Louisburg junior Conlee Hovey fights off three Northeast Kansas defenders for a rebound Tuesday during the Louisburg Invitational.
Louisburg seemingly had its game with Northeast Kansas in hand Tuesday in the first round of the Louisburg Invitational.
The Wildcats held the lead for much of the game, and even when the Nighthawks forced overtime, Louisburg still found a way to take the lead with just seconds left in the game.
Unfortunately, the few seconds the Wildcats didn’t have the lead turned out to be at the very end.
Northeast Kansas had an answer for every Louisburg bucket late and handed the Wildcats a 55-54 overtime loss.
“This loss is incredibly frustrating,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “The things we go over in practice and things that we write on the board before the game as keys, we didn’t do a good job with those. Whether it was valuing the ball, cutting down turnovers or shot selection, we didn’t do well in those areas. Our shot selection was poor.
“Now these things are all correctable. We also talk about playing good on the ball defense, and that is why we fouled on that last possession because we didn’t do a good job defensively. All things we talk about in practice, but the good thing is basketball is sport where you need to be playing your best at the end of the season. We aren’t there yet, but we are in the middle of the season and we aren’t playing well yet.”
The Wildcats (4-5) were either tied or led for much of the game, until the Nighthawks were able to take a small lead late in the fourth and eventually force overtime.
Louisburg’s Myles Vohs drives to the basket Tuesday against Northeast Kansas.
Both teams had a chance to win it in regulation, but neither got their shots to fall.
They traded baskets in the overtime as Luke Hill opened with a layup on the tipoff and Northeast Kansas responded with a basket of their own 10 seconds later.
The Nighthawks eventually took a 53-51 lead with under a minute remaining. That was until Hill hit a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to put Louisburg back up one.
Northeast Kansas raced down the floor and hit a bucket off the glass with 11 seconds left to grab the lead right back.
Louisburg had an opportunity in the final moments, but shots from Nathan Parker and Gavin Lohse each rimmed out.
The Wildcats had their fair share of chances, but just shot 39 percent from the field and were 8 of 15 from the free-throw line.
“I am sure we shot about where our average is, which is under 40 percent, but we are just not finishing underneath the basket right now,” Doll said. “We are getting rebounds, we get good looks, but if we could finish under the basket we would be beating a lot of people. We will keep working and we will get better.”
Hill led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points, including the only two 3-pointers on the night for Louisburg. Parker and Lohse each finished in double figues with 10, while Lohse had six rebounds.
Hovey paced the Wildcats on the glass with a team-high eight rebounds. Parker, Hill and Brady Hickey each tallied a team-high three assists.
Louisburg will try and end its home tournament on a good note tonight when it hosts Girard for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
“Luckily we play Friday and we can get back at practice and try to resolve this,” Doll said. “We are all healthy now, so now we just have to find the right guys to be on the floor and figure out a rotation.”
Lady Cats rally to win first game of season, tourney opener
Louisburg’s (from left) Sabra Brueggen and Shylar Whiting come out to celebrate with Sami Lane following the Lady Cats’ win over Northeast Kansas on Tuesday in the opener of the Louisburg Invitational.
As the Louisburg coaches walked into the locker room following Tuesday’s opening round game of the Louisburg Invitational, the sounds that emitted from beyond the walls were something they haven’t heard all season.
The joyous screams were that of elation, mixed with a little bit of relief.
Their losing streak was over.
Louisburg snapped an eight-game losing skid and picked up its first win of the season as the Lady Cats downed Northeast Kansas, 49-41, to get a victory in the first round of their home tournament.
“This was a really important win for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I told them before the game that (Tuesday) was the night and we needed to get this. I really think that this will help us the rest of the week and even into the next week. Hopefully we can get some momentum going from this. We just really needed this so the girls know that they can do it and that we are good enough.”
The Lady Cats entered the 23-24 season with little to no varsity experience and were thrown into the fire of what was mostly a difficult Frontier League schedule.
Louisburg got that first win over Northeast Kansas, a homeschool program based out of Topeka, and the Lady Cats had to overcome some obstacles along the way.
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman scored a team-high 16 points Tuesday against Northeast Kansas.
The Lady Cats were down five points with four minutes to go, but they were able to flip a switch as they outscored the Nighthawks 18-5 in the fourth quarter to pull away for an eight-point victory.
“I told the girls that we need to play to win and not be scared with the ball,” Lane said. “We came down and hit a 3, then hit a 2 and then Morgan (Latham) got fouled and hit a pair of free throws. It seemed like the girls took that to heart and did a good job of going to the basket when they were open.
Latham started the run by hitting 3 of 4 from the free-throw line, then Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining to give Louisburg a 40-39 lead.
The Nighthawks scored on a runner to take the lead back, but junior Ashlyn Kuhlman knocked down a runner to put Louisburg up on its next possession.
Northwest was then called for an intentional foul and sophomore Zyleigh Melton hit a free throw to put the Lady Cats up two. Kuhlman would go on to hit four straight free throws to put the Lady Cats up six.
Melton hit two more free throws late to seal the win for Louisburg.
“Those were awesome free throws,” coach Lane said. “Mo started it, Zyleigh hit a couple and Ash hit four in a row. If we don’t make those we don’t win and that was a game changer for us. They seemed calm up there and those also helped us reset on defense as well.”
Louisburg’s Morgan Latham (front) and Zyleigh Melton go in for a rebound Tuesday at home.
Louisburg had three players score in double figures and it started with Kuhlman as she finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Junior Shylar Whiting gave the Lady Cats a spark offensively, especially in the first half, with 11 points. Lane finished with 10 points to go along with four rebounds.
