Shawnee Mission Northwest proved they can win big last Friday (they won by 34) but on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Lawrence Free State Firebirds 27-24. For the Cougars, this counts as revenge for the 41-12 loss the Firebirds walked away with the last time they faced one another back in September of 2023.
John Whitener was his usual excellent self, rushing for 118 yards. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 112 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Shawnee Mission Northwest wouldn't let Lawrence Free State keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Shawnee Mission Northwest can thank Isaac Nbubuisi and Gabriel Gast for forcing both of them.
The victory was the fourth in a row for Shawnee Mission Northwest, bringing their record for this year to 5-2. As for Lawrence Free State, the defeat snapped their winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 4-3 record.
Shawnee Mission Northwest's and Shawnee Mission South will meet in a classic North v. South matchup at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Shawnee Mission South is coming into the matchup with three straight losses at home, meaning Shawnee Mission Northwest will have to defend against a squad hungry for a win. As for Lawrence Free State, they will square off against Lawrence at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
