Football coaches often dredge up the tired cliche about shooting themselves in the foot.

Lawrence High boss Dirk Wedd won’t go that far, yet he does admit the Lions have “stubbed our toe a couple of times.”

Four times, to be exact – four losses that have placed the

tradition-rich Lions in a position where they will try to salvage a disappointing season in the Class 6A state playoffs.

That road will start tonight when the Lions (5-4) travel to meet Blue Valley North (6-3). Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. at Blue Valley District Activities Center.

“It’s do or die,” running back Tony Williams said. “They’re going to come out and hit us in the mouth, and we have to respond.”

Echoed offensive tackle Jake Lorenzo: “We lose, we go home.”

Perhaps the only certainly about tonight’s clash is that it will go quickly because both the Lions and the Mustangs rely on clock-eating ground games.

BV North features I-back Casey Curran, who has rushed for 1,874 yards and 21 touchdowns. Lawrence counters with Williams, who has 1,124 yards and 15 touchdowns.

That Williams has been able to gain so many yards is a testament in large part to his own skills because he has had to operate behind a patchwork offensive line all season.

Tonight marks, in fact, the first time Wedd will be able to start all six of the linemen he had hoped to use before the season – tight ends Nick DeBiasse and Quintin Rucker, tackles Phillip Wahwahsuck and Lorenzo, guards Patrick Johnson and Paul Finch and center Shawn Jimboy.

Only Rucker and Finch have been able to avoid the injury bug.

“It’s been rough,” said Lorenzo, a 280-pound senior who missed the Free State game because of a head injury. “It’s been like a puzzle. We’ve been trying to fit pieces here and there. But it feels right now.”

Lorenzo knows possessions will be precious, and mistakes must be minimal against a team committed to making opponents’ offensive minutes disappear.

“We’ve got to capitalize on every chance we get,” Lorenzo said.

If the Lions win, they will meet the winner of tonight’s Olathe East-Olathe South game in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Tonight’s kickoff was moved to 7:30 p.m. instead of the customary 7 p.m. start because a Class 6A state soccer semifinal (Wichita Southeast-BV North) is scheduled at 6 p.m. at BVDAC.

The Blue Valley facility is located at 135th and Switzer in Overland Park.