OLATHE — Lawrence High nearly kicked off the first season for football head coach Jason Thoren with a statement victory over Olathe West.
Instead, a few critical mistakes allowed the Owls to storm back in a 35-31 loss for the Lions on Friday, Sept. 5 at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
Both teams traded leads in the early going, but Lawrence seemed to take control with a touchdown before halftime and another on the team’s first drive coming out of the locker room. The Lions led 28-15 a few minutes in the third quarter.
Lawrence senior running back Tahj Edwards delivered both of those scores, with the latter being his third rushing touchdown of the night. Edwards finished with 157 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Lions.
Thoren credited not only Edwards’ play, but the offensive lineman consistently getting off the ball and creating running lanes for their lead back.
“I thought the O-line played great,” Thoren said. “I don’t know what he ran for tonight, but Tahj had some great runs. So I was proud of them and I was happy with the way that they played.”
Even after Olathe West stormed back to tie the game at 28-all on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Lions were able to regain the lead once more.
Lawrence junior quarterback Colton Curry, who saw his interception on the previous possession turn into the game-tying score for the Owls, responded with a huge play to get his team back in scoring territory. In fact, he did so while facing the exact same third-and-7 situation his team was in on the turnover play.
Even with two Olathe West pass rushers going unblocked while blitzing on the left side of the Lions’ line, Curry stayed composed as he avoided the first defender and slipped through the grasp of the second to scramble out toward the left sideline. Curry launched the ball deep down the field, connecting with senior wide receiver Jaxon Becker for a 61-yard reception to put Lawrence on the Owls’ 8-yard line.
Curry did face another setback with a bobble snap on the next play, which pushed his team back to the 16-yard line. Trying to make some more third-down magic, Curry tried to scramble on two plays later only to have Olathe West junior defensive lineman Wyatt Benton pull him down for a nine-yard loss on the sack.
After moving backwards, the Lions opted to send out the kicking team. Lawrence senior kicker Trevon Creager nailed the 42-yard field goal to give his team the 31-28 lead with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter.
After both teams traded three-and-out possessions, Olathe West had one more chance to complete its comeback as the Owls took possession at their own 18-yard line with 3:50 left in regulation.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence junior quarterback Colton Curry throws a pass against Olathe West during a football game Sept. 5 at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
Olathe West junior running back Cabe Roberson got his offense started by turning a jet sweep into an 18-yard run up the Owls sideline. A couple plays later, senior quarterback Brody Hale stared down a swarm of Lawrence pass rushers as he dropped back to throw. Hale fired a deep shot down field to senior wide receiver Sam Krzykowski, who hauled in the pass before evading the one defender even close to him as he finished off a 65-yard touchdown reception.
Krzykowski’s score, his third touchdown reception in less than a 15-minute span of game time, gave Olathe West a 35-31 lead that the Owls would hold onto through the final whistle.
Thoren said his Lions team will have to look at what they did well and try to build off of it going forward.
“Obviously you also gotta go look at things you didn’t do well,” Thoren said. “There’s a lot of things there, too. But I’m proud of the way we played. The mistakes will get fixed.
“But what we can’t put a figure on is how hard guys play, in the heart that they play with.”
The Lions showed that heart with the way they responded to their late-game deficit.
Lawrence ended up having a chance to regain the lead thanks to another big play by Curry, and again on a third-and-7 play. Curry delivered a pinpoint back-shoulder pass to Becker right at the first down marker along the Lions’ sideline.
Then Curry used a combination of his legs and his arm to pick up a series of first downs on the way to the Lions reaching scoring territory. That includes Curry finding Becker on a curl route for an 11-yard gain, setting up a first down at the 25-yard line.
Curry went back to Becker again on a curl near the sideline on the short side of the field to pick up a seven yards. The Lions tried to run that play back on a second down, but Becker was unable to reel in the pass as two Owls defenders pressured him by trying to jump the route.
Hoping to take advantage of the aggressive play from the Owls’ secondary, the Lions ran nearly the same play for a third straight down. But on this one, Becker faked that same curl route before attempting to run past the hesitating defender who was covering him.
But as Becker attempted to re-route himself a step inside of his man, Curry’s pass was already sailing over both players heads and into the empty spot of the end zone for an expected fade route.
The Lions had one more chance on a fourth-and-3. Lawrence used a combination of a post sit route from the wideout and a wheel route from the running back to clear out a crossing route for sophomore Anthony Luna heading to the left sideline, a completion which would have picked up enough to earn a new set of downs near the 10-yard line and stop the clock with around 20 seconds remaining.
But Curry’s pass went right through the hands of his receiver as he started to turn upfield.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence junior Ethan Curry finds open room to run on carry during his team’s Week 1 game against Olathe West.
