From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Nov. 27, 1988:

Lawrence High School football fans suffered heartache on a misty, rainy Saturday afternoon as the Lions lost to Manhattan 14-7 in the 6A state championship game at Memorial Stadium. More than 4,000 LHS fans sat through drizzly weather with temperatures in the low 40s to see the rematch between the previous year’s state championship contenders. Lawrence had won the previous year’s game; a win this year would have made the Lions the third team in state history to win three straight championship. Instead, disappointment was the order of the day. “I’m sad to see the Lions lose,” said Lawrence resident Newton King, whose son Chris had played on the 1987 Lions team. “But today, Manhattan was just a better team.” However, fans were forgiving toward their Lions: “I thought they showed a really good effort today,” said Rick Hicks of Olathe. “I think the odds were kind of stacked against them. It’s hard to beat a time like that two times in a row. Real hard.”