Free State quarterback Camren Torneden zips past Olathe Northwest senior defensive lineman Rick Haynes for a touchdown on Oct. 31, 2008, at Haskell Stadium. Torneden led the Firebirds to an appearance in the state title game last season and will return for his senior year.

Free State High School senior Chucky Hunter (2) stiff arms his way to extra yards.

The year was 2006, and the Free State High football team made a habit out of making opponents look silly.

During the most successful season in school history, the Firebirds racked up scores of 60-0, 61-0, 62-27, 49-15 and 47-0. Behind the legs of Ryan and Brian Murphy as well as a dominant offensive line and nasty defense, Free State rolled through the regular season unbeaten and won the first two playoff games in school history, setting up a semifinal showdown with unbeaten Shawnee Mission West.

As the Firebirds and Vikings battled in Overland Park for the right to play for a state championship the following week, a handful of Free State sophomores stood quietly on the sideline dreaming of their opportunity.

“I was suited up, a little depressed because I wasn’t getting as much varsity action as I had hoped,” said current FSHS senior Grahm Saunders. “But it was fun to be a part of, and it’s amazing that we’ve gotten to this level again.”

It’s only amazing in the sense that reaching the Class 6A state semifinals two out of the last three years is not something that happens to teams all that often. Sure, you’ve had the Lawrence Highs, Olathe Norths and Hutchinsons of the past few decades. But for most of the rest of the state, regularly reaching the semis — and therefore getting the chance to earn a shot at playing for a state title — does not happen all that often.

For Free State, which will play in its second semifinal in school history at 7 p.m. Friday at Blue Valley High, the opportunity came as a result of a lot of sweat and plenty of hard hits.

“Any time you can get this far in the playoffs, it’s a great feeling,” FSHS coach Bob Lisher said. “It’s been a lot of hard work over the last year and, for the seniors, over the last three years. So any time you get to this point, it’s rewarding. But we want to get a little further.”

Other than a player or two who played on special teams in that 31-14 loss to SM West in 2006, this year’s team features just one player who played a significant role in that one. Senior tailback Chucky Hunter started at H-Back for the ’06 squad, finishing the season with 44 receptions for 504 yards and one touchdown. In the semifinal loss to the Vikes, Hunter carried the ball just once for three yards but caught seven passes for 76 more.

This year, as the team’s featured tailback, Hunter has gained 1,418 rushing yards and has more than 1,500 total yards to go along with 13 touchdowns. He’s by far the Firebird with the most experience heading into Friday’s semifinal, and he’s hoping that all of those big games under his belt will help his team against Blue Valley.

“It feels good to be back at this point, the semifinals, and hopefully we can get past this next step,” Hunter said. “It’s a big game, it’s not like every other game you play. You just have to play ball and go back to doing what you do best.”

For the Firebirds, that’s been hard to pinpoint. Although Hunter and the offensive line have given Free State a potent ground attack, junior quarterback Camren Torneden and an ever-improving defense have provided the Firebirds with the same kind of balanced squad they fielded in 2006.

“That team from 2006 can’t play in this game,” Lisher said. “They have nothing to do with it. But (being back in the semifinals) does give our guys a chance to continue on with what that team started and maybe improve on it.”

That’s the plan. After a 10-6 victory over Olathe North last week, Lisher said refocusing his team would not be a problem, and from minute one of Monday’s practice, the Firebirds have proven that. They’re hungry, and they clamor for more than reaching the first state title tilt in school history. They want to be remembered like the 2006 squad.

“They loved ’em, everyone loved ’em,” Saunders said of the ’06 team. “At some points this season, we didn’t really think we’d ever get to that level, but now everything’s clicking and we’re starting to play like them.”