Free State's Chucky Hunter (2) is stopped by Junction City's Cortez Delaney (33) in the first half of the 6A state championship game.

Final: Junction City 19, Free State 14

Junction City ran out the clock after converting a key 3rd-and-5 with an 11-yard run from Nathen Kozlowski to the Free State 10-yardline. It’s the first state championship for Junction City since 1969. Free State played in its first state championship in school history.

Free State just couldn’t stop the run in the fourth quarter. Junction City ate up eight minutes on its final drive and ran out the clock for the victory.

Stay tuned later tonight for a full recap, plus a postgame edition of the High School Spodcasters, hosted by high school sports editor Matt Tait.

JC 19/FS 14 — 1:36 left in the fourth quarter

Free State took its last timeout with 1:36 left to play. Junction City is faced with a fourth down and five yards from the Free State 20-yardline.

JC 19/FS 14 — 2:25 left in the fourth quarter

On a key 3rd-and-2, Zimmerman took the ball for a quarterback sneak and converted the play to the Free State 37-yardline. It appeared the Firebirds stopped Zimmerman, but a second effort on a push from the offensive line gained Junction City the first down.

JC 19/FS 14 — 4:38 left in the fourth quarter

The Junction City offense is doing its best to bring the Blue Jays to a state championship. They’re milking the clock and there’s only 4:38 left in the game. The Firebirds need a stop.

JC 19/FS 14 — 8:04 left in the fourth quarter

Free State failed to convert a 3rd-and-13 with 8:13 left in the fourth quarter on an incomplete pass from Torneden. Junction City’s defensive line penetrated the line of scrimmage and tipped the pass. The Firebirds decided to punt on fourth down and it was a good one. Junction City will take over at its own 29-yardline.

JC 19/FS 14 — 9:12 left in the fourth quarter

Zimmerman and Gallentine have developed quite the rapport in this 6A state title game. Gallentine snuck behind the Free State secondary for his second TD catch of the game. The Blue Jays attempted a two-point conversion following the score, but missed on an incomplete pass.

FS 14/JC 13 — 10:43 left in the fourth quarter

Zimmerman converted a key 3rd-and-1 to his receiver Caine for a 36-yard completion on the right sideline. Caine now has six receptions for 92 yards. Zimmerman is 7-of-9 passing for 119 yards and a touchdown.

FS 14/JC 13 — Start of fourth quarter

Free State touchdown. On fourth down, Torneden handed off to Hunter out of the shotgun formation on the first play of the fourth quarter. Hunter plowed into the end zone and barely made it over the goal line on his 25th carry of the game. Hunter has 109 rushing yards and a score. Gabe Ballard-Hanson made a critical extra point to put Free State ahead, 14-13, at the start of the fourth quarter.

JC 13/FS 7 — End of the third quarter

Free State is faced with a decision. The Firebirds have a 4th-and-1 from the Junction City 1-yardline when the fourth quarter resumes. Free State is in the midst of a time-killing drive that took up about four-and-a-half minutes. Chucky Hunter has been the workhorse for Free State, with 24 carries for 108 yards.

JC 13/FS 7 — 4:59 left in the third quarter

Junction City’s proficient run game is opening up the pass. The Firebirds stacked the box on defense, clearly focusing on quarterback Ty Zimmerman and running back Jimme King. Zimmerman found a wide open Connor Gallentine for a 27-yard touchdown pass. It was Gallentine’s sixth touchdown catch of the year.

FS 7/JC 7 — 7:16 left in the third quarter

The Firebirds are on the board. Free State tied the game with a 14-yard strike from Camren Torneden to Preston Randolph, who made a great move on his defender on a slant route. Randolph caught the ball at about the JC four-yardline and ran down the center of the field for the score. Chucky Hunter’s 21-yard fourth-down conversion set up the score.

JC 7/FS 0 — 8:08 left in the third quarter

Chucky Hunter picked up a critical 4th-and-3 conversion for Free State when he took an option pitch from Camren Torneden and rumbled for 21 yards to the Junction City 13-yardline. Hunter escaped several tacklers on the play.

