photo by: Parker I. Johnson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High quarterback Joey Dooley (15) and Lawrence High wide receiver Truth Pope (1) celebrate after scoring a touchdown on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 at Lawrence High School in Lawrence.

When Jason Thoren was coaching at Baker, his first recruiting stop after Lawrence High was always Olathe North.

Thoren knows the Olathe North program well. The Eagles were the biggest rival of the Lions when Thoren was in school, and even though he grew up in heated games against them, Thoren has a lot of respect for the culture the Eagles have.

“First and foremost, they’re tough kids, and they’ve had a ton of tradition there over the years,” Thoren said. “I’ve always had respect for the kids that have come out of there. They play hard, and I know that coming out of there, football is important to them.”

Olathe North still keeps that tough, physical identity today, and that has made the Eagles a formidable opponent. The Eagles entered the playoffs with a 5-3 record and defeated Wyandotte 56-0 in their Week 9 matchup.

The Eagles sat at 2-3 midway through the season and were coming off a 35-34 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest and a 41-14 loss to Olathe Northwest. Olathe North turned things around after that, defeating three of the next four opponents by 36 or more points. The other win was a 35-34 overtime win over Gardner Edgerton, which was the Trailblazers’ only 6A loss this season.

“I think that they’re a confident group,” Thoren said. “They’re clicking on all cylinders. They’re playing their best football late, and I think we are too, so I’m excited for that.”

Olathe North averaged just over 29 points per game across its first five games, but the offense has stepped up a notch in the Eagles’ win streak and has been averaging 49 points per game.

The Eagles have an explosive offense with speed at their playmaking positions. Their spread offense allows them to move the ball around and get playmakers into open space where they can make plays. Chase Cain is a capable quarterback who can move the offense down the field through the air and can step up and out of the pocket to scramble for extra yards.

It isn’t all on the passing game, though. Running back Camron Porter is a shifty, speedy running back who can burst through a hole and take the ball to the house. Against Gardner Edgerton, he had multiple explosive touchdown runs, including a 60-yarder.

“All five threats you really have to deal with,” Thoren said. “They can really run. There are a lot of problems that they present, and you’ve got to honor them or they’ll make you pay in a hurry.”

The Olathe North defense started the year giving up an average of 29 points per game, but over the last four weeks, the defense is allowing a little over 15 points per game.

Thoren sees that tough mentality on this Olathe North defense. The Eagles play hard, fly to the football and aren’t afraid of a big play or a big hit. It all starts with the front seven, who have a particularly aggressive play style.

“They’re a scrappy team,” Thoren said. “Their front is physical — they will attack you. They’ve gotten better as the year has gone on, just like their offense.”

The defense isn’t totally immovable. Olathe East only scored a touchdown against the Eagles, but the Hawks scored more than two touchdowns only once this season. Shawnee Mission West’s 20 points against the Eagles were the second-most the Vikings scored.

Lawrence’s offense has done well mitigating aggressive defensive fronts with strong offensive line play, and the Lions will need that again to create opportunities for the Lawrence playmakers.

It helps that the Lions will have the home crowd behind them for support. It meant a lot to Lawrence to have that home-field advantage a week ago against Shawnee Mission South, and against a tough, confident rival school, the Lions will need that support once again.

“I know our guys are excited for that, and it should be a cool, crisp night,” Thoren said. “It should be great football weather, so they’re excited to get rolling with it.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night at Lawrence High.