Coming off the bench for a team that has two of the best high school basketball players in the state can have its intimidating facets, if a team’s culture isn’t quite right.

It certainly didn’t look that way for key Lawrence High reserves Wednesday night in a 79-45 victory vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest in a sub-state opener at The Jungle.

They looked as if they felt counted-on, appreciated. Above all, they looked comfortable.

Junior guard Anthony Harvey was needed when standout junior point guard Justin Roberts picked up his second foul in the second quarter on a charge. Harvey responded with a big night, contributing eight points and two rebounds.

Senior Logan Applegate does his work closer to the basket and he did it well in the sub-state opener, pitching in with six points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Two of his points came when Price Morgan set him up with a beauty of a bounce pass from the high post. Junior Fred Brou also looked as if he belonged with three points and a steal and Kyle Hoffman hit a three, playing the role late in the game that starter Ben Rajewski plays so well.

Roberts and Bonner, remarkably skilled and explosive in different ways, do more than lead the team in scoring. They lead the team in establishing a winning demeanor as well.

“Playing against them every day at practice, it gets you better, definitely,” Harvey said.

Playing with them has the same impact in multiple ways.

“They’re two humble guys and they both have real bright futures,” Harvey said. “It’s a pleasure playing with them. It’s fun. It’s a lot of fun. They come from two great families and they know how to be humble. I feel like that speaks for our team, too.”

Meaning?

“We don’t run around flaunting our record: ‘We’re 20-1. We’re No. 2 in the state.’ No,” Harvey said. “Just play the game. I think we do a good job of not being cocky. We’re repping our school. We’re repping our families. We let our game speak.”

Everything about the Lions illustrates strong team chemistry.

“What’s best about Anthony Harvey is he understands his role and if that’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes, he’s playing ball and he’s got a great attitude,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said. “He brings a lot of fresh air to the gym every day. He’s one of those guys.”

Basketball players love to play, but if you have to watch, you might as well soak it all in and let that get your juices flowing.

“The starters do such a good job that it makes it easy for us when we come in the game,” Harvey said. “We come in with a lot of energy, seeing the starters do their thing. Coming off the bench, you’ve got to keep the fire going, keep the crowd up on their feet, just keep the offense moving.”

The Lions are far from the tallest team in the state, so it’s important to find ways to compensate for that. Applegate knows his role.

“It’s just to be more of a physical presence, bang with the big guys” Applegate said. “Coach tells me to go in there and play my game and my game’s being physical, so that’s what I do.”

If you haven’t seen the Lions, Friday’s your last chance to see them on their home court. It’s not a bad way to spend a Friday night.