Vohs hits game-winner to give Louisburg win over Tonganoxie in opener
Louisburg junior Myles Vohs drives in for a basket Friday during the Wildcats’ season opener against Tonganoxie.
The Louisburg boys basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to its season.
Louisburg jumped out to a fast start, took a big halftime lead and everything was primed for a big celebration after the game was over. The Wildcats still got to celebrate, but getting the win Friday over Tonganoxie wasn’t easy.
The Chieftains rallied from a double digit deficit to tie the game in the second half, but Louisburg junior Myles Vohs hit a runner with under 15 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 53-51 victory.
“I am really proud of them,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “There is definitely stuff we can learn from. However, we would definitely rather learn from a win than a loss, so we will take it.”
Not only did the Wildcats open with a victory, Doll, who is in his first season as Louisburg’s head coach, earned his first varsity win after spending 20-plus years as an assistant coach at Blue Valley North and Lansing.
Throw in a dramatic game-winner and the Wildcats had plenty to celebrate in their season season opener.
“It is awesome,” Doll said. “I have been an assistant coach for a long time and have had a lot of big wins, so this one feels like a lot of those. It never seemed like the situation was overwhelming, but at the same time I had my family there and everyone was telling me congratulations and that is different from other big wins that I have had.
“It was a lot more special, especially for a game in December and not one in March. I told the guys after the game that I thank them. You only get one first win and it is with these guys, so I really appreciate how hard they played and how they stayed within the game.”
New Louisburg head coach Ben Doll recorded his first win as a head coach Friday.
Louisburg struggled offensively in the second half and scored just four points in the fourth quarter, but those two baskets — both by Vohs — were in big moments.
With the game tied at 49-all, Vohs drove the lane for a basket to give Louisburg a 51-49 lead midway though the quarter. Then, the game was tied at 51-all, and after the Wildcats worked the ball around, Vohs found an opening in the Chieftain zone and hit a runner with 15 seconds left.
Tonganoxie tried to win the game, but the 3-point attempt at the buzzer rolled off the front of the rim and the Wildcats were able to survive.
“It was obviously huge,” Doll said of Vohs’ game-winner. “He did a good job of penetrating the zone and trying to get guys to collapse. On that possession, we did a really good job of doing that, especially Myles. It was a big shot by him and he was clutch.”
Louisburg senior Nathan Parker led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points.
Louisburg jumped on Tonganoxie in the first half as the Wildcats scored 12 unanswered points to start the game and eventually took a 39-26 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats were scoring at a frantic pace and Tonganoxie needed to try something to slow them down. The Chieftains put in a 1-3-1 zone and the Wildcats scored just 14 second half points.
“It is really tough to adjust to that after playing like we were, and that was great coaching by them,” Doll said. “As a coach you reach a point sometimes where you have to throw a change-up and see if it works. It worked really well on us. Our goal was not to turnover the ball and that isn’t a great way to play offense. It is just something we have to work on.
“The one positive about going against that zone is I think we got better at attacking it as the game went on. We had to play against it for much of the second half and I think that enabled us to attack it better.”
Despite battling some foul trouble, senior Nathan Parker provided the Wildcats with a spark on offense as he scored a game-high 13 points, including 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.
Louisburg junior Gavin Lohse goes up for a shot against Tonganoxie.
Senior Luke Hill also found a lot of success from the outside as he finished with 10 points, including three 3-pointers.
The Wildcats did a lot of work on the glass as they outrebounded Tonganoxie 36-20, including 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 12 second chance points.
Senior Brock Vohs did a little bit of everything for the Wildcats as he finished with six points, six rebounds and six assists.
Junior Gavin Lohse had a team-high eight rebounds and junior Conlee Hovey had seven.
Louisburg will try for back to back wins Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Burlington for their first game of the season. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Experience, new head coach ready to lead Wildcat basketball in 23-24
Louisburg’s Luke Hill is one of five seniors on the Wildcat basketball team this season as they open play at home tonight against Tonganoxie.
The Louisburg boys basketball team will have a little different look to it this season after losing its leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago.
The Wildcats will also have a new leader on the bench in head coach Ben Doll. Despite some of those changes, Louisburg returns nine players that either started, or saw major varsity minutes a season ago.
It is that experience that has helped Doll’s transition be a smooth one so far.
“It has been really good,” Doll said. “We started by not having to make any cuts on the JV and varsity level, which was good. We were able to get into practice sooner and they have done really well so far. We have thrown a lot at them because it is a new system. We have had some really good practices and the jamboree we had was good for us too. I feel pretty good and I am hopeful we can get off to a good start before the break.”
The Wildcats feature five seniors that will help lead the way this season as they try to improve off an 8-13 finish a year ago. Guards Luke Hill, Brady Hickey, Nathan Parker, along with forwards Brock Vohs and Jaymes Melton, will look to help the Wildcats get off to a good start.
Doll, who took over from former coach Ty Pfannenstiel, has liked what he has seen out of his senior class so far.
“They are going to be really important,” Doll said of his seniors. “We have the right number of seniors and we are going to rely on them. Luke is recovered from his injury, and even though he hasn’t really played high level basketball for 11 months, he has done a really good job at practice. Excited about all of them and we have a really good junior class as well. It really helped when Coach Pfannenstiel gave a lot of those JV guys some varsity minutes last year so they know what to expect.”
Louisburg senior Brock Vohs is one of nine returning players with varsity experience from last season.
Juniors Conlee Hovey and Gavin Lohse will give the Wildcats some big minutes underneath the basket, while guards Myles Vohs and Luke Schultz will also play significant minutes throughout the season.
