The 15th Street line of demarcation doesn’t just determine whether high-school-aged youngsters attend Lawrence or Free State high schools.

This fall, it also curiously seems to have an impact on whether some of those kids have any interest in picking up a tennis racket.

For the first time in the nine-year history of his program, Free State girls tennis coach Jon Renberger made the decision to use tryouts and cuts to shape his 20-player roster. Otherwise, the Firebirds might have as many as 60 players vying for playing time on this year’s team.

“Actually, it was one of the more difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make as a coach,” Renberger said.

Meanwhile, on the south side of town, longtime LHS coach Dick Wedel had a much different experience. As usual, Wedel welcomed all comers. He was in for a surprise when only 25 or so players showed up this year, down from the 40-plus girls who competed last fall.

“I don’t know the reason for the decline in numbers,” Wedel said.

Whatever the rationale for the diverging trends, the Firebirds and Lions find themselves on common ground for the next two months, as each program looks for its place not just in the Sunflower League shuffle, but beyond.

The outlook is rosy at Free State, where Renberger welcomes back an experienced squad that lost just one senior among its top six players from a year ago and two seniors overall.

“I know expectations are high, and I think we have a very good team that will have a chance of doing quite well at league,” Renberger said. “I think we figure into the top half somewhere.”

At the top of the Firebirds’ lineup is senior Andrea Koch, who is currently competing at No. 1 singles but may switch gears and team with junior Leigh Luina as Free State’s top doubles team heading into postseason play. Factoring into that decision is how Luina returns from a collarbone injury at the end of this month.

Whatever decision Renberger makes, he knows the Firebirds still will be strong in doubles, with senior Joanna Loewen and junior Julia Guard currently forming the top pairing, while senior Meghan Bock and junior Lauren Kimball compete at No. 2.

“Those six have emerged at this point as being our top players,” Renberger said.

Across town, Wedel isn’t quite sure what to expect out of his inexperienced squad.

The Lions’ top performers a year ago – doubles tandem Katie Robertson and Shannon Wanna, a state qualifier – were lost to graduation, and just a half-dozen seniors dot this year’s roster. Two of them, Emily Thompson and Laura Wilson, are joined by juniors Lauren Kelly and Lily Boyce at the top of the LHS lineup.

“On any given day, one of them could be the No. 1 player,” said Wedel, who also plans to use that quartet in some combination in doubles.

It will be the development of many of the younger players on Wedel’s roster that should determine where LHS shakes out in the league race.

“I would say the middle would be about where we belong,” Wedel said. “If we can finish in the top five or six, that’s pretty good.”