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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

106

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

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

113

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

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

120

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

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

126

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

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

132

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

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

138

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

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

144

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

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

150

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

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

165

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

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

175

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

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

190

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

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

215

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

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

285

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

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

Louisburg Mason Dobbins gets to the basket for two points Friday against Baldwin. Dobbins finished with six points and seven rebounds on the night.

BALDWIN CITY — Friday the 13th couldn’t have been more prevalent for the Louisburg boys basketball team.

The Wildcats traveled to Baldwin last Friday in hopes of avoiding some terrible luck.

Unfortunately, Louisburg experienced all that fateful day had to offer as the Wildcats struggled offensively to get anything going in a 66-31 loss to the Bulldogs.

Baldwin, which is ranked No. 9 in Class 4A, had the opposite effect. The Bulldogs blew the game open with a 34-point third quarter, and couldn’t seem to miss, as they handed the Wildcats their fourth straight setback.

“We needed to get off to a good start and we missed some good looks early on in the first quarter,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “I think if we could’ve seen the ball go through the net, that would have given us some confidence and momentum. We just never got anything going offensively. Baldwin played well. They knocked down a lot of big shots and really opened things up in the 3rd quarter.”

Louisburg (4-5) did its best to slow down the Bulldogs in the first half as the Wildcats limited them to just 22 points at halftime. Louisburg, however, had a tough time seeing the ball go through the hoop as it had just 11.

Baldwin put the game away in the third quarter with its big run. The Bulldogs shot 53 percent for the game and knocked down 11 3-pointers.

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield led the team in scoring (14 points), rebounds (7) and assists (3). Senior Mason Dobbins also pulled down seven rebounds for the Wildcats and was second on the team in scoring with six points.

The Wildcats will try and snap their losing skid starting today when they travel to the Pleasanton Mid-Season Tournament. Louisburg will face Osawatomie at 5 p.m. to begin round-robin play.

They will then square off with Pleasanton on Thursday and Northeast Kansas Homeschool out of Topeka on Friday.

“This is a big week for us,” Pfannenstiel said. “I told our guys that we need to get our confidence back.  We need to lock in on doing the little things right that make the difference. Hopefully our defense comes out strong and we can get into some rhythm offensively this week. We have to take a big jump forward mentally this week.”

LOU 6 5 11 9 — 31

BAL 10 12 34 10 — 66

LOUISBURG (4-5): Colyer Wingfield 5-18 4-4 14; Mason Dobbins 3-6 0-2 6; Conlee Hovey 1-3 1-2 3; Trey Myers 0-4 2-4 2; Myles Vohs 1-3 0-0 2; Gavin Lohse 1-1 0-1 2; Jaymes Melton 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 12-50 7-13 31. 3-point field goals, none

Louisburg senior Colyer Wingfield goes up for two points Tuesday during the Wildcats’ home contest against Spring Hill. Wingfield finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

When it came to shots inside the arc, the Louisburg boys lived well.

However, it was those attempts beyond it that hurt the Wildcats the most Tuesday in their home contest with Spring Hill. Louisburg missed all 15 attempts from the outside, which made a comeback difficult in its 48-42 loss to the Broncos

Mistakes also haunted the Wildcats as they turned the ball over 19 times, which led to 12 Spring Hill points.

“I told our guys that it’s going to be hard to win in the Frontier League with 19 turnovers and going 0-15 from the 3-point line,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “Those two stats were glaringly bad. We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and being more efficient on offense.”

The Wildcats trailed by just one after the first quarter and found themselves down just 24-17 at halftime.

Both teams played even in the second half and the Wildcats trimmed a double-digit Spring Hill lead to four with under a minute remaining, but couldn’t get closer.

Louisburg got a big game from senior Colyer Wingfield who finished with a double-double. Wingfield had a team-high 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Junior Luke Hill finished with six points, while sophomore Myles Vohs came off the bench to give the Wildcats a lift with five points. It was his first varsity points of the season.

“I thought we had some guys come in and provide a lot of energy,” Pfannenstiel said. “Myles Vohs came in and sparked us with his effort and toughness. His effort showed that he deserves some more varsity court time.”

Louisburg will try and snap its 3-game losing skid tonight when the Wildcats travel to No. 9-ranked Baldwin. The Bulldogs handed the Wildcats their only loss prior to the holiday break last month.

