photo by: Shane Jackson

New head coach Clint Bowen speaks to the Lawrence High football team Wednesday afternoon at the LHS cafeteria on Feb. 24, 2021. Bowen was named the LHS head coach in early February after spending over two decades as a collegiate assistant.

It’s a year of firsts for some of the most visible Lawrence High sports positions, as the Lions will be led by both a new athletic director and new football coach in 2021.

Mike Gillman takes over for Nick Wood in the AD office and football newcomer Clint Bowen steps in to coach the high school program he played for after a long coaching career at the college level.

Beyond that, recent renovations to the school, both in and around the athletic facilities, have things looking and feeling different entering the 2021 fall sports seasons at LHS.

“There’s a real sense of excitement around here,” Gillman said. “It’s a whole new world and a really cool community feel. I think everyone is excited to get started.”

Here’s a glance at how Lawrence High’s seven fall programs look entering the upcoming seasons.

FOOTBALL

From the minute Bowen was announced as the Lions’ new coach, a new energy and excitement hit the LHS campus.

Bowen’s first team will be full of fresh faces, including those belonging to his sons, senior Baylor and freshman Banks, and the Lions will feature a group of big, physical players on both the offensive and defensive lines, along with size and speed at the skill positions.

Senior quarterback Truman Juelsgaard will lead the Lions’ offense. Juelsgaard, who was a back-up QB and starting safety in 2020, is one of just four returning starters on this year’s team. Eighteen starters on last year’s first-team offense and defense were seniors.

Left tackle Noah Smith, right tackle Acen Villegas and linebacker Evan Bannister are the other three returning starters on this year’s team.

The rest of the roster is made up of a mixture of returning players with some experience and newcomers who could make an immediate impact.

Defensive back Avion Nelson, defensive end Lance Bassett and Baylor Bowen are three of the more notable newcomers to the team.

Bowen said sophomore defensive lineman Kem Allen also was a new name to watch on defense. Tailback Josh King, whom Bowen said might be the fastest player on the entire roster, and tight end Cole Watson also figure to play big roles on offense.

“We have a great collection of young men who have committed to the program and worked extremely hard through the summer who are excited to get out there and play,” Bowen said.

“The biggest thing for us is, we just need to get onto the field and continue to get more familiar with each other and keep coming together as a group and see where this thing takes us.”

LHS spent a lot of the 2020 season ranked No. 1 in the state. And while many of the faces in key places will be new for the Lions this fall, the roster still features enough players who were a part of last season’s 9-0 start that ended with a loss to Derby in the state quarterfinals.

The Lions will open the season, and the Bowen era, at 7 p.m. Thursday against Olathe East at home.

BOYS SOCCER

Longtime LHS assistant Brandon Daley is taking over the varsity program this season and he hopes that the changes he made in the summer will carry over into the fall and into building LHS soccer into an annual powerhouse.

“I’m excited to help instill a sense of swagger and confidence in how LHS plays soccer,” Daley said. “We have an incredible coaching staff, the best families and the kids work tirelessly. They are hungry to compete and take the standard of the program up.”

Helping Daley do that is an experienced group of veterans who have been around the program for at least a couple of years. In all, 18 seniors showed up to tryouts earlier this month. And Daley pointed out that nearly all of them had what he calls “a winning pedigree.”

The group won nine games as freshmen with the C Team. They won 12 more as sophomores playing with the junior varsity squad and followed that up with nine wins last season and a berth in the regional championship game.

“It’s time to put the final touches on their senior season,” Daley said.

Seniors Grant Glasgow (goalkeeper), Levi Hinson (midfield) and Josh Anderson (forward) lead the group of returners, with junior forward Cale Scott and sophomore forward Colin Sandefur also expected to contribute to both the production on the field and the team’s leadership.

Daley called Hinson the “engine of the team” and said Anderson’s versatility and “killer left foot” and the passion and intelligence of Scott and Sandefur will play huge roles in what the Lions hope to accomplish this season.

The Lions will open the season on Tuesday at Topeka High. Their first home match is set for Thursday versus Olathe North.

VOLLEYBALL

Despite ending with a 9-26 record in 2020, the Lions finished on a high note, leaving them eager to get back in the gym to prepare for the 2021 season.

Renovations in the school’s main gym will leave the Lions to start the season in the West Gym, but head coach Stephanie Scarbrough (a member of the LHS class of 1996) believes that her team is ready for anything that comes its way this fall.

