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

Free State huddles up during a break in the action of the City Showdown game played at Lawrence High School on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

Before Friday night’s City Showdown, Free State boys basketball (8-10) had lost two consecutive games, a 27-point loss to Shawnee Mission South and more recently a winnable 10-point defeat to Shawnee Mission East.

The Firebirds were able to right the ship against Lawrence High, which they had lost to in two straight seasons, with a hot-shooting first half, and continued to make plays on both ends in the second half, winning 69-49 over the Lions.

Head coach Dwayne Paul said that as good as it was for Free State to beat its rival, it was more important for the Firebirds to simply put together a strong showing.

In the win over LHS, senior Korbin Dowdell created early momentum for Free State with his ability to make shots, especially from distance. Dowdell scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half and made three 3-pointers in the first 16 minutes.

Dowdell credited his success to getting in early-morning workouts and says that he and the other guards on his team are deserving of high-scoring performances night in and night out.

Free State also got a big night from an instrumental piece in junior center Braden Wilmes, who scored 13 points and provided stout defense in the post. Paul said of Wilmes, “He gave us everything we needed.”

Following the rivalry win, the Firebirds will turn their attention to a difficult week, taking on Class 6A No. 1 and defending state-champion Shawnee Mission Northwest and Class 6A No. 5 Mill Valley.

Both Dowdell and Wilmes said that the key against two top-ranked teams will be to keep playing the way they already are.

“I don’t think there’s a team out there that can stop us,” Wilmes said. “That was amazing basketball (against Lawrence). We plan to keep doing that.”

As the final stretch of the season begins, Paul likes where his team is at and says they are trending in the right direction, but also knows there’s still some work to be done to be at their best.

“We got to keep guarding, we got to keep sharing the ball,” Paul said. “We didn’t get too high or too low, and so, it’s going to just take us to keep playing defense, and just keep attacking the paint.”

Free State will begin the final week of the regular season at home against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday at 7 p.m., with the girls’ game to be played beforehand at 5:30 p.m.