Lawrence High had completed three of three halfback passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the past three weeks.

With the game on the line Friday night at Haskell Stadium, Free State’s defense knew the trick play was coming.

“We told our defensive backs not to come up and to trust the guys up front,” said Free State coach Bob Lisher, whose team pulled out a 14-12 Class 6A district football victory despite gaining only 149 total yards against its city rival. “Our guys were disciplined enough to make that play.”

LHS had a chance to tie with 3:14 left in the third quarter after Jeff Colter broke two tackles and dashed down the LHS sideline for a 26-yard touchdown. But Colter was stopped on a two-point conversion run, and Free State was left with a 14-12 lead.

Lawrence got the ball back at its own six-yard line with 9:54 remaining and picked up three first downs. Facing third-and-six from the Free State 40, running back Nolan Kellerman faked a run to the right side before pulling up and heaving the ball downfield. FSHS junior defensive back Brett Lisher stepped in front of Kellerman’s intended receiver at the 16 and returned the game-saving interception two yards.

“That was a bad call on my part,” said LHS coach Dirk Wedd, whose team fell to 3-5 overall and 1-1 in district play. “We ran that play one too many times.”

LHS failed to complete a pass in seven attempts, though quarterback Brian Heere can’t take all the blame. The Lions got the ball back at their own 41 with 2:19 to play, but Colter dropped a deep ball on the LHS sideline, and Kellerman couldn’t haul in a pass near the goal line on fourth-and-10 from the FSHS 32 with 14.1 seconds left.

“We’re not a great passing team,” Wedd said. “We put ourselves in a difficult situation.”

Free State High's Brett Lisher (14) and Ryan Murphy (8) celebrate after Lisher intercepted a Lawrence High pass in the third quarter. Firebird Nick Witmer is at right. Free State beat LHS, 14-12, Friday night at Haskell Stadium.

LHS dominated the first half but had little to show for it. The Lions converted five of eight third-down plays and two of three fourth-down opportunities and racked up 113 yards and eight first downs, compared to 37 yards and two first downs for Free State (2-6, 1-1).

Lisher wasn’t worried when his team went to the locker room and the score tied at 6.

“Lawrence High has a great offense,” he said. “We held them to six points and scored a touchdown of our own. You can’t ask for more from a defense.”

LHS had averaged 39.2 points and 332.5 yards rushing in its previous four games. It looked like it would be more of the same when the Lions marched 73 yards in 16 plays on their opening drive.

Colter — who led all players with 76 yards rushing — made it 6-0 with 3:43 left in the first quarter, but Lawrence’s two-point conversion failed.

The Firebirds tied it with 13.2 seconds left in the quarter when Damien Dillon returned an LHS fumble 10 yards for a TD. Free State’s extra point was no good.

Lawrence High's Nolan Kellerman (26) gets his hands on the Lions' desperation pass as time runs out against Free State. The dropped pass sealed the Firebirds' victory.

“It goes to show we can compete with teams when we play hard and don’t turn the ball over,” said Lisher, whose team entered the game minus-11 in the turnover department.

Free State, which ran just 13 first-half plays, opened the second half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by Brian Murphy’s two-yard TD run.

Jamie Resseguie caught a critical two-point conversion pass from Nick Witmer with 6:18 left in the third quarter to make it 14-6.

“We came out during warmups, and all their fans were saying was ‘One and six, one and six.’ Well, we’re two and six now. We took this game tonight,” said a tearful Resseguie, who led FSHS with 44 yards rushing. “This win is for all those people on the north side of 15th (Street), baby.”

The top two teams in each district advance to the 6A playoffs. Washburn Rural defeated Topeka High, 21-10, Friday, which means all four teams are 1-1 in district entering the final week of the regular season.

Free State High coach Bob Lisher, right, greets Casey Ballard after the Firebirds scored a touchdown in the second half.

Free State will face the Junior Blues (5-3) in a 7 p.m. game Friday at Topeka Washburn Rural, while LHS will play host to Topeka High (4-4) at 7:30 p.m. at Haskell.

The Firebirds started the season with five straight losses and had endured heartbreaking defeats, including last week’s triple-overtime loss to Topeka High.

“This makes up for some things,” Lisher said. “But it doesn’t make our season. We still have a big game to play.

“I just told them to go out and enjoy this win, but then we’re going to have to come back and be prepared for Washburn Rural because now we’re in the position to play for a trip to the playoffs.”

6Sports video: Firebirds upset Lions in intracity face-off (10-22-04) Turnovers vital to Free State victory (10-23-04) Photo Gallery: FSHS vs. LHS 10.22 Lions, Firebirds ready to rumble at Haskell (10-22-04) 6Sports video: Lawrence High and Free State High to square off (10-20-04) More in High School Sports