Tonight’s Lawrence High-Shawnee Mission East football contest likely will bring out only the most loyal LHS fans.

With the weather forecast calling for thunderstorms and high winds, and Kansas University’s 13th-ranked football team playing No. 19 South Florida on ESPN2, it seems fair to predict that Haskell Stadium will have a few more empty seats than normal for the 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

That doesn’t bother LHS coach Dirk Wedd.

“Whoever comes to support us, we appreciate it,” Wedd said. “I think our student body will be out in full force, and the community has always been very loyal and very fair throughout the years, so we’ll be happy with whoever shows up.”

Riding high after last week’s 10-3 road victory over SM North, LHS enters tonight’s game looking to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2005, when the Lions opened the season with five straight victories and finished 10-2.

Wedd said those big-picture-type numbers are the farthest thing from the Lions’ minds, but admitted that last week’s victory gave his group a much-needed shot in the arm.

“Anytime you win, the kids come back with more confidence and a little more bounce in their step,” Wedd said. “Confidence is so important in whatever you do athletically.”

LHS won’t be the only team at Haskell Stadium with confidence tonight. In its season opener last week, SM East knocked off Leavenworth, 25-0. Senior quarterback Curran Darling scored on an eight-yard run and hooked up with junior wide receiver Kevin Hertel on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Those two, along with running backs Marcus Webb and Stewart Jensen, lead the Lancers’ offensive attack.

But it’s possible the offenses might not matter in this one. The two teams allowed a combined three points last week; the game has the look of a defensive battle.

“When you hold a Sunflower League team to 150 yards and three points, you’re doing something right,” Wedd said of his squad’s opening-week performance against SM North. “Our defense is not real big and not real fast, so we have to play with great effort on every snap.”

While the Lions’ defense was tough in the opener, the offense struggled, particularly the inexperienced offensive line. Wedd said he hoped to see improvement in that area this week, and he expects the Lions’ top two running backs to help out.

“Throughout the years, I’ve seen some really good running backs make average offensive lines look amazing,” he said. “And right now we’re a below-average offensive line. From our assignments to our general toughness, we need to make a big jump in that area this week.”

Wedd pointed to a pair of standout running backs from the early 1990s – Michael Cosey and current assistant coach Adam Green – as an example of what he hopes to see from his ball-carriers tonight.

“(Seniors) Jake Green and Clifton Sims are not Michael Cosey and Adam Green, but they’re both really fine running backs,” Wedd said. “If we can get them to the linebacker level, they have a chance to gain a bunch of yards. It all comes back to the same thing: Can we run the ball well enough to give us a chance to pass?”