photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Gavin Hayes keeps the ball from Free State senior Reed NaPier during the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.

With nearly a month of buildup, the conclusion to the boys soccer City Showdown finally came on a hot October Saturday at Free State, where the Firebirds pushed the pace late to beat the Lions.

The first attempt at a game came on Sept. 15 and went about 18 minutes before lightning forced a postponement. The game remained tied at 1-1, with Free State senior Kaiden Helm having scored the Firebirds’ goal on Sept. 15 and Lawrence junior Jackson Raney scoring the Lawrence goal before the postponement. Saturday’s continuation started with the Firebirds having possession with 22:15 remaining in the first half.

Free State coach Tyson Heck wasn’t happy with the team’s pace early in the game. The Firebirds weren’t playing fast enough, letting passing windows go by and not pushing Lawrence defensively.

“We came out flat,” Heck said. “I was a little bit disappointed at the beginning, but I think we turned it up in the second half when we needed to.”

The Lions had a few more scoring opportunities early, but none were high-danger chances at the goal. The initial 22 minutes passed with neither team managed to gain a lead on the other.

Heck emphasized pushing the pace during halftime, and the Firebirds improved in that regard in the second half. The Firebirds needed more shots on goal, and they got some.

Helm nearly had a goal when he got behind the Lawrence defense on a deep pass with one defender right on his tail. His shot was saved by Lawrence.

In the 64th minute of the game, the Firebirds broke the tie as senior defender Fletcher Linhos put the ball through the net. A Free State free kick got the ball near the goal, and Linhos was right in position on the rebound to put the ball away.

“It kind of just fell right to my foot,” Linhos said. “It was like slow motion watching it go in. Obviously with the crowd and everything, it was so special. It was surreal.”

The goal energized the team, and the Firebirds kept the Lions from having more offensive success. Lawrence senior Oscar Paden had a chance late with the ball deep in the final third, but Helm was step-for-step alongside him, keeping Paden at the sideline to prevent a play by the Lions.

“Losing (senior midfielder) Sam (Lickert) to injury, someone has to step up and bring the intensity — Kaiden has always been that guy,” Heck said. “Recognizing at the right moment, the right time of the game to get into it was awesome to see. The rest of the team sees that.”

That play was exactly the effort and intensity that Heck was looking for from his team, and the Firebirds were rewarded with the hustle when the Lions failed to score in the final 15 minutes.

“LHS is always important, but they needed to see that everybody has a role and that everybody can step up in those roles if given the opportunity,” Heck said. “I think this was exactly what they needed.”

Each teams has four games across two weeks left. Lawrence will host Gardner Edgerton while Free State will host Shawnee Mission East, with both games on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Gavin Hayes and Free State senior Reed NaPier battle for the ball during the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Jasper Piepergerdes dribbles the ball during the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Hady El-Araby dribbles the ball during the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Hady El-Araby touches the ball during the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Fletcher Linhos passes the ball during the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Firebirds Carter Dinges, left, and Diego Salazar celebrate the win after the boys soccer City Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lawrence.