photo by: John Young

Free State's Will Laufer (18) leaps over a sliding tackle attempt by DeSoto's Travis Hodge during their soccer match Monday night at FSHS.

It’s hard to believe that every fall sports season — not including football — is over. It doesn’t seem that long ago that teams showed up for their first practices following the summer.


But fast forward 12 weeks, and here we are.


Below, we’ll take a look back at all of the Lawrence High and Free State seasons and take a quick peek at how they might look next year:

## Boys soccer ##
Free State’s boys soccer team returned 12 players from a year ago and the Firebirds responded with one of their best seasons in recent history.


The Firebirds finished with an 11-6-1 record before losing to Wichita North in the regional championship. It was the most wins in a season since 2009. The Firebirds opened the season with a 2-3 mark before ripping off five straight wins in the middle of the year.


“It means a lot to be this far. We didn’t get this far last year so that’s definitely a plus,” senior Ernesto Hodison said following the regional loss. “I’m just really thankful for this team. We’ve gotten really close. We really figured out how to play our game and do it well. Unfortunately losses happen.”


The Firebirds had a few big wins throughout the season, beating Shawnee Heights, a Class 5A regional champion, and De Soto, the Class 4-1A state runner-up.


Free State have a strong core returning with Branden Patterson, Cooper Moreano, Heitor Nazareth and Toufik Ahmmed at forward, Nicholas Howard and Ethan Irons at midfield, Rowan Laufer, Charlie Newsome and Francisco Flores on defense, and Jonathan Lesslie at goalie.


However, it will be tough to replace seven seniors, including star midfielder Will Laufer, who led the team in scoring.


“These are now guys that have been in the program for a long time,” FSHS coach Kelly Barah said of the seniors. “To see them tell the players that we can do it our way and not be scared to do it, it’s just been unbelievable to see that kind of leadership. I’m super, super proud of every single one of them. They’re going to achieve (success) in so many different realms other than soccer, and that’s the beautiful part for me.”


Lawrence High’s boys soccer team had plenty of potential, but had problems scoring goals for most of the season.


The Lions (4-12-1) were held without a goal in their first four games, and changed formations in the middle of the year. It paid off with more goals, but the Lions just struggled with consistency. They tied Free State and lost in double overtime against Shawnee Heights. But then there were disappointing losses to Leavenworth and Gardner-Edgerton.


The Lions will lose seven seniors, including midfielders Piper Hubbell and Brennan Davies, and strong defenders Sam Dykes and Adam Weir.


But the Lions will be returning some talented forwards. Junior Ebrahim Diagne finished second in the Sunflower League in goals. They’ll also have junior Cain Scott and sophomore Quentin Harrington, among others, to help out with their offense.


“You’re looking at, ‘Hey, we’ve got some firepower up there,” LHS coach Mike Murphy said. “Cain, obviously, is a talented player and will really come on, I think, his senior year. He’ll be a great 1-2 punch between him and Ebrahim.”

photo by: John Young

Free State's Will Laufer (18) leaps over a sliding tackle attempt by DeSoto's Travis Hodge during their soccer match Monday night at FSHS.

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## Volleyball ##
Under first-year coach Amy Hoffsommer, Free State’s volleyball team was consistent for most of the season.


On the surface, the Firebirds finished the year with a 23-17 record, losing in the first round of their regional to Manhattan. But they were more dangerous than they were given credit for. Among those 17 losses, 13 were against state-qualifying teams.


“It’s tough,” Hoffsommer said after the regional loss. “As I told them, it’s inevitable that you have to end the season. You just don’t want to end it on this day. I’m still quite frankly a little shocked. I told them all, I fully expected not to be at my son’s birthday party because he has his birthday on Halloween on the state (tournament) weekend.”


The Firebirds had a balanced attack on offense and were solid defensively. They’ll lose four seniors: Lauren Johnson, Allie Knapp, Erin Friedrichsen and Rebekah Andersson.