Latham finished with seven points, while sophomore McKenna Lohse had a team-high six rebounds. Junior Jillian Asher finished with five boards and Melton had a team-high three assists.
The Lady Cats will try for back-to-back wins tonight as they host Chanute in the second round of the Louisburg Invitational. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
Louisburg will end tournament play at 7 p.m. on Friday against Girard.
“Chanute will be a lot different because they like to play at a slower pace, and they will play a zone defense, so we will have to see how that goes,” coach Lane said. “I am glad that we got this one and hopefully it will carry into the final two games of the tournament.”
LOU 5 15 11 18 — 49
NEK 3 18 15 5 — 41
LOUISBURG (1-8): Ashlyn Kuhlman 5-11 4-4 16; Shylar Whiting 5-8 1-4 11; Sami Lane 3-8 2-2 10; Morgan Latham 2-4 3-4 7; Zyleigh Melton 0-1 3-4 3; Jillian Asher 0-5 2-2 2. Totals: 15-45 15-20 49. 3-point field goals: 4, (Kuhlman 2, Lane 2)
Wildcats medal 10 as they cruise to Wellsville title
Louisburg senior Traden Noll gets a quick pin Thursday during the Aaron Patton Memorial Tournament at Wellsville High School. Noll won the 150-pound title.
WELLSVILLE — The Aaron Patton Memorial Tournament was a new one on the Louisburg wrestling schedule.
The Wildcats certainly made a lot of memories in their tournament debut.
Louisburg won the team tournament title with 188.5 points last Thursday at Wellsville High School. The Wildcats captured the crown by more than 40 points.
Between the girls and boys teams, the Wildcats also left Wellsville with 10 medalists, including a pair of champions in Traden Noll (150 pounds) and Ashton Moore (190).
“I’m really proud of how everyone wrestled Thursday,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “I know it was our first time going to this meet, and we were competing without two of our starters, but everyone showed a ton of heart competing. The reason I wanted to get into this meet was so we could see a handful of new 4A teams — specifically Jeff West and Wellsville — along with some 3A teams that we normally never get to see. I just like a variety of opponents for us.”
Noll (16-7) won his first tournament title of the season at 150 pounds and did so in convincing fashion. He finished 3-0 with two pins, including a pin of Jefferson West’s Allen Hawkins in the first place match.
As for Moore (21-3), he recorded his second consecutive tournament win. The Louisburg junior finished 4-0 with three pins, and followed it up with a 4-0 decision over Prairie View’s Parker Schwarz in the championship.
Louisburg junior Ashton Moore locks up an opponent Thursday at Wellsville. Moore won the 190-pound title.
“Both guys had some dominant performances in their weights,” Bovaird said. “In his finals match, Ashton was creating all the action against a pretty tough opponent. I’d say that they both competed really well in their brackets.”
The Wildcats had six more wrestlers reach the championship match, but came up one win short of a title. Freshman Levi Cotter (106), junior Canaan Clayton (113), senior J’Lee Collins (126), junior Jay McCaskill (157), freshman Bryce Thompson (165) and junior Brayden Yoder (215) finished second overall.
Cotter (13-10) recorded a pair of pins to reach the title match, but lost a 9-3 decision to Jayhawk-Linn’s Landon Higgins. Clayton (16-7) also fared well with a 3-0 record entering his first place mach, but was pinned by Central Heights’ Baker Moore.
Collins (12-7) also recorded two pins to reach the championship match and faced off with Jefferson West’s Karson Kahler in the championship. He lost a 16-2 major decision to Kahler.
McCaskill (18-6), who recorded three straight pins to reach the title match, found himself in a rematch with Jayhawk-Linn’s Andres Flores. The two met at the Louisburg Invitational earlier this month, and Flores got the best of McCaskill this time around with a second period pin.
Louisburg freshman Bryce Thompson finished second at 165 pounds.
Thompson (13-7) won by pin in two straight matches to reach the championship, but was pinned by West Elk’s Creyo Koop.
Yoder reeled off three straight pins to reach the title match and found himself in a tough match against Wellsville’s Carter Wilmarth. Yoder was eventually pinned late in the second period.
Louisburg junior Mika McKitrick was fourth at 138 pounds and was the ninth member of the boys team to earn a medal.
“Everyone was able to contribute to our team score by winning matches for us,” Bovaird said. “Levi took second at 106, losing to a Jayhawk-Linn kid who’d pinned him twice earlier this year. Canaan Clayton took second, earning his first silver medal for us. Collins ran into a tough returning state qualifier from Jeff West who was very solid technically. McCaskill’s finals match was actually pretty close, but he got caught in a scramble before getting pinned.
“Thompson knocked off two seniors to get to the finals before falling to the No. 2 all-class ranked kid in the finals. Yoder had two awesome takedowns in the finals, but got caught on his back in the second period and gave up the fall. Despite having two starters out, we still won the tournament by over 40 points, and I’m really happy with our guys’ performances, as well as our ladies.”
Freshman Leola Eslinger medaled third at 145 pounds for the Louisburg girls at Wellsville.
On the girls side, freshman Leola Eslinger captured her second varsity medal of the season. Eslinger, who is 14-2 on the year, had a strong showing as she posted a 3-1 record on the day at 145 pounds.
After opening with a pin to start the tournament, Eslinger was pinned by Prairie View’s Shawna Case in the semifinals. Eslinger bounced back to pin Jayhawk-Linn’s Abigail Stone in the consolation semifinals, and then pinned Wellsville’s Natalie Peel in the third place match.
“This was Leola’s third competition that was officially labeled ‘varsity,’ and she earned her second third place medal of the season,” Bovaird said. “She’s been getting more and more confident with every competition this season, and I’m excited to see how she does in the postseason.”
