Lawrence High's Dirk Wedd, left, and Free State's Bob Lisher hope to disprove the Sunflower League coaches' poll, which ranked LHS seventh and Free State fourth. The Lions and Firebirds will begin their seasons at 7 tonight.

Time was when year after year Olathe North and Lawrence were the cream of Sunflower League football. But those days are gone.

Now, O-North and Lawrence are considered mere middle-of-the-packers by Sunflower League coaches who tapped the Eagles for fifth place and the Lions for seventh in the preseason poll.

“I think we’re underestimated because we lost so many starters,” Lawrence High senior Tyler Hunt said. “But I don’t think rankings really matter.”

Time will tell, but tonight’s season opener between the two long-time rivals should give an indication of how fast both teams have been able to rebuild.

Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. at the Olathe District Activities Center.

Hunt is the most experienced player on the Lions’ roster. He logged varsity duty as a reserve when he was a sophomore, and the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder started every game at linebacker as a junior last fall.

“It’s my year. That’s how I see it,” Hunt said. “It’s important for me to be a role model.”

Hunt also will start at one of the running-back positions, just as he did last year before fumblitis in the Shawnee Mission West game relegated him to back-up status as a ball-carrier.

“After that game, it was always in the back of my mind,” Hunt said. “Now I concentrate and don’t let it go.”

Traditionally, Lawrence High has a feature back – Tony Williams last year; Nolan Kellerman in 2005 – but coach Dirk Wedd isn’t ready to say whether Hunt or junior Clifton Sims will be a workhorse.

“I don’t know,” Wedd said. “I’m really looking for an identity for this team offensively. I’ve always run the football, but we’ve thrown for over 1,000 yards each of the last two years, too.”

Last year, the Lions boasted a dangerous pass-catch combo in quarterback Chance Riley and wide receiver Nathan Padia, both seniors.

In essence, Wedd doesn’t know what kind of a passing game he’ll have this fall with junior Clint Pinnick at QB and seniors Jared Vinoverski and Travis Sanders at wide receiver.

Then there’s the offensive line with only one returning starter in guard Skyler Countess.

“Right now, I don’t have a good feel about where we are up front,” Wedd says.

Wedd has two sizable tackles in juniors Stephen Mason (6-4, 280) and Chebon Dawes (6-3, 260), but one of the starting guards will be a sophomore – Jay Baker (6-0, 215). Countess (5-11, 215) will be the other guard with junior Ryan Giblin (5-11, 215) at center.

Traditionally, Wedd has used several players both ways, and he’ll open with seven players pulling double duty tonight. Rex Hargis, a member of the Lions’ soccer team, will do the place-kicking. Hunt returns as the punter.

“We have a lot of question marks, a lot of unknowns,” Wedd said. “Size-wise, we’re very small, but I like the work ethic. I think they think they’ll be a good team. They anticipate being good.”

The Lions will return to Olathe next week for a Thursday night game against Olathe Northwest at the College Boulevard AC.