JC 7/FS 0 — 10:32 left in the third quarter

Just what the Firebirds needed: a turnover. Ty Zimmerman scrambled to the right side of the field and Free State stripped the ball from Zimmerman and pounced on the football. The Firebirds will take over with the ball at the Junction City 40-yardline.

JC 7/FS 0 — Third quarter underway

Junction City will start with the ball at its own 35-yardline after Free State kicked the ball out of bounds to start the third quarter.

JC 7/FS 0 — Halftime

Free State started to move the ball toward the end of the first half, but the clock ran out on Free State’s drive. The Firebirds trail, 7-0, at halftime.

Key stats:

Free State: Camren Torneden 10 rushes, 70 yards; Chucky Hunter 14 carries, 67 yards; Firebirds have 162 total yards and are 3-7 on third downs.

Junction City: Ty Zimmerman, 10 carries, 44 yards; Blue Jays have 118 total yards and are 0-4 on third downs.

First-half observations:

1. The Junction City defense is fast. Really really fast. The Blue Jays are doing a solid job of containing Free State speedsters Camren Torneden and Chucky Hunter. Junction City has forced 17 turnovers in its last five games. It has a +19 turnover margin on the season. Strong defense is the reason for Junction City’s 7-0 lead.

2. Free State isn’t in a bad position. The Firebirds have ran the ball effectively, piling up 137 yards in the first half. Costly turnovers have plagued the Firebirds, though. They’ve fumbled the ball four times already and have lost two of them. The Firebirds must hold onto the ball in the second half if they want a chance to win the 6A state title. But it could be worse. Still a one-score game. Still one play away from tying it up.

JC 7/FS 0 — 2:00 left in the second quarter

Not a good ensuing possession for the Firebirds. On a designed trick play, Chucky Hunter took a handoff to the right side and attempted to pass the ball back to quarterback Camren Torneden along the left sideline. Unfortunately for FSHS, Hunter threw into double coverage and had his pass intercepted by Junction City’s Andy Birchmeier. The Blue Jays will take over at their own 40-yardline.

JC 7/FS 0 — 3:19 left in the second quarter

First huge play of the game came on the first play after the Blue Jays’ punt. Camren Torneden couldn’t handle the snap and Junction City’s Cortez Delaney recovered the ball at the Firebirds’ two-yardline. Two plays later, Ty Zimmerman ran the quarterback sneak into the end zone for the first score of the game. Junction City leads, 7-0, with 3:19 left in the second quarter.

FS 0/JC 0 — 4:00 left in the second quarter

Ty Zimmerman just placed a perfect punt for Junction City. In a defensive battle in the 6A title game, this greatly plays to the advantage of the Blue Jays. Free State will start its next drive from its own three-yardline.

immerman completed a strike to his favorite target, receiver Anthony Caine for a 20-yard gain to the Junction City 46-yardline. On the next two plays, the Firebirds defense stuffed the Blue Jays. On the positive side for Free State, it hasn’t given up many big plays. The defense is swarming the line of scrimmage and the Firebirds’ five linebackers aren’t letting any Blue Jays playmakers get to the outside.

FS 0/JC 0 — 8:45 left in the second quarter

Camren Torneden converted a huge third down along the right sideline on a third-and-three situation. Torneden galloped 18 yards to the Free State 45-yardline. The Firebirds are driving with 8:45 left in the second quarter.

FS 0/JC 0 — 10:52 left in the second quarter

Free State forced a Junction City punt with 10:52 left to play in the second quarter. The Firebirds are not letting the Blue Jays get to the outside on offense and are playing tremendous defense. FSHS will take over at its own 18-yardline.

FS 0/JC 0 — End of first quarter

It’s a defensive battle in Topeka in the Class 6A state championship game, as Free State and Junction City are scoreless after the first quarter. The Firebirds have done a good job containing Junction City quarterback Ty Zimmerman, who is known as one of the main playmakers for the Blue Jays. Jimmie King, the other playmaker, has been held in check for the most part in the Blue Jays backfield.

