FSHS QB Torneden ready for challenge of LHS

Before Camren Torneden’s folks pulled up stakes in suburban Dallas and moved to Lawrence last year, they gave their son a choice.

Did he want to enroll as a sophomore at Lawrence High? Or did he prefer Free State High?

“I went for the newer school,” Torneden said. “My mom was a cheerleader at Lawrence High, so I thought it would be neat to go against her school.”

Tonight, Torneden will be going against his mother’s school for the second time, although in a different role.

Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. at Haskell Stadium. A delayed telecast will be available at 10:30 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband channel 6.

As a sophomore last season, Torneden played safety and wide receiver in the Firebirds’ 27-0 victory over the Lions. Now he’s a cornerback and, more important, Free State’s quarterback.

Since becoming the starting signal-caller in the second game, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound junior has evolved into a dual offensive threat. He has run 100 times for 670 yards and has passed 99 times for another 626 yards.

“Torneden could be the No. 1 quarterback in the league,” Lawrence High coach Dirk Wedd said. “You miss a tackle on him, and they get their PAT team out there.”

Although hardly the optimum size for a passer, Torneden has completed 54.5 percent of his tosses and thrown for seven touchdowns. He also has rushed for five TDs.

Torneden and tailback Chucky Hunter give the Firebirds a potent 1-2 punch, and not just because Torneden wears jersey No. 1 and Hunter No. 2. Hunter, a 5-9, 180-pound senior, has rushed for 679 yards and 10 TDs.

Hunter missed last week’s Leavenworth game due to an ankle injury, but is expected to return tonight.

“He’s still hobbling some,” Free State coach Bob Lisher said. “We’ll seen how he warms up before the game.”

Hunter and the other 20 seniors on the roster can make history tonight. If the Firebirds win, they will be the first Free State players who will be able to say they played their entire varsity careers without losing to their crosstown rivals.

“It’s a pretty big deal for us,” senior Jack Caywood said. “We’ve never lost to them, and we’d like to keep it that way.”

Free State (4-3) will be favored to become the first team to win three in a row since the series began in 1997. Yet being the favorite can be a curse.

“I don’t know if there is a favorite in a rivalry game,” said Lisher, the only head football coach the Firebirds have ever had. “Strange things can happen. We’ve gone in as the favorite and lost, and we’ve gone in as the underdog and won.”

Wedd feels the same way, saying: “Anytime you’re in a rivalry game, you have a shot at it because the emotions are so high.”

At the same time, all Wedd can do is hope the Lions’ emotions will help them overcome what he believes is a huge advantage Free State has in one crucial category – speed.

“I assume they have 20 kids faster than our fastest kid,” Wedd said.

Whoever wins tonight will take a leg up in the four-team Class 6A district because both won their district openers last week. The regular season will end Friday with the Lions traveling to Leavenworth and the Firebirds entertaining Olathe Northwest.