They’ve won only one of their four games. No starter stands taller than 6-foot-2. And two regulars are sophomores.

Free State certainly won’t be favored when it plays host to crosstown rival Lawrence in boys high school basketball tonight.

“It’s going to be tough,” Free State senior Chase Hoag said. “Those guys are good.”

Olathe South is good, too, and the Falcons exploited the Firebirds’ weaknesses during a 70-59 victory on Friday night in the FSHS gym.

“We competed better than we have in the young season,” FSHS coach Chuck Law said, “but we have minute to minute-and-a-half stretches where we lose focus.”

The Firebirds, for example, seemed to lose O-South guard Joe McBride during a two-minutes-plus stretch in the fourth quarter when the 5-11 senior scored 11 straight points.

During that span, O-South turned an eight-point lead into a 15-point bulge that forced the Firebirds to foul down the stretch and the Falcons (4-1) made nine of 12 free throws in the last 1:34 to clinch it.

“When you lose focus,” Law said, “a good team like Olathe South makes you pay.”

Another loss of focus occurred early in the third quarter. Lagging 28-22 at the break, the Firebirds unleashed a 7-0 sizz that featured a three-point basket and a couple of charities by Nick Hassig to snatch a 29-28 lead.

But the Falcons followed with a 7-0 run of their own and the Firebirds never led again.

Free State had difficulty guarding McBride outside (22 points) and 6-5 Ethan Alexander inside (13 points), and now the Firebirds will face another formidable 1-2 punch in Lawrence’s Dorian Green and Lance Kilburn.

“They have two really, really good players,” Law said of the Lions, “and I don’t know what we’ll do to stop them. We have to come up with something better than we had tonight.”

On the plus side, the Firebirds will be at home and they’ll be facing a rival.

“Obviously, we’re excited to play all our friends over there,” said senior Jake Miller, who led the Firebirds with 13 points. “I think we’ll be able to bounce back.”

Free State will have to shoot better and defend better than it did against O-South. The Firebirds made only 20 of 53 shots (37.7 percent) while the Falcons connected on 26 of 48 shots (54.2 percent).

“We gave a lot of effort tonight,” Hoag said, “but they were hitting their shots and we weren’t.”

How will Hoag approach what will probably be his last game against Lawrence High in the FSHS gym?

“I try to see it as just another game, even though it isn’t,” the 6-1 forward said, “and just play as hard as I can. I think we’re all pretty much ready to go.”

Nick Hassig and Eric Watson, both juniors, finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Firebirds. Of their 20 field goals, more than a third (7) were three-pointers.

“It’ll be hard to do,” Law said about tonight’s task. “But it’ll be good to come back against a team we’ll be energized to play.”

Tipoff will be about 7:30 p.m. or about 25 minutes after the conclusion of the girls game.