FS 0/JC 0 — 2:26 left in first quarter

The Free State defense comes up huge again. Camren Torneden plowed through Junction City blockers and made a fourth-down tackle on Junction City quarterback Ty Zimmerman to force a turnover. The Firebirds will take over on downs at their own 8-yardline.

Free State senior linebacker Eric Franz made a huge play for the Firebirds tracking down Junction City speedy quarterback Ty Zimmerman for a sack on third-and-seven from the seven-yardline.

FS 0/JC 0 — 7:30 left in first quarter

The Firebirds had a promising first drive, but it stalled with Gabe Ballard-Hanson’s 27-yard field goal being blocked by Junction City. The Firebirds carried the ball seven times for 45 yards on the first drive, many of them coming from quarterback Camren Torneden and running back Chucky Hunter out of the shotgun formation.

Junction City will take over at its own 30-yardline.

Pregame intro by Matt Tait, Journal-World high school sports editor:

They’ve waited 12 seasons for today to come.

It’s finally here.

At 3:30 p.m. today, the Free State High football team will take the field for its first ever appearance in the state championship game.

With the most memorable postseason run in school history already in their pocket, the Firebirds will look to bring the Class 6A state title trophy back to Lawrence for the first time since 1995.

Since that championship in 1995 — in which Lawrence High defeated Derby, 20-0, at Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium — neither city high school has advanced this far in the playoffs. The Firebirds and Lions each reached the semifinals once before this season — LHS in 2005 and FSHS in 2006 — but both lost before the big game.

Free State (9-3) will take on unbeaten Junction City (12-0) in a game that will feature two of the most talented rushing attacks in the state.

As we countdown to kickoff at Washburn University’s Yager Field, here’s a look at three keys for both teams:

For Free State:

1. Stick with what works: There’s no reason to change things now. The Firebirds have advanced to this point because of two things — sound defense and a stellar running game. If both elements show up today, the Firebirds will have a serious shot at bringing home the school’s first football state title.

2. Everybody loves an underdog: It’s hard to imagine teams taking the Firebirds lightly at this point in the season. But, on paper, Free State has to be considered the underdog in this game. That bodes well, as Free State has been the underdog in all three playoff games it has played in 2008. The result? Three victories by a combined score of 65-34.

3. Play from In front: Free State has trailed just twice all postseason — 14-0 to Shawnee Mission Northwest in Round One and 6-3 to Olathe North early in the fourth quarter two weeks ago. Other than that, the Firebirds have been tied or ahead in the rest of their games, giving the team a sense of control throughout. If Free State gets ahead early in this one, it likely would be tough to stop. But even if the Firebirds are forced to play from behind, they’ve proven they’re capable of doing that, too. That said, playing with a lead in a game of this magnitude, provides a huge advantage.

For Junction City:

1. Size matters: Thus far, no Free State playoff opponent has been able to make its size advantage over the Firebirds pay off. If the Blue Jays can get some of their big bodies leaning on the smaller but quicker Firebirds, it could tilt things Junction City’s way, literally and figuratively.

2. Fear the unknown: It’s no secret the Firebirds like to run, and it’s highly likely the Blue Jays’ defensive gameplan centers around stopping Chucky Hunter and Camren Torneden. But Free State has shown on more than one occasion that it can pass the ball, too, and if the Blue Jays refuse to account for that, it could be a long day for the JC defense.

3. Other options: Everyone knows what Ty Zimmerman and Jimmie King are capable of doing. But in the Blue Jays’ 22-3, semifinal victory against Derby last week, junior Nathen Kozlowski carried 16 times for 53 yards. If Kozlowski — or even wide receivers Anthony Caine and Brandon Martino — can find a way to make their touches count, the Blue Jays will be in great shape.

Directions to Yager Stadium in Topeka, site of the Class 6A football state championship game.

To see the game live on TV, tune to KSMO (Sunflower Broadband channel 3). There will also be a delayed showing at 2 p.m. on Sunday on KTKA 49 (Sunflower channel 12).