Olathe ? After Olathe South pummeled Lawrence High by 22 points on Jan. 15, LHS boys basketball coach Mike Lewis called the Falcons a well-oiled machine.

Lewis likened his team to a 1987 squeaky Ford Escort.

Nothing about that game necessarily bodes well for the Lions’ sub-state game against the Falcons on the road at 7 tonight.

But during practice on Tuesday, Lewis emphasized that his team had moved past the loss in advance of tonight’s matchup.

After all, it’s a new season.

“Our guys are a confident group when it comes to seeing the big picture,” Lewis said.

The Falcons’ 1-2-2 zone press gave the Lions fits in the first matchup. LHS (6-14) often turned the ball on looping passes in the backcourt, giving O-South (17-3) ample opportunity to convert transition layups.

This time around, the Lions have prepared better for the press, as well as several other defensive looks.

They’ve also tried to prepare for O-South senior Kameron Lindsay, who scored 22 points on a perfect night from the field in January.

“We just have to compete better against him, and not let him just treat us like his little brother in the backyard and use and abuse us,” Lewis said. “We have to step up and compete against the kid.”

Lewis figures that all the pressure will rest on Olathe South, the No. 1 seed in the Lions’ eight-team sub-state. LHS is the No. 8 seed.

“We’re supposed to go there and get beat,” Lewis said. “I hope that taking the pressure off our guys allows for us to play a little looser.”