The Firebirds swamp head coach Bob Lisher as he raises the sub-state championship plaque on Friday.

Final, Free State wins 14-7

Taylor Stuart comes up with a sack on Blue Valley’s first pass, moving Blue Valley back. After a spike to stop the clock and an incompletion, Cameron Schmidt knocked away a pass on fourth down. Torneden took a knee, and Free State is advancing to its first state championship.

42 seconds left in 4th quarter, Free State leads 14-7

Torneden comes up big on 3rd-and-3, darting through the middle for 10 yards and a first down at the 1.

Hunter leaped over the pile on the next play, falling into the end zone to give the Firebirds the lead. Ballard-Hansen’s extra point was true, and Free State is 42 seconds from its first state championship game.

2:46 left in 4th quarter, Game tied 7-7

Torneden runs through a hole on the right side for 17 more yards to move the ball inside the 30.

On 4th-and-inches, Torneden sprawled forward to get a 1-yard gain and first down at the Blue Valley 18.

5:18 left in 4th quarter, Game tied 7-7

Torneden keeps Free State’s drive alive, as on a 3rd-and-11, he scrambled 13 yards down the right sideline for a first down.

The Firebirds also get a call to go their way at a crucial moment, as after an 8-yard run, Hunter appeared to fumble the football. Officials ruled him down, and the Firebirds maintained possession.

A minute later, Free State was helped by another call. On a third-and-2, Hunter appeared to be stopped on a run, but he leaned forward on second effort and was given the benefit of the doubt with a good spot. Officials gave Free State a first down, and the drive goes on.

Torneded added an 11-yard run to move the chains, and Free State is in Blue Valley territory.

9:04 left in 4th quarter, Game tied 7-7

Free State can’t catch a break. Abenoja, on a quarterback keeper, loses the football, but officials rule him down. Video replay comfirms that it was, in fact, a fumble, one that the Firebirds would have recovered.

But Free State’s defense rises to the occasion again. After moving to the FSHS 20, Blue Valley’s offense stalls. On 4th-and-7, Luke Wiggins made a diving attempt at a catch in the end zone, but the ball skips by him, and the Firebirds will take over at their own 20.

End of 3rd quarter, Game tied 7-7

Following a 3rd-down conversion by Cornley, Blue Valley has moved the ball to the Free State 35. The good news for the Firebirds is that their defense has performed pretty well tonight with its back to the wall.

1:45 left in 3rd quarter, Game tied 7-7

Free State fails to get a first down after three running plays. Right now, the Firebirds’ only success is coming via the run, and the Tigers’ only success is coming via the pass. We’ll see who is more effective with their strength in the final 14 minutes.

3:55 left in 3rd quarter, Game tied 7-7

Free State’s defense comes through once again. The Firebirds force a Blue Valley punt after a 3rd-and-10 pass sails over a Tiger receiver, and after a Hunter punt return, Free State has it at the Firebird 17.

5:30 left in 3rd quarter, Game tied 7-7

Niemack comes up with his second huge play for the Firebirds, fully extending on a leap backwards to intercept an Abenoja pass in the end zone. Niemack caught the pass with his fingertips, and it’s a good thing he did, as a Blue Valley receiver was right behind him.

Torneden sprints 24 yards down the left sideline, but quickly the momentum goes back to the Tigers. Torneden overthrows his target two plays later, and Christian Ensz intercepts it and returns it to the Free State 48.

7:15 left in 3rd quarter, Game tied 7-7

Free State fails to get a first down on three runs, and Blue Valley will take over at the Firebird 37 after a punt.

8:57 left in 3rd quarter, Game tied 7-7

Blue Valley drives quickly into Free State territory, helped by a 16-yard completion from Abenoja to Luke Wiggins. The Firebirds stand strong, though, as VanGerpen drops a pass and Luke Rampy catches one out of bounds, and the Tigers are forced to punt. After a good kick, FSHS will take over at its own 3.

Halftime, Game tied 7-7

It’s no secret now as to how Free State coach Bob Lisher will try to win this football game: ball control and running the football.

So far, so good for the Firebirds. Hunter had 22 first-half carries for 126 yards, while Torneden rushed eight times for 35 yards.

Twenty-two carries is an enormous number for one half, so we’ll see how much energy and power Hunter has left.

Halftime, Game tied 7-7

Free State just misses out on a big play, as Blue Valley’s Luke Rampy catches a pass, takes a couple steps, then fumbles it backwards. Torneden looks to be there to scoop it up, but officials run in to call the pass incomplete.

After a Blue Valley punt, Free State gets one first down running the ball before the half ends.

2:05 left in second quarter, Game tied 7-7

Blue Valley comes up with a big stop on 4th-and-1, stuffing Torneden on a quarterback sneak up the middle. Blue Valley will take over at its own 42.

5:20 left in second quarter, Game tied 7-7

Keene Niemack halts a Blue Valley drive into Free State territory, as he leaps high to intercept an Abenoja pass at the FSHS 17. The Firebirds get 15 extra yards after Niemack is thrown violently to the ground by his facemask.

9:00 left in second quarter, Game tied 7-7

Free State finally throws a pass, though it goes incomplete deep down the sideline. After a 5-yard loss on a run by Torneden, the FSHS quarterback scrambles for a first down on a 3rd-and-15, but a holding call brings it back. Bad break for Free State, as Torneden was already running free and didn’t need the hold.