Louisburg is back in action tonight as the Wildcats host Lawrence in a dual for Senior Night. Matches begin at 5 p.m.
106
Levi Cotter (13-10) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 13-10 won by fall over Cody Arenholz (Olathe South) 0-2 (Fall 1:51)
Semifinal – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 13-10 won by fall over Davonte Vantrece (Osawatomie) 8-6 (Fall 0:26)
1st Place Match – Landon Higgins (Jayhawk Linn) 19-3 won by decision over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 13-10 (Dec 9-3)
113
Canaan Clayton (16-7) placed 2nd and scored 14.0 team points.
Round 1 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Hunter Weigart (Gardner Edgerton) 7-3 (Fall 3:16)
Round 2 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 16-7 won by decision over Johnathan Miller (Prairie View ) 7-6 (Dec 5-3)
Round 4 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Tyson Benjamin (Wellsville) 5-13 (Fall 3:20)
Round 5 – Baker Moore (Central Heights) 17-6 won by fall over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 16-7 (Fall 3:05)
120
Will Showalter (10-13) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 10-13 won by fall over Jotham Meyer (Central Heights) 8-12 (Fall 1:49)
Quarterfinal – Landon Petitjean (Osage City) 13-10 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 10-13 (Fall 1:33)
Cons. Round 2 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 10-13 won by fall over Santiago Montelonglo (Olathe North) 0-2 (Fall 2:32)
Cons. Semi – Logan Walters (Paola) 12-2 won by decision over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 10-13 (Dec 8-4)
126
J`Lee Collins (12-7) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 12-7 won by fall over Jaxson Seyfert (Gardner Edgerton) 9-7 (Fall 1:28)
Semifinal – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 12-7 won by fall over Daityn Meek (Osage City) 10-11 (Fall 0:24)
1st Place Match – Karson Kahler (Jeff West) 12-2 won by major decision over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 12-7 (MD 16-2)
132
Freddy Moreau (6-8) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 6-8 won by fall over Jaden Bunce (Ottawa) 2-5 (Fall 5:46)
Quarterfinal – Ethan Bartley (Burlington) 10-11 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 6-8 (Fall 1:46)
Cons. Round 1 – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 6-8 won by fall over Jaden Bunce (Ottawa) 2-5 (Fall 4:39)
Cons. Round 2 – Lincoln Schaffer (Prairie View ) 11-12 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 6-8 (Fall 2:46)
138
Mika McKitrick (12-12) placed 4th and scored 12.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 12-12 won by fall over John Sand (West Franklin ) 1-6 (Fall 0:23)
Quarterfinal – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 12-12 won by fall over Hunter Eaks (Central Heights) 0-7 (Fall 0:45)
Semifinal – Aden McManus (Burlington) 18-4 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 12-12 (Fall 1:16)
Cons. Semi – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 12-12 won by tech fall over Zion Allio (Olathe South) 7-6 (TF-1.5 4:34 (18-1))
3rd Place Match – Namir Franklin (Olathe North) 7-5 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 12-12 (Fall 1:34)
144
Blake Oliphant (5-8) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Benton Eimers (Gardner Edgerton) 9-1 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 5-8 (Fall 3:24)
Cons. Round 1 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 5-8 won by fall over Madden Crum (Olathe North) 0-2 (Fall 4:50)
Cons. Round 2 – Caleb Sobelman (Olathe South) 4-4 won in sudden victory – 1 over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 5-8 (SV-1 4-2)
150
Traden Noll (16-7) placed 1st and scored 23.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Brig Scherman (Paola) 8-6 (Fall 0:16)
Semifinal – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 16-7 won by major decision over Tucker Noonan (Burlington) 13-10 (MD 12-0)
1st Place Match – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Allen Hawkins (Jeff West) 10-5 (Fall 3:27)
157
Jay McCaskill (18-6) placed 2nd and scored 22.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 18-6 won by fall over Jacob Loftus (Olathe South) 1-4 (Fall 2:23)
Quarterfinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 18-6 won by fall over Kyzer Lehmann (Burlington) 8-13 (Fall 1:27)
Semifinal – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 18-6 won by fall over Dodge Browning (Osawatomie) 12-3 (Fall 1:35)
1st Place Match – Andres Flores (Jayhawk Linn) 19-4 won by fall over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 18-6 (Fall 2:52)
165
Bryce Thompson (13-7) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Colten Wittman (Anderson County ) 7-9 (Fall 1:24)
Semifinal – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Jace Troutman (Wellsville) 11-7 (Fall 1:59)
1st Place Match – Creyo Koop (West Elk) 23-0 won by fall over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 13-7 (Fall 0:48)
190
Ashton Moore (21-3) placed 1st and scored 26.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 21-3 won by fall over Josh Doan (Jayhawk Linn) 2-15 (Fall 0:49)
Quarterfinal – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 21-3 won by fall over Noah Martinez (Osage City) 8-10 (Fall 0:10)
Semifinal – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 21-3 won by fall over Brayden Riggs (Burlington) 11-13 (Fall 0:59)
1st Place Match – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 21-3 won by decision over Parker Schwarz (Prairie View ) 8-6 (Dec 4-0)
215
Brayden Yoder (16-7) placed 2nd and scored 22.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Cam Ebrecht (Olathe South) 7-3 (Fall 2:55)
Quarterfinal – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Zach Soetaert (Wellsville) 0-2 (Fall 1:20)
Semifinal – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 16-7 won by fall over Jaden Morrison (West Franklin ) 2-6 (Fall 0:23)
1st Place Match – Carter Wilmarth (Wellsville) 22-1 won by fall over Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 16-7 (Fall 3:42)
285
Xander Lucas (5-11) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 5-11 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Gavin Ericson (Osage City) 10-1 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 5-11 (Fall 1:44)
Cons. Round 2 – Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 5-11 won by fall over Kaysen Jensen (Jayhawk Linn) 6-4 (Fall 0:50)
Cons. Round 3 – Landon Sweat (Gardner Edgerton) 6-1 won by fall over Xander Lucas (Louisburg) 5-11 (Fall 3:56)
125
Allison Martin (1-8) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Mya Vetsch (Jeff West) 13-4 won by fall over Allison Martin (Louisburg) 1-8 (Fall 3:31)
Cons. Round 1 – Pyper Walker (Gardner Edgerton) 5-10 won by decision over Allison Martin (Louisburg) 1-8 (Dec 10-6)
145
Leola Eslinger (14-2) placed 3rd and scored 16.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Leola Eslinger (Louisburg) 14-2 won by fall over Serenity Boothe (Anderson County) 2-8 (Fall 1:21)
Semifinal – Shawna Case (Prairie View) 14-6 won by fall over Leola Eslinger (Louisburg) 14-2 (Fall 2:37)
Cons. Semi – Leola Eslinger (Louisburg) 14-2 won by fall over Abigail Stone (Jayhawk Linn) 6-6 (Fall 1:11)
3rd Place Match – Leola Eslinger (Louisburg) 14-2 won by fall over Natalie Peel (Wellsville) 10-6 (Fall 1:20)
Week 5 Athlete of the Week: Ashton Moore
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week five of the winter sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.
