photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High senior wide receiver Jaxon Becker celebrates near the end zone after completing a drive against Mill Valley on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Lawrence.

Lawrence football is back at home on Friday for its homecoming game against Shawnee Mission East, the team that beat the Lions in last year’s playoffs.

Friday’s contest being the homecoming game has added some excitement and noise, but coach Jason Thoren said the team has done well in blocking it out during practices.

“The team has had a lot going on, a lot of distractions, but I think they’ve handled it well this week,” Thoren said. “They know what team this is and they know the physicality it’s going to take to beat them.”

The Lancers went 5-5 last year, going 4-4 in the regular season and reaching the second round of the playoffs. There, the Lancers lost 42-7 to the eventual 6A champions Gardner Edgerton.

The Lancers are now 3-1 in 2025, with the lone loss coming to Mill Valley in a road game in which the Jaguars scored 56 points. This year, the Lancers have put up a lot of points but have allowed a lot to be scored, too. The Lancers are averaging 35.5 points per game but are giving up 35 points per game.

Offensively, Shawnee Mission East’s success starts at quarterback. The Lancers employ Jack Reeves as both a running back and quarterback, giving the Lions difficult and unique looks to combat on defense.

In last week’s win for the Lancers, Reeves had almost 300 rushing yards and two scores on the ground to go with 72 passing yards and a passing touchdown.

“Its a little bit unconventional in what they do, and he’s got nifty feet and can turn it up, so we need to contain him,” Thoren said. “Their offensive line is good, quick and strong. I think that’s why they’ve had so much success.”

Lawrence has shown glimpses of a strong offense this season but hasn’t been able to put enough offense together to get the win. Thoren is happy with how the group has developed and wants to see the offense continue to make strides and improve.

“They’ve been plugging away all season, and the guys up front have been our strength,” Thoren said. “For our offense, we need to just keep coming. I feel good about the direction we’ve been going in the last few weeks, for sure.”

Sophomore quarterback Joey Dooley has exhibited a lot of that growth in his first few starts leading the offense. Thoren said that sometimes he forgets Dooley is only a sophomore.

“The more he plays, the better he’s going to get,” Thoren said. “He’s progressing. He’s done a great job.”

The Lancers pose a challenge for the young quarterback with a defensive line that gets pressure and forces opponents into making mistakes. Playing a clean game on offense will go a long way toward getting the win.

“Their defensive line is good, their linebackers are good… they’ve got length and they’ve got speed up front,” Thoren said. “Their defense jumped out to me (on film), and I think they’ve got a good defense.”

The Lions are still searching for their first win of the season, but Thoren said he’s seen the growth that he has hoped for. He’s preached to the team that the record will take care of itself, and that the goal is for the team to get better each week.

Shawnee Mission East gives Lawrence the opportunity to show the growth the team has made and finish with the first win of the season.