Representatives from Lawrence High’s winter sports, front from left: Marissa Pope, girls basketball; Cy Burghart, wrestling; back from left, Anthony Bonner, boys basketball; and Ellis Springe, boys swimming.

Representatives from Lawrence High’s winter sports, front from left: Marissa Pope, girls basketball; Cy Burghart, wrestling; back from left, Anthony Bonner, boys basketball; and Ellis Springe, boys swimming.

Some Lawrence High winter sports teams will enter the season with state-title aspirations, and others hope to give younger athletes a chance to step into the spotlight. Ready or not, their seasons have finally arrived.

Here is a look at all of the Lions’ winter sports programs opening play this week:

Boys basketball

Lawrence High’s boys basketball players have high expectations for themselves this year, returning seven players from last year’s varsity rotation, when the Lions went 17-5 and earned a trip to the sub-state title game.

They’ve also earned high expectations from others, garnering a No. 1 preseason ranking in the Kansas coaches poll.

The Lions boast one of the best backcourts in the state, with senior Anthony Bonner, a Colorado State signee, junior Justin Roberts, senior John Barbee and senior Ben Rajewski. Bonner, Roberts and Barbee all averaged more than 10 points per game last season.

Fifth-year coach Mike Lewis also has some solid post players with junior Price Morgan, junior Fred Brou and senior Logan Applegate.

The Lions have dedicated the upcoming season to former assistant coach Kermit Aldridge, who died of cancer in March. They will open the season against Emporia at 7 p.m. Friday at LHS.

Girls basketball

It’s going to be a new era for Lawrence’s girls basketball team. The Lions only return one full-time starter from last year, senior point guard Marissa Pope, and have a new coach, Jeff Dickson.

“We have our work cut out for us,” said Dickson, who led Shawnee Mission Northwest to a state tournament berth last season. “We have to change the culture of the basketball program and get our kids to understand that we have to make a bigger and more meaningful commitment to working hard and buying in.”

Along with Pope, the Lions hope to get consistent play from sophomore shooting guard Skylar Drum, who started a few games last year, and senior forward Matia Finley. They also hope freshman guard E’lease Stafford can help the team improve from last season’s 6-15 record.

“Our kids went from normally doing little to nothing in the summer to going to several team camps and working four to five days a week to improve our fundamental skills and come together as a program,” Dickson said. “We had great leadership from senior Marissa Pope, and although we didn’t win many games this summer, we did get out and compete and work.”

The Lions will face Emporia in their season opener at 5:30 p.m. Friday at LHS.

Boys swimming

Lawrence’s boys swimming and diving team doesn’t have many seniors, but ninth-year coach Kent McDonald hopes to see big strides from his team this season.

The Lions, who finished eighth in the Sunflower League and 16th at state last year, return depth with swimmers Chase Odgers, Patrick Oblon, Ellis Springe, Hunter Boehle, Guillermo Hernandez, Jared Miller, Matt Ramaley and Jack Ryan, along with diver Izaiah Bowie.

“We have some new swimmers who will have an immediate impact, and our returners should continue to improve and place well for us,” McDonald said. “We should do better than last year, with more swimmers and divers contributing to the team.”

Some of those newcomers expected to contribute include Alex Heckman, Stephen Johnson and Isaac Springe.

What’s going to be the biggest challenge for the Lions early in the year?

“Getting our swimmers into shape while learning good swimming technique,” McDonald said.

LHS opens the year at 3:30 p.m. today at the Free State quadrangular.

Wrestling

It’s not necessarily a rebuilding year, but Lawrence High’s wrestling team will have a ton of youth in its lineup this season.

After taking fifth in the Sunflower League and 10th at state, the Lions still have plenty of star power, with four state qualifiers: Alan Clothier, Cy Burghart, Jhon Jacob and Tucker Wilson. Clothier is the defending state champion at 182 pounds, finishing last season with a 30-1 record.

Overall, LHS returns 12 wrestlers from last year and brings in 17 newcomers. There are several freshmen who will have a chance to earn a regular spot in the team’s lineup, led by Ben King, Carson Jumping Eagle, Ja’Relle Dye, Ja’Melle Dye, Jay Cheatham and James Cooper.

“It will be a fun and exciting season with all of our youth,” eighth-year coach Pat Naughton said.

LHS starts on Saturday in the Leavenworth tournament at 9 a.m.