady Cat offense with nine points on the night. Kuhlman added seven points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.
Brueggen paced Louisburg on the glass with a team-high 11 rebounds.
Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday as the Lady Cats travel to rival Paola. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Louisburg girls wrestling season comes to close at regionals
Louisburg freshman Leola Eslinger works for a pin Saturday during the Class 4-1A regional wrestling tournament at Columbus High School.
COLUMBUS — It was a small, but mighty version of the Louisburg girls wrestling team in 2024, and the Lady Cats had their fair share of ups and downs.
Still, they put their best foot forward last Saturday at the Class 4-1A regional tournament at Columbus High School. Louisburg nearly had its first ever state qualifier on the girls side.
Freshman Leola Eslinger finished one victory shy of a state bid with a loss in the consolation semifinals and ended her day with a 3-2 record.
Another freshman, Allison Martin, ended her season with an 0-2 record at 130 pounds.
Eslinger, who wrestled at 145 pounds, opened the tournament with a pin of Labette County’s Alexis Spencer. In the quarterfinals, Eslinger was pinned by Independence’s Caille Anne Fairbank in the second period.
That started Eslinger’s journey in the back side of the bracket as she went on to pin Jayhawk-Linn’s Abigail Stone and Erie’s Madi Cope.
Then in the consolation semifinals, she battled Columbus’ Madelyn Garcia, but was pinned and ended her season with a 28-9 record. Of those 28 wins, 27 came by pin.
As for Martin, she was pinned by Frontenac’s Ariana Ortega to being the tournament and then lost a tough 2-1 decision to Girard’s Bailey Glaser to end her season.
“A ton of great things came out of our girls season this year,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Both of our girls are freshmen — Allison is a first-year wrestler and earned four varsity wins along the way, and Leola brought a great deal of experience into her first year with us. Allison’s last match was a 2-1 decision, and she was pushing her opponent the entire match. Had there been a little more experience and perhaps a little more time, she might have gotten the win there.
“In Leola’s final match in the blood round, she got the first takedown against a senior and returning state qualifier. She locked up a cradle and looked like she was going to pull off the upset, but one little mistake and her opponent capitalized on it. Next year will be an awesome step up from this year, as we should have a bunch more girls coming up from the middle school who have been very active with our kids club. Big things are in store for our girls wrestling program, that’s for sure.”
Miami County swim team cruises to league crown; prepares for state
Louisburg sophomore Andrew Jamison swims the butterfly last week during the 200 individual medley at the Independent League Championships in Osawatomie.
OSAWATOMIE — The Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill boys swim team had the perfect ending to its regular season schedule.
The Miami County team rolled to a league championship at the Independent League Meet on Wednesday at the Ozone in Osawatomie. It was a meet that featured state qualification times or improvements on previous state marks.
The squad won the 9-team meet with 375 points and Fort Scott was second with 281. It captured five individual events and also won two relays, while recording 45 new best times.
With all that success, coach Mary Argeropoulos was named the ILC boys coach of the year.
“Each and every swimmer really had a great meet at league and the energy was contagious,” Argeropoulos said. “This OzPaLouSpri team is a force to be reckoned with and they combine natural talent with all the hard work that it takes to excel at their level. Our non-state attenders tapered really well and the time cuts show their dedication throughout the season. The state swimmers made some strategic moves to get ready for state seeding and are in full swing for state at this moment.”
Louisburg sophomores Colin Brown and Andrew Jamison each came home with a pair of league titles.
Brown was the league champion in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute and 53.38 seconds. He also captured the 100 backstroke crown going away in 57.10 seconds.
As for Jamison, he won the 200 individual medley in 2:06.85. He also finished first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.31.
Junior Colton Prettyman won a league title in the 50 freestyle in 23.65 seconds. He was also a league runner-up in the 100 breaststroke.
The Miami County team also won a pair of relays as Brown, Jamison, Prettyman and Osawatomie’s Luke Hebert took first in the 200 medley relay in 1:42.
Louisburg freshman Brock Delmez swims the freestyle last week during the league meet.
Paola’s Landen Terflinger joined Louisburg’s Noah Sharp, Prettyman and Jamison to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:37.05.
Sharp and fellow Louisburg swimmer Brock Delmez took fifth and seventh in the 100 freestyle, respectively. Delmez was also fifth in the 200 freestyle.
Hebert was the fourth individual to win a league tile as he finished first in the 100 butterfly in 57.16 seconds. Hebert (50 freestyle), along with Terflinger (200 freestyle) and Spring Hill’s Dylan Mabe (200 IM) also earned state qualification times as well.
Louisburg swim will be well represented at the Class 5-1A state meet that will be held Friday and Saturday in Topeka.
Brown, a returning state medalist, will compete in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstrokes. Jamison will compete in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley.
Prettyman will join Jamison in the 100 breaststroke and will also compete in the 50 freestyle.
The Wildcat team of Brown, Prettyman, Jamison and Sharp will try for a medal in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.
Hebert (50 free, 100 butterfly), Terflinger (200 freestyle, 50 free) and Mabe (200 IM, 100 backstroke) will also take part at the state meet for their respective schools.
Events begin at 9 a.m. on Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka-Hummer Sports Park.
“We are so pumped to be taking such a large core group for competition at state,” Argeropoulos said. “These athletes set high goals for themselves at the beginning of the season and they have kept focus from day one. Our goal is always to be our best when it counts the most and we are so proud of the preparation each and every swimmer has put into practice each day.”