Although many players will be returning, the team will look a little bit different offensively as they have to replace an all-league player in Colyer Wingfield, who was their leading scorer last season.
“The basic offense stuff is about the same,” Doll said. “Last year they had a really good player (Wingfield) that could score in a bunch of different ways, but we aren’t going to have that this year and we don’t need to have one guy do all that. That has been a little bit of an adjustment for them.
“It wasn’t a bad thing for them last year because he was a really good player. The guys this year realize that we need to move the ball a little bit more and we will be better when we screen and come off screens, rather than just get the ball in our hands and create things that we don’t want.”
As important as the offense is, Doll knows the defensive end of the floor is just as important — if not more early on.
“Before the break, offenses won’t be very advanced and most teams will have some inexperience out there,” Doll said. “We need to be up in people’s business and pressure defensively and create offense off turnovers. I think defenses will be ahead of offenses and we have to be good defensively in order to take advantage of that. We want to play fast and be able to run. People enjoy watching an up and down game and players like that. We are going to go 9-10 deep to start the year, so that will allow us to pressure more and guys can get more minutes.”
Louisburg’s Brady Hickey is one of five seniors on the Wildcat team this year.
A new rule for the high school level this year is the elimination of 1-and-1 opportunities at the free throw line. The new rule states each team will be given five fouls a quarter, and after that, each team will shoot two free throws and the team fouls will be reset after each quarter.
That change had led to different ways teams have approached those free shots going into the season.
“We have focused more on free throws in practice than we normally do at this point in the year,” Doll said. “Free throws are one of those things where you tell them they are important, but don’t do a lot with them in practice and you expect them to work on that on their own. We have had about 1 or 2 parts of every practice where we are doing different free throw type drills. I like to do them after we do something hard when they are tired. If we are up there hitting just 1 of 2 or 0 of 2, that is glaring and costly. You have to make free throws and I think a lot of teams around the state are treating them more seriously.”
Louisburg will try and get in the win column to start the season tonight as the Wildcats host Tonganoxie in a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and Doll is knows his team has the potential to do good things this year.
“I just want to them to compete in every game,” Doll said. “There will be games where we are down, but we are going to have to keep fighting. I told them this at one of our team meetings recently, is that you just have to be playing your best at the end. You obviously want to win every game, but it is a process and we are trying to build something.”
New look Louisburg girls basketball team excited for season
Louisburg guard Jillian Asher is one of seven juniors who will lead the Lady Cats this season.
There aren’t many years when a varsity basketball team will feature a totally different look to it going into a new season.
However, it is one of those years for the Louisburg girls basketball team.
The Lady Cats return zero starters from a season ago — and have no players who logged any significant varsity minutes in the 22-23 campaign.
On the other hand, Louisburg will feature a group of seven juniors who are looking forward to putting their fingerprints on the program.
“In my nine years of coaching I have never started a season with zero seniors, and not only that, but zero players with little to no varsity experience,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “Of course this is a challenge, but with the group of juniors that I have I know they are ready to step up and give this program all they have. These group of juniors are very competitive and they will battle every game.”
Louisburg reached the sub-state championship game a season ago, but the Lady Cats had to say goodbye to a big class of seven seniors and now they will have a new group looking making their own mark.
With a lot of new players, practice has been important to start the season and Lane has liked what she has seen so far.
Louisburg’s Shylar Whiting is one of seven juniors who will lead the Lady Cat program this season.
“Practice has been going well,” Lane said. “They are hard workers and they bring a lot of energy every day. We have practiced together with all teams a lot so far this season. The freshman group is strong so they make practice very competitive.”
Juniors Jillian Asher, Ally Brown, Sabra Brueggen, Ashlyn Kuhlman, Sami Lane, Addy Stohs and Shylar Whiting will get a bulk of the minutes for the Lady Cats this season, but it is a group that has played together for awhile.
After a solid junior varsity season a year ago, they are looking to find success at the varsity level with the help of some sophomores off the bench. Although they logged a few varsity minutes at times last season, it will be their first opportunity as varsity leaders.
“This group works extremely hard, they have come every day with a positive attitude and they are willing to learn,” coach Lane said. “If they can keep team first, I do believe they will have a successful season.”
Asher will serve as the team’s point guard, while Brown, Sami Lane and Whiting will play on the wing. Kuhlman will split time on the wing and in the post, while Brueggen and Stohs will play underneath the basket.
“They have played together for many, many years, they know each other and they know where each other will be on the court,” coach Lane said. “I think we will be quick and be able to transition well on offense and defense. The program as a whole is strong, our freshmen come in with a lot of talent and there are several JV players who are very strong as well.”
Like most seasons, the Lady Cats will have a difficult schedule, including matchups against Frontier League programs. Louisburg opens its season Friday at home against Tonganoxie.
“I think the Frontier League is tough,” coach Lane said. “I believe Baldwin will be one of the top teams this year. They will be quick and tough. Ottawa will also be a strong team. They are always physical and play extremely hard. Spring Hill will be tough again this year, as they have several returning starters from last year.”
State qualifiers return to lead Wildcat wrestling in 23-24
Louisburg senior J’Lee Collins is one of three state qualifiers to return to lead the Louisburg wrestling team this upcoming season.
After rolling with some younger lineups the last couple of years, the Louisburg wrestling team is starting to see that experience come to light and the Wildcats are hoping for big things for the 2023-24 season.
The Wildcats return three state qualifiers from a year ago and will feature a full 14-member lineup. Out of the 14, 11 are juniors and seniors.
