When the Sunflower League coaches got together at the end of the regular season to name the conference’s best soccer players, a slew of Lawrence high school players and one coach were honored by the league for their performances this year.

The league’s First Team featured three Free State High players – senior forwards Alex Clayton and Erik Slan and senior midfielder Andrew Heck.

Led by the two speedy, dynamic forwards and the steady Heck, the Firebirds went 7-3 in league play and finished in fourth place, prompting the Sunflower coaches to vote FSHS head man Jason Pendleton the league’s coach of the year.

Despite going 1-10 in Sunflower competition, three Lawrence High players received Honorable Mention.

Lawrence High junior defenders Bobby Davis and Jack Robertson, as well as senior midfielder Wade Billings, received the distinction from league coaches.

FSHS senior defender Greg Glatz made the Sunflower Second Team, and two other Firebirds – junior midfielder Dale Shillington and sophomore defender Daniel Chance – also received honorable mention.

Pendleton, the Firebirds’ coach for nine years, was proud of the accolades his 2007 team racked up.

“That was a big accomplishment for our group,” he said of the all-league selections, pointing out that FSHS’s three First Team picks were second only to league champ Olathe East’s (10-0-1) four.

As far as being named the league’s coach of the year, Pendleton wasn’t sure what to make of the honor.

“Somebody’s got to take the credit,” Pendleton guessed. “The Sunflower League coaches thought that I deserved some of the credit.”

But the Firebirds’ coach said the players made the successful season and the coaching honor possible.

“I think it’s probably just a reflection that other schools didn’t expect us to be as good as we were,” he said of being named the league’s top coach, dodging credit he said his players deserved for their achievements this season.

Pendleton also praised his lone second-teamer: “Greg, in my eyes, is a first-team all-league defender,” Pendleton said, explaining that Glatz most likely didn’t make the First Team because there were already three Firebirds on it.

With nine FSHS seniors departing, Pendleton thinks Shillington and Chance should have a chance to play bigger roles in 2008 after garnering honorable mention accolades on a deep team.

“I anticipate they’ll be some of our key leaders next year and continue to help what we’re building here with our program,” he said.

As for the Lions, their three honorable mention picks were the most by any team.