The Lawrence Free State Firebirds will head out to take on the Lawrence Lions on Friday. Lawrence Free State has given up an average of 29.3 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Lawrence Free State is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Olathe North just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against the Eagles, falling 35-14. The game was a 14-14 toss-up at halftime, but the Firebirds couldn't quite close it out.
Meanwhile, Lawrence fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Shawnee Mission North on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They and the Bison were almost perfectly matched up, but they suffered a 29-28 loss. The Lions were up 14-0 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.
Lawrence Free State will have to contain Tahj Edwards as he made an impact in Lawrence's last game. He rushed for 157 yards and three scores while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Edwards was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 60 yards.
Even if they lost, Lawrence's defense still kept up the pressure with four sacks. In that department, Josh Galbreath was the leader with two. Galbreath is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season. Lawrence got some further help from Caleb Wingerd: he made 15 total tackles and defended one pass.
Lawrence Free State's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 5-2. As for Lawrence, their record is now 0-7.
Lawrence Free State beat Lawrence 24-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Lions' Banks Bowen, who rushed for 65 yards and one touchdown, and also threw for 198 yards and one TD while completing 71.4% of his passes. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Firebirds to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