In all, Louisburg has 37 wrestlers out this season and head coach Bobby Bovaird has liked what he has seen so far in practice.
“We have a little less than we’ve had the last couple of seasons, but I’m still happy with the numbers we’ve got out,” Bovaird said. “The level of experience has increased from previous years, which helps us move quicker in our progression throughout the season.
“We’ve been having some great practices. The team is staying healthy and working really hard. We have excellent attitudes from our leaders, and our newcomers are falling right in with the program.”
The Wildcats sent six wrestlers to the state tournament a season ago and three of them are coming back to lead this year’s group. Senior J’Lee Collins, and juniors Ashton Moore and Jay McCaskill, will all aim to get back there again.
Another junior, Brayden Yoder, just missed out on a state tournament bid last season and Bovaird is looking to those four to help lead the way this year.
Junior Ashton Moore will wrestle at 190 pounds for the Wildcats after earning a state bid last year at 175.
“Just watching those four guys in the practice room, it’s awesome to see their work ethic and leadership,” Bovaird said. “It’s infectious, too. Brayden and Ashton roll with some of our bigger guys, J’Lee is pushing the lower weights, and Jay is right there in the middle weights. Ashton and J’Lee were both a match from finishing in the top 6 at state, and Jay was bouncing back from a nasty knee injury. If he’d had a full season, he would have been ready to make a very strong showing at state. Brayden, despite not making it to state, had an incredible sophomore season.”
In the lower weights, freshman Levi Cotter will open for the Wildcats at 106 pounds, while junior Canaan Clayton will take hold of the 113 pound spot.
Junior Will Showalter and Collins will wrestle at 120 and 126 pounds, respectively, and both are two of the four team captains. Sophomore Tyson Blancarte or junior Logan Henry will wrestle at 132.
Junior Mika McKitrick, another team captain, will wrestle at 138 pounds. Seniors Traden Noll and Colin Robinson will wrestle at 144 and 150 pounds, respectively, while McCaskill will stay at his 157 pound weight from last season.
Louisburg junior Jay McCaskill will wrestle at 157 pounds this year after earning a state bid a year ago.
Freshman Bryce Thompson and sophomore Vance Hahn will see time at 165 pounds and senior Elias Pugh is at 175 pounds. Moore, a team captain, will bump up to 190 pounds this season.
Yoder (215) and junior Xander Lucas (285) will be among the Wildcat heavyweights this season.
Louisburg will also add a pair of wrestlers to its girls team. Freshman Leola Eslinger (145) and Allison Martin (125) will be the lone Wildcats this season.
“We’re still getting started on the girls side, but we’re bringing in a freshman with great youth wrestling experience in Leola,” Bovaird said. “Allison, while she is new to the sport of wrestling, she’s got experience with jiu jitsu, which will help her quite a bit.”
The Wildcats will open their season Friday at the Fort Scott Dual Tournament. It will be the first of many challenges for Louisburg as its ventures through the Frontier League and several other difficult 4A programs.
“We will have a pretty solid team, top to bottom,” Bovaird said. “We have lots of kids with varsity experience, as well as kids bringing in some great youth wrestling experience. We’re in a tough league with teams like Baldwin, Paola, Bonner Springs, Spring Hill and Tonganoxie, but I think we’ll be pretty competitive within the Frontier League, as well as in Class 4A.”
Grateful and humble, Moore reflects on his journey at Kansas State
Kansas State senior, and Louisburg alum, Austin Moore runs onto the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Field on Saturday during Senior Night ceremonies.
MANHATTAN — As Austin Moore stood in the purple-lit tunnel looking out onto Bill Snyder Family Memorial Stadium, all the memories rushing back.
One as a walk-on just trying to make the team, then earning a scholarship and then eventually moving all the way up to a Big 12 Champion and a team captain.
The five years he has spent with the Kansas State football program has been some of the best times of his life. It was, how Moore put it, where his “dreams came true.”
“I was just thinking about my journey here and how grateful I am for everyone,” Moore said. “How grateful I am for my teammates, coaches, fans and I am just grateful for a lot of things.”
At the top of that list is his biggest supporters and fans — his family.
That is who Moore was staring down in the blizzard-like conditions on a rare snowy November night in Manhattan for Senior Night. Down about 50 yards away, were his parents Tommy and Alison, along with his siblings Alyse, Ashton and Adelyn.
So when the public address announcer called his name, Moore found K-State head coach Chris Klieman, gave him a hug and went jogging toward his family.
Austin gives mother a hug on Senior Night while his father Tommy, and siblings, Ashton and Adelyn look on Saturday in Manhattan.
It is what Senior Nights are made for — a chance to thank those people have been so supportive in his journey. Now, that he could be playing in possibly his final home game, it was a lot to digest.
“It is hard to describe,” Moore said. “It has been everything I have dreamed off since I was a young kid. My parents and all my family believed in me and it is what I hoped for and envisioned when I decided to walk-on here. I am just so grateful to everyone here and back in Louisburg who have supported me. It has been really fun.”
What started out as a fun, memorable day turned somber for Moore and his Wildcat teammates as they tried to process the 42-35 loss to Iowa State in their regular season finale.
It wasn’t the way Moore wanted to go out for the final time in front of the Wildcat faithful.
Austin Moore runs in to make a tackle Saturday against Iowa State.
As difficult as the one loss was, Moore’s journey was something he will remember for the rest of life.
It all started in 2019 when the Louisburg all-state player committed to Kansas State as a walk-on and joined Klieman in his first year with the program.
