Zion Bowlin, left, takes a handoff from quarterback Bryce Torneden, center, as Sam Skwarlo prepares to block during drills at the Free State High School football camp Tuesday, June 2 at FSH.

With so many skilled, experienced players returning for Free State High football, getting fired up about this week’s five-day summer camp came pretty easily for the Firebirds. No one on the FSHS field, though, could match the elation of senior Sam Skwarlo.

“I’ve never been more excited for a practice in my life,” the running back and linebacker said of Monday’s drills.

Skwarlo spent most of the previous school year looking forward to this week, because he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc tear in Free State’s 2014 season opener. On a second-half carry against Shawnee Mission West, Skwarlo fought through a gang-tackle by keeping his feet pumping. At some point his left foot took on too much pressure, and the ensuing tear caused him to basically miss his entire junior football season.

His 2015 senior year feels even more important now, and Skwarlo said the Firebirds, as always, expect to make a deep playoff run.

“I feel like this year we’re almost a little underrated,” he said.

Coach Bob Lisher’s team finished 8-4 and won six in a row last fall before Hutchinson eliminated Free State in the Class 6A state semifinals. Now that Skwarlo is healthy to join fellow Class of 2016 members such as Bryce Torneden, Paul Bittinger, Logan McKinney and Drew Tochtrop, and a junior class that includes Zack Sanders, Zion Bowlin and Jay Dineen, Lisher likes the potential of his team’s core.

“It takes more than that, though,” the coach warned.

Specifically, the overwhelming majority of Free State’s linemen have yet to experience varsity action. Lisher at least has senior Tanner Liba, a starter on the offensive line, returning, so he can count on his lone veteran to help the new guys up front.

On the defensive line, senior Jalen Galloway played some snaps in 2014, so FSHS will look for him to lead the way on that unit. Senior Darian Lewis, Lisher added, will move from linebacker to the nose position to help the line.

Now calling Free State’s defensive plays with co-coordinator Mike Gillman due to former coordinator Brett Oberzan leaving the program to become head coach at Shawnee Mission South, Lisher expects the linebackers and safeties to carry the defense. Instead of using a 3-5-3 base like Oberzan, Lisher will implement a “50” defense — the same he used to run as Lawrence High’s defensive coordinator years ago. Torneden won’t be the only safety any more. Bowlin, a former linebacker, will join him in the secondary, along with corners McKinney and Sanders. Skwarlo, Dineen, Bittinger and Tochtrop figure as the primary linebackers, with the outside backers lining up wide, along the line of scrimmage.

Skwarlo said the linebackers and defensive backs can help ease the new linemen into their roles.

“Our backers are definitely gonna have to make a bunch of plays, as always,” he said. “We’re gonna be able to flow to the ball a lot more this year.”

On offense, the line stands out as an obvious question mark, but quarterback Torneden accounted for more than 2,300 yards of total offense as a junior. Co-coordinators Adam Barmann and Brett Romme can put a lot on the senior’s able shoulders, even if things don’t immediately fire on all cylinders.

The Firebirds have time to work everything out, not just this week, but in the weeks to come. They’ll get a total of nine practices in full pads between college team camps hosted by Kansas and Baker.

“Not to say that we’re gonna start slow,” Torneden said, “but you know there are gonna be bumps. I just want to see our team recover from that, just work as a team and do well.”