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

Lawrence High quarterback Joey Dooley loads to throw a pass during the City Showdown football game on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at Lawrence High School in Lawrence.

For the first time since 2020-21, the Lawrence football team claimed consecutive wins in the City Showdown by beating crosstown rival Free State on Friday night.

The win over the Firebirds puts the Lions (6-2) in a favorable spot heading into postseason play as the No. 4 seed on the east side of the 6A bracket, meaning the team will potentially get two games at home before having to go back on the road.

“I think it’s great, and I think it’s great for students and great for the town,” Lawrence head coach Jason Thoren said. “It’s a heck of a lot nicer not to have to drive into Kansas City and all that. And there’s some good football teams, you know.”

Not only was it the second win over Free State, but it was the third in four years, including a 30-24 overtime win in 2023. But with any rivalry game, one win doesn’t define a season, and the Lions are well aware of that.

“It’s awesome, man,” senior Ethan Curry said. “This is a big game, super hyped up. But throughout the week, Coach preaches (to) us that this season is bigger than just this game, you know. This is going to set us up for the playoffs.

“Obviously, it’s a huge game, but if you’re just going (in) with the mindset like we do every other game, and then we get work done, and that’s what happens.”

In one of the best turnarounds in the state this season, Lawrence has won seven of its last 10 games going back to last season. That streak, of course, was started by the Lions’ 24-6 City Showdown win over the Firebirds, which gave the team much-needed confidence coming into 2026.

Curry said that the experiences of facing adversity last year and losing close games have only pushed Lawrence even more this season, putting an emphasis on responding to those hard times and working even harder in the offseason.

“Going into this year, we really just played with a chip on our shoulder,” Curry said. “We knew what we had to do to win, to have a great season, and we practiced extremely hard.”

The success built by the Lions didn’t just start in August. It began a few months prior during summer workouts, leading into team camps.

Once the season rolled around, quarterback Joey Dooley said it became a matter of going “100% on every rep” in practice, as well as countless hours watching film, which then translates to Friday nights and allows the team to be prepared for whatever challenge it may face.

“It’s us pushing each other; it’s the scout team guys giving great looks,” Dooley said. “It’s our coaches having us in film. We do so much film; I think we honestly watch the most film in the state of Kansas, and it’s them giving us great game plans going into each game.”

That consistent preparation and attention to detail have been driving Lawrence to success all season, but the team still has bigger goals to accomplish on its way to a state championship, including avenging its two losses to Gardner Edgerton and Olathe Northwest if the Lions see those foes again in the postseason.

“We’re super hungry,” Curry said. “Those teams that we lost to, we want to face them again, and we’re excited to face them again… 0-0 next week, starting now, next game. We’re going to play our football, get that job done and then move on to the next one.”

The Lions’ push for a state championship will begin on Friday against No. 13-seeded Shawnee Mission South (1-7) at home. The two teams faced off just a few weeks ago in Overland Park, a game in which Lawrence defeated the Raiders 44-7.