Moore eventually impressed his coaches enough to earn a spot on a scholarship and eventually garnered the nickname — ‘The Machine.’ It started because he didn’t show a lot of emotion and always answered questions fast.
The nickname grew and Moore’s business-like work ethic was contagious and respected by his teammates. He became a starting linebacker his junior year and helped his team to a Big 12 Championship.
As a senior, he was named a team captain and leader of the Wildcat defense — a long way from where he started. He was recently named to the All-Big 12 second team after he finished his senior campaign with a team-high 12 tackles for loss and was second with 59 tackles.
Austin Moore celebrates his fumble recovery in the first quarter of Saturday’s snowy game against Iowa State.
“I think before I get here I was probably a little naive to what it was going to be like, Moore said. “There were times here for sure where I wondered to myself if I was going to make it. But I always had older guys here show me the way and people have always believed in me. I am just really thankful for that.”
People like his family, former teammates and the whole town of Louisburg rooting for Moore to succeed — even the most die-hard Kansas Jayhawk fans in Louisburg wanted the best for Moore.
It is those fans in Louisburg that have kept Moore motivated the last five years, even through the most difficult times.
“It is really special,” he said. “I have people all the time texting me and things like that. I just hope that I can be a good role model to some of those kids back in Louisburg. I hope that I made some people proud back home.”
Austin Moore barks out a call from his linebacker spot Saturday against Iowa State.
As for what the future holds, Moore still has one more game left, which is a bowl game next month. He currently has one year of eligibility remaining, but is undecided if he will be back in the purple and white next season.
“Yeah I have talked with the coaches, but I am still not 100 percent sure of what I am going to do,” Moore said. “I still have a lot of thinking to do and I am going to talk to my family. No matter what I decide, I am so grateful for everything here at K-State.”
Grateful for a program who gave him a chance to achieve his dream and for all those who helped him along the way.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” Moore said.
Battle, Moore named as Simone Awards finalist
Louisburg’s Declan Battle (left) and Ashton Moore were named as finalists for two different Simone Awards on Sunday. Battle is up for the Frank Fontana Award and Moore made the final four for the Bobby Bell Award.
A pair of Louisburg football players were recognized among the best in the Kansas City area Sunday evening when the finalists for the 41st Annual Simone Awards were released.
The Simone Awards, which gives out five different honors to showcase the best players in the area, announced two Wildcats as finalists for two different awards.
Senior Declan Battle was announced as a finalist for the Frank Fontana Award, while junior Ashton Moore was named to the final four for the Bobby Bell Award.
The Frank Fontana Award is given annually to the best all-around small school player in Class 1-4 on the Missouri and Kansas sides of the Metro. Battle, who led the Wildcat offense as a first team All-Frontier League player at quarterback, had a big season for Louisburg.
In 10 games for the Wildcats, Battle completed 105 passes for 1,364 yards and had 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also did a lot of damage on the ground with 1,009 yards rushing and 16 more touchdowns.
As a defensive back, Battle finished with 36 tackles and also had an interception for a touchdown.
St. Pius X sophomore quarterback Hudson Bailey, Kearney senior running back Cameron Emmons and Warrensburg junior quarterback Kobe Westphal are the other three finalists.
The Bobby Bell award is given annually to the best Class 1-4 offensive lineman/defensive lineman or linebacker.
Moore was one of the leaders of the Wildcat defense this past season. As a first-team All-Frontier League player on both sides of the ball, Moore posted a team-high 125 tackles, including eight for a loss. Moore had four forced fumbles and two sacks.
As a running back, Moore carried the ball 151 times for 1,110 yards and had 15 touchdowns. He also finished with 292 yards receiving and three more scores.
Pleasant Hill senior linebacker Brayden Bush, Grandview senior lineman Derek Joiner and St. Thomas Aquinas senior defensive tackle Kian Payne are the other three finalists.
The Bobby Bell Award winner will be announced tonight on the 6 p.m. sports cast on Channel 41 News, while the Frank Fontana Award recipient will be announced on the 6 p.m. sportscast on Wednesday.
Louisburg cheer makes state finals, finishes fourth overall
Louisburg’s Kimmie Powls cheers on the crowd as she stands on the shoulders of Kayleigh Ramsey on Saturday during the Class 4A Game Day Spirit Showcase in Topeka.
TOPEKA — Louisburg cheer has been no stranger to the big stage when it comes to the state competition.
The Wildcats have become a mainstay in the Class 4A Game Day Spirit Showcase in the last several years that has included a state championship and a pair of state runner-up finishes.
Louisburg found itself in position for another state plaque Saturday at the Stormont-Vail Events Center in Topeka. The Wildcats qualified for the finals with an impressive performance, but came up just short of another state plaque as they took fourth overall in Class 4A.
“I am so proud,” Louisburg coach Breanna Kostroske said. “This team had to welcome not one, but two new coaches and has worked so hard since May on their competition material and it truly showed on the floor Saturday. Being a new coach you are automatically stressed that you haven’t given enough to all aspects of a game day routine, but we put our faith in the team and they showed up and truly represented themselves in a huge way.”
It was a tight competition in the finals as the top six teams put together strong scores. Louisburg recorded a score of 90.40, which was a point away from being in second place.
Topeka-Hayden won the state title with a 92.5, while Holton (91.45) and Baldwin (91.35) took second and third, respectively. Paola was fifth at 89.10 and Bishop Miege was sixth at 88.40.
Senior Elizabeth George raises a sign in the air as she is held up by Kayleigh Ramsey, Laney Stohs and Brooklyn Harmon.
