Gassman taking passion for soccer to Johnson County Community College

His sister, Carlee, played for the Johnson County Community College Cavaliers. It was Cade Gassman’s first introduction to the soccer culture at Johnson County.

When he got the call to join the program, Gassman wanted to be part of the Johnson County Community College soccer family.

Gassman was part of Louisburg Wildcat soccer history, helping lead the team to third place, the program's best state performance, in 2020. He scored one of the three Louisburg Wildcat goals in a 3-0 victory against Rose Hill for third place in the Class 4-1A state tournament in Wichita.

The Wildcats finished the season with a record of 16-2. Gassman scored 13 goals with eight assists. He was a first-team selection on the Tri-County Spotlight Soccer Team.

He was a first-team Spotlight selection in 2021, scoring 11 goals with nine assists. Gassman netted two game-winning goals. He was named to the team in 2022, scoring five goals with four assists.

Gassman was a first-team Class 4A All-State Boys Soccer Team selection his senior season.

Gassman was the go-to-player who made things happen for the Louisburg Wildcats, scoring 47 goals with 26 assists in four seasons. He was a four-time, first-team All-Frontier League selection.

“Getting to work with a kid like Cade Gassman is a pretty special thing for a coach,” Louisburg soccer coach Robert Bovaird said. “I had the benefit of being able to sit back and watch him play as a sophomore and junior when I was his assistant coach, but this year as his head coach, I was able to work more directly with him.”

Gassman was a team leader, but he was also more than that, Bovaird said, setting the tone for the team.

“He has been a team captain the past two seasons, and so much of our team's chemistry should be credited to him,” Bovaird said. “It didn't matter if he was playing with a freshman or a fellow senior, he just loves being on the field with a ball at his feet. His positive attitude is infectious, and he was instrumental in keeping the team motivated throughout the season, whether it was battling through the August heat or the October cold."

Gassman was a talented player with potential and worked hard to reach that potential with the Louisburg Wildcats, Bovaird said.

“In the game of soccer, you see a lot of talented players with lots of potential, but it's a rare thing to see a player like Cade who brings talent, maturity, communication, and so much more to the game,” Bovaird said. “He's the kind of kid who could play 80 straight minutes of soccer without any kind of break, but he was also key when I needed to get input from the trenches.

“Most of the time when he subbed off, it was because I wanted to get his perspective or to pass on a message to the rest of the team on the field,” he said. “I am very proud of him being able to move on to the next level, and I know that the JCCC program is going to benefit greatly from his being a part of the team."