Overland Park ? Lawrence High needed to play one of its best games to defeat Shawnee Mission West. Instead, the Lions played one of their worst in a turnover-filled 51-7 loss at Shawnee Mission North District Stadium.

According to records dating back to 1970, LHS had never surrendered 50 points prior to Thursday night’s loss.

“We got our butts beat,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “There wasn’t any aspect of the game, from coaching to the way we played, that was indicative of what’s expected of Lawrence High School.”

The first series of the game, which lasted four plays, set the tone for LHS. Incomplete pass. Offensive pass interference. Tony Williams one-yard run. Tyler Hunt fumble. West then returned the fumble to the 11-yard line, needing only two plays to score.

“We came out flat,” quarterback Chance Riley said. “That’s how we played the whole game, and it showed on the scoreboard.”

Hunt, who had some bright moments converting two fake punts and scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run, fumbled twice more, and the Vikings converted both for touchdowns.

“It was my fault for having him carry it, I guess,” Wedd said.

West, the top-ranked team in the preseason coaches’ Sunflower League poll, deserves credit as well. Junior running back J.D. Steffen starred, rushing 15 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game in the second half because of a sore ankle.

“He’s a good player,” Wedd said. “That’s a good offensive line.”

Steffen’s 33-yard run set up his first touchdown run, which gave West a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Hunt keyed a second-quarter scoring drive by converting a fake punt and rushing for the score to cut the lead to seven. That touchdown represented the first allowed by the Vikings in nine quarters, but West only expanded its lead.

The Vikings ended the second quarter with a flourish, scoring three touchdowns in less than six minutes. Steffen scored on a 29-yard run. With 4:08 remaining in the first half, Kurt Webster scooped up Hunt’s second fumble for a 32-yard score. Hunt’s third fumble set up the half’s final score – a 15-yard-run by Steffen, giving West an insurmountable 35-7 halftime lead.

But West was not finished, as it scored in each quarter. In the third quarter, quarterback Blake Lawrence, a Div. I prospect, rushed for a five-yard score. The Vikings closed out the game with a 25-yard field goal by Jared Witter following a Riley interception and an 18-yard touchdown run by Steffens’ backup, Anwar YaDullah.

The Lions seemed disconsolate after the game. Their heads bowed as they sat on their Lawrence-bound school bus.

“We were all hyped for this game,” Riley said. “We thought we had a chance, and we came out here and didn’t execute. It sucks.”

Williams did have some nice runs, logging carries for yards. But that performance was not enough to compensate for the team’s poor tackling and four turnovers.

“When you don’t play well,” Wedd said. “It’s contagious.”

The loss dropped the Lions to 3-3 on the season. With the season’s most crucial games on the horizon, the Lions’ must rebound, starting with practice this afternoon.

“We’ve got to reach down and find some character,” Wedd said. “We start district. From this point, you lose and you go home.”