“It was disappointing not leaving with a state plaque, and it hit the team hard,” Kostroske said. “The competition was fierce and every team in the 4A division came back this year better than ever, including Louisburg. Although we didn’t leave with a plaque, we left defeating the two time reigning state champion, Paola, and we jumped from last year’s score of 79.45 to a 90.4. That is only 9.6 points away from perfection, which shows in itself how fierce the competition was this year. We took fourth place with us and will use it as a stepping stone to competing at nationals.”
Louisburg put together a strong performance in the qualifying rounds, which earned them a spot in the finals.
“Our qualifying rounds were electrifying to watch,” Kostroske said. “We have performed this same routine at regionals and multiple showcases and I had never seen them show out as well as they did during qualifiers. When our name was called for finals, it was the best feeling as a coach and being able to look at the team and their reaction of pure excitement made it even better.”
A week prior, the Wildcats competed at the regional competition and earned a spot at nationals — which will be held in Dallas in January. They placed second in the Co-Ed Varsity Division at the regional meet.
“The team had a dream to go to nationals and they turned that dream into reality,” Kostroske said. “This is the first time in LHS history the cheerleading squad had competed at a regional competition to get a bid to nationals and scored a perfection score of 90 percent. This was a huge accomplishment.
“Now they get to compete at a three day, televised, national event for gameday. It is one of the hardest to compete in as a high school team and Louisburg has only competed at this level once back in 2019, placing 19th. We hope to bring home a higher placing and represent Louisburg with everything we have.”
Members of the Louisburg cheer team are: Elizabeth George, Brooklyn Harmon, Addison Drake, Maddie O’Keefe, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Caroline Dugger, Anna Brizendine, Reece Jones, Addie Vargo, Laney Stohs, Taryn Osborn, Kayleigh Ramsey, Will Leach, Brooklyn Roney, Harper Boyle, Kimmie Powls, Reece Younggren and Reese Anderson. The Wildcats are coached by Breanna Kostroske and Heather Brummel.
Nine Wildcats earn spots on All-Frontier League football team
Louisburg’s Declan Battle, Ashton Moore, Conlee Hovey and Brayden Yoder each earned first team all-league honors on both sides of the ball.
The 2023 football season was another memorable one for Louisburg thanks to a 9-1 season and its second straight Frontier League championship.
After putting together an undefeated league campaign, the Wildcats were rewarded for their efforts when the All-Frontier League team was released earlier this week.
Louisburg earned four first-team selections as Declan Battle, Ashton Moore, Conlee Hovey and Brayden Yoder were named at the top of the respective positions on both sides of the ball.
Along with the four first team selections, seniors Wyatt Holland and Caden Caplinger were named to the second team, while seniors Brady Hickey, Brody McGreer and Jaymes Melton were selected as honorable mention.
In total, Louisburg had nine players represented on the all-league squad.
“As always the Frontier League was tough week in and week out,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “The league was filled will high quality football teams, and even the teams that have been down recently made good strides this year, so that made every week a challenge. I thought our team was represented well on the all-league team. It is a huge honor to be named to a team by making an impression on opposing coaches.”
Battle led the Wildcat offense as he earned first team all-league quarterback honors. He finished with more than 2,300 total yards and had 32 touchdowns.
The Louisburg senior was also a first-team selection as a defensive back. Battle finished with 36 tackles and also had an interception for a touchdown.
In the backfield, Moore carried the load for the Wildcats as he carried the ball 151 times for 1,110 yards and had 15 touchdowns. He also finished with 292 yards receiving and three more scores to earn first team honors at running back.
Moore was also one of the leaders of the Wildcat defense. He earned first team honors at linebacker after he posted a team-high 125 tackles, including eight for a loss. Moore had four forced fumbles and two sacks.
Hovey earned first team honors on both sides of the ball at tight end and defensive end. The Louisburg junior finished with 42 tackles on the year to go along with two sacks and a forced fumble.
Offensively, Hovey had 20 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He also helped the Wildcat offensive line as well.
Yoder was another first-team selection for his work on the offensive and defensive lines. At defensive tackle, the Louisburg junior finished with 61 stops, including six tackles for a loss.
He was also a big piece of the Wildcat offensive line as he helped pave the way for more than 4,000 yards of total offense.
“To be named all-league on both sides of the ball is a huge honor,” Harding said. “All of those guys had tremendous seasons for us. Declan was really what made us go offensively and was the leader of that unit. He also was very solid on the defensive side of the ball and got the secondary lined up. Ashton was the leader of the defensive unit and had a very productive year from his linebacker spot. He also had a great year at running back and was very difficult to tackle for opponents.
“Conlee was a huge part of our offense as a tight end. He was big for us in the running game as a blocker and then was also a weapon for us in the passing game. I think he played his best defensive football towards the end of the season, so that is exciting to see what he can do next year. Brayden was just rock solid all year. He never came off the field all year and he just played with great effort and energy at all times. He was huge for us offensively and this was his first year playing defensive tackle and for him to be named all league in his first year was very impressive.”
Caplinger was named second team on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and defensive back. He led the Wildcats with 33 catches, 510 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
On defense, he finished with 41 tackles, 1.5 sacks, six pass breakups and an interception.
As for Holland, he was another leader of the Wildcat defense and earned second team honors at linebacker. Holland was second on the team with 90 tackles, five tackles for a loss and an interception.
“Wyatt and Caden are both for sure first team caliber players,” Harding said. “Caden had a knack for making big time plays in key situations for us throughout the years. His ability to go up and make contested catches for us was huge and he also had a big year for us defensively.