“We play a really good Baldwin team (tonight), so this game is going to demand our best effort and execution,” Pfannenstiel said.

LOU 10 7 12 13 — 42

SH 11 13 11 13 — 48

LOUISBURG (4-4): Colyer Wingfield 8-14 7-10 23; Luke Hill 2-7 2-3 6; Myles Vohs 2-4 1-2 5; Conlee Hovey 2-3 0-2 4; Nathan Parker 1-5 0-0 2; Mason Dobbins 0-4 2-2 2. Totals: 15-40 12-19 42. 3-point field goals, none

Louisburg senior Ava Baker goes up for a shot Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ home contest against Spring Hill.

Louisburg found itself down by as many as 15 points to Spring Hill on Tuesday at Louisburg High School.

Still, the Lady Cats didn’t let that bother them.

Instead, they put together a big run in the second half to cut the Bronco lead to just two points. However, Louisburg couldn’t get over the hump in a 47-39 setback as the Broncos handed the Lady Cats their second straight loss on the season.

“The girls did a great job fighting back after halftime,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “They showed a lot of heart and hard work. Once we got back into the game, we had a hard time pulling ahead. But I was very proud of them not to give up.

“Overall, I thought we played not to lose versus playing to win. We had some really good moments, but we also had some moments that showed areas that we need to improve in.”

Both teams got out to a good start offensively as the two squads combined for 32 points in the first quarter, but the Lady Cats had a hard time slowing Spring Hill senior Jenna Weber.

Weber scored 12 of the Broncos’ 19 points and finished with a game-high 23. Spring Hill sophomore Sydney Buscher also added a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

“Jenna is a great player,” Lane said. “She is hard to guard and does a great job getting herself open in the offense. She had a great game and I think she will continue to thrive throughout her season.”

Defensively, the Lady Cats thrived in the third quarter as they whittled an 11-point Spring Hill lead at halftime, to just three going into the fourth.

Senior Brianne Kuhlman knocked down a pair of free throws at the end of the third and Spring Hill led 34-31. Adyson Ross made it a 2-point game with an offensive rebound and a lay-up with 6:42 left in the game.

It would be as close as the Lady Cats could get as they struggled to hit shots, and free throws, down the stretch.

Louisburg shot 26 percent for the game and converted 7 of 16 free-throw attempts. Still, the Lady Cats used their defense to stay in it as they forced 16 Bronco turnovers.

The Lady Cats also did well on the glass with 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second chance points.

Ross led the Lady Cats in scoring and rebounding. She finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

Delanie Tally also scored in double figures for Louisburg with 10 points, while senior Emma Prettyman added seven rebounds and three assists in the loss. Tally and Emma Lohse each finished with a team-high three steals.

Louisburg will try and snap its two-game losing skid tonight as the Lady Cats travel to Baldwin. The Lady Cats defeated the Bulldogs by double figures last month and Lane knows it will be a difficult test on the road.

“It is going to be tough, Baldwin will for sure be looking for some revenge and overall our team has been very inconsistent on offense since we played Baldwin last,” Lane said. “I am hoping we can have another great offensive game and get some of our confidence back.”

LOU 13 6 12 8 — 39

SH 19 11 4 13 — 47

LOUISBURG (6-2): Adyson Ross 5-15 0-3 11; Delanie Tally 4-12 0-0 10; Brianne Kuhlman 1-2 3-8 5; Emma Prettyman 1-4 2-2 4; Emma Lohse 1-5 0-1 3; Ashley Branine 1-2 0-0 2; Ava Baker 0-10 2-2 2. Totals: 13-50 7-16 39. 3-point field goals: 4, (Tally 2, Lohse, Ross)

Louisburg alum Anna Dixon announced her decision to transfer to the University of Florida on Dec. 23 after spending the last three years at the University of Missouri.

For the last three years, Anna Dixon loved her time competing at the University of Missouri and in the SEC.

With one more year of eligibility remaining, Dixon will still be playing in the SEC, but will wear a different uniform.

Last month, the Louisburg High alum made the decision to move on from Missouri and committed to the University of Florida program as a graduate transfer. 

“For me, the most difficult decision was whether or not I should go far from home or not,” Dixon said. “Being so close to my family, it’s hard for me to get away, but I knew for my last year it’s time for me to get out and go somewhere I can push myself to grow the most. Being 17 hours from home and being in one of the most competitive environments, I knew Florida would be perfect for me since it’s going to push me to grow as a person and player.”

