A reunion of sorts

LHS senior Taylor Bussinger spotted some familiar faces on the other team in Lawrence High’s boys soccer matchup against Shawnee Mission West on Thursday.

“I know a bunch of their club players,” Bussinger said.

Many of the Vikings teammates played with Bussinger in Kansas City for two club soccer teams: the Kansas City Athletics and the Kansas City Comets.

Home-course advantage?

Even though LHS played host to the Lawrence Invitational at Alvamar Public Golf Course on Thursday, Free State’s Genny Salvatore posted the best score out of the eight Lawrence residents.

Salvatore (99) was no stranger to the course. “On some of the shots I knew where the green was, so that was helpful. I knew how the ball rolled,” she said. “I definitely had a little advantage.”

0-for-Olathe

Lawrence High and Free State High both are 2-2 after the first month of the football season. Coincidentally, each of the two schools’ losses have been to Olathe North and Olathe South.

O-North spilled the Firebirds, 29-10, on Friday, and the Eagles pinned the Lions, 41-13, in the season opener. O-South owns a 28-9 win over Lawrence and a 34-27 victory over Free State.

Family ties

Olathe North quarterback Jake Catloth, who broke open Friday’s 29-10 victory over Free State with a 73-yard TD scamper in the third quarter, is a son of Doug Catloth, a former Lawrence High and Kansas State tight end.

The elder Catloth is one of the Eagles’ assistant coaches.

‘Wounded bear’

LHS tennis coach Steve Hudson had a unique approach for inspiring his No. 4 tennis player, Marcy Vickers, Monday at Free State.

Vickers was down big to the Firebirds’ May Simpson when Hudson approached her during a change-over. “You’re like a wounded bear, you’re dangerous when you’re behind,” he told Vickers. He repeated “wounded bear” a few times and lightened the mood by growling. Vickers smiled and went on to win, 8-7 (7-2).

Second-half shutout

Lawrence High blanked powerful O-South in the second half Friday at the Olathe District Activities Center, thanks largely to fumble recoveries by Josh Wedel and Aaron Rea and to blocking a 35-yard field goal attempt by the Falcons’ Kyson Ginavan in the third quarter.

“We should have done it in the first half, too,” said Lions senior linebacker Tyler Hunt. “Nothing changed. We should have played that way in the first half.”

Meanwhile, the Lions struggled on offense throughout. Lawrence compiled 246 yards rushing and passing, but all but 98 of those yards came on two big plays – a 73-yard pass from Andrew Miller to Jared Vinoverski and a 75-yard touchdown run by Hunt.