By Anthony Gorges
JC Post
Tuesday night was the first basketball games of the 2025–26 high school basketball season. The Blue Jays and Lady Jays traveled to Lawrence Free State High School for the season openers. The teams split, with Free State winning the girls game and the Blue Jays winning the boys game.
Girls Recap – Lawrence Free State 53, Junction City 28
The Lady Jays started the game playing well, and sophomore Aniyah Henry-Rivers scored the first basket of the season. The girls played great defense in the first quarter and led 7–0 after one. In the second quarter, the Firebirds of Lawrence Free State woke up. Right out of the timeout, Free State came out firing and hitting shots. They outscored JC 20–8 in the second quarter and led 20–15 at the half.
In the second half, the Lady Jays kept up the good defense, but shots were not falling, and the Firebirds scored several second-chance points off their offensive rebounds. After three quarters, Free State led 35–23. In the fourth, the Firebirds pulled away and won the game by a final score of 53–28.
Six players scored for Junction City. Sophomore Isabel Pruitt led the way with eight points; sophomore Laniyah Warmack and freshman Alexis Douglas both added five points; sophomore Aniyah Henry-Rivers and senior Morgan Nabus both scored four points; and junior Kayla Covington added two for the Lady Jays.
The JC girls fall to 0–1 on the season and will host Atchison on Friday night at Blue Jay Event Center.
Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was freshman Alexis Douglas. (For being our player of the game, Alexis receives a free meal coupon from Blu Restaurant in Junction City.)
Boys Recap – Junction City 64, Lawrence Free State 51
Similar to the girls game, the Blue Jays started out fast. Senior Lovell Autry stole the ball on the first possession and broke away for a layup for the first basket of the boys’ season. The defense continued to play well, which then led to a three-pointer by junior Khaliel Walker. The Blue Jays began the game on a 9–0 run, which led to a Free State timeout. The hot start continued; after the first quarter, JC led 23–9.
Second-quarter action picked up with the Firebirds beginning to hit some shots. Free State went on a run to cut the lead down to six, but the Blue Jays expanded it back to a nine-point halftime lead and led 38–29 at the break.
Both teams settled in defensively in the third quarter, and again, Free State threatened, trailing 43–37. The Firebirds had multiple chances to cut into the lead more, but at the end of three, the Blue Jays were on top 49–41.
In the fourth quarter, the three bigs for Junction City helped seal the deal. Senior 6'6" Jackson Hollie, junior 6'7" Brody Boeckman, and junior 6'3" Trevon Briley came up big down the stretch and helped the Blue Jays hold on to win 64–51. *This was the first official win for new Junction City boys head coach Easton Burgardt.
Senior Lovell Autry led the team with 20 points, senior Jet Thompson added 13 points, and junior Brody Boeckman added 10. Several other boys scored for the Blue Jays as well.
Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was senior Jet Thompson. (For being our player of the game, Jet receives a free meal coupon from Blu Restaurant in Junction City.)
JC is now 1-0, and up next for the Blue Jays is their home opener on Friday night, hosting Atchison.