Beginning in 2018, Lawrence High’s football team will play in the West’s Class 6A postseason bracket for the first time in program history.

The Lions will join Free State, which has already played in the state’s western bracket since 2014. The Kansas State High School Activities Association released its football district assignments for the 2018-19 seasons Wednesday, officially putting both Lawrence schools into the same postseason pool.

The latest shift was caused by Wichita Northwest falling from 6A to 5A, based on enrollment from grades 9-11, and Kansas City J.C. Harmon rising back up to 6A. Harmon was added to the eastern bracket, pushing Lawrence across the dividing line as the most-western school. KSHSAA splits 6A’s 32 schools with 16 teams in the west bracket and 16 in the east.

Baldwin, Eudora and Tonganoxie will all compete in the state’s 4A eastern football playoff bracket. In 3A, which still uses the district format to determine postseason teams, Perry-Lecompton was placed with Bishop Ward, Jefferson West, Santa Fe Trail, Topeka Hayden and Wellsville in District 3.