Lindsay Ryan/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High boys soccer players begin to swarm Oscar Paden (7) after one of his four goals in 5-1 victory on Senior Night against Olathe South.

Lawrence High junior Oscar Paden delivered a dazzling four-goal performance to lift the Lions to a 5-1 victory on Senior Night over visiting Olathe South.

Lawrence (11-4-1) slid into the No. 5 seed in the 6A East bracket, moving past Mill Valley (11-5-0) after the Jaguars lost 3-2 in overtime against Olathe Northwest on Thursday night. The Lions are now slated to face No. 11 seed Blue Valley North (8-7-1) at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at home.

Paden, who has been somewhat bottled up offensively of late, said “something was clicking” for him in pregame warmups. Around the midway point of the first half, Paden angled a kick from near the left goal line that sailed into the top corner of the net, handing the Lions a 1-0 advantage.

Paden said that immediately upon scoring he “knew it was going to be a good game.” And then the offensive floodgates opened just 21 seconds into the second half as Paden stuck a 30-footer between the crossbars, putting the Lions up 2-0.

After seeing the deficit sliced in half by an Olathe South goal, Paden and fellow junior teammate Jasper Piepergerdes promptly responded with back-to-back goals to increase the Lions’ lead to 4-1 with 21 minutes remaining in regulation.

Lindsay Ryan/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Oscar Paden dribbles the ball past an Olathe South defender during a Sunflower League match.

But Paden wasn’t finished, hammering another goal through the net at the 6:53 mark. Paden’s fourth goal of the game was assisted by standout senior striker Patrick Sandefur, accounting for the final margin.

“This victory is huge and the momentum should carry over to the playoffs,” Paden said. “Advancing to state is our goal this year.”

Sandefur said the emphatic victory was extra special for the seven-member senior class.

“We haven’t won on Senior Night in quite some time,” he said. “So for this group of seniors to lead us to a win tonight is pretty big, and I think it shows our leadership and the hard work we’ve put in this season.”

The Senior Night triumph was the culmination of a successful regular season that saw the Lions open on a seven-game win streak before faltering a bit down the stretch.

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Oscar Paden celebrates a score during his team’s match against Olathe East earlier in the season.

As the team’s striker, Sandefur has been the engine behind the offense’s high-powered attack. He is among the state leaders in scoring with 21 goals, which is also the new single-season school record. Sandefur is also the program’s all-time leading goal scorer with 45.

The road to glory, Sandefur said, has been paved with much adversity. He said that his development on the field has been more of a slow-burn process starting with his freshman campaign.

“There have been so many learning moments and hard times that have shaped who I am today,” he said.

Specifically, Sandefur mentioned mentors that he has soaked up knowledge. The list includes his older brother, former LHS soccer player Colin, currently a junior forward for Drake University.

“He’s been my role model since we were kids,” said Sandefur, who is averaging nearly 1.5 goals a game.

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Patrick Sandefur awaits play to restart during his team’s match against Olathe East earlier in the season.

And while Sandefur said he’s been “figuring out how to use his body to be strong on the ball,” he views himself as more of a cerebral player.

“The biggest thing has been learning with my mind,” he said. “A lot of my goals this year have come from being in the right place at the right time. It’s an underrated skill, because it makes scoring goals easier and more manageable.”

Sandefur said his fondest memory on the pitch was his two-goal performance in a 2-1 road victory over archrival Free State Firebirds on Sept. 18. “It was the first time we beat them in around 11 years, so that was a very big moment for me.”

Third-year LHS head coach Joe Camparato said Sandefur was 10 when he first saw him play, and continued following his career as he competed at the national level with his club team. Camparato described his star pupil as a “workaholic.”

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Patrick Sandefur rests on the turf following an exhausting performance during a match earlier this season.

“Patrick just keeps getting better because he never stops working,” Camparato said. “Beyond practices, the guy is out here on Saturdays and before school in the morning always putting in the extra work.

“All the success he has had is due to hard work,” he said.

Camparato noted that the entire senior group has “bought into” his system and “how we want to play.”

“They’ve also bought into the culture that we are one team,” he said. “So whether you’re a freshman or senior, they each support one another — and I really owe that to the senior class. The culture of this program moving forward is due to what these guys have done over the last three years.”

Camparato lauded senior goalkeeper Murphy Nowak, who entered Thursday’s clash with more than 100 saves on the season. Nowak has been a varsity starter for the past three seasons.

“He’s kept us in every game this season, especially against the toughest teams,” Camparato said. “He has been a force since he was a sophomore.”

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Murphy Nowak throws the ball back into play during a match earlier this season.