Lawrence High defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe looks to the student section as he celebrates a stop by the Lions against Shawnee Mission Northwest, Friday, Sept. 26 2014 at Lawrence High School.

Lawrence High football players talked in the weight room earlier this week about getting off to a quick start against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Friday. They noted they’ve only scored one touchdown in the first quarter this season.

Message received.

Junior running back JD Woods ran for a 44-yard touchdown on the Lions’ third play from scrimmage, then added another 26-yard touchdown run on the team’s next possession.

That set the tone as the Lions steamrolled Shawnee Mission Northwest, 40-18, at LHS.

Lawrence (2-2) ran for 337 yards, as the offensive line put any of its struggles this year behind them.

“I think they just wanted to come out with a little bit better intensity,” Woods said of his offensive line, “show that last week, they didn’t play well, but this week that they could play, and that they’re one of the best lines in the Sunflower League.”

Woods, who finished with 199 yards on 17 carries, went up the middle, then cut to his left on his first touchdown.

“It was a straight stretch play,” Woods said. “I saw them cut back off of Amani (Bledsoe), and Price (Morgan) had his guy on the ground. I was like, ‘Hopefully (receiver) Zak (McAlister) can get (the cornerback),’ and he did, so I cut to the outside real quick.”

His second touchdown was up the middle, when senior center Cole Greenwood opened a lane, and Woods sped past defenders.

The Lions didn’t stop rolling after their two quick scoring drives. Midway through the second quarter, Woods ran the ball for 30 yards on two attempts before sophomore Trey Moore added 14 yards of his own, including a one-yard touchdown plunge. Moore finished with two touchdowns and 70 yards on nine attempts.

“This offensive line works harder than any offensive line I’ve ever played with,” Moore said. “The holes they create are just unbelievable.”

But it wasn’t just the offense that contributed to quick starts. On the opening kickoff following halftime, senior Nyle Anderson sprinted up the Lions’ sideline and past SM Northwest tacklers for a 97-yard kick-return touchdown.

“We usually just go back there and try to get as many yards as possible,” Anderson said of his strategy. “I saw the gap open — it was 10 yards wide — and Braxdon Cooper laid out a nice block to me on my right, and I just turned on the burners after that.”

The Lions’ defense had its own highlights, allowing five first downs in three quarters before substitutes entered the game.

Junior Ivan Hollins, McAlister and senior DJ Williams all snagged interceptions, while Bledsoe and Cy Burghart chased down SM Northwest (2-2) quarterbacks for sacks.

But the offense, which has struggled with consistency this year, never slowed down. Late in the third quarter, Woods went up the middle of the field for a 52-yard gain on his last carry of the game, before Moore added a 25-yard touchdown run to give LHS a 40-3 advantage.

“I thought it was important to light a fire under them, and they came out ready to play,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “Those running backs are pretty special. Give them a crease, and they can go.”

For an offensive line that’s had its problems maintaining momentum during a game, for at least one night, it was near perfection.

“I brag about my linemen all the time,” Greenwood said. “I believe that we can be one of the best lines in the state if we play every game like we played tonight.”