With the turnover on downs, Olathe West just needed Hale to kneel the ball once to run out the clock and walk away with a 35-31 victory.
Despite the result, Thoren and the Lions tried to remain positive after the game.
“I thought both teams fought hard and played hard,” Thoren said. “It’s a couple mistakes. Mistakes happen, so you just got to get them corrected.”
Both teams started the game with a pair of promising drives that stalled out. Olathe West struck first on the scoreboard with their second drive starting at their own 42-yard line.
Hale got the Owls going with a couple runs to the outside. On the first, he took off for an 8-yard gain. On the next play, he found space near his team’s sideline before deciding to make a late pitch to Roberson on another 8-yard run.
A couple plays later, the Lions corralled Hale in the backfield to set up a third-and-long. But the Owls kept the drive going when Hale faked a jet sweep, instead dropping back and delivering the ball to senior running back Josh Foland on a wheel route for a 16-yard reception to the 15-yard line. Hale went back to Foland two plays later on a swing pass, with Foland breaking multiple tackles before diving into the end zone at the right pylon.
Lawrence started its next possession with Edwards delivering his second 11-yard run of the game. The Owls bottled up Edwards for a one-yard loss on the next play, but Curry got the offense going from there. He found his cousin, junior wide receiver Ethan Curry, on a curl route for a 6-yard reception.
Colton Curry called his own number on the next play, taking off for an 11-yard run and a first down near midfield. A few plays later, Edwards picked up another first down with a 10-yard run. Olathe West forced Lawrence into a third-and-12 situation, only for Edwards to reel off another 11-yard run to set up the Lions for a fourth-down conversion attempt. Lawrence picked it up with Becker running a counter play to set up goal-to-go from the 9-yard line.
After feeding the ball to Edwards three times gave the team a fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Curry took a QB keeper toward the right sideline before slamming into a sea of players at the goal line, before eventually crawling over a pile of linemen from both teams to reach the ball into end zone for the score.
After a little bit of confusion already led to Lawrence burning a timeout, a low snap on the extra point led to Becker abandoning the hold and scrambling to the right. His desperation heave found its way into the hands of sophomore tight end Adam Everhart for a 2-point conversion.
But Lawrence’s 8-7 lead did not last long as Olathe West responded immediately. The Owls junior running back Cash Warren returned the ball 98 yards on the kickoff for a touchdown to put his team back into the lead. Olathe West matched Lawrence’s 2-point conversion, going ahead 15-8 with just under 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Lions got moving quickly on their next possession when Curry found his cousin once again. On this one, he scrambled to the right before rifling the ball over a multiple defenders and into his target’s hands for a 23-yard reception.
Two plays later, Edwards found wide open space up the right sideline on the way to a 38-yard touchdown run.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence senior running back Tahj Edwards stiff arms an Olathe West player during a running play in Week 1.
During the touchdown celebration, Edwards started jawing with an Olathe West player in the end zone, which led to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. With the special team’s unit attempting an extra point from 15 yards farther back than normal, Olathe West was able to block the kick and maintain a 15-14 advantage with just over six minutes left in the first half.
With the Owls facing a third-and-5 from their own 25-yard line on their next possession, Hale threw a swing pass to Krzykowski. Senior defensive back Turner Juelsgaard, who sniffed out a similar play on Olathe West’s first possession to help force a punt, forced the ball carrier to cut back inside. This allowed senior outside linebacker Josh Galbreath to track down the ball carrier and make the tackle two yards shy of the first down.
After the punt, the Lions started their next drive near midfield. Lawrence quickly reached scoring territory with Curry taking off for an 11-yard run, followed by his cousin running the ball for a 15-yard gain on the next play. He might have ran for more if not for an Olathe West defender pulling him down by the facemask, resulting in a first-and-goal for the Lions at the 6-yard line.
After one small gain on a run for Edwards, he followed up with another where he plunged into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown run to put the Lions up 21-15 with four minutes left in the second quarter.
With under a minute in the half, Olathe West looked like its offense might have had a chance to try for points. Roland started their drive by turning a RB draw into a 15-yard gain. But on the next play Hale tried to find Roberson on a short out route, only for the ball to bounce off the receiver’s hands and into the arms of senior defensive back Joseph Lucas. He was not able to maintain control as Lucas went to the ground along the Olathe West sideline.
Hale narrowly avoided a sack on the next play, setting up a third-and-long. Olathe West opted to give Foland the ball on a dive play that gained a couple of yards and allowed the clock to run out in the first half.
Curry found some third-down magic on the Lions first drive of the second half. He evaded pressure from both edges by running straight up the middle before taking off toward the right sideline. After a receiver threw a timely block, Curry ended up reaching a yard short of the first down mark. There he was pulled down to the ground, but Olathe West was again flagged for a facemask penalty on the tackle, giving the Lions a first down at the Owls’ 39-yard line.
