It’s been more than a decade since Lawrence residents have had an opportunity to follow a high school football team to a state championship game.

The wait is over. The Free State High School Firebirds will play the Junction City Blue Jays this afternoon in Topeka to decide the Class 6A state title.

The Firebirds’ presence in the championship game has special significance for a couple of reasons. First, it is the first time a Firebird football team has played for the state championship. It also is the first time either Lawrence high school team has been in the championship game since the two schools split in 1997.

Before “the split,” Lawrence residents had grown accustomed — and pretty emotionally attached — to the idea that the powerful Lawrence High School football team would compete most years for a state championship. In fact, one of the not-so-secret fears of Lawrence having two public high schools was that neither would be able to maintain LHS’ record of repeated state football championships.

Although it was a pretty shallow reason to oppose the high-school split, the feared loss of football dominance did indeed come to pass. Now, the new kids on the block, the Free State Firebirds, have a chance to put that fear to rest.

Fans from across the city have every reason to be excited about today’s game. Even if the Firebirds don’t beat the so-far-undefeated Junction City team, they have returned a Lawrence team to the top of the state’s football competition. It’s not the only, or even the most important, thing going on in Lawrence’s public schools, but it’s fun to see people rally behind the team and make plans to cheer them during and after the game, win or lose.

Winning any sports championship is some combination of skill, determination and luck. Hopefully, the Firebirds will bring all of their skill and determination to this afternoon’s game and be able to mix in enough luck to bring home the championship trophy.