photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High School's Ethan Curry runs the ball against Olathe North on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, in Lawrence.

The Lawrence offense struggled to move the ball and finish drives all night against the Olathe North defense, but three late turnovers led to the 10-6 loss to the Eagles in the regional playoff round.

It was a slow night for the Lawrence offense in all phases, which failed to score in the first quarter for the first time this season. Lawrence finished with 20 fewer points than the Lions had scored at any point this year as they struggled to create holes in the run game against the Olathe North front and couldn’t push the ball downfield in the pass game.

Lawrence got the ball first after the Eagles won the toss, but the Lions went three-and-out. Olathe North’s first drive got all the way into the red zone, but a holding call pushed the Eagles back. The Eagles faced a fourth-and-11 but didn’t convert, turning the ball over to Lawrence.

The Lions didn’t make much of their second drive as they went three-and-out on for the second time. In Lawrence’s first two drives, the offense mustered only eight yards.

Olathe North moved the ball on its second offensive drive, but the Lions forced a second fourth-and-long that the Eagles weren’t able to convert.

Lawrence moved the chains for the first time in the game on the first play of the third drive, a quick 10-yard throw from junior quarterback Joey Dooley to junior receiver Truth Pope. The Lions stuck to some short passes to move the chains as they possessed the ball at the end of the first quarter.

Senior running back Kayden Pitts ran for 8 yards on a third-and-3 to put Lawrence in the red zone, and senior receiver Ethan Curry picked up 7 yards on the following play to get Lawrence to the 11-yard line. Lawrence got the ball to the 1-yard line, and after two Curry carries, got the ball in the end zone to take the lead. The PAT kick was no good, putting Lawrence ahead 6-0.

Olathe North answered in a hurry. Running back Cameron Porter’s speed was an issue for the Lions in the first few drives, but it became detrimental in the Eagles’ first drive of the second quarter. Porter’s first run went for 10 yards, followed by a 20-yard run, followed by a 50-yard touchdown run, which put the Eagles ahead by a point.

Lawrence went three-and-out, but the defense held the Eagles offense to a punt late in the half. Curry had a few carries late before the Lions punted to the Eagles, who ran a play before taking the ball into halftime.

Olathe North moved the ball methodically down the field but got a big chunk on an 18-yard completion on an RPO play. The Eagles got to the 4-yard line but couldn’t punch it in, leading to a short field goal that put Olathe North up 10-6.

Lawrence stuck to its short passing game on the next drive with plenty of quick hitches to supplement the run game. A 14-yard pass to Pope got the offense going, and they drove into the red zone. The third quarter ended after another 14-yard completion to Pope put the Lions near the goal line.

The Lions failed to punch it in and kicked a field goal that was blocked. Olathe North’s offense stalled at midfield, giving Lawrence the ball deep in its own territory. Lawrence didn’t get far before Dooley threw an interception at the LHS 35-yard line.

The Lawrence defense remained stout, pushing the Eagles back and forcing another punt. The Lions moved the ball a bit on the next drive, but Dooley threw a second interception to put the Lions in a dangerous position with under three minutes left.

Olathe North threw an incomplete pass on first down, and a 15-yard personal foul on the Eagles after a second-down play stopped the clock and moved the Eagles backward. The Eagles eventually punted and gave the Lions the ball with one final shot to win the game.

The Lions started with a run by sophomore Acein Goodman, who finished with 83 rushing yards on seven carries in the game. Some quick passes moved the ball down the field, but Lawrence got into trouble with a lack of timeouts around the 30-yard line. Dooley had a few deep heaves late but threw a third interception with under two seconds left, which secured the Olathe North win.

Lawrence finished the season with a 7-3 record, a six-win improvement from a season ago. The Lions finished with a winning record for the first time since 2023, when Lawrence also went 7-3 and lost in the regional round of the playoffs.