ASHTON MOORE, JUNIOR, WRESTLING
Louisburg junior Ashton Moore is off to an impressive start to his wrestling season and that continued last Thursday at the Aaron Patton Memorial Tournament in Wellsville. Moore won the 190-pound title with a 4-0 record and three of those wins came by pin. He went on to defeat Prairie View’s Parker Schwarz in the championship by a 4-0 decision. Moore also helped the Wildcats to a team title.
On the season, Moore currently has a 21-3 record and is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A at 190 pounds. He has 16 pins on the season to go along with 1 technical fall. He is a returning state qualifier for the Wildcats.
The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.
Lady Cats find positives in road loss to Spring Hill
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen battles for a rebound Thursday at Spring Hill. The Lady Cats fell 59-46.
SPRING HILL — The Louisburg girls basketball team may still be looking for its first win of the season, but the Lady Cats are taking positive steps forward.
Louisburg took a big step Thursday at Spring Hill. The Lady Cats found themselves down just five points at halftime, but the Broncos were able to pull away in the second half and hand Louisburg a 59-46 loss.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “I think that was one of the better games we have played all year against one of the best teams we have seen. I do think we are getting better every game. We ran some better offense than we have been and we played some different defenses than we were used to. I thought they did a great job.”
Spring Hill got out to a fast start with a 15-5 lead, but the Wildcats went on a 15-5 run of their own and took a 20-19 lead on a 3-pointer from Ashlyn Kuhlman. The Louisburg junior had eight points during that stretch.
The Broncos batted back and eventually took a 27-22 lead into halftime, but the Wildcats had a lot of positives go their way in the first half.
“Going into halftime, I think the girls were pretty excited and optimistic knowing that they can play with teams like that,” Lane said. “I think there were times in the second half where our offense was even better. I just keep telling the girls that this is all experience for them after not starting the season with any varsity experience. It hasn’t even been half the season yet, but we are getting better.”
Sami Lane pulls up for a 3-pointer Thursday during the Lady Cats’ game at Spring Hill.
Spring Hill eventually built a double-digit lead in the second half. Junior Sami Lane hit a 3-pointer to make it an eight-point game, but it would be as close as Louisburg would get.
Louisburg junior Sabra Brueggen was active inside with a team-high 13 points as she got to the free-throw line 12 times. Kuhlman also scored in double figures with 11.
Sophomore McKenna Lohse led the Lady Cats with eight rebounds on the night, while Sami Lane finished with seven points and six rebounds.
The Broncos’ Isla Herman and Sydney Buscher combined for 42 of Spring Hill’s 59 points. Buscher finished with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds and Herman also scored 21 points.
Louisburg will try for that first win starting tonight as the Wildcats host Northeast Kansas, a home school team out of Topeka, in the first round of the Louisburg Invitational. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
A rough start sunk any hopes of an upset for the Louisburg girls basketball at home Friday as Baldwin scored 32 points in the first half and ran away with a 52-31 win over the Lady Cats.
Baldwin took a 32-9 lead at halftime and the Lady Cats struggled to get much going offensively as they shot just 24 percent for the game.
Jillian Asher led Louisburg in scoring with eight points and sophomore Morgan Latham finished with seven.
Louisburg sophomores McKenna Lohse (4) and Morgan Latham (13) go up for a rebound Friday against Baldwin.
Junior Ashlyn Kuhlman had a team-high five rebounds to go along with eight blocked shots.
Baldwin’s Alyssa Reichard had a team-high 19 points to lead the Bulldogs.
LOU 5 4 8 14 — 31
BAL 17 15 17 3 — 52
LOUISBURG (0-8): Jillian Asher 2-5 3-4 8; Morgan Latham 2-5 3-3 7; Ashlyn Kuhlman 1-7 2-2 4; Shylar Whiting 2-9 0-0 4; Sami Lane 1-7 0-0 3; Ally Brown 1-3 0-0 2; Addy Stohs 1-3 0-1 2. Totals: 10-42 9-14 31. 3-point field goals: 2, (Asher, Lane)
Wildcats rally to take down Spring Hill in overtime
Louisburg senior Nathan Parker came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime Thursday at Spring Hill.
