photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence junior quarterback Joey Dooley celebrates a touchdown against Olathe Northwest on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.

Coming off a homecoming loss, Lawrence football is looking to get back on track against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday.

A short week and some more rain storms have made practices a little unusual, but Lawrence coach Jason Thoren said the team has handled the changes, like the team has done all season.

The Lions will need its defense dialed in during the week of preparation to face the Cougars’ option run attack. Thoren said he has a “love-hate relationship” with the offensive scheme, as it can be such a challenge to prepare for.

“They’re going to be downhill with it,” Thoren said. “They’ve got tough, physical kids, so that will be the main thing with them. We’ve got to play sound, play physical and stop the run — all the things that come with a normal Northwest offense.”

The Lions got a good look at the Cougars’ option offense a season ago, when Lawrence lost 26-7. The Cougars will be without graduated quarterback Trai Woodruff, who carried the offense in the run game last year, but the Shawnee Mission Northwest offense works more like a machine that replaces parts and continues to provide results.

In an option offense, everyone on the defense has to be ready. There aren’t presnap tells about where the run will go, as the play is predicated on what the defense does after the snap.

“Everybody has got to be in unison,” Thoren said. “That’s what makes it tough.”

Shawnee Mission Northwest’s defense is also a physical, aggressive group. The Lions had a hard time going against the Cougars a year ago and had numerous negative plays, though a large number of those negative plays were self-inflicted. But the Cougar defense works hard to put offenses in negative situations.

“They’re physical,” Thoren said. “They like to man you up and get after you that way. They blitz to try to bring pressure that way. It forces a quick hand in the passing game, and it makes it a struggle to run the ball.”

The Cougars run a lot of Cover 1 or Cover 0, meaning receivers have man coverage on the outside and there is either one deep safety in the middle of the field or none, as the safety blitzes instead. Pass protection is going to be a major factor, both in holding up blocks and also accounting for where rushers are coming from.

Thoren has praised his offensive line’s growth over the season, particularly in communication. Against the Cougars, that communication will be vital for the offense to sustain drives as the O-line needs to give junior quarterback Joey Dooley enough time to hit his receivers in man coverage.

“We have to know where we’re throwing the ball,” Thoren said. “We’ve got to be good protection wise. You’re not going to be able to hold onto the ball much. When you’re running the ball, there’s going to be extra hats in there, but like I’ve said. I like how our guys are doing these things.”

With the playoffs quickly approaching, a win would mean a lot for the Lions when it comes to playoff seeding, but it would also be beneficial for continuing the momentum from the season’s win streak into the playoffs.

“I like the way our guys have played football, and I’ve said that all year,” Thoren said. “As long as they keep showing up with that kind of mindset and attitude, they’re going to be OK.”