No one could deny the success of Lawrence’s football teams when coaches hand-picked the 2012 All-Sunflower League honorees.

Free State High (10-2) and Lawrence (8-3) both made the playoffs and Firebirds and Lions earned 13 of the 29 first-team spots.

FSHS seniors receiver Tye Hughes and linemen Cody Stanclift and junior Fred Wyatt, as well as LHS seniors quarterback Brad Strauss and receiver Erick Mayo represented the city on offense.

Free State’s defensive backs senior Kyle McFarland and junior Joe Dineen, senior linebacker Corban Schmidt and lineman Stanclift, and Lawrence’s senior lineman Kharon Brown and defensive back Strauss received first-team defense honors.

On special teams, senior Lions kick returner Drake Hofer and Firebirds punt returner Hughes made the first team.

Five city players received second-team status: Lawrence’s senior receiver Will Thompson, junior lineman Kyle Wittman and defensive back Mayo, and Free State’s junior linebacker Keith Loneker and quarterback McFarland.

The honorable mention lists included a slew of city players, too.

Honorable mention for FSHS: seniors kicker Antonio Schnoneich, running back TJ Cobbs, receiver Chris Heller, defensive back Demarko Bobo, defensive lineman Riley Buller and linebacker Hughes; and juniors offensive lineman Reid Buckingham, running back Dineen, linebackers Blake Winslow and Stan Skwarlo and defensive lineman Wyatt.

Honorable mention for LHS: seniors running back Tyrone Jenkins, defensive lineman Josh Seybert and linebackers Hunter Haralson, Drew Green, Asaph Jewsome and Jordan Brown; and juniors offensive lineman Alex Jones, defensive back Tucker Sutter and linebacker Kieran Severa.