The Class 6A football playoffs are always unfamiliar territory, but Lawrence High’s opponent is a complete stranger and Free State High’s is like a distant relation.

The Firebirds (7-2) will meet Shawnee Mission East (3-6), a school they’ve met just twice in their six-year history and not since 1999 despite the fact both are in the Sunflower League.

Kickoff will be 7 p.m. Friday at SM South District Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Lions (7-2) will play host to Blue Valley North (6-3), a school they’ve never played. Not only have the Lions never met BV North, they don’t know the site of Friday’s game and won’t until mid-week.

Lawrence High officials are hoping to play at Haskell Stadium, but last Friday’s regular-season finale against Topeka High had to be moved to Memorial Stadium because Haskell’s field was a quagmire.

Will the HINU facility be playable this Friday, or will the Lions have to move to the KU facility again for the 7:30 p.m. kickoff?

“At this point we don’t know,” LHS athletic director Ron Commons said Monday. “As soon as we have a decision, we’ll let everybody know, probably sometime on Wednesday.”

But what would the playoffs be without some uncertainties?

“We’re excited to be playing someone new,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “It should be fun.”

Wedd has also had fun watching his team pick up momentum as the season has rolled on. Since losing 20-6 to Olathe North on Oct.. 3, the Lions are 4-0 and have outscored opponents 159-40. The rushing game, led by 1,000-yard rushers Brandon McAnderson and Chris Fulton, has averaged 413 yards a game in that span, including 448 yards in last Friday’s 55-0 season finale against Topeka High.

“Olathe North was a wake-up call,” Wedd said. “I think that loss did more good than any other loss we’ve ever had. More importantly, they played a team that you have to play eventually, because, as far as I’m concerned, the state title goes through Olathe.”

That’s especially true for Free State.

If the Firebirds beat SM East, they would play the winner of the Olathe North-Shawnee Mission North game in the state quarterfinals. But FSHS coach Bob Lisher isn’t even thinking about a possible rematch with the Eagles at this point.

He’s focused on Free State winning its first-ever playoff game.

After beating Topeka Washburn Rural, 20-12, Friday for the second playoff spot out of District 4, FSHS equaled its best record in school history. A playoff win is the next goal.

“That’s all we want to do is win this playoff game,” Lisher said. “We approached last week like it was a playoff game. We started a little sluggish and got it done. We can’t do that this week. We’re playing a Sunflower League team and they’ll take it right at us.”

FSHS is 1-1 all time against the Lancers, the District 3 champions. A 12-7 win in 1998 was followed by a 35-20 loss the next year, one that still bugs Lisher.

“The last time we played Shawnee Mission East we had a pretty good football team in 1999, and we lost to them in our homecoming game,” he said. “So we want to try and erase that.

Notes

The Firebirds had a scary moment last Friday when senior tight end Matt Lane went up for a pass in the second quarter and took a shot to the back. Lane remained on the ground for several minutes before being moved off the field on a straight board, where he remained for another 15 minutes. Finally, he rose under his own power and stayed on the FSHS sideline the rest of the game.

After all that, he might be able to play Friday.

“He’s pretty sore, but I think he’s going to be able to go,” Lisher said. “He has been to the doctor and gotten the OK.”

Senior running back David Allen, on the other hand, is still day-to-day after taking a stinger to the leg against the Lions on Oct. 25. Allen, the Firebirds’ leading rusher this season, could play Friday, but Lisher isn’t sure.

“It’s just a matter of how much soreness is still there,” he said. “We’ll hold him out until it feels better.”

The Sunflower League, which has produced 15 of the last 18 6A state champions, has the most teams in the 6A playoffs among any league, with seven. It also has the most district champions, with four (LHS, Olathe North, SM East and Shawnee Mission Northwest).

Only the Greater Wichita League, with Wichita Heights, Northwest, Southeast and West, has more than two teams in the 6A playoffs. The Ark Valley League has two district champions in undefeated Hutchinson (9-0) and Derby (8-1), whose only loss is to Hutch.