Overland Park ? Like most football coaches in this hemisphere, Free State High’s Bob Lisher wishes he had a little more time to prepare his troops for the first Friday night of the season.

The opener always seems to sneak up on coaches who have so little time to get their players accustomed to the program’s specific schemes. But the schedule isn’t flexible, and Free State will start its season tonight on the road against Shawnee Mission Northwest.

Kickoff will be 7 p.m. at SM North District Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on KLWN 1320.

It’s not a make-or-break game for the Firebirds, but the result definitely could carry over into future games.

“If you can get that first win under your belt,” Lisher said, “it’s always good for confidence.”

The Firebirds should know. Last season, they opened with a 31-28 victory over the Cougars and then reeled off four more victories before finally losing to Olathe North in mid-October.

Lisher knows that tonight’s opponent boasts arguably the most feared defensive player in the Sunflower League, in SMNW senior linebacker Mike Rivera.

Rivera, at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, has remarkable athleticism for his size, and the Firebirds are sure to keep him in mind when they call offensive plays.

“We have a few things in mind,” Lisher said. “We’re going to try to do some things to neutralize him.”

Which might mean constantly confusing him. Last year, the Firebirds statistically showed no favor to either rushing or passing the football. This year, quarterback Caleb Harvey — when not handing the ball off to Cole Douglas, Will Malcolm or Jamie Resseguie — can take to the air and try to find senior Dain Dillingham, a 6-1 receiver that has Division-One programs from coast to coast buzzing.

Malcolm, the projected starter, missed some practice time this week with the flu, and Resseguie will start in his place. Regardless of whether Malcolm’s full strength or not tonight, Free State still has options.

“We’re going to have play aggressively and play smart,” Lisher said. “Their depth is better than ours. We don’t have the numbers they do up front.”

Or the size. One thing SM Northwest returns from its runner-up finish in the Sunflower League last year is big bodies on both lines. The difference between a 1-0 Free State team or an 0-1 squad could be in the trenches.

“They are very big up front, on both sides of the football,” Lisher said. “They’re probably 280-300 pounds all across the line. Our kids are going to have to buckle them up tight.”