The storyline changes every season, but the intensity never goes away.

This year, the focus of today’s Lawrence High-Free State High boys soccer game — 6 tonight at FSHS — is directed squarely on the undefeated, unscored-upon Firebirds, who take a 4-0 record into the city showdown.

While the Firebirds have jumped out to a fast start, outscoring opponents 9-0 to open the season, FSHS coach Jason Pendleton cautions against making too much of his team’s early-season record.

“We have only played one game against a team that is of the caliber of LHS,” Pendleton said. “If they had played our schedule, they too would be undefeated and unscored-upon.”

But the Lions haven’t. While Free State has faced two small-class schools and Sunflower League cellar-dwellar Leavenworth, LHS has raced out to a 2-2-1 start, with victories against Junction City and Shawnee Mission North and losses coming to Manhattan and SM Northwest.

Regardless of which team has played what kind of schedule, both coaches agree that today’s showdown likely will resemble many that have come before it.

“We are looking forward to the challenge of facing an undefeated Free State team that has yet to surrender a goal,” LHS coach Matt Anderson said. “I imagine it will be a typical crosstown nail-biter.”

While both teams enter the game in good health, the Firebirds will be without senior standout Daniel Chance, who will be sidelined after receiving a red card in Free State’s victory against Olathe Northwest.

“Not having arguably one of the top players in school history is going to be a major issue for us,” Pendleton said. “He plays so many different roles that we can’t simply put a different player in for him because he typically plays three different positions in each game and excels at all of them. This will force us to step up collectively to have a chance to compete with LHS, who is a very good team. The problem we face is we are so dependent on him that we might be a bit rudderless without him.”

Tonight’s game will be played at the FSHS football stadium.