Free State seniors, from left, Maggie Hull, Colter Scott, Ashleigh Allam, Mitch Werts and Rosie Hull, recently accepted the World Company Cup for the 2008-2009 school year. The Firebirds prevailed in the annual athletic competition between city schools by outscoring Lawrence High, 17.5-14.5, in head-to-head meetings.

For the fourth straight year, the World Company Cup is staying at Free State High.

The 2008-09 competition was one of the closest in the four-year history of the Cup, given annually to the school that wins more head-to-head athletic matchups between Lawrence High and Free State.

Although Free State has dominated the competition in years past — winning last year’s Cup by a score of 18-11, for instance — the Firebirds prevailed this year by little more than a beak.

The big winners for the Firebirds this year were the volleyball team, which defeated LHS three times, and the softball team, which swept a doubleheader from the Lions in the only meeting of the season between the two.

Other than that, the Firebirds picked up a single point in 12 other events and a half point in the boys soccer tie to come out on top, 17.5-14.5.

“I really think one of the coolest things about this is that it’s a school-wide deal,” said 2009 graduate Colter Scott, who helped FSHS pick up points in football and track and field. “Even though it’s just about sports, I think a lot of students throughout the school get behind the idea of competing against, and beating, Lawrence High.”

The Firebirds did plenty of that this year, but not quite as easily as in the past few seasons. Free State built an early lead this fall and looked as if it were headed toward another run-away victory. But, behind the strength of a 4-1 advantage in boys and girls basketball, the Lions roared back last winter and cut the gap to a point heading into the spring season, where 11 points remained up for grabs.

Despite picking up an early point in baseball and another in boys tennis, things became really interesting late when the Lions swept two girls soccer games in the span of six days and picked up another point in a baseball rematch to cut the gap to two points heading into the Sunflower League track meet, where points for boys track and another for girls track were on the line.

Had LHS finished ahead of the Firebirds at the league meet, the Cup would have come down to the final baseball meeting of the season in the regional championship game. But the Firebirds outdid the Lions at league and picked up two key points that put the competition out of reach.

While the Free State athletes said that they didn’t often think about the Cup while they were competing, many said there was a fair amount of chatter about making sure they kept the Cup at FSHS for another year.

“This is our tradition,” said FSHS senior Ashleigh Allam, who helped snag three points in volleyball and another in girls basketball. “It’s definitely nice to win it because we didn’t want to be the class that let Lawrence High get its name on the Cup.”

Although the Firebirds have now won four straight head-to-head meetings, therein securing a healthy dose of city bragging rights, many pointed out that losing to LHS at crucial times left a sour taste in their mouths. Despite losing the Cup, the Lions eliminated Free State from the postseason in girls basketball, baseball and volleyball.

“That is kind of frustrating,” Scott said. “We’ll beat them once, but then they seem to find a way to win the one that really counts.”

Still, hoisting the Cup for Firebirds everywhere in her final official act as a Free State athlete was a special feeling for senior Rosie Hull.

“The rivalry between us and LHS is definitely pretty important throughout the city,” Hull said. “And it’s kind of nice to play a part in winning it.”

As per the original agreement, the Cup now will be engraved with a new scoreplate and will remain the property of FSHS for at least another year.