SPRING HILL — After the first quarter was complete Thursday at Spring Hill, things were looking bleak for Louisburg.
The Broncos jumped out to a 14-point lead early and nothing seemed to be going right on the Louisburg sideline.
That all changed the rest of the way.
Louisburg’s defense stiffened and Nathan Parker hit a game-tying 3-pointer with just seconds left to force overtime. The Wildcats took care of business in the extra period and left Spring Hill with a 60-57 victory.
“I am super proud of them,” Louisburg coach Ben Doll said. “We talked about how we can’t overlook people and have to do a good job starting the game. It is was an issue to start the game, but the fact that we just kept battling back is awesome. We had some guys off the bench and really gave us a big boost in Nate (Parker), Luke (Hill) and Jaymes (Melton)). All our bench really helped us.”
Parker certainly gave the Wildcats a boost at the biggest moment. With 20 seconds left, Parker came off a screen and knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer that would force overtime.
The Louisburg senior came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points and he also led the Wildcats with four assists and three steals.
“Nate’s shot was definitely huge,” Doll said. “He is a good shooter and we were trying to run something to get him that look and he drained it. He is a very confident shooter. It was awesome.”
Louisburg sophomore Bristol Barbour pulls up for a jump shot Thursday at Spring Hill.
In the overtime, Spring Hill opened the extra period by knocking down a 3-pointer and took the lead. Parker would go on to hit a pair of free throws and then hit a shot to give Louisburg a one point advantage.
Junior Conlee Hovey added another basket to push the Wildcat lead to three. Spring Hill cut it to 1 on a couple different occasions, but senior Luke Hill hit a pair of free throws late to seal the win.
Hill came off the bench to score 11 points, while Hovey finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Hickey added seven points and four assists and five rebounds, while Brock Vohs added six boards as well.
It wasn’t always great for the Wildcats as they found themselves down 17-3 to start the game, but eventually whittled away to force overtime. After giving up 22 points in the first quarter, Louisburg held Spring Hill to just 35 points the rest of the game.
“We did a really good job on defense on getting to their shooters after the first quarter,” Doll said. “Luke did a really good job on one of them and we did a lot better job of locking up their guys late in the game.
“We were just horrendous with the ball to start the game. I think the first four possessions of the game were all turnovers. We did a better job of that, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime. It was one of our keys coming in, and we didn’t do that early. You can’t start like that against any varsity high school team or you are going to have a heck of a time.”
Louisburg is back in action tonight as the Wildcats host the Louisburg Invitational. The Wildcats will face off with Northeast Kansas of Topeka tonight at 5:30 p.m.
Louisburg knew it wasn’t going to be easy as it hosted No. 9-ranked Baldwin on Friday.
For the second time this season, the Bulldogs handed the Wildcats a loss as Baldwin jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 62-46 victory over Louisburg.
Baldwin opened the game on a 30-6 run and the Wildcats weren’t able to recover.
Louisburg senior Brady Hickey gets on the floor for a loose ball Friday against Baldwin.
Nathan Parker and Luke Hill led Louisburg in scoring with nine points each, while junior Gavin Lohse had a team-high six rebounds. Bristol Barbour and Jaymes Melton each tallied five rebounds.
Baldwin’s Cooper Carr nearly put together a triple double as he tallied a game-high 27 points to go along with 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Battle selected to participate in Kansas Shrine Bowl
Louisburg senior Declan Battle was selected to play on the East squad for the 51st Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl later this summer.
Louisburg quarterback Declan Battle was already considered one of the top players in Class 4A this past season after receiving first team all-league and all-state honors.
However, there was more to come.
Battle was selected to participate in the 51st Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl later this summer. The teams were announced during a selection show on New Year’s Day.
“It means a ton,” Battle said of the honor. “Being selected as a top 44 player in the whole East side of Kansas is a huge thing. I am honored to be a part of it. This is something as a freshman I dreamed of being in. Without my teammates, coaches and community pushing me to be my best I would not be where I am at today, and for that I would like to thank them. It’s a huge honor.”
Battle received first-team all-state accolades last month from different media outlets and his Shrine Bowl selection is another honor added to a long list of accomplishments.
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.
Louisburg is no stranger to the Shrine Bowl as several Wildcats have been selected participate in the past. That included last season as Jase Hovey and Nathan Vincent were both selected to play in the game.
The selections are the result of a combination of statewide media votes and Shrine Bowl coaching staff selections from a list of 457 nominees. The game itself will be played on Saturday, June 29 at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University.
In addition to playing in the annual East vs. West all-star football game, Kansas Shrine Bowl participants get the opportunity to meet and interact with the Patient Ambassadors from Shriners Children’s during the Hospital Experience Day.
During the Hospital Experience Day, players come to understand that these children have put in the same kind of hard work, dedication and sacrifices they have; only their work has resulted in allowing them to walk, run, play, and live a full life.
Since 1974, the Kansas Shrine Bowl along with the support from players’ local communities, has sent over $3.8 million to Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s. Kansas Shrine All-Star Events also include the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Camp, the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals and many other game week events.
Shriner’s Children’s, previously Shriners Hospitals for Children, is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.
Week 4 Athlete of the Week: Elias Pugh
Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week three of the winter sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.
ELIAS PUGH, SENIOR, WRESTLING
Louisburg senior Elias Pugh had one of — if not the best day of his Wildcat wrestling career Saturday during the Louisburg Invitational. Pugh won the 175-pound title and did so in dominating fashion as he helped the Wildcats to a second place team finish at their home tournament.
Pugh finished the day with a 5-0 record and all five wins came by pin. One of those came in the championship match when he pinned Basehor-Linwood’s Logan Plum in the first round. Pugh is currently 13-7 on the season.