Dixon had a big senior season for Missouri as she appeared in all 28 matches for the Tigers and recorded double figure kills in 23 of those matches. 

She finished the season second on the team with 353 kills, kills per set (3.30), points (381.5) and points per set (3.57). Dixon also hit a milestone this past season as she recorded her 1,000th career kill on Oct. 28 against Georgia.

Despite all those accomplishments, Dixon knows there is another level she can take her game and believes the Gator program can do that under head coach Mary Wise.

“I cannot wait to stay competing in the SEC,” Dixon said. “Not only is it extremely competitive, but you get to travel to see amazing campuses. Playing against Florida the last three years, they’ve really been able to see my strengths and weaknesses across the net. They see me best training right side this upcoming year to use me as a blocking threat in season. I’m so excited for this transition and how much it’s going to develop me as a player.”

As excited as Dixon is for the next chapter in her life, she is more than appreciative of what Missouri gave her for three years. It was all recognized on Senior Night on Nov. 20 when Anna got to walk on to the Hernes Center floor with her family for the final time.

“Missouri gave me so much over the last three years,” Dixon said. “I got to create some amazing memories with my friends and teammates and got to connect with many people within other sports. I was blessed with a really great community of friends in Columbia which made my decision to leave really difficult. I just knew my time there with volleyball was over, but I can’t wait to cheer them and the new head coach on from afar.”

As for what the future holds for Dixon after Florida, that remains to be seen. She is just ready to enjoy the ride that is left.

“For my last year, I’m really wanting to focus on remaining in the present moment and emptying the tank,” Dixon said. “I’d love the opportunity to go pro after my final year at Florida, but I’m just going to focus on taking things day by day and doing what I need to do to change my game tremendously. After that, I’ll see where life takes me, but I’m super excited for this opportunity to really compete my last year and train under coach Wise.”

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

It had been a long time coming.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

106

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

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

113

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

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

120

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

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

126

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

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

132

Mika McKitrick (4-11) placed 6th.

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

132

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

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

138

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

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

144

Kaleb Carter (1-4) placed 8th.

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

144

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

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

150

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

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

157

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

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

165

Luke York (0-3) placed 7th.

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

165

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

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

175

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

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

190

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

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

215

Kyle Oram (5-6) placed 4th.

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

215

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

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

285

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

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

285

Grant Strubbe (2-3) placed 6th.

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

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

KAVEN BARTLETT, SENIOR, WRESTLING

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

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

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the winter season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners

Week 1: Adyson Ross

Week 2: Colin Brown

Week 3: Colyer Wingfield

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross goes up for a shot and gets fouled Thursday at Ottawa High School. Ross finished with 15 points in the loss.

OTTAWA — After a successful start to its season, the Louisburg girls basketball team experienced its first hiccup of the 22-23 campaign.

The Lady Cats couldn’t overcome a rough second quarter as they fell to Ottawa, 47-31, on Thursday at Ottawa High School.

Whether it was a tough shooting night, or struggles on defense, Louisburg had a difficult time with a more physical Cyclones team.

“This was a tough game overall for us,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said. “It felt like we couldn’t get anything accomplished on the defensive or offensive side of the ball. It felt like we were almost a half-second behind Ottawa on both ends of the floor.”

Louisburg (6-1) took a one-point lead going into the second quarter, but the Cyclones came to life offensively as they outscored the Lady Cats, 18-7, and took a 26-16 lead at halftime.

The Cyclones’ lead ballooned to 19 in the second half as the Lady Cats shot 22 percent from the floor.

“Ottawa was very physical and tough, and we had not seen a team that played that physical yet,” Lane said. “They did a great job pushing us out of our offense and we had a hard time getting get looks at the basket because of this. They were also very physical on the boards, Ottawa did a great job keeping us off the offensive boards.”

Louisburg senior Adyson Ross provided a bulk of the Lady Cats’ scoring as she finished with a team-high 15 points. Another senior, Emma Prettyman, had a team-best seven rebounds, while senior Delanie Tally led Louisburg with five steals.

The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight as they host Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

“Losing is tough and never the outcome we want, but we always try to learn and get better after we lose,” Lane said. “I can get better and I can help the team get better because of the loss.

