Free State High football players (from left) Preston Randolph, Taylor Stuart, Grahm Saunders and Joe Riordan sit and listen to Firebirds coach Bob Lisher as they prepare to sign their national letters of intent. Ten Firebirds signed with colleges Wednesday, with seven committing to Coffeyville Community College.

When Darian Dulin took over the head coaching job at Coffeyville Community College before the 2008 season, he spoke of a desire to incorporate Lawrence into the school’s recruiting range.

He wasn’t kidding.

Wednesday, nine players from Lawrence signed national letters of intent to play football at Coffeyville, with seven coming from Free State High.

“We really wanted to get into Lawrence more,” said Dulin, a 1993 graduate of Lawrence High. “I know (Free State) coach (Bob) Lisher and (LHS) coach (Dirk) Wedd do a great job of preparing kids for the next level. They’re not going to give me a kid that’s not a hard worker and is not going to do what we ask.”

With that in mind, Dulin set out to sign as many Lawrence athletes as he could.

It started with Free State’s Taylor Stuart, a linebacker and tight end on the Class 6A runner-up team.

“Coach Dulin made it pretty easy for me to select Coffeyville,” Stuart said. “I just loved the campus, the coaches and everything else about the program. After that, I just tried to get as many guys as I could to join me so we could continue what we started at Free State.”

It didn’t take long. Within weeks, six other Firebirds had followed Stuart’s lead and Wednesday morning, at 8:46, they made their commitments official.

In front of dozens of friends, family members and Free State High faculty, Doug Bittinger (OL), Josh Hill (OL), Chucky Hunter (RB), Preston Randolph (FS), Joe Riordan (LB), Grahm Saunders (OL) and Stuart turned their verbal intentions into written promises, with Saunders finishing his signature the fastest.

“I’ve been practicing,” Saunders said. “And I was pretty excited. It’s great because I get to continue playing with most of these guys up here for the next couple of years.”

Ironically, Hill, the Firebird with the shortest name, was the last to finish his signature.

“It’s an important day,” said Hill, an offensive lineman with Congressional aspirations. “I wanted to get used to signing my name.”

Also at FSHS Wednesday morning, signing along side the seven new Ravens, were Jack Caywood and Colter Scott (Baker) and Matt Frantz (Fort Hays State).

“This is a great day for these young men and our football program,” Lisher said. “They’ve earned these opportunities and we’re very proud of all of them.”

Six hours after the Free State signings, across town at LHS, two Lawrence High players became the newest members of Coffeyville’s program.

Clifton Sims and Chris Nieto inked their names on the dotted line at 2:50 p.m. Doing so cemented two things: both will be in the hands of Dulin for the next two seasons, and both will have to get used to the idea of teaming up with seven rival Firebirds.

“It’s all about winning a championship,” Sims said. “Hopefully, I can get one with those guys.”

Dulin acknowledged the oddity of recruiting players from his high school’s rival, but added that he was looking forward to connecting players from both of Lawrence’s 6A high schools.

“We have talked about that several times, the coaches even gave me a hard time about it when I was recruiting, saying, ‘Why are you getting guys from the other school,'” Dulin said. “But the way I see it, I want to make it kind of like the old days, get all the Lawrence guys back together and see what happens.”

Sims (RB) and Nieto (DE) were joined at the LHS signing by Jake Green (RB, Baker), Chebon Dawes (OL, Butler County Community College), Wes Henning (OL, University of St. Mary) and Stephen Mason (OL, Emporia State).

“I usually don’t talk individually about kids who are signing,” Wedd said. “But I will with these guys because they’re all very special players.”

Wedd then went on to talk about the potential of each player and added in some of his signature comedy for the friends and family members in attendance.

Other football signings from around the area Wednesday included: Eudora High’s Cody Carlson, who signed with Division II Northwest Missouri State; De Soto’s Mark England (Coffeyville), Mike Sprowl and Jake Radell (Butler County); and Wellsville High’s Austen Moore (Fort Scott) and Bubba Oshel (Highland).