photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Lawrence offensive line lines up during their first drive of the game against Olathe North on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Olathe.

For the first time this season, the Lions started from behind.

The LHS football team has succeeded in scoring early. They took a 21-7 lead over Junction City after the first quarter and started with a 21-0 lead and a 7-0 lead over Shawnee Mission South. But on Friday night, that wasn’t the case, and the Lions (2-1) struggled to get ahead in a 42-34 loss to Olathe North (1-2) on the road.

After the first 12 minutes against Olathe North, the Lions were down by a touchdown. LHS started to drive, but an interception on a one-on-one ball in the red zone to the back of the end zone ended with an interception. The Eagles proceeded to have an 80-yard drive that ended in a 31-yard quarterback run.

The Lions stuck with the pass game. A couple of short routes that went for decent gains moved the chains and got the team out of some tricky third downs. Then, with good numbers on the outside, quarterback Banks Bowen hit Kavon Price on a 39-yard touchdown pass.

The adversity didn’t stop there. It took the Eagles a minute to regain the lead on a 17-yard run. On the Lions’ next drive, they marched downfield and even found the end zone for a touchdown that was called back due to offensive pass interference. An incomplete pass and a fourth-down sack ended their drive and gave the Eagles the ball back up by a touchdown with over four-and-a-half minutes left in the first half.

On previous drives, Olathe North quarterback Jamison Sarver made back-breaking plays by scrambling away from the pocket and hitting a receiver deep. While the quarterback managed to get out of the pocket a few more times on the next drive, the Lions forced more incompletions, which led the Eagles to punt.

The LHS offense started their drive by handing it off to running back Tahj Edwards. A quarterback draw from Bowen completed with a hurdle to get out of bounds gave the Lions a first-and-10 on the 16-yard line. Edwards finished the drive after a first down for a 6-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

Olathe North drove downfield as they had all night. The Eagles run game with Blaise Adger was particularly effective, while Sarver would scramble while keeping his eyes downfield and find a receiver on a back-breaking play.

“We’re our own worst enemy on defense,” LHS coach Clint Bowen said. “We don’t play with pad level. We don’t play with a mentality to get off a block and get a tackle. It’s a coaching error to get the kids to play fundamental football. Until we get it fixed we’ll continue to give up 56, 42 (points).”

The Eagles looked poised to finish their drive before the pocket collapsed on third down, leading to a sack. With three seconds left, the Lions got a pass breakup in the end zone to end the half.

Despite the end result, Bowen was happy with how the team responded to tie it at halftime. The Lions showed heart in the game, but couldn’t make the plays to win.

Lawrence started the second half with the ball and found success giving Edwards the ball, whether that be in the pass game or in the run game. The drive stalled around the 35-yard line, which brought out a punt to the Eagles own 8-yard line.

Despite the field disadvantage, the Eagles scored after two plays. Sarver kept the ball and ran to the Lawrence 16-yard line. Adger scored on the next play on a 16-yard run.

Once again, the Lions drove down the field but were unable to get to the end zone. A fourth-and-7 pass over the middle of the field went incomplete, giving the Eagles the ball at their own 12-yard line with three minutes left in the third quarter.

This time, the Lions defense held up. They sent the offense back out for a drive starting at their own 37-yard line. Bowen and the offense got going with screens and a good 6-yard catch on third down from tight end Wyatt Hendricks. On third down later in the drive, Bowen rolled to his right and threw to the opposite numbers to Gabe Wingerd for a 29-yard reception. Edwards finished the drive with a touchdown run to tie the game.

Olathe North continued to run through the Lions defense for their next drive, with Adger running through the middle of the defense. The Lions brought up a fourth-and-11, but a rollout pass moved the chains, which ended in another Adger touchdown run.

The Eagles added to their lead on the next play from scrimmage. Cornerback Sam Simmons jumped an out route and returned an interception to the house, giving the Eagles a 35-21 lead.

Prior to the game, coach Clint Bowen said the team needed to create negative plays. Not only did the defense struggle to do so at the rate they did in the first two games, the offense had numerous penalties that put themselves behind the sticks. In a game where the Lions struggled to get ahead of the opponent, the team also struggled to give themselves the ability to do so.

Lawrence’s final offensive drive ended in a touchdown, but the score — followed by a failed onside kick — wasn’t enough to win the game. To further prove the point Adger ran for another touchdown with under two minutes to go.

The Lions scored one last touchdown from Bowen to Jaxon Becker, but it came with under a minute left. A failed 2-point attempt came before an onside kick that went out of bounds. The Eagles collected the ball and kneeled away the game.

Coach Bowen said that this was a trap game that the team didn’t take seriously enough. Against Gardner-Edgerton next week, he’ll want to see the team take advantage of practices more to avoid a second loss on the season.

“You practice so much more than you ever play, and the practices are so critical,” Bowen said. “We aren’t taking advantage of them to the point that we need to to build that muscle memory and play the game habitually we need to play.”

LHS 0 14 0 20

ONHS 7 7 7 21

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence running back Tahj Edwards scores a touchdown in the second half of their game against Olathe North on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Olathe.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High’s Noah Richardson (26) and Adric Webb (14) celebrate after a big stop in their game against Olathe North on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Olathe.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High cornerback Adric Webb jumps to defend a pass with time running out in the first half of their game in Olathe on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Linebacker Josh Galbreath chases down the Olathe North quarterback during their game on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Olathe.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence senior Banks Bowen scans the field during the first quarter of the Lion’s game against Olathe North on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Olathe.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High School captains (left to right) Banks Bowen, Noah Richardson, and Jaylen Parks shake hands with opponent Olathe North before their game in Olathe on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Lawrence High School football team runs out on the field before their game against Olathe North High School on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Olathe.