Christian Ballard and Jarryd Cole will root for the same team next year – the Iowa Hawkeyes. Ballard, a Free State senior, will play football for the Hawkeyes, and Cole, a Kansas City (Mo.) Winnetonka senior, will play basketball for Iowa.

It’s safe to say they won’t root for the same team tonight at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. Twelve high school players from Kansas will face off against 12 from Missouri in the Kansas City Metro Sports all-star basketball game.

The girls game will begin at 5 p.m. The boys will follow at 7 p.m.

Four other local basketball names will make an appearance in Olathe tonight. Lawrence High senior forward Chance Riley will join Ballard on team Kansas. Free State senior guard Lauren Kimball will play in the girls game. Firebird fans will recognize two familiar names as coaches for team Kansas – Chuck Law for the boys, and Bryan Duncan for the girls.

In the boys game, there’s a good chance Ballard, listed at 6-feet-4 and 275 pounds, could match up against Cole, 6-4, 230.

“I just hope I don’t get dunked on,” Ballard said, laughing. “He’s a dominant post player and really built.”

Ballard was just as dominating in leading Free State (13-12) to its first state playoff victory in school history last season. The Firebirds took third at the Class 6A state tournament in Emporia. Ballard was a main reason, as he broke the single-season rebounds record at Free State last season with 204. Keith Wooden previously held the record in 2002-2003, when he pulled down 181 rebounds.

“When games were tough, we had a problem with blocking out,” Ballard said. “I knew if I broke the rebounds record, we had a good chance of going far this year. I wanted to crash the boards 100 percent.”

Lions fans will be interested to know Law chose Riley as one of two representatives for team Kansas in a shooting contest before the game. Riley won an impromptu shootout at practice earlier in the week.

“I’ve really come to appreciate how he plays throughout the last two days of practice, watching how players try to match his size and his ability to be on the perimeter,” Law said of Riley. “I would have liked to coach him for the last two years.”

As for Kimball, she thought fellow FSHS seniors Jenna Brantley and Kelsey Harrison might join her in the game. Even though the Free State floor general won’t play alongside any other Firebird, Kimball said the game would be a great way for her to end her basketball career.

“It shows how far we’ve come in the last three years,” Kimball said of her selection. “Sophomore year, we didn’t accomplish much. This game will help end the season really well, especially since I’m not playing in college.”

Duncan, whose Firebirds went 18-7 last season, has coached Kimball for three years at the varsity level. He said he noticed improvements in Kimball’s game every year.

“This solidifies her as one of the top players for her age in this area,” Duncan said.

Ottawa senior Victor Ojeleye, along with Ottawa coach David Grover, also will join team Kansas tonight.