However, Free State will keep a strong group of returners and have potential to make a big run next season. Junior middle blocker Naomi Hickman, a Creighton commit, will be a big component of the team’s offense, along with Emma Barberena, Rachel Hickman, Payton Gannaway, Natalie Clarke and Larissa Gaumer. The Firebirds also have sophomore Jenalee Dickson at setter.


Lawrence High’s volleyball team never really found its rhythm this season.


In the first match of the season, the Lions narrowly lost in five sets to Blue Valley Northwest, the Class 6A state runner-up, and they just struggled to build off of that momentum. After posting a 2-1 record at the SM West quad on Sept. 10, the Lions lost 17 of their next 21 matches.


“We didn’t start off as well with the record we wanted to this year,” sophomore Laurel Bird said after a regional loss to eventual 6A state champion, Blue Valley West. “Hopefully next year we’ll switch it up.”


The Lions (8-29) will lose six seniors, including star outside hitter Caroline Dykes, a Missouri University of Science and Technology commit. But they return Bird at setter, Olivia Morgan, Amelia Dunlap, Alexia Anglin and E’lease Stafford at the net.

photo by: Nick Krug

Lawrence High players celebrate a point against Shawnee Mission Northwest during a volleyball tri on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 at Lawrence High School.

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## Cross Country ##
At the beginning of the season, Free State cross country runners didn’t know what to expect out of the upcoming season.


The girls’ cross country team had two top returners, juniors Emily Venters and Kiran Cordes, but the rest of the varsity lineup was relatively unknown. They responded with a dominant season, tying for first place at the state meet and finishing in second because of a tiebreaker. Venters took third at state and Cordes was seventh.


Along with Venters and Cordes, freshman Julia Larkin medaled at state. Right behind those top three runners were freshmen Sarah Walpole and Emma Hertig, sophomores Alvena Walpole and Kate Odgers, and junior Abigail Zenger.


Despite any disappointment from finishing so close to a state title, the Firebirds know they’re loaded with potential to make a strong run for a state championship next season.


“We’re returning five of the top seven and eight of the top 10,” FSHS coach Steve Heffernan said after state. “We certainly want them to celebrate what they accomplished today, I mean, ‘You ran well enough to win. Literally anybody passes anybody in that race and we probably end up with the title.’ But at the same time what can you control for next year? We talked about how a little more work next year and we should have a really solid chance at coming back and competing for that title.”


Free State’s boys cross country team was in a similar position at the beginning of the season, only returning seniors Ethan Donley and Tanner Hockenbury in the varsity lineup. The Firebirds surprised themselves throughout the season with strong seasons by sophomores Avant Edwards and Jared Hicks, freshman Grant Alexander Holmes, and juniors William Benkelman, Joshua Waisner and Calvin Yost-Wolff.


“Me and Tanner both were just really happy with how we all ran,” Donley said. “Coming into it, we weren’t entirely sure. We only had two guys returning. The fact that we were able to just get back to state with this group of guys is just a huge plus for these guys, especially since most of them will be back next year. They know what to expect and how to race a little bit. It’ll be good for them.”


Lawrence High’s girls cross country team saw some improvement from a year ago. The Lions took 11th in the Sunflower League and sent one runner to state: freshman Morgan Jones, who finished 45th.


“I added a lot (of time), but I told myself, ‘Whatever happens, happens,’ because I was just happy I made it,” Jones said of her state race.


Right behind Jones was freshman Anna DeWitt, who shined in the first cross country season. The Lions are also developing with juniors Christina Cho, Mikayla Herschell and Olivia Lemus, sophomore Lacey Greenfield and freshmen Layne Prescott and Katherine Ahern.


The LHS boys took last in the league and didn’t send anybody in the state. The Lions will lose their top runner, senior Nathan Pederson, but return sophomores Carson Jumping Eagle, Carter Shook and Calvin DeWitt, juniors Garrett Prescott and Ben Otte.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Lawrence Free State runners Sarah Walpole, center left, and Emma Hertig, right, run in the middle of a pack during the Kansas 6A girls state cross country race Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 at Rim Rock Farm.

