Free State High juniors Bryce Torneden, left, and Paul Bittinger celebrate the Firebird's win over Topeka High Friday night in Topeka.

Topeka ? There was a time earlier this season when Free State High’s football team was bogged down with injuries to several starters and had a losing record.

Not anymore.

The Firebirds are Class 6A District 5 champions after proving they can compete with some of the best teams in the state. They beat fourth-ranked Topeka High in a shootout, 53-37, on Friday at Hummer Sports Park.

In the first half, Free State (6-3) scored on five of its six drives. The lone exception was a lost fumble, but the Firebirds made up for it with an 87-yard kick-return touchdown from Carson Bowen when they touched the ball again.

“Our linemen really came out … I have to give a shoutout to them, man,” said Bowen, the 5-foot-11 back who rushed 116 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. “They busted their (butts) this whole time. I loved it.”

The offensive line — Scott Frantz, Shane Hofer, Coleman Houk, Josiah LeBrun and Tanner Liba — opened gaping holes throughout the night, helping the Firebirds finish with three rushers over 100 yards. Junior quarterback Bryce Torneden also kept Topeka’s defense on its heels with read-option runs and play-action passes.

Torneden threw two touchdowns halfway through the second quarter, finding senior Joel Spain on a 51-yard toss over the middle of the field and then hitting senior Andrew Keating with a 13-yard pass in the corner of the end zone on the next possession.

“Bryce did a great job with all of his reads and running the ball,” Spain said. “I think the line did a great job establishing the run early, and I think that’s what really helped us out.”

From the opening kick, the Firebirds started fast, as Spain grabbed an interception on the third play of the game. Later in the first quarter, Free State’s defense made a stop in the red zone, holding Topeka to a field goal, which hurt the Trojans from keeping up with the Firebirds’ fast-paced touchdown frenzy.

“We saw some things that we thought we could take advantage of, and we did. We had to,” FSHS coach Bob Lisher said of his team’s offense. The Firebirds finished with as many touchdowns as they did first downs, eight, through long scoring plays.

The Trojans (7-2) cut their deficit to 10 points midway through the third quarter after forcing punts on two Free State possessions, but the Firebirds’ defense tightened up, and junior running back Khaury El-Amin punctuated the victory with a 21-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. El-Amin, a 180-pound back who finds good cutback lanes while using his power and speed, finished with 131 yards and two touchdowns.

“We knew their offense was overpowering compared to their defense, so we knew we had to execute on offense to help our defense out,” said Torneden, a shifty runner who ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns. “I’m glad we did it. We had a great effort from everyone.”

Topeka’s no-huddle offense had its moments, with senior quarterback Alec Beatty rushing for 99 yards and throwing for 220. He also tossed three touchdowns to athletic senior receiver Khalil Austin, but the Firebirds stepped up when they needed to.

After Spain grabbed another interception at the end of the first quarter, the Trojans scored on their next two drives. But at the end of the first half, the Firebirds made another stop in the red zone before the clock ran out, highlighted by a sack from Bowen.

“They’re a fast offense,” Bowen said. “Their quarterback can throw. They have a big running back. Their wide receivers are all fast. They have a good offense, but they’ve been scoring 50 to 60 points a game. Holding them to 37 is not what we wanted, but we’ll take it.”

Free State’s seniors hoisted the district champions trophy at midfield after the game and are proud of their four-game winning streak to turn their season around.

The Firebirds will host Wichita Northwest (7-2) in a first-round playoff game Friday.

“That’s a two-, three- or four-hour bus ride that we don’t have to take next week,” Lisher said. “So we appreciate that.”