“Wyatt was our second leading tackler on the team and was able to accomplish that playing with a club on his hand pretty much the whole year. He always played with great energy and effort and made a lot of plays for us that he shouldn’t have been able to just by being relentless.”
McGreer earned two spots the all-league team as an honorable mention returner and defensive back. He finished the season with 31 tackles, two for a loss and led the team with 12 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Hickey was named as an honorable mention multipurpose player as he was a vital part of the Louisburg defense. He finished with 70 tackles, three for a loss, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Melton was the team’s starting center and earned honorable mention honors on the offensive line. He led the unit that helped amass more than 4,000 yards of total offense.
“It was nice to see those guys be named to all-league teams as well,” Harding said. “Brady, Brody, and Jaymes were all key to our success this year. Brady was able to play all over the place for our defense and was productive at all spots. Our defense definitely would not of been what it was without Brady being able to play in multiple spots successfully.
“Brody had a good year for us at cornerback and had a huge interception for us against Spring Hill. He also was big for us on special teams units and it was nice for him to be recognized as a punt returner. Jaymes really became the leader of our offensive line from his center spot. We had a pretty good year offensively and that all starts up front. I’m glad to see Jaymes be recognized for his efforts.”
ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL
OFFENSE
FIRST TEAM
QUARTERBACK — Declan Battle, Louisburg, senior
RUNNING BACK — Ashton Moore, junior, Louisburg; Colton McKanna, Spring Hill, senior; Colton Brusven, Tonganoxie, senior
OFFENSIVE LINE — Thomas Cromer, Eudora, senior; Brayden Yoder, Louisburg, junior; Eli Richmond, Paola, senior; Carter Meek, Spring Hill, senior; TJ Leeper, junior, Tonganoxie
Hall of fame induction means a lot to Griffin, 2010 state football team
Several members of the 2010 state football team returned last month as they were inducted into the school’s hall of fame.
The 2010-11 school year was a memorable one for Louisburg High School when it came to athletics.
The Wildcats won a pair of state titles that year — football and boys track and field — and it featured some of the better athletes the school had seen in some time.
Two of those pieces from that year were officially put into the Louisburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame last month.
Garrett Griffin, a 2012 graduate, was inducted along with the 2010 state football team. It was a special moment for everyone involved.
“It was great honor,” Griffin said. “The special part for me was the 2010 team went in on the same night. I loved being a part of that team and it was great to see all those guys honored as well. It was really nice to be back in Louisburg and to be able to catch up with guys. I am very thankful for my upbringing in Louisburg and it was more about the support group that I had growing up. My family, friends and coaches all helped me achieve everything I accomplished. I really can’t thank all of them enough.”
Griffin was a three-sport athlete for Louisburg High School and earned 12 varsity letters during his illustrious Wildcat career. Griffin holds several LHS football records, was a state champion in track and was a four-time letter winner in basketball. He was also a part of two state championship teams.
In football, Griffin was a 4-year letter winner and accumulated four team records during that span. He is the school’s all-time career rushing leader with 4,667 yards, all-time receiving leader at 1,006 yards, all-time receptions leader with 51 and first in all-time tackles with 273.
Griffin earned All-Frontier League honors all four years and awarded all-state honors as a linebacker his junior season after helping lead the Wildcat football team to their first state title in 2010. In 2011, he was named among the Top 11 players in the state as a senior and was a Kansas Shrine Bowl selection
Garrett Griffin, a 2012 graduate, was inducted into the school’s hall of fame last month.
In track and field, Griffin was a 4-time state qualifier in the javelin and 110-meter high hurdles. He was a two-time state champion in the javelin and a two-time state placer in the hurdles. He currently holds the school record in both events. As a junior, Griffin helped the Wildcats to their first state team title in 2011.
In basketball, Griffin was a 4-year letter winner and was an All-Frontier League selection his senior season.
“Track was always a great time and that is more of an individual than a team sport, but everyone was always there supporting each other,” Griffin said. “Winning state in track and football in the same year was awesome. Cool thing about track was you get compete with some guys that don’t play football. Greg Darrington was my javelin coach and I owe a lot to him. He was like another dad to me during track season.”
He was poised to have even more success in track as a senior. Griffin won three regional titles in 2012, but a ruptured appendix sidelined him for the state meet. It left him disappointed as was his father and coach, Gary Griffin.
“My senior year of track was not a negative memory for me. I remember waking up when I was in the recovery room at the hospital and heard my dad ask the doctor if I could still throw in the javelin and if it would make it worse. The doctor said I could, but that I wouldn’t like it too much.” Griffin joked. “I was peaking at the right time that year. Had my best day at regionals and I was lucky enough to throw a little in college.”
Following high school, Griffin signed with the Air Force Academy football program where he was a four-time letter winner as a tight end for the Falcons. During his time, he was also a member of the Air Force track and field program for two years and was a two-time Mountain West Conference placer in the javelin.
After graduating from the Academy, Griffin was selected as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints. He spent six seasons with the Saints and one with the Detroit Lions. As a member of the Saints, Griffin played in a handful of contests, which included an appearance in the NFC Championship game in 2018 where he caught a touchdown from quarterback Drew Brees.
Griffin spent last season with the Lions on the practice squad, but decided to retire from the NFL after six seasons. It was time to focus on his family.
“I got a few calls before the season, but I am ready to be done,” Griffin said. “It is bittersweet. I have loved football my whole life, but the last couple of years just wore on me. I am ready for some job security and little bit less stress. It was a great time in my life, but I have a family and it is time to move on and spend time with them. Playing in the NFL gave me awesome experiences and my dream came true. I will always be grateful for that.”