The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.
Wildcats medal 10, finish runner-up at home tournament
Louisburg senior Elias Pugh works for a pin during his 175-pound championship match Saturday at the Louisburg Wildcat Invitational. Pugh won the 175-pound title.
The Louisburg wrestling team put on a show in front of its home fans Saturday at the Louisburg Wildcat Invitational.
The Wildcats finished second in the team standings, had three champions and 10 medalists in their first action back from the holiday break.
In the 12-team tournament, Louisburg racked up 215.5 points. Basehor-Linwood captured the tournament title with 295 points.
“Basehor’s team is definitely stacked, and they’re going to be a power in 5A for a while to come,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Lots of their hammers are freshmen and sophomores. I’m very proud of how our guys battled in the tournament, regardless.”
Louisburg racked up three first place finishes in a row as Elias Pugh (175), Ashton Moore (190) and Brayden Yoder (215) each won their championship matches during the final round.
Pugh went 5-0 on the day and won all his matches by pin. That included a first period pin of Basehor-Linwood’s Logan Plum in the championship match.
Louisburg junior Ashton Moore won the 190-pound title Saturday at the Louisburg Wildcat Invitational.
As for Moore, who is currently ranked No. 4 in Class 4A at 190 pounds, he also finished with a 5-0 day and had four pins. Moore ended his day with a 16-0 technical fall victory over Royal Valley’s Cyrus Harding.
Moore’s previous four matches all ended by pin in the first period as he put together a dominant day that improved his record to 17-3 on the season.
Yoder had a dominant day at 215 pounds as he went 4-0 with four pins, including a second period pin of Blue Valley West’s Noah Perchellet in the championship match.
“Those three combined for 14 wins (13 were pins and 1 was a tech fall), and they just stepped up and performed at the right time,” Bovaird said. “It was the first varsity championship for Ashton and Elias, and Brayden is now a 2-time Louisburg champion.”
Louisburg junior Brayden Yoder gets a pin in his 215-pound championship match Saturday.
Junior Logan Henry also put together a strong performance. After losing his first match to the eventual champion, Henry rattled off four straight wins — all coming by pin.
Henry pinned Leavenworth’s Cameron Turner in the first period of his final match to take third place overall.
“Logan gave the eventual champion a really tough match,” Bovaird said. “They were 0-0 after the first period, and we saw some awesome movement and positioning from Logan. His opponent was an absolute beast on top though. We chose the bottom position in the second period, and that’s where that kid was toughest. Logan bounced back with four pins to finish in third place.”
The Wildcats also had six wrestlers earn fourth-place medals. Levi Cotter (106 pounds), J’Lee Collins (126), Traden Noll (150), Jay McCaskill (157), Jonas Briley (175) and Miles Meek (285) all left the tournament with a medal.
Bovaird liked what he saw from those wrestlers, and several others, who helped the Wildcats to their runner-up team finish.
Junior Logan Henry finished third at 132 pounds Saturday after getting this pin in his third place match.
“One thing I love about our tournament is how we’re able to bring unattached wrestlers to give them some varsity experience,” Bovaird said. “Initially, we were going to bring 6, but two of those guys ended up bumping up a weight to fill in for injured teammates. Blake Oliphant bumped up to 144 and finished 6th, and Miles Meek bumped up to 285 to take 4th place. Miles was giving up a lot of weight, too — one of his opponents was all of 285 pounds, and Miles was able to get a pin against him.
“Even though he wasn’t scoring team points, Jonas Briley went 3-2 and earned 4th place in his first varsity meet of the year. Four other guys won medals too in Levi, J’Lee, Traden and Jay. They were all in tough weights, too, and I’m proud of how they battled. Overall, we were 48-36 with 33 pins, 3 tech falls, and 2 major decisions. Pretty solid performance for it being our first tournament back from the break.”
Louisburg is back in action Thursday in a rare midweek tournament as the Wildcats travel to the Wellsville Invitational. Matches begin at 1 p.m. at Wellsville High School.
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Levi Cotter (11-9) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Round 1 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 won by fall over Dexter Lytle (Anderson County) 1-4 (Fall 3:22)
Round 2 – Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 won by decision over Tanner Holt (Jayhawk Linn) 2-2 (Dec 4-2)
Round 3 – Trevor Christenson (Basehor-Linwood) 20-2 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 (Fall 0:38)
Championship Bracket – Landon Higgins (Jayhawk Linn) 17-3 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 (Fall 3:20)
3rd Place Match – Eric Vielhauer (Basehor-Linwood) 10-2 won by fall over Levi Cotter (Louisburg) 11-9 (Fall 1:44)
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Canaan Clayton (13-6) placed 5th and scored 11.0 team points.
Round 1 – Lane Jones (Basehor-Linwood) 4-5 won by fall over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 (Fall 5:37)
Round 2 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 received a bye () (Bye)
Round 3 – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Devin Vogel (Turner) 3-4 (Fall 1:10)
Round 5 – Jet Millison (Basehor-Linwood) 13-3 won by fall over Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 (Fall 1:23)
5th Place Match – Canaan Clayton (Louisburg) 13-6 won by medical forfeit over Jacob Garner (Leavenworth) 3-4 (M. For.)
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Will Showalter (8-11) placed 11th and scored 4.5 team points.
