Splitting Ranks

Don't mess with tradition. That's what Lawrence High School head football coach Dick Purdy might have told voters prior to the November 1994 bond issue vote that would eventually split Kansas' largest high school and most dominant football power into two separate schools. However, this was a battle that even tradition couldn't withstand. Voters approved the $36.9 million bond issue and in the fall of 1997 the city's second high school-Free State High School-opened its doors to the public. You see, football has been a part of the athletic curriculum at Lawrence HS since 1891. Want proof of the school's dominance? Since 1945, the Lions have won 27 state championships, and they rank No. 1 nationally with 31 undefeated seasons. An opponent of the decision, Purdy himself learned an invaluable lesson about messing with LHS tradition shortly after he assumed the reins. Having coached against