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## Girls tennis ##
Heading into the season, LHS girls tennis coach Chris Marshall wasn’t sure which players would step up into the varsity lineup.


LHS senior Betsy Smoot and junior Natalie Cote answered any questions, improving as the season went along. They teamed up in doubles to take sixth place at regionals and post a 1-2 record at the state tournament.


“I think the more that we played, the more we learned about each other and about ourselves as players and about how to do well with other people,” Cote said. “I think the entirety of the season was a learning experience and it really culminated at regionals. We kind of put everything we had and ended up doing well.”


The Lions will feature a new lineup next season, besides Cote. Seniors Erin Ventura and Payton Smith were the top two singles players and the No. 2 doubles team comprised of seniors Maddie Mask and Caroline Baloga.


Free State’s girls tennis team was led by its two doubles tandems: Caitlin and Ali Dodd, and Rachel Walters and Andrea Chen. The Dodd sisters took 11th place at the state tournament, winning their last match. Walters and Chen nearly made it to the second day of state, posting a 2-2 record on the first day.


The Firebirds will lose seniors Caitlin Dodd and Walters, but return Chen and Ali Dodd, along with their top singles players, freshman Kate Piper and junior Carter Stacey. Piper, who has only been playing tennis for about a year, nearly qualified for state, losing in three sets at regionals.

Natalie Cote advances to the ball during doubles Regional tennis action Saturday in Gardner.

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## Gymnastics ##
With a nice mix of returners and newcomers, Lawrence High’s gymnastics team took fifth place at the state meet. It was a big turnaround after failing to qualify as a team for state last year.


LHS senior Ashley Ammann took fourth place in the floor exercise at state and was 11th all around, also leading the Lions on the balance beam and uneven bars.


The Lions have a good group of returners, including freshman Eden Kingery, junior Jordyn Leon, sophomore Eliana Seidner and freshman Klara Hinson. Kingery was seventh on the vault in the Sunflower League meet and took 14th at state.


Free State’s gymnastics team was led by senior Callie Hicks, who took fourth place on the bars and fifth on the vault at state. One year after winning a state title, the Firebirds didn’t have enough members to compete as a team this season.


Junior Landon Prideaux qualified as an individual for state in the beam this season and took 29th place. The Firebirds also had freshman Yasmine Jakmouj.

photo by: John Young

Lawrence High's Ashley Ammann performs on the balance beam Wednesday evening at LHS. The Lions hosted Olathe East, Olathe Northwest and Free State in a gymnastics quad.

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## Girls golf ##
When the girls golf season started, Free State junior Anne Goebel was the city’s only varsity golfer. By the end of the year, Goebel had some company and they all earned spots at the Class 6A state tournament.


Goebel and sophomore Tori Hoopingarner represented the Firebirds at the state meet. Goebel, who took 18th place in the Sunflower League, was a city-best 68th at state. Hoopingarner, who only competed in five 18-hole varsity meets, took 89th at state.


The Firebirds also took first place in the junior-varsity league tournament, and return nearly the entire team, which should give them an opportunity to fill out a varsity lineup and compete as a team next season.


Lawrence High’s lone varsity golfer was freshman Beatrice Lopez, who competed in three varsity tournaments. Lopez was the last individual qualifier at regionals, and she took 91st at state.


At the beginning of the year, Lopez and freshman Emily Johnson were the only golfers in the entire program. Credit LHS coach Jennifer Schmitt, who went out and found some more girls — finishing the season with seven golfers.


Lopez should be a strong competitor in her first full varsity season next year and the Lions are hopeful that they can continue growing the program and add varsity golfers.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Free State High's Anne Goebel chips onto a green during the Mill Valley Invitational on Wednesday at Alvamar.

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