Who would’ve guessed?

Going into Friday’s boys/girls doubleheader between the Lawrence High and Free State basketball teams at FSHS, only one city team hovers above the .500 mark: The 2-1 Free State girls.

This early, it’s hardly indicative of how the rest of the season will go for the four big-school teams. But one season after going 4-17, FSHS girls coach Bryan Duncan is certainly encouraged by the Firebirds’ fine start. Led by Jenny Gwaltney (13.0 points per game) and Emilie Humbarger (11.3), the Firebirds have knocked off both Kansas City Wyandotte and Junction City in early season action.

“I can’t explain how much confidence this puts in us,” Duncan said after his team’s 59-53 overtime victory Saturday over Junction City. “There was a whole lot of want-to.”

Regardless, Lawrence High (1-1) will be a heck of a test. The Lions’ lone loss was a 59-52 setback Dec. 4 to state power Overland Park Aquinas. They also haven’t played since beating K.C. Washington, 61-34, Dec. 8, giving them lots of time to prepare for the neighbors to the north.

On the boys side, both Lawrence High and Free State bring high-powered offenses into Friday’s showdown. The Firebirds (2-2) have scored 71 points in each of their last three games. The Lions (2-2) are averaging 80 points per game so far, including a 100-point outburst Dec. 6 against Topeka High.

“We’ve learned enough to tweak a few things and make progress,” LHS coach Chris Davis said of Lawrence’s first four games. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to be ready to play.”

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The city’s best: Besides Lawrence High’s Josie Polk, who scored 24 points against K.C. Washington in the only game she’s played this year, the city’s leading scorer doesn’t come from one of the two big schools.

It’s actually Kirk Long from Veritas Christian.

The 5-foot-11 freshman — yes, freshman — is averaging 18.8 points per game for the 1-3 Eagles. In his first varsity game at Veritas, he poured in 23 points in a 49-37 victory over Berean Christian.

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Record watch: Here’s a fun one: The LHS boys basketball team, with 186 three-point attempts in its first four games, is on pace to attempt 930 three-pointers by the end of the 20-game regular season.

That in mind, Lawrence High might break another Kansas record. The state mark for three-pointers attempted in a season was set by Ottawa in 1995, when the Cyclones attempted 468 treys.

Think the Lions can do it?

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Still deciding: Free State High senior and much-loved recruit Dain Dillingham still is mulling his college options.

The basketball and football standout is having trouble enough picking a sport. Cornell University loves his slashing skills on the basketball court, and two bowl-bound teams, Kansas University and Minnesota, love his receiving abilities on the football field.

Time, though, is on his side. The football signing period isn’t until February, and the early signing period for basketball has already come and gone.

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Still deciding, part two: Lawrence High senior Josh Lawrence is another city football player getting Division One looks.

The 6-3, 220-pound tight end/defensive lineman has seen interest from Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois, two I-AA schools that recorded 10 wins in 2003.

Lawrence also is considering walking on at KU, where his father, David, was an All-Big Eight lineman in 1981.

“He’s keeping all his avenues open,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “He’s only 17 years old. He played a lot of football for us as a 16-year old. We have juniors that are older than he is.”