Olathe — Free State sent four girls to the 6A state girls tennis tournament and came away with all four Firebirds placing in the tournament, leading the Firebirds to a second-place team finish. The highlight came from freshman Eli Ward, who won the singles bracket and finished the season as an undefeated state champion. Ward's season was dominant — she finished 24-0 and never dropped a set. The most points ...
Olathe — Free State’s first girls flag football season went all the way to the state semifinal round, two months into every member of the team’s first-ever flag football season. "These kids were unbelievable in the growth and maturity they showed," Free State coach Adam Barmann said. "From our first practice on August 19 to today, it's just a night-and-day difference." The Firebirds entered the ...
Lawrence offensive coordinator Taylor Stuart joined the LHS coaching staff in 2023 and was unsure of what the receiving corps would look like when a sophomore, Jaxon Becker, lined up as one of the top receivers on varsity during the first summer practices. “I was thinking to myself, ‘Man, we must be pretty limited at receiver to have a sophomore going in,” Stuart said. “Obviously, from the get-go, ...
Overland Park — To get the first win of the season, Lawrence needed to keep Shawnee Mission North from getting two yards on back-to-back plays. Down by 7 in overtime, the Bison had a fourth-and-2 where Shawnee Mission North quarterback Alex Casares rolled to his right and looked like he was about to be sacked before he popped the ball up into the end zone for a touchdown. On the following 2-point conversion, ...
Despite Shawnee Mission North football’s winless record, Lawrence coach Jason Thoren is under no illusions that Thursday's game will be an easy one for the Lions. “They’re a good team — I look at them and I see a little bit of us,” Thoren said. “They’ve got some good athletes on the field. Their quarterback can run around a bit. Guys do a good job, coaches do a good job with what they’re ...
After Free State boys soccer’s 5-0 loss to Olathe West on Oct. 7, senior midfielder Eli Stone put out the goal for the Firebirds to run the table for their final five games. With a 4-6-1 record at the time, Stone and the Firebirds needed some juice and energy before entering the playoffs. Now, following a 2-1 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday, the Firebirds are back at .500 and looking to make an ...