The 2010 football team made school history as those Wildcats became the first to win a state championship in football. Louisburg defeated Holton, 24-16, in the Class 4A championship game in Salina to finish the season with a 14-0 record under head coach Gary Griffin.
Louisburg breezed through the regular season and district playoffs with wins over Eudora (33-6), Ottawa (35-0), St. James Academy (49-7), Silver Lake (21-3), De Soto (28-7), Baldwin (42-26), Spring Hill (35-6), Osawatomie (62-6) and Paola (21-3). Louisburg won every game by 18 points or more.
The Wildcats dominated their way through the Class 4A state playoffs with victories over Anderson County (42-20), Chanute (56-35) and De Soto (21-0). Louisburg squared off with rival Paola in the sub-state championship and the Wildcats downed the Panthers 28-7 to advance to the state game against Holton.
“It was very cool,” coach Griffin said. “I was surprised to see as many of those kids come back as they did. Alex (Gentges) was the one who tried to get the word out on social media and everything. I think we got close to 30 of them there and it was great to see them again.
“It brought back a lot of memories. It is amazing to me to see how much they have all changed in the last 13 years or so. I am still in contact with a lot of them, especially the ones Garrett is friends with. Several still live around here, but it was neat to see them all again.”
Louisburg found itself down 10-0 for the first time all season early in the state championship game, but the Wildcats scored 24 unanswered points to win the title.
“I remember everything about that game,” coach Griffin said. “In 2007 when we went to state, I didn’t think the better team won. We could have played better against Andale. They had won it the year before and they kind of hit us in the mouth, got a lead, before we started to play better in the second half. Then when Holton got the lead on us, I just thought here we go again.
“Then late in the first half we put a drive together and scored. Our kids at halftime knew we were going to win because we figured out how to stop their offense. That was the third time I coached in a championship game and the other two we snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. I didn’t want it to happen again.”
It was a talented squad that earned 22 spots on the All-Frontier League team, including eight first team selections. The Wildcats also had several all-state selections and were headlined by quarterback Kody Cook, running back/linebacker Garrett Griffin and linemen Tyler Ewy and Ross Dvorak, who each earned first-team honors.
Ewy was named as one of the Top 11 players in the state of Kansas by three different organizations and was the recipient of the Bobby Bell Award, which goes to the best small class defensive lineman in the Kansas City area. He was a fixture on the Wildcat defensive line as he led the team with 139 tackles, including 25 for a loss and 10 sacks.
Cook guided the offense all season as the team’s quarterback as he tallied more than 1,700 yards of total offense to go along with 19 touchdowns.
His teammate in the backfield was Griffin as he ran over opponents all season. Griffin led Louisburg with 1,594 yards rushing and 412 yards receiving to go along with a combined 27 touchdowns.
Along with Ewy, Dvorak was one of the leaders on the offensive and defensive lines and he was also third on the team with 89 tackles, nine for a loss and four sacks. He was a first-team all-state selection by the Kansas Football Coaches Association (KFCA). Linebacker Chad Turney was a first team all-league selection and was second on the team with 126 stops.
Gary Griffin was named Coach of the Year by the KFCA.
“I know they had really lofty goals. Every year your goal is to win a state championship, but you could tell this group was really serious about it,” coach Griffin said. “The year before we got beat by Miege and then they popped up to 5A. Once that happened, I knew that we had as good of a chance as anyone.
“We were good in 2009 and we only lost to Gardner and then Miege in the playoffs. But the following year, I think we only had Ross, Tyler and Garrett returning who played a lot of varsity time. The rest of those guys were JV. Kody was hurt his junior year, but we knew he was going to be good. We were building around four kids and everyone else just filled their roles perfectly. As the year went on, we started to build momentum and realized we were pretty good.”
Members of the state championship team are Nate Goodwin, Nate O’Brien, Chris Chase, David Embers, Bradey Drew, Kody Cook, Hayden Guetterman, Jacob Powell, Ben Powers, Derek Mathis, Dylan York, Wyatt Sander, Nate Daugherty, Jordan Powell, Christian Richards, Christian Huffman, Nick Chapman, Will Garza, Alex Gentges, AJ Hildreth, Brett Hebert, Ryan Tinder, D.J. Meyer, Daniel O’Connor, Garrett Griffin, Clark Gregory, Luke Hupp, Curtis Lemke, Greyson Honsinger, Dakota Stone, Colton Seely, Alex Bell, Konnor Cook, Jason Danciak, Matt Nolte, Taylor Caskey, Matt Jenkins, Kyle McLellan, Chad Turney, Tyler Ewy, Colin Bird, Drew Carder, T.J. McKiearnan, Cole Kessler, Alex Cook, Ross Dvorak, Wayne Carlson, Ben Adams, Jacob Berglund, Mason Whaley, Doug Weers, Colton Rommel, David Stuteville, Dain Glenn, Kurtis Morgan, Austin Caskey and Kade Larson.
The Wildcats were led by head coach Gary Griffin and assistant coaches Wayne Whiting, Larry Aylor, Jeff Lohse, Kyle Littrell, Billy Neff and Greg Darrington.
Team trainers were Ali Dover, Brook Frazier and Mike Cardwell. Head athletic trainer was Dr. Damon Dennis.
Wildcat soccer earns five spots on All-Frontier League team
Louisburg junior Emmett White earned second team honors for the Wildcats after he led the team with eight goals on the season.