Following a completion for 9 yards, VanGerpen knocks down a pass on 4th-and-6 to give Blue Valley the ball at its own 35.

End of 1st quarter, Game tied 7-7

Free State has picked up a couple first downs, again with the run. The Firebirds haven’t attempted a pass yet.

1:31 left in 1st quarter, Game tied 7-7

It’s run vs. pass right now, as Blue Valley moved down for its first score using an effective passing game. After a 19-yard screen from Anthony Abenoja to Treveor Cornley, Abenoja delivered a beautiful touch pass down the sideline to Tyler VanGerpen for 25 yards. The next play, Cornley bowled into the end zone from 5 yards out, and after the PAT, we’re tied again.

2:13 left in 1st quarter, Free State leads 7-0

Free State forces a Blue Valley punt, as Firebirds’ linebacker Joe Riordan comes through with a key third-down sack. After a punt, though, Free State comes up a yard short of the first down after three runs.

6:35 left in 1st quarter, Free State leads 7-0

After receiving the opening kickoff, Free State put together an impressive drive using the speed of Camren Torneden and Chucky Hunter.

Torneden rushed for 12 yards on an option right, picking up a first down on 3rd-and-5. After that, Hunter added a 14-yard run up the middle, and Torneden broke through for a 10-yard run, also up the gut.

The Firebirds kept the drive going on a 4th-and-1 at the Blue Valley 28, as Hunter took a quick handoff and fell forward for three yards. The next play, Hunter sprinted right then cut back to the middle for a 23-yard gain.

Hunter finished the drive on the next play, plunging through the left side of the line for a 2-yard score. Gabe Ballard-Hansen added the point-after.

FSHS went 80 yards in 13 plays. The Firebirds used 13 runs to march down the field.

6:55 p.m.

This is Jesse Newell with you now, KUsports.com online editor. I’ll be live-blogging throughout the game to keep you updated on what’s happening in tonight’s State semifinal.

It’s cold here in Stilwell, but the good news is, there isn’t much wind to speak of. Both teams shouldn’t be limited in their passing attacks because of the wind.

Directions to Blue Valley High School.

6:00 p.m.

The sun has gone down, the temperature has dropped and the lights at Blue Valley High’s district stadium are shining bright.

That can only mean one thing: It’s time for football.

Kickoff for tonight’s Class 6A state semifinal between Free State High (8-3) and Blue Valley (10-1) is about an hour away, and, in order to help pass the time for those of you who chose to stay indoors with a warm cup of hot chocolate and a blanket, here’s one final pregame look at tonight’s showdown.

This contest is a clash of contrasting styles, as the Tigers like to air it out and the Firebirds prefer the balanced attack. That balance starts with the run game, as senior tailback Chucky Hunter and junior quarterback Camren Torneden have become one of the most dangerous one-two punches in the state.

Hunter has rushed for more than 1,400 yards this season and has 13 touchdowns. Torneden has more than 1,600 total yards — passing and rushing — and has become an equally dangerous threat each way. Figure on Free State riding these two all night, just the way they’ve done throughout the season.

As for Blue Valley, the Tigers feature a passing attack that throws five wide receivers on the field and lets quarterback Anthony Aboneja air it out. Receivers Tyler VanGerpen, Luke Rampy and P.J. DeBey are dangerous threats on the outside and all three can turn a short pass into a big play at any time.

With the stage set, let’s take one final look at three keys for each team.

For Free State:

1. Defense Does It – The secondary will have to be sharp tonight but it’ll also have to be realistic. Blue Valley is going to complete passes and Blue Valley is going to score points. The key for the Firebirds will be keeping those passes in front of them and avoiding giving up the big play that can change the momentum.

2. Business As Usual – When going up against a high-powered passing attack, it can be awfully tempting to try to keep up. Free State can’t allow itself to think that way. The Firebirds have to have patience, stick with Hunter and Torneden and understand that, like novocain, the running game eventually will start to work.

3. Speed Kills – The Firebirds haven’t had the speed advantage in every game they’ve played this season. But they’ll have it in this one. From the linemen all the way down to the receivers and backs, the Firebirds are a faster team. Nothing warms things up on a cold, cold night like a few sprints to the end zone. Expect FSHS to hit at least one big play because of its speed advantage.

For Blue Valley:

1. Don’t Drop It – It’s cold out there, and that can make things difficult on quarterbacks and receivers. It’s important that the Tigers catch passes early, as a case of the dropsies could have a detrimental effect.

2. Don’t Forget About The Run – Although Blue Valley prefers to air it out, they have a pretty capable running back in Treveor Cornley. Although he doesn’t have the big yardage totals of some other backs around the state, he does have 19 touchdowns, most coming in short yardage situations. Getting Cornley involved in the offense will keep things spread out and won’t allow Free State to play the pass and react to the run.

3. It’s Called Homefield Advantage – This game is at Blue Valley for a reason. The Tigers are 10-1, haven’t lost since September and have a great envirnoment for a football game. It’s important that they give their crowd a reason to get in the game and stay in the game.

Prediction:

There’s no telling what’s going to happen in this game because there are so many factors that could contribute to the outcome. But I like Free State in this one because of the Firebirds’ ability to run the ball and their red-hot defense. The Firebirds are on a roll and they’ve been playing like a team — most notably a defense — possessed. Free State controls the ball, controls the clock and advances to next weekend’s state title game. Free State 31, Blue Valley 21.