More than bragging rights are at stake when the Free State High and Lawrence High soccer teams face off.

This is to keep on playing.

Today’s Class 6A regional at Free State field features a rematch between the Lions and Firebirds at 3:15 p.m. They played to a 1-1 overtime tie on Sept. 26, in a game that FSHS controlled, but LHS capitalized on its few opportunities.

“We’re pretty excited,” FSHS coach Jason Pendleton said. “We’ve been looking at this possibility the last couple weeks. But they’re probably going to be just as pumped as we are.”

Free State, 8-6-2, comes in as the No. 3 seed, playing host to its third straight first-round regional game.

Pendleton wants his team to assert itself from the start, taking advantage of any scoring opportunities that present themselves.

“The first thing we need to do is play solid defense, and limit their opportunities,” Pendleton said. “From there, we need to be aggressive on offense and finish better than we did the first time around.”

The Lions, 2-13-1, struggled this season, but bring a new look with five new starters, most of them younger players.

“We’re a completely different team,” LHS coach Keith Nelson said. “I’m excited to see how these young guys do. They’ve been excelling in practice and now they get their chance to step up.”

That just adds to this series’ unpredictability. LHS owns a 4-1-2 edge, but each team knows the clichbout rivalries holds true today. Throw in what will likely be a cold, wet field, and the game could come down to overtime again.

“I think we all know that crazy things happen in this kind of weather,” Nelson said.