photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence Free State senior Noah Simpson runs for a first down against Lawrence High Friday, October 25, 2024, in Lawrence.

The fall postseason has begun for football, volleyball and boys soccer. Teams around Douglas County will begin their playoff runs this week. Here is a breakdown of which teams are playing, where the games are located, and on which days they take place.

Football

All week one playoff games occur on Friday.

Free State went 5-3 in the regular season, with a 24-14 win over Lawrence to cap it off. That earned the Firebirds the fifth seed and a home match against Olathe West, a 3-5 team.

This will be the second time that these teams have faced off. Free State won the first meeting 30-13 in Olathe on Oct. 4. That was the game in which Firebirds quarterback Boston Baker injured his non-throwing hand.

A win now would move the Firebirds to the regional game against the winner of Blue Valley Northwest (5-3) and Shawnee Mission North (2-6). Free State would go on the road in the event of a win by Blue Valley Northwest and would stay home if there were an upset by Shawnee Mission North.

For the Lawrence Chesty Lions (4-4), they start on the road against Shawnee Mission East (4-4). That game will take place at Shawnee Mission South High School. These two teams last played in 2023, which resulted in a double-overtime win for the Lions, 31-28.

A road win could set the Lions up for a trip to the top-seeded defending state champions Gardner Edgerton, if the Trailblazers get past winless Kansas City-Wyandotte (0-7). The Lions and Trailblazers faced off at Lawrence High School on Sept. 27, and Gardner Edgerton won 35-21.

At the 4A level, Tonganoxie earned the fifth seed with a 5-3 record and will host F.L. Schlagle High School (2-6) of Kansas City for the first round of the playoffs. The Chieftains finished the season on a 5-1 run after starting the year with two losses. A win would put them in a road game against Fort Scott (5-3) or a home game against Coffeyville-Field Kindley (2-6).

Eudora enters with a 4-4 record and will travel to Lansing for the first round of the playoffs. If the Cardinals win, they’ll face Atchison (7-1, first seed) or Bonner Springs (1-7, 16th seed). The Cardinals haven’t faced Atchison this season but beat Bonner Springs 54-8 in week two.

In the 3A bracket, Perry-Lecompton (3-5) holds the 10 seed, and Baldwin (1-7) has the 16th seed. The Kaws will play at Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail, and the Bulldogs will face Wellsville on the road.

Boys soccer

Lawrence and Free State enter the boys soccer regional as the 10th seed in 6A East and the 11th seed in 6A West, respectively. The Lions (7-8-1) will play Olathe Northwest at the Olathe District Activity Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m. A win would move the Lions to a match against either Shawnee Mission West (12-2-2, second seed) or Blue Valley Northwest (5-8-2, 15th seed).

In the west regional, the Firebirds (7-7-1) will play Derby on the road on Tuesday at 6 p.m. A win would put the Firebirds in a game against either Washburn Rural (11-2-3, third seed) or Maize (5-9-2, 14th seed).

For the 4-1A regional, Baldwin finished the regular season with the No. 1 seed and a 13-1-2 record. The Bulldogs will play Parsons at home and, with a win, would play the winner between Louisburg and Chanute.

Three local area teams will compete in the third regional bracket. Eudora holds the third seed with a 12-4-0 record and will host Tonganoxie (3-13-0), while Bishop Seabury Academy (4-11-0) will travel to play Ottawa (10-4-2). The two winners in those two games will face off to be the regional champion.

Volleyball

Both Lawrence 6A schools lost in the substate round and finished their seasons. Lawrence lost in two sets to Blue Valley West and was eliminated. The Firebirds started with a win over Topeka (25-8, 25-17) but lost to Washburn Rural (25-14, 25-18).

Eudora entered with the second seed in 4A East. The Cardinals defeated Ottawa in two sets (25-15, 25-14) but lost to Bishop Miege in three sets. Baldwin lost in the first round of substate to Topeka-Hayden (25-19, 25-13), and Tonganoxie lost to Bishop Miege in the first round, 25-10, 26-24.