Round 1 – Carson McCrory (Basehor-Linwood) 9-2 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 (Fall 2:25)
Round 2 – Denton White (Jayhawk Linn) 15-1 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 (Fall 1:51)
Round 4 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 won in sudden victory – 1 over Jace Diezman (Blue Valley West ) 7-13 (SV-1 6-4)
Round 5 – Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 won by tech fall over Sammy Blair (Girard) 2-4 (TF-1.5 4:39 (17-2))
Round 6 – Colby Cross (Turner) 2-3 won by fall over Will Showalter (Louisburg) 8-11 (Fall 0:21)
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J`Lee Collins (10-6) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Round 1 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 won by fall over Myles Finley (Piper) 6-12 (Fall 1:12)
Round 2 – Samuel Vasquez (Leavenworth) 12-5 won in sudden victory – 1 over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 (SV-1 10-8)
Round 3 – J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 won by decision over Owen Thompson (Anderson County) 1-4 (Dec 7-6)
Round 4 – Matthew Tracy (Royal Valley) 14-4 won by medical forfeit over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 (M. For.)
Round 5 – Cael Puderbaugh (Basehor-Linwood) 19-2 won by medical forfeit over J`Lee Collins (Louisburg) 10-6 (M. For.)
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Logan Henry (12-5) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.
Round 2 – Evan Vielhauer (Basehor-Linwood) 18-2 won by fall over Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 (Fall 2:33)
Round 3 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Albert Green (Shawnee Mission West) 10-7 (Fall 2:12)
Round 4 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Eli Herr (Anderson County) 0-5 (Fall 0:02)
Round 5 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 0:33)
3rd Place Match – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Cameron Turner (Leavenworth) 12-9 (Fall 1:13)
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Freddy Moreau (4-6) placed 5th.
Round 1 – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Albert Green (Shawnee Mission West) 10-7 (SV-1 8-6)
Round 3 – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Eli Herr (Anderson County) 0-5 (Fall 1:55)
Round 4 – Evan Vielhauer (Basehor-Linwood) 18-2 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 1:46)
Round 5 – Logan Henry (Louisburg) 12-5 won by fall over Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 0:33)
5th Place Match – Freddy Moreau (Louisburg) 4-6 won by major decision over Domnic Conley (Royal Valley) 7-9 (MD 12-1)
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Mika McKitrick (9-10) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points.
Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 won by major decision over Anthony Heger (Blue Valley West ) 1-3 (MD 12-4)
Round 3 – Bowen Wade (Jayhawk Linn) 14-7 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 (Fall 1:21)
Quarterfinal – Grey Robinson (Shawnee Mission East) 13-10 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 (Fall 0:59)
Cons. Round 1 – Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 won by decision over Nathaniel Atwell (Leavenworth) 8-11 (Dec 10-7)
5th Place Match – Keith Slaughter (Piper) 9-8 won by fall over Mika McKitrick (Louisburg) 9-10 (Fall 1:39)
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Blake Oliphant (4-6) placed 6th and scored 7.0 team points.
Round 1 – Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Conner Prothe (Anderson County) 1-4 (Fall 3:18)
Round 2 – Breck Adams (Shawnee Mission West) 5-10 won by decision over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Dec 8-4)
Round 3 – Brady Felt (Jayhawk Linn) 12-7 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 2:26)
Round 5 – Blaise Overbey (Leavenworth) 14-8 won by fall over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 1:44)
5th Place Match – Darren Bausch (Royal Valley) 8-7 won by decision over Blake Oliphant (Louisburg) 4-6 (Dec 8-5)
150
Traden Noll (13-7) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points.
Round 1 – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Ray Phillips (Leavenworth) 6-13 (Fall 0:52)
Round 3 – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Carson Mills (Piper) 6-4 (Fall 0:50)
Quarterfinal – Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Joe Musick (Shawnee Mission East) 11-9 (Fall 3:50)
Semifinal – Aj Schaffer (Anderson County) 5-0 won by fall over Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 (Fall 2:00)
3rd Place Match – Brady Watts (Blue Valley West ) 10-6 won by decision over Traden Noll (Louisburg) 13-7 (Dec 8-4)
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Colin Robinson (5-7) placed 5th.
Round 1 – Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 won by fall over Weston Ross (Royal Valley) 4-9 (Fall 4:54)
Round 2 – Ruben Escalante (Piper) 16-3 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 (Fall 2:29)
Quarterfinal – Aj Schaffer (Anderson County) 5-0 won by fall over Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 (Fall 0:39)
Cons. Round 1 – Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 won by decision over Joe Musick (Shawnee Mission East) 11-9 (Dec 3-2)
5th Place Match – Colin Robinson (Louisburg) 5-7 won by fall over Carson Mills (Piper) 6-4 (Fall 4:21)
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Jay McCaskill (15-5) placed 4th and scored 13.5 team points.
Round 1 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 won by tech fall over Noah Shovlowsky (Shawnee Mission West) 0-4 (TF-1.5 2:03 (19-4))
Round 2 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 won by fall over Brody Nelson (Blue Valley West ) 3-18 (Fall 1:45)
Round 4 – Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 received a bye () (Bye)
Round 5 – Caden Puderbaugh (Basehor-Linwood) 16-6 won by major decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 (MD 11-1)
3rd Place Match – Andres Flores (Jayhawk Linn) 15-4 won by decision over Jay McCaskill (Louisburg) 15-5 (Dec 10-8)
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Vance Hahn (4-9) placed 8th.
Round 1 – Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 won by decision over Blake Thomas (Shawnee Mission West) 6-9 (Dec 9-8)
Round 3 – Arnez Woods (Leavenworth) 12-9 won by fall over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (Fall 1:26)
Quarterfinal – Cody Layton (Piper) 10-8 won by decision over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (Dec 5-1)
Cons. Round 1 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (SV-1 8-6)
7th Place Match – Calvin Riley (Royal Valley) 2-3 won in sudden victory – 1 over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (SV-1 9-7)
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Bryce Thompson (11-6) placed 5th and scored 8.0 team points.
