photo by: Landon Cory/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence running back Tahj Edwards rushes the ball late in the first half against Olathe East High School on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Olathe.

Lawrence High School offensive coordinator Taylor Stuart started his tenure with the Lions ahead of the 2023 season, and in those first few weeks on the job, something stood out to him. Tahj Edwards asks a lot of questions.

The then-sophomore running back wanted to learn. He’d stay late, ask questions and work hard in the weight room. Edwards wanted to be great and put in the work to do so.

Edwards — now a junior and the starting running back — has been the Lions’ sole running back for the most part this year. Aside from spot runs from Ethan Curry and quarterback Banks Bowen, when the Lions call a run play, they’ve gone to Edwards. No matter the situation, Edwards is their bell cow back.

“He’s a strong kid in the weight room, and he works his tail off every day,” Stuart said. “That translates to the field. He wants to be great, and he’s one of those kids who goes above and beyond what’s asked and expected.”

The Lions offense heavily relies on its pass game. Bowen and receivers like Jaxon Becker, Gabe Wingerd, Kavon Price, Jaylen Parks and Josh Galbreath have each taken over a game through the air. It’s helped Bowen and the offense have one of the best passing numbers in the state and the success in the team’s 4-2 record.

Edwards makes an impact when the Lions turn to the passing game. Despite not being the biggest back, he can hold up in pass protection. He can use his speed to gain separation on routes as a receiving threat. He can be a reliable target at the line of scrimmage on a check down, or he can get vertical and burst through the middle of the defense.

As an offensive coordinator, having a three-down back is a game-changer. The Lions don’t have to change their personnel to run different plays. There isn’t a tell in what kind of play they’re running by having a specific short yardage back, a receiving back and an outside runner. No matter the situation, they can dial it up for Edwards, and he can make a play.

“We’ve seen that Tahj can run the ball well — he’s made a lot of great catches for us this year,” Stuart said.

One of Edwards’s most eye-opening plays came against Gardner-Edgerton. The Lions threw the ball a lot in the game, and Edwards had to be a receiver out of the backfield. He also was key in picking up blitzes. Both Stuart and head coach Clint Bowen raved about his ability to step up and block, which keeps the pocket open for the quarterback.

“That kid was not afraid to step up and help in pass protection,” Stuart said. “He would see that hole open up and take that linebacker head on. It doesn’t matter if he’s running the ball, catching the ball or helping out in pass protection, he takes on every role.”

Edwards is proud of his versatility at the position. He knows that his coaches can challenge him and he will step to the plate. No matter what, his teammates and his coaches have his back and will put him in a position to succeed.

On Thursday against Olathe East, the Lions turned to the traditional run game. It’s something that Clint Bowen has said in previous weeks needed to be emphasized, but the Lions have largely won games without it being the focal point. That changed when Edwards ran for 188 yards with three touchdowns.

“We’ve always taught Tahj to press vertical, and then when that gap opens up, hit it,” Stuart said. “I think (Thursday) night, he really took that to heart. I’ve never seen him run as physical, as vertical as he did.”

Physicality was a big emphasis going into the game. Clint Bowen said that he wanted his team to win the physicality battle on both ends. Edwards had 32 carries, which far exceeded any other number this year. After the game, Edwards said that the team simply executed.

“We were tired, I mean we were dead tired,” Edwards said. “I feel like we had a great connection. We went out and executed.”

The Lions, now 4-2, have two games left in the regular season. The playoffs are looming closer, and teams that continue to improve late in the regular season are the teams that excel in the postseason. Lawrence continues to get better with players like Edwards stepping up into various roles at different times against different teams, and Edwards’s ability to make a play no matter the situation is crucial for the team’s continued development.

“I think we can go far in the playoffs,” Edwards said. “We have a chance.”