photo by: Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo

Lawrence High senior Baylor Bowen heads to the sideline while his dad, LHS coach Clint Bowen, back left, discusses the action with an assistant coach during the Lions' City Showdown victory over Free State on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 at LHS.

Growing up, Lawrence High wideout Baylor Bowen heard countless stories from his dad, Clint, his uncle, Charley Jr., and his grandpa, Charley, about what it means to play football at LHS.

Now that he has actually suited up for the Lions himself, Baylor understands those tales a little better.

Set to enter his first and only do-or-die postseason with LHS, Baylor has his sights set on staying locked in and making the kind of run that the older Bowens in the family someday can add to their list of stories.

But before a recent practice, he took time to reflect on all of the things that got him to this point and the eight games in red and black that he has played so far.

“It’s been awesome,” Baylor said. “I surprised myself a little. I knew we’d throw the ball, but I didn’t know we’d throw it this much. I’m not complaining, though.”

Through eight games, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound wide receiver has recorded 456 yards on 25 receptions and snagged five touchdowns. He topped 93 yards in each of his first three games as a Lion and recorded a season-best two touchdown grabs in a homecoming rout of Shawnee Mission South.

“With his length and his leaping ability, and he has solid hands, I knew he would be a guy who could make some plays,” Clint said of Baylor’s ability to operate as the Lions’ go-to receiver.

He also has enjoyed watching his son grind through the attention he has gotten as one of the team’s top options through the air. Whether he has drawn the top cover guy from the Lions’ opponent or had to fight through press coverage and safety help while running routes, all of it has pushed Baylor and made him stronger as the season has gone on.

Lawrence High receiver Baylor Bowen catches a deep pass against Shawnee Mission West during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 at Lawrence High School. (Photo by Nick Krug/Special to the Journal-World)

That challenge has been the perfect culmination to his youth sports days, which started in Lawrence years ago with the Hurricanes and Southwest Middle School and took a two-year detour to Argyle, Texas before his return this season.

The reason he came back was because Clint had been hired as the Lions’ new head coach. But Baylor had plenty of say in whether the move happened, receiving what amounted to the deciding vote in the Bowen family meeting about the opportunity.

“It was really hard,” Baylor said. “And I was really surprised that my dad pretty much put it in my hands. Where I was at in Texas was crazy, the environment there was super cool, but coming back to Lawrence and being here with all these guys was definitely the right move.”

Coming home has worked out for Baylor in ways beyond the win-loss record and stat sheet. The LHS senior said the extra time spent with his dad, day in and day out, has been the thrill of a lifetime.

“He’s a huge part of my life,” Baylor said. “And he’s always around now and involved in what I’m doing. It’s awesome.”

There were some growing pains that needed to be worked out along the way.

For one, Baylor had to figure out what to call Clint at practice and on game days.

“It was weird,” he said with a laugh. “We try to keep it serious, but when I’m out there I still call him dad and I’m like, ‘Oh, should I call him coach?'”

For two, Clint said there were a couple of rough days when bad practices followed the two home.

“We had to establish some house rules on how to handle certain situations,” Clint said. “But it’s turned out to be really fun.”

After working in college football for nearly three decades, with the daily demands and endless recruiting trips taking him away from home, Clint said the chance to be around both Baylor and his freshman son, Banks, has enhanced the experience of his first season leading the Lions.

“The college football world has a lot of positives, but it has a lot of negatives, too,” Clint said. “And there were several weeks when I didn’t see my kids awake from Sunday through Thursday. So this has been great to be able to see him and my other son every day.”

For Baylor, those days are creeping to a close. He said thoughts of the end of his high school career first entered his mind in on senior night. And while he does not yet know what his future holds — he’s being recruited to play college football but also is a talented basketball player –Baylor said he plans to make the most of the time he has left on the gridiron.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do, but I’m fine with that,” Baylor said. “We’ll see what happens.”

What he does know is what it will take for him and his teammates to extend this season as long as possible.

“Practice,” he said. “We’ve got to practice hard. I think if we just keep going hard every day and keep focused, we’ll be fine. I think we’re definitely a state championship contender team. It’s the playoffs. Win or go home. It’s a big deal now.”

And it’s that kind of mentality, in the same colors he wore during his high school playing days, that has Clint, a 1990 LHS graduate, cherishing every second the father-son duo has left together as coach and player.

“I think the best part for me is I’ve seen him grow an appreciation for what it means the play at Lawrence High,” Clint said. “I think now he understands why me and my brother and my father, when we talk about it, we say it’s a special place. Now that he’s been a part of it, he understands that there’s a lot of people that Lawrence High football means a lot to, and he’s a part of that fraternity now.”

LHS opens the postseason seeded sixth in the west and will take on No. 11 Topeka High at 7 p.m. Friday at LHS.

The winner will play the winner of the Junction City-Haysville Campus game on Nov. 5.

photo by: Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo

Lawrence coach Clint Bowen talks to senior Baylor Bowen during a timeout in the Lions’ 27-19 win over Free State on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 at LHS.