WRITER: David Rodish

Free State baseball remains focused on each game despite playoffs, state tournament rapidly approaching

Free State baseball had what some players called a statement win over Olathe West on Thursday, beating the top team in the 6A East 3-2. It was a big win, and the team celebrated it for a short time. Pitcher Ben Graves said the win was important after the team had fallen short and lost 11-1 against Olathe East, the other top team in the region. But the Firebirds didn’t let the win overshadow their next game. ...

Lawrence boys tennis takes third, Free State fourth following final round of the Sunflower League tournament

Olathe — The final round of the Sunflower League boys tennis tournament concluded on Monday after a rain delay postponed the final round on Friday. Lawrence and Free State did well in the tournament, with the Lions finishing third and the Firebirds coming in fourth. The success, particularly in the final rounds, will help those players in their regional seeding on Saturday. Lawrence’s Jun Brewer had the ...

Free State baseball's pitching helps secure 1-0 win over Shawnee Mission South

Free State baseball relied on its pitching to get a 1-0 win over Shawnee Mission South at home on Saturday. The Firebirds (18-2) had a hard time getting their offense going, but the team got seven runless innings from pitchers Cayman Cook and Ben Graves. Cook, who started, pitched five innings and threw five strikeouts against three hits. Graves pitched the final two and threw three strikeouts against one hit. ...

New LHS football coach ready to lead the program that helped start his football career

Things at Lawrence High School are pretty different from how they were in the 1990s when Jason Thoren attended. Where he would’ve said Olathe North is Lawrence’s biggest rival, current Lions would say Free State. Even the interior of the school looks drastically different. But what hasn’t changed is the tradition of the program and the impact the school and its football program have on the community and ...

Free State, Lawrence boys tennis teams compete in first four rounds of Sunflower League tournament before rain delay postpones final round to Monday

Olathe — The Sunflower League boys tennis tournament at the College Boulevard Activity Center came a round away from concluding on Friday before a rain delay postponed the conclusion until Monday at 4 p.m. Jun Brewer, the Lawrence No. 1 singles player, is set up for a third-place match. He entered as the No. 5 seed and went 3-1 on Friday. Brewer started with an 8-2 win over Olathe North’s Olivier Ramus and ...

Former LHS quarterback Bowen transfers to Oklahoma State from Tulsa

After a semester with the Tulsa football team, former Lawrence quarterback Banks Bowen is transferring to Oklahoma State. Bowen announced his decision to enter the portal on April 25 through his social media. The next day, he reported a scholarship offer from Oklahoma State. He took an official visit to Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Monday and committed to the program that day. The Oklahoma State coaching staff has ...