SM West cautious about LHS rematch

As soon as Shawnee Mission West learned Lawrence High would serve as its opponent in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state football playoffs, Vikings head coach Tim Callaghan delivered a message to his team.

“We made it clear to the boys,” Callaghan said. “You can’t overlook anybody in the playoffs.”

Contrasting sentiments, however, would have been understandable. Unbeaten Shawnee Mission West, the No. 1 seed in the 6A field, defeated LHS, 51-7, on Oct. 6. – the first time the Lions had surrendered 50-plus points in a game in nearly a century.

Callaghan cautioned his team that the result could have been different had LHS not turned over the ball four times, including a fumble on its first possession.

“They had a handful of turnovers, and we had a pretty good night going for us,” Callaghan said. “It’s just one of those deals where everything fell into place.”

Seemingly, everything has fallen into place for the Vikings (10-0), led by running back J.D. Steffan and quarterback Blake Lawrence, this year. Steffan averaged 7.8 yards per rush during the regular season, and Lawrence threw for 11 touchdowns and only one interception as SM West earned a share of the Sunflower League title.

“I don’t know if they’re selfish at all,” Callaghan said. “They kind of do whatever they need to do to make the team better.”

Lawrence, who will play at Nebraska University next year, had the Sunflower League’s highest passing efficiency rating at 131.45. On defense, he effectively fills the role of a hard-hitting safety who cheats up to the line of scrimmage to stop the run.

“Blake’s a very special player,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “You look up winner in the encyclopedia, and his freakin’ picture is going to be there. He hates to lose, and he makes everyone around him better.”

Those players have helped make SM West a postseason favorite along with No. 2 seed and fellow unbeaten Free State. If the Firebirds defeat Olathe East on Friday, a potential heavyweight matchup looms next week.

Callaghan, however, said the only mention of Free State occurred when his team watched the Free State-Lawrence tape.

“We’re not looking at Free State at all,” Callaghan said. “If we look ahead to them, we’ll probably watch somebody else play them in the playoffs next week. We’ll worry about them if we get that opportunity.”

On the flip side, does LHS (6-4), a team rich with football tradition, relish playing the underdog role for a change Friday?

“I would have liked to beat them by 40 points,” Wedd said.

The Lions may have lost by 44, but Callaghan praised the Lions’ offensive proficiency. Running back Tony Williams gained 1,149 yards during the regular season. However, LHS opened it up last week to beat Blue Valley North, 36-20, and quarterback Chance Riley completed 6 of 10 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.

“When they throw the ball, you don’t expect it,” Callaghan said. “And it goes for some big plays.”

Friday’s game will be played at Haskell Stadium, a field beaten down by a season of Free State, LHS and Haskell football. One might think a choppy field would benefit the run-oriented Lions, but the Vikings can play a slow, smashmouth game.

“We’re not a bunch of Johnson County prima donnas out there that practice on turf every day,” Callaghan said. “We work on grass and dirt and rocks and everything like everybody else.”

Regardless of their field-condition preferences, Callaghan promises to have SM West focused on LHS.

“We’re humble enough to realize we’re not (44) points better than the Lions,” Callaghan said. “That game is one game that just kind of got away from them.”