The Lawrence Lions will face off against the Shawnee Mission East Lancers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Lawrence comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
It was a proper cat-fight when Lawrence took on Mill Valley on Friday. The Lions lost 42-21 to the Jaguars. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked 40th, while the Jaguars are ranked second).
Tahj Edwards
| 09/26/25 vs Mill Valley | 115 |
| 09/18/25 @ Olathe Northwest | 79 |
| 09/12/25 vs Junction City | 51 |
| 09/05/25 @ Olathe West | 157 |
Lawrence's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Joey Dooley, who rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown on only 13 carries, and Tahj Edwards, who rushed for 115 yards and a pair of scores. With that strong performance, Edwards is now averaging an impressive 100.5 rushing yards per game.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Shawnee Mission East). They enjoyed a cozy 49-35 win over Olathe South on Thursday.
Lawrence better keep an eye on Jack Reeves. He was instrumental in Shawnee Mission East's win, rushing for 296 yards and six TDs while picking up 10.6 yards per carry, and also throwing for 70 yards and one touchdown on only five passes. Reeves' longest rush was for an incredible 77 yards. Another rusher making a difference was Thomas Vanice, who gained 87 total yards and a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Shawnee Mission East was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 399 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Shawnee Mission East's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Lawrence, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Lawrence has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shawnee Mission East struggles in that department as they've been averaging 271.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lawrence lost to Shawnee Mission East at home by a decisive 28-14 margin when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
