It’s an athlete’s dream: to make ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Free State High School drubbed Leavenworth High School Thursday night 55-21, but probably the one play the Firebirds don’t want to remember from the game ended up on the sports network’s highlights.

A 94-yard first-quarter kickoff return for a touchdown by Leavenworth junior running back Warren Brown made SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays segment Thursday night.

Free State coach Bob Lisher didn’t see it. He had heard about it Friday morning from people around school, but they thought they had dreamed it because it was on so late.

“It would have been nice – because we won the game – if they’d had one of our highlights,” Lisher said.

Metro Sports televised the game as the high school game of the week in the Kansas City area. John Denison, the station’s general manager, said ESPN has shown plays in highlights from their televised games before, but he was not aware why the kickoff return was chosen Thursday.

“That’s something to ask ESPN,” Denison said.

Chad Speer, Leavenworth’s head coach, received calls and text messages when Brown’s return aired. Speer still hasn’t checked his video recording at home of SportsCenter to watch it.

“It’s pretty cool,” Speer said. “That’s a kid’s dream, getting on SportsCenter. For that to happen to him, it shines a good light on the whole program.”

His players will be buzzing about the play for days, Speer said. The coaches also want them to correct mistakes from the loss and play better in their remaining games, he said.

Lisher said the Firebirds would definitely take the victory over one highlight.

“That was the No. 1 thing,” he said. “If we happen to end up on SportsCenter, that’s great.”