photo by: Landon Cory/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High running back Tahj Edwards rushes for a first down against Shawnee Mission North on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.

Lawrence High School football coach Clint Bowen knows exactly what kind of a game it’ll be against Olathe North on Friday, which isn’t exactly reassuring in this instance.

Despite the Eagles’ 0-2 record and the Lions’ 2-0 record, Bowen is under no impression that the Eagles will be an easy team to beat, particularly on the road. Olathe North is a team used to winning and success, with eight-win seasons every year since 2018 and only one losing record in the past ten years.

“Some programs go 0-2 and they quit, and some programs go 0-2 and they get fired up about it and get their backs to the wall and become dangerous,” Bowen said. “We’re stepping into a hornets’ nest here. We’re playing a prideful, winning program that’s 0-2. Those kids and those coaches are not happy. We have to know what we’re stepping into, because it will be a dogfight.”

So Bowen will have to ensure that his team doesn’t get complacent. That started with the week of practices and will continue with the in-game physicality.

Against Junction City, the Lions rushed for 471 yards, with running back Tahj Edwards tallying 255 yards on 27 attempts with two touchdowns, and quarterback Banks Bowen rushed for 210 yards on 11 attempts with two touchdowns.

“Olathe North is a team that takes pride in their physicality,” Bowen said. “So it was important to get one game under our belt, because Junction City was the same way. It was a game that we had to do the right things to win, and we will have to do that again this week.”

The Lions’ offensive identity has been a balanced attack through two games, where the team will take advantage of whatever the defense gives them. Against Junction City, that meant starting with deep shots in the pass game, where receiver Jaxon Becker was the main beneficiary, as he finished with six receptions for 102 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions then carried the ball heavily en route to scoring six times in the last two quarters.

Against Olathe North, the Lions will look to continue the same trend of taking advantage of their matchups depending on the defensive looks. If the Eagles keep the safeties up and away from the line of scrimmage, then the Lions will unlock their run game with both Edwards and Bowen. If the Eagles bring the safeties in close to the line of scrimmage, then the Lions will stretch the field with the pass attack.

Defensively, the Lions will have their work cut out for them. The Eagles have talent at their skill positions that will challenge the Lions defensively. Olathe North has multiple running backs to turn to that can create big plays.

“They have really good athletes,” Bowen said. “They have four kids that can scare you.”

Bowen is expecting the Eagles to run the ball a lot. While the team does have good receivers who can make athletic plays, the running backs will be the bread and butter of the Eagles offense. That’s where the Lions’ “front five” comes into play. The three defensive linemen and the two inside linebackers need to control their gaps, play downhill and secure tackles without letting the running backs gain an extra yard or two.

The Eagles might be 0-2 to start the year, but even in those two losses they’ve played it close. In both games the Eagles have fallen behind quickly, but have made a strong push at the end of the game. The Lions need to continue the trend of preventing them from starting early, while also holding the Eagles from making a late push to potentially win the game.

Back in the day before Free State High School and the other Olathe schools, this matchup was always a big deal. Winning this game was always a big deal for playoff seeding. Even though the introduction of new schools in both Olathe and Lawrence has changed the dynamic of the game somewhat, it’s still an important one for two schools with a rich history of winning in the state.

The Lions can have their second straight 3-0 start before they host the defending 6A state champions in Gardner Edgerton the following week. To get there, the Lions can’t overlook their opponent on Friday.

“Right now, the good programs are getting better every week at everything,” Bowen said, “and those that lose at the end of the year are staying the same — we cannot stay the same.”