LOU 9 7 9 6 — 31

OTT 8 18 13 8 — 47

LOUISBURG (6-1): Adyson Ross 6-15 1-1 15; Brianne Kuhlman 2-5 0-0 4; Emma Prettyman 1-7 2-4 4; Emma Lohse 1-8 0-0 2; Ashley Branine 1-6 0-2 2; Delanie Tally 1-9 0-2 2; Ava Baker 0-3 2-2 2. Totals: 12-55 5-11 31. 3-point field goals: 2, (Ross 2)

Louisburg junior Luke Hill goes up for a shot Thursday against Ottawa in the Wildcats’ contest at Ottawa High School.

It wasn’t the start to 2023 that the Louisburg boys basketball team wanted.

The Wildcats dropped their first two games from break with the second one coming Thursday on the road at Ottawa. Despite a fourth quarter rally, the Wildcats couldn’t quite get over the hump in a 51-44 loss to the Cyclones.

Louisburg (4-3), which found itself down 12 points early in the fourth quarter, eventually cut the deficit to just three points, but couldn’t get any closer.

“I was proud of how we battled back,” Louisburg coach Ty Pfannenstiel said. “We cut it to three and really gave us a shot at the end. My biggest concern was that we seemed to play with more energy in that fourth quarter. We have to get where we play with that energy for all four quarters.”

The Wildcats were down 12 points with 5 minutes left in the game, when senior Mason Dobbins stole the ball and drove the length of the floor for a steal and score. Senior Colyer Wingfield then hit a pair of free throws to cut it to eight.

With two minutes remaining, Louisburg was still down eight, but Luke Hill knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a five-point game.

Senior Isaiah Whitley stole an inbounds pass and found Wingfield cutting to the basket for two points to make it a one possession contest.

Ottawa drove the length of the court and scored on the ensuing possession to all but ice the game for the Cyclones.

Louisburg struggled to slow the Cyclones down in the second and third quarters as they built a 12-point lead. The Wildcats also turned the ball over 15 times and Ottawa scored 19 points off those mistakes.

“We are still struggling offensively,” Pfannenstiel said. “We didn’t have very many possessions where I would say that we ran good offense. Our defense is still keeping us in games but need to pick it up on the offensive end.”

Hill led the Wildcats on the offensive end with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Wingfield also finished in double figures with 10 points and a team-high three assists.

Senior Mason Dobbins also did a lot of work underneath the basket with eight points to go along with team-highs in rebounds (9) and steals (3).

Louisburg had a tough time slowing Ottawa’s Caleb Hepner down as he scored a game-high 25 points, which included five 3-pointers. The Cyclones knocked down eight 3-pointers on the night.

“Hepner had a heck of a game,” Pfannenstiel said. “He got some open looks and converted on them. He’s a good, young player. Overall, Ottawa shot it pretty well from the perimeter and that made a big difference compared to how we shot it.”

Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday when it hosts Spring Hill. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

LOU 10 10 8 16 — 44

OTT 8 15 17 11 — 51

LOUISBURG (4-3): Luke Hill 4-11 0-0 11; Colyer Wingfield 2-9 6-6 10; Mason Dobbins 4-5 0-2 8; Trey Myers 3-8 1-4 7; Cade Gassman 2-4 0-0 4; Conlee Hovey 1-3 0-2 2; Isaiah Whitley 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 17-42 6-10 44. 3-point field goals: 4, (Hill 3, Myers)

Wildcats drop home contest to Eudora

On Jan. 3, Louisburg hosted Eudora in its first game back from the holiday break and the Wildcats didn’t have the warmest welcome.

Eudora jumped out to a seven-point lead after one quarter and extended that lead to 13 later in the contest. And while their defense got the Wildcats back in it, the offense struggled in a 41-34 loss to the No. 6 team in Class 4A.

Louisburg shot 3-for-19 from 3-point range and were just 7-for-16 from the free-throw line.

“Overall, I thought we played ok for our first game out after a long break,” Pfannenstiel said. “Eudora is really good defensively so we struggled to get going on that end of the floor. We obviously needed some shots to fall. If we want to beat one of the best teams in the state, we can’t go 3-19 from 3 and 7-16 from the free throw line. We have to be better offensively.”

The Cardinals got a bulk of their scoring from two players. Logan Sullivan torched the nets for Eudora with a game-high 27 points and seven 3-pointers, while Cole Parker finished with 12. The two combined for 39 of the team’s 41 points.

