Tyson Heck spent the last few years as an assistant coach for Free State soccer, working with junior varsity teams. So when the head coaching position opened up, it was the opportunity he was looking for. “Stepping into this was kind of my long-term goal,” Heck said. “A lot of things are new, but the level of competition in my heart is always the same.” Heck was a part of Perry-Lecompton High ...
Olathe — A few crucial mistakes proved too costly in Lawrence football’s season opener to Olathe West, as the Lions (0-1) lost 35-31 on the road. Despite the loss, coach Jason Thoren was pleased with how the team battled. It was a tough, physical contest, and the Lions played the way he hoped they would. “I thought they competed hard for 48 minutes, so I was very happy with that,” Thoren said. ...
After months of offseason preparation, the Lawrence football team is ready for week 1. The Lions will start their season on the road against Olathe West, a team that went 3-6 in 2024 in its second season under coach Jon Wiemers. That season featured youth on the Owls that the team will bring back. “It’s hard to tell (what teams will look like) with the first opponent, but they brought a few guys back,” ...
Free State boys soccer (1-1-1) lost 3-2 in heartbreaking fashion to Shawnee Heights at home on Thursday when the Thunderbirds scored a goal with one second on the clock. “That feeling (of losing) is not a different feeling ever,” Free State coach Tyson Heck said. “It’s good to get that feeling now this early in the season. There’s a lot of games left, a lot of time on the field.” The Firebirds had ...
Last year, Patrick Sandefur had a slower-than-expected start to the boys soccer season. As one of the team’s best strikers, his job was to score goals, and that wasn’t happening. Sandefur’s senior season, however, started exactly how he hoped. In Tuesday’s season-opening win over Topeka, Sandefur recorded the first hat trick of the season, scoring three consecutive goals to turn a one-goal deficit into ...
Baldwin, Free State and Lawrence competed in their first club girls flag football games at Free State on Wednesday, with each team playing two games. The games have two 20-minute halves with a running clock until the final two minutes. Teams have four downs to get a first down, which is every 20 yards, regardless of where the first down is. The field is shortened in width by around 5 yards, and the length is ...