Round 2 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 received a bye () (Bye)
Round 3 – Colten Wittman (Anderson County) 2-2 won by decision over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 (Dec 11-6)
Quarterfinal – Tucker Hutchison (Basehor-Linwood) 14-3 won in sudden victory – 1 over Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 (SV-1 3-1)
Cons. Round 1 – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 won in sudden victory – 1 over Vance Hahn (Louisburg) 4-9 (SV-1 8-6)
5th Place Match – Bryce Thompson (Louisburg) 11-6 won by fall over Colten Wittman (Anderson County) 2-2 (Fall 2:13)
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Jonas Briley (3-2) placed 4th.
Round 1 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 (Fall 3:23)
Round 3 – Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 won by medical forfeit over Kevin Davidson (Shawnee Mission West) 0-2 (M. For.)
Round 4 – Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 won by fall over Henry Nelson (Shawnee Mission East) 11-12 (Fall 4:11)
Round 5 – Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 won by fall over Connor Fowles (Blue Valley West ) 16-12 (Fall 1:31)
3rd Place Match – Connor Scott (Turner) 6-3 won by decision over Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 (Dec 6-3)
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Elias Pugh (13-7) placed 1st and scored 32.0 team points.
Round 1 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Jonas Briley (Louisburg) 3-2 (Fall 3:23)
Round 2 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Kevin Davidson (Shawnee Mission West) 0-2 (Fall 0:46)
Round 3 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Connor Fowles (Blue Valley West ) 16-12 (Fall 0:27)
Round 5 – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Henry Nelson (Shawnee Mission East) 11-12 (Fall 3:25)
1st Place Match – Elias Pugh (Louisburg) 13-7 won by fall over Logan Plum (Basehor-Linwood) 9-7 (Fall 1:36)
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Ashton Moore (17-3) placed 1st and scored 31.5 team points.
Round 1 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over David Johnston (Shawnee Mission West) 7-9 (Fall 0:47)
Round 2 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over Josh Doan (Jayhawk Linn) 2-13 (Fall 0:24)
Round 4 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over Logan Perchellet (Blue Valley West ) 6-6 (Fall 1:13)
Round 5 – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by fall over Grayson Fix (Shawnee Mission East) 6-17 (Fall 0:56)
1st Place Match – Ashton Moore (Louisburg) 17-3 won by tech fall over Cyrus Harding (Royal Valley) 13-2 (TF-1.5 3:10 (16-0))
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Brayden Yoder (13-6) placed 1st and scored 31.0 team points.
Round 1 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Sam Thackery (Shawnee Mission East) 6-7 (Fall 1:07)
Round 2 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 received a bye () (Bye)
Round 3 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Derrick Johnson (Shawnee Mission West) 3-13 (Fall 0:47)
Round 4 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Ethan Ranes (Jayhawk Linn) 10-9 (Fall 1:07)
Round 5 – Brayden Yoder (Louisburg) 13-6 won by fall over Noah Perchellet (Blue Valley West ) 12-7 (Fall 3:07)
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Miles Meek (4-6) placed 4th and scored 13.0 team points.
Round 1 – Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Zaid Khmour (Blue Valley West ) 10-11 (Fall 2:22)
Round 2 – Caden Gedney (Basehor-Linwood) 10-4 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 4:35)
Round 3 – Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 won by fall over Malaki Chee (Royal Valley) 4-12 (Fall 3:16)
Championship Bracket – Cortez Velasco (Shawnee Mission West) 16-5 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 3:43)
3rd Place Match – Brandon Bishop (Girard) 7-11 won by fall over Miles Meek (Louisburg) 4-6 (Fall 3:31)
Louisburg girls fall short against Eudora in first game of 2024
Louisburg junior Ashlyn Kuhlman goes up for a shot Thursday against Eudora.
EUDORA — The new year may have not brought the Louisburg girls basketball team its first win, but the Lady Cats still showed signs of growth Thursday in Eudora.
The Cardinals, who were undefeated going into the game, held a large lead in the second half. Louisburg went on a big run to cut it to nine, but it would be as close as it would get in a 56-37 loss.
“I was so proud of the girls to keep working in the second half,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They kept battling and got within single digits. If we can value the basketball and hit a few more shots, I feel like our offensive game will improve tremendously.”
Eudora, which held a 27-18 lead at halftime, expanded its lead to 20 late in the third quarter, but the Lady Cats were able to respond.
Junior guard Jillian Asher started the run with a 3-pointer, sophomore McKenna Lohse hit a pair of baskets and junior Addy Stohs had another to cut the Eudora lead to nine.
It didn’t stay that way for long as the Cardinals went on a mini 8-0 run to push the lead back out and Eudora handed the Wildcats a loss.
“I thought the girls played very hard and never gave up,” Lane said. “We did a good job getting the ball inside and then passing it out when the posts were not open.
“Eudora is a great team. They have four returning starters back and one fantastic freshman that I felt like made their team work.”
Louisburg junior Sami Lane drives to the basket Thursday at Eudora.
That freshman is point guard Brynn Deterding. Along with senior guard Jayla Erpelding, Deterding caused problems for the Louisburg defense.
The two Cardinals guards combined for 30 points, including 18 points from Deterding. The two also combined for nine steals on defense.
Louisburg did a good job on the boards to keep itself in the game. The Lady Cats outrebounded Eudora by 13 and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds.
Asher led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points and junior Ashlyn Kuhlman finished with eight points and six rebounds.
Junior forward Sabra Brueggen also had a good outing with seven points, along with a team-high seven rebounds and three assists.
The Lady Cats will try for their first win Wednesday as they are scheduled to travel to Spring Hill for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