“Those two players are tough,” Pfannenstiel said. “They actually have a really good group of guards, so even though we struggled to stop those two, overall we held them to 41. We should be able to win games when we hold a team in the 40s. That was Sullivan’s first game back from injury. He was injured in the first game of the year, so he hadn’t been in their lineup since week one. He really changes the dynamic of their team. He can score in bunches.  

“We have to do a better job of playing team defense to contain a player like that. We definitely struggled early hedging the handoffs and switching screens.  We just have to do a better job of communicating and all being on the same page. It wasn’t a 1 on 1 matchup issue, we all have to take responsibility for getting the ball out of his hands.”

Wingfield did a bulk of the scoring for Louisburg as he finished with 16 points, while senior Trey Myers finished with seven, including a pair of 3-pointers. Senior Mason Dobbins had a team-high eight rebounds and senior Isaiah Whitley finished with seven.

LOU 8 9 6 11 — 34

EUD 15 8 8 10 — 41

LOUISBURG: Colyer Wingfield 6-11 4-8 16; Trey Myers 2-6 1-4 7; Mason Dobbins 3-5 0-0 6; Luke Hill 1-7 0-0 3; Conlee Hovey 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 12-36 7-16 34. 3-point field goals: 3, (Myers 2, Hill)

Louisburg junior Ashley Branine leaps through the air to save a ball from going out of bounds Tuesday at home against Eudora.

It wasn’t the prettiest game for Louisburg on Tuesday, but the end result was exactly what the Lady Cats were looking for.

Louisburg overcame a tough shooting night, but the Lady Cats held off Eudora for a 38-35 victory over the Cardinals at Louisburg High School. The win moves the Lady Cats, who are currently ranked No. 6 in Class 4A, to 6-0 on the season.

“I am very proud of them,” Louisburg coach Adrianne Lane said of her team. “This one was a hard one for us. I feel that we struggled with matchups all night, who we were guarding and weak side help. For them to pull this out, they did a really good job.”

It was the first game back from the holiday break for both teams and the Lady Cats had to shake off a little rust. Louisburg shot 35 percent from the field, but just 2-for-17 from 3-point range.

Those two 3-point makes were big ones, however.

Eudora opened the second half on a 12-4 run, before senior Adyson Ross knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Louisburg a 29-28 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Senior Delanie Tally provided the Lady Cats with another big basket late in the fourth. Tally hit a 3-pointer from the corner to put Louisburg up 36-33 with 1:45 left in the game.

“They didn’t give up and that was a great thing to see,” Lane said. “We have to keep shooting and I encourage the girls to keep doing so, even if they are missing. We came up with some big shots there in the second half and it was nice to see those go in.”

Eudora cut the Louisburg lead to one on the next possession and had the opportunity to take the lead with under 20 seconds left in the game. Louisburg’s Ashley Branine and Ava Baker trapped Eudora’s Sawyer Schreiner and forced a travel with three seconds left.

Ross would then get fouled and converted both free throws to ice the game for the Lady Cats.

“They did exactly like I asked them to do,” Lane said. “They stood there with their hands up. The last few times down the floor we got called for fouls, so we did a great job there to force that travel.”

It was a close game throughout as Louisburg held a 10-9 lead after the first quarter, and it extended it to 22-16 at halftime. Eudora then opened the third on an 8-0 run and it went back-and-forth the rest of the way.

Ross led the Lady Cats in scoring with 13 points and also had a team-high eight rebounds. Senior Emma Lohse also finished in double figures with 10 points and three assists.

Senior Emma Prettyman finished with seven rebounds and also had a team-best four steals and two blocks. Senior point guard Brianne Kuhlman had a team-high four assists.

Louisburg will try and make it seven in a row tonight as the Lady Cats travel to Ottawa for a Frontier League matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

LOU 10 12 7 9 — 38

EUD 9 7 12 7 — 35

LOUISBURG (6-0): Adyson Ross 5-9 2-3 13; Emma Lohse 5-6 0-2 10; Ava Baker 3-6 0-0 6; Ashley Branine 2-6 0-0 4; Delanie Tally 1-11 0-0 3; Emma Prettyman 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 17-48 2-5 38. 3-point field goals: 2, (Ross, Tally)