Louisburg might not have had the season it wanted record-wise, but that didn’t mean the Wildcats didn’t have success.
Individually, several Wildcats had strong seasons and it showed when the All-Frontier League soccer team was released.
Louisburg, which finished with a 4-13 record on the year, had five selections to the all-league squad, including a second team honor in junior Emmett White.
“Just like any other year, our league was pretty tough,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Small schools around the KC or Wichita metro areas are bound to be tough and attract talent. Once again, our league had a representative in the state quarterfinals with Baldwin, and two other teams were regional finalists (Eudora and Tonganoxie). I wish we’d been able to get more of our guys represented on the all-league team, but we did have a lot of talent in the league. Half of the first and second team members are seniors, so there’s room for our guys to move up next year.”
White led the Wildcats all season from the forward and midfield spots. He led Louisburg in scoring with eight goals, including three game-winners, and also finished with two assists.
He drew a lot of attention from the opposing defenses all season, but White still made a big jump from his sophomore to junior year.
“One thing that’s difficult for people outside the program to see is how much our guys have grown over this season,” Bovaird said. “We didn’t quite have the stats to back things up, but offensively and defensively, we made huge strides forward. Emmett was one player who showed the most growth. He’s been a starter since his freshman year, but he hadn’t gotten many goals until this year. He was also such a big motivational presence on the team as well. A silent leader whose work ethic was very inspirational.”
The Wildcats also had four honorable mention selections. Junior midfielder Colton Blue, junior defender Will Showalter, junior forward Jose Cuevas and senior forward John Powls.
Blue, who was a starter all season and a team captain, provided a steady influence in the midfield and finished the season with two goals and two assists. He also led the Wildcats with 17 shots on goal.
“Most of our successful offensive attacks began in the middle with Colton,” Bovaird said. “He’s also been the epitome of hard work. He had zero absences from practice, and battled through a nagging injury all season. His work ethic in the weight room in the off-season shows how hard work pays off. He showed true grit throughout the season, whether it was practice or games, and his teammates were rallied behind his example.”
Showalter was another team captain for the Wildcats and one of the leaders on the back line. He earned all-league honors as one of the team’s top defenders.
“Despite his size, Will proved that he can hang with the best players out there,” Bovaird said. “He combined his soccer talent with his smarts and his wrestling toughness to become an outstanding stopper for us. He rarely came off the field this season because of that.”
Powls’ season was cut short early in the year due to a knee injury, but the Louisburg forward was still recognized on the all-league list as he finished with a pair of goals.
“I’m very thankful for the league coaches selecting John to get honorable mention,” Bovaird said. “His senior season was shortened unfortunately, but he scored our first goal of the season against Leavenworth and also put us ahead of Bonner Springs in his final game before hurting his knee. He’d made huge strides despite also missing his freshman and junior seasons due to injuries.”
Cuevas filled in for Powls in the starting lineup after that and made an impact for the Wildcats. The Louisburg junior had four goals, including 11 shots on target.
“While Jose could always be depended upon to give 100 percent, he had a huge impact on the team with his overall positivity,” Bovaird said. “Nearly every game, he was the one lifting up his teammates, encouraging them, and cheering them on.”
ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOCCER
FIRST TEAM
Cooper Carr, Baldwin, sophomore
Jake Rainforth, Spring Hill, junior
Josue Navarro, Ottawa, senior
Derek Lehmann, Eudora, senior
Timmy Shockey, Bonner Springs, senior
Zach Brueckner, Spring Hill, senior
Kaden Kerr, Eudora, senior
Dylan Kuntz, Baldwin, junior
Josh Audiss, Ottawa, junior
Andrea Columbano, Tonganoxie, senior
GOALIE: Angelo Giron, Bonner Springs, senior
SECOND TEAM
Emmett White, Louisburg, junior
Dylan Patterson, Baldwin, senior
Gavin Shupe, Tonganoxie, senior
Christian Koehn, Eudora, senior
Seth Oberkrom, Spring Hill, junior
Owen Andrewjeski, Bonner Springs, senior
Lachlan McRae, Tonganoxie, sophomore
Ethan Smasal, Baldwin, sophomore
Gabe Luna, Bonner Springs, sophomore
Aidan O’Dell, Spring Hill, freshman
GOALIE: Nate Steinlage, Eudora, junior
HONORABLE MENTION
Nicholas Johnson, Baldwin, junior
Tito Biles, Baldwin, junior
Ayden Ramirez, Eudora, senior
Leo Schoenberger, Baldwin, sophomore
Jason Jones, Bonner Springs, sophomore
Caleb Hepner, Ottawa, junior
Ian Rimmer, Baldwin, senior
Conner Barnum, Paola, senior
Jose Cuevas, Louisburg, junior
Jack Reed, Bonner Springs, senior
Kenny Grimm, Bonner Springs, senior
Colton Blue, Louisburg, junior
Carter Hepner, Ottawa, junior
Sawyer Holdsworth, Paola, sophomore
Emery Weiser, Tonganoxie, junior
Parker Simon, Spring Hill, junior
Oscar Pinela, Bonner Springs, freshman
Aiden Jameson, Baldwin, senior
Brayden Hayes, Eudora, junior
Will Showalter, Louisburg, junior
Seth Lovitt, Spring Hill, junior
John Powls, Louisburg, senior
Joe Ziembicki, Baldwin, senior
Sergio Medrano, Eudora, senior
Daniel Peterson, Eudora, junior
GOALIES: Jackson McWilliams, Tonganoxie, senior; Gus Boyle, Baldwin, junior
