That much anticipated clash of Class 6A state high school football unbeatens will be Friday night in Overland Park.

Free State (11-0) and Shawnee Mission West (11-0) will collide at the district stadium at either SM North or SM South.

“They haven’t told us which one,” Free State athletic director Steve Grant said Saturday. “That probably won’t be decided until Monday, but it seems like every time we’ve played them it’s been at South.”

Although some media outlets reported that Free State would be the home team, Firebirds’ officials knew all along they would have to go on the road.

“The manual is complicated,” Grant said, “but it boiled down to whichever team was the top seed would be host, and SM West won the draw.”

Free State and SM West were the only playoff-eligible teams in the eastern half of the bracket with unbeaten records, so for seeding purposes, Kansas State High School Activities Assn. officials made a blind draw three weeks ago, and SM West came out of the hat.

In effect, that draw probably worked out for the best because both Shawnee Mission district stadiums have artificial turf, and the grass turf at Haskell Stadium, the Firebirds’ home field, is a mess after being used by Free State, Lawrence High and Haskell Indian Nations University this fall.

Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium wasn’t an alternative because the Jayhawks will entertain Kansas State on Saturday, and locker facilities wouldn’t be available the night before.

Free State advanced to the semis Friday night with a 32-19 triumph over Olathe East, the defending 6A state runner-up, at the College Boulevard Activities Center. At the same time, SM West toppled Lawrence High, 22-6, at Haskell Stadium.

The other semifinal will pit defending champion Hutchinson (11-0) against Manhattan (8-3) at Gowans Stadium in the Salt City.

Free State and SM West are members of the Sunflower League, but the two schools weren’t scheduled during the regular season. However, the Firebirds and Vikings did meet last season.

“We played them twice last year and they got us twice,” Free State coach Bob Lisher said, “so we’re going to have to make plays.”

Both of those SM West victories were lopsided – 52-7 during the regular season in Lawrence and 40-18 in the first round of the 6A playoffs in Overland Park.