Olathe North thought it had a touchdown.

On their first play of the night, the Eagles handed the ball to Josh Gore, who saw daylight. Gore sprinted down the left sideline and into the open field. With Olathe North already down a score, this looked to be a shootout.

Free State’s Christian Ballard wouldn’t let Gore reach the end zone, though. To put that in perspective, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Ballard tracked down the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Gore. To say the momentum shifted would be an understatement.

Olathe North quarterback/kicker Darren Tidd missed a field-goal try on the same possession. As for Gore, the 61-yard run looked good at the time. But he only finished with 93 rushing yards.

After that turn of events, it was all Firebirds, and they cruised to a 38-8 victory Friday night at the Olathe District Activities Center.

“We’re trying to make a statement here, so letting them score was not acceptable on the first play,” said Ballard, a senior defensive end. “I had to do everything in my power to try to chase him down and get us lined up again.”

Seniors Ryan and Brian Murphy sealed the FSHS victory from there. The duo combined for 319 rushing yards and accounted for five of the Firebirds’ six touchdowns.

Free State’s spread offense worked to perfection. The Firebirds left the Eagles guessing on numerous plays, specifically out of the shotgun formation. Would Ryan Murphy keep the ball on the ground himself, hand the ball off to Brian Murphy, or step back to pass?

Ryan Murphy’s 50-yard run in the second quarter exemplified the Eagles’ baffled look on defense. He took the shotgun snap, faked the handoff and ran through a gaping hole that might have been big enough for an offensive lineman. Easy touchdown.

“That’s the best feeling ever, as soon as you break through the line, the linebackers, then get to the secondary, and coast down the field,” Ryan Murphy said. “I love doing that.”

Free State (5-0) turned the ball over six times last week against Olathe South, and somehow still won by 16 points. No one was left wondering after Friday night. The Firebirds didn’t turn the ball over once.

Free State coach Bob Lisher was humble, to say the least, after the victory.

“To play like champions, you have to be as error-free as possible, and we’re not there yet,” Lisher said. “Olathe North is a good football team, and coming into this, I was scared to death. I’m scared to death pretty much every week.”

Although stiff Sunflower League competition might give Lisher nightmares, Brian Murphy seemed to create a similar scare in the Olathe North. The tailback combined for more than 200 yards of offense. He attributed the Firebirds’ success on the ground to the offensive line.

“They’re definitely the MVPs of the game again,” Brian Murphy said. “You can have all the time in the world, but without the line you can’t do anything.”

Free State established an early lead again the Eagles (2-3), leading 26-0 at halftime. Brian Murphy said Lisher instilled a quick-strike mentality into the football team from day one.

“Usually, when you get about three touchdowns, most teams just want to quit,” Brian Murphy said. “Anytime you’re playing anyone, you want to get on them early and take it out of them.”

Free State hasn’t started a season 5-0 since 2002. That year, it lost its next game at Olathe North. Friday night marked the second time in school history the Firebirds defeated the Eagles.

Free State will play at home against Olathe Northwest next Friday night at Haskell Stadium.