A few plays later, Curry rolled out to the right with his eyes on Edwards running a route to the flat. He used his eyes, as well as the threat of him running the ball, to pull the Owls’ closest defender upfield toward Edwards. Curry fired the ball over both of those players and into the hands of Ethan Curry, who already caught the ball right at the first down marker before making one defender miss and dragging another for an extra seven yards to reach the 23-yard line.
The Lions gave the ball to Edwards, who found room running to the short side of the field and sprinting down the sideline for the 23-yard rushing touchdown to put Lawrence up 28-15 near the midpoint of the third quarter.
Although the Owls took the field for their next possession sophomore Andre Day Jr. replacing Hale at quarterback due to an injury, they avoided near disaster multiple times on their first drive of the third quarter.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence players swarm senior running back Tahj Edwards during a touchdown celebration. Edwards finished the game with three rushing touchdowns.
On a triple option play, Day lost control of the ball when he tried to simultaneously reel in the shotgun snap and pivot into the motion of a handoff/fake to his running back on a dive. Three Lawrence players had a free run at Day, only for the back-up QB to make a wobbly pitch to the outside just in time.
Roberson was still in a tough spot when he gained control of the ball five yards in the backfield, only to side step a pair of defenders to get back to the line of scrimmage. He found even more room cutting back to the right side of the field, where a block by Foland sprung Roberson for another six yards to reach a yard short of the first down marker at the 39-yard line.
Olathe West tried to pick up the first with a QB draw, only for Lawrence junior linebacker Alex Bart to sniff it out and make the tackle for a one-yard loss. On third-and-2, Lawrence senior defensive end Jadin Harrell and junior defensive end Timetrius Session burst through the offensive line to wrap up Roberson for a 3-yard loss.
Lawrence took over on its own 35-yard line after a punt by Olathe West. The Lions went right back to Edwards, who ran the ball right up the middle for a 15-yard gain to reach midfield. But Olathe West ended up forcing Lawrence to punt just four plays later.
On the punt, the snap bounced before reaching the punter. The Owls blocked his subsequent rugby style pooch kick, giving them possession at Lawrence’s 22-yard line.
Hale, who returned to the game for the first time in the second half, scrambled to the left side of the field to avoid the Lions’ pressure on first down. He found Krzykowski, who improvised a post route into a corner route. Krzkowski hauled in the pass while toe-tapping, going out-of-bounds near the seven-yard line.
Olathe West could not get much going on the first three plays of goal-to-go, setting them up to face fourth down from the three-yard line. The Owls ran another jet sweep, only this time Roberson ran behind Hale to receive the backwards pitch. Roberson only took a couple steps before he fired the ball into the end zone, where Krzykowski elevated above multiple defenders to pull the ball down for the touchdown reception.
Now only up 28-22 with 2:49 left in the third quarter, Lawrence started its next possession by converting third-and-1 to pick up a first near their own 40-yard line. But a few plays later the Lions would end up facing another third-and-7 situation.
Curry dropped back to throw on third down, only for his pass to be deflected at the line of scrimmage, which made the ball wobble on the way down and into the arms of Olathe West senior linebacker Jake Ables. He returned the ball all the way to the Lions’ 15-yard line.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Hale found Krzykowski on a whip route right at the goal line. The Owls wideout pulled in the catch and dragged his defender with him into the end zone for another touchdown reception, which allowed the Owls to tie the game at 28-all.
Although the Lions would take the lead with a field goal on the next possession, Olathe West would close out with the final score to ultimately earn the 35-31 victory.
“I think there was a back and forth,” Thoren said. “Credit to them, they made a couple plays late in the game and we didn’t. That’s really what it came down to.”
Curry finished with 141 passing yards, including 90 of those yards going to Becker on six receptions. Galbreath led the team in tackles with six, followed by Juelsgaard, Bart and junior Caleb Wingerd tying for the next most with five each. Juelsgaard and Bart also led the team in tackles for loss with each earning 1.5 in the game. Session and junior Will Grimes were each credited with one-half tackles for loss. Bart had two quarterback hurries, while Harrell and senior Pietro Noronha had one each.
Lawrence will play in its home opener next week, hosting Junction City on Friday, Sept. 17. The Lions have won each of its last five contests with the Bluejays, including a 69-56 win in Week 2 last season. Lawrence is looking to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2018, a season which saw the team finish 1-8 in the first season with Steve Rampy at the helm. Rampy took over for long-time head coach Dirk Wedd.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence head coach Jason Thoren looks toward the action on the field during his first game leading the Lions. Thoren previously coached at Baker University.