The Lions will be led by senior outside hitter Gianna Cooper, senior setter Brenna Schwada, senior libero Emily Silvers and sophomore outside hitter Seenane Brewer.

All of those returners were in the gym for the sub-state final against Free State last season, when the Lions missed out on qualifying for state by two points in a thrilling three-set match against their crosstown rivals.

That close call has Scarbrough’s group more motivated than ever to take another step forward this season. And she believes they can get there by sticking to the core values the program has always held onto — good leadership, tenacity and hard work.

“I am so proud of how they played in that sub-state tournament,” Scarbrough said. “This year’s team is ready for another shot.”

LHS opens the season Tuesday at Blue Valley Northwest.

CROSS COUNTRY

Seventh-year LHS cross country coach Laura Brensing enjoyed watching the progress of her runners this summer

After fighting through injuries a season ago, Jack Ryan returns healthy and ready to make another run at qualifying for state.

Ryan finished 27th at last year’s Sunflower League meet, which left him just shy of earning a spot at state.

Like Ryan, Natalie Kennedy also closed the 2020 season on a high note, finishing as the top runner for the LHS girls at multiple meets late in the season.

Brensing said the strong finishes fueled the two LHS standouts in the months since last season.

“Natalie Kennedy and Jack Ryan have worked so hard this year,” Brensing said. “They spent all summer dedicated to running and attended camps outside the state. They will be good to watch.”

Joining that duo in leading the LHS cross country team this fall will be Keat Prescott, Jessee Self, Jack Pfeifer, Lucy Hardy and Maddie DeWitt.

The Lions will open the season Sept. 4 at the Warner Memorial Park meet in Manhattan.

GIRLS GOLF

Senior Rylie Hayden will look to make it four trips to the state tournament in four tries as she leads the LHS golf team under fifth-year coach John Moos.

With just three letter winners returning from the 2020 team, Moos will be counting on a crop of young and new players to help fill out his lineup card at tournaments this fall.

Juniors Emme Dye and Peyton Fowler join Hayden as the lone players on this year’s team with varsity experience.

LHS opened the 2021 season on Monday at the 14-team Olathe West Invitational. Hayden (92) led the Lions by finishing tied for 20th.

Fowler took 45th and Dye 49th to give the Lions three golfers in the top 50 at the first event of the season.

GIRLS TENNIS

While Chris Marshall’s LHS tennis team features a handful of talented returners who have been around the program, one of the things the 11th-year coach is most excited about entering the fall is the unknowns.

“We have a large group of freshmen who are going to provide us with some depth and I am very excited to coach and work with,” Marshall said.

That group will merely provide support for the LHS veterans who helped the Lions show well at the Sunflower League meet in 2020.

Seniors Katie Logan and Audrey Basham will be joined by juniors Allison Jakubauskas and Abby Marsh, along with sophomore Emily Brandt, in looking to lead the Lions to another successful season.

“I am very excited to get back to playing tennis in a somewhat normal capacity and to work on getting better each and every day,” Marshall said.

LHS opened the 2021 season Thursday afternoon at Olathe West.

GYMNASTICS

Senior Paris Spotted-Tail is back for her final season and she’ll carry the title of defending state champion in two events with her into her meets this fall.

Spotted-Tail won first at state in both the vault and on the floor, and she’ll team with Nicole Lett as captains of this year’s team.

Sixth-year coach Kat Farrow, who also coaches the Free State gymnastics team, said she was thrilled to see LHS have a slightly larger team than normal this season. She believes the mixture of returning talent

“With exceptional leadership from Paris Spotted-Tail and Nicole Lett, LHS is looking to rebuild on their growing team returners and new additions,” Farrow said. “Paris Spotted-Tail is a standout dancer and gymnast, so look for her to try to go out with a bang for her senior year.”

Joining the LHS captains on the mats this season are juniors Sophia Zogry and Hailey Ramirez, sophomores Ivori Jones, Chayse Burghart and Emily Brandt and freshman Adrield Lamer.

All of those girls will be looking to take on bigger roles than they’ve had in the past, and Farrow said she was thankful that both of her teams entered the season with optimism and excellent attitudes after what has been a crazy year.

“LHS and Free State have to practice off-campus again this year, due to construction at LHS, so creating a feeling of home isn’t easy,” Farrow said. “But our athletes are so understanding and appreciative to have a place to train.”

LHS opens the season on Sept. 7 at Newton.