Keegan: FSHS just fun to watch

If boredom suits you, don’t go anywhere near a Free State High football game. One thing the Firebirds won’t do is put you to sleep.

Frustrate you at times by not being careful enough with the ball, sure. But bore you? Never.

To the surprise of no one familiar with the team’s speed, Free State established it would be, above all else, exciting to watch in sprinting past Shawnee Mission North, 27-9, Thursday night at Haskell Stadium.

The Murphy twins alone, Ryan the quarterback and Brian the running back, make it tough to turn away, even for a play. They can break a big one at any moment, Ryan with his masterful ball fakes – did he keep it or give it to his brother this time? – Brian (three rushing touchdowns, two long ones) with his even greater speed.

More than the Murphy twins, just juniors by the way, make Free State such a must-watch.

Christian Ballard, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end/outside linebacker, joined his classmates, Austin Winn and the Murphy twins, on a 400-meter relay team that placed third in the state.

Part of the enjoyment in watching Ballard, the best college prospect on the field, comes in trying to project what position he’ll play and for how many more years and at how many more levels he’ll do it. Will he be a tight end, a linebacker? My guess is neither. He has defensive end written all over him. Watch him come off the edge to freak out quarterbacks.

Last night, on a perfect night for football, not too muggy, not too hot, just about right, much of the pressure on the opposing quarterback came from straight up the middle, where Kyle Weinmaster relentlessly pushed the pocket. What a motor this kid has.

Receivers catching short passes with Clark Boatright in the neighborhood should be prepared for pain. He closes quickly and wraps up his tackles with an exclamation point.

H-back Brett Lisher won’t hang with the Murphys in a sprint, but his legs have another important quality. They keep churning a few steps longer than at first seems possible, until a crowd brings him down. On defense, Lisher has that radar that tells him where to be. It enabled him to catch a ball that popped loose, and he took it in for six.

The Murphys are the most exciting players, but not the only ones capable of achieving the spectacular.

Nick Ayre showcased his vertical leap and made a one-handed interception that drew a gasp from the crowd. Ryan Murphy, one play after turning the ball over, also made a nifty pick.

There were the that-time-of-year errant and mishandled snaps, the too-risky pitches, the delay-of-game penalties, the leg cramps, the buttery fingers.

Yet, even if the sloppy moments aren’t minimized to the satisfaction of coach Bob Lisher, Free State, playing with a Firebird logo on the side of the helmets this year, will be easy on the eyes.

The Murphy twins in particular.

“Brian wanted to be a quarterback more than I did, but I just happened to be practicing with better players than he was when we were in seventh grade at Southwest, so I looked better than he did,” Ryan said on his way to the team bus. “Oh, well, it’s worked out pretty good I guess.”

No complaints.