Free State senior running back Zion Bowlin (3) breaks a few tackles on a long run in the second half against Washburn Rural during a state quarterfinal matchup Friday at FSHS. The Firebirds won 17-14.

With less than two minutes remaining Friday, Free State High sophomore kicker Kameron Lake jogged onto the field for a chance to send his team into the Class 6A state semifinals for the third straight season.

Lake kicked five field goals earlier in the season, but none with this type of pressure.

After a Free State timeout because it took too long for Lake to line up for the kick, Lake drilled a 40-yard field goal through the uprights for the game-winning score in a 17-14 victory against Washburn Rural at FSHS.

Free State coach Bob Lisher raised both of his arms in the air and Lake was mobbed by his teammates.

“Honestly, I was pretty shaky,” Lake said. “Probably one of the most nervous moments of my life.”

Lake’s 40-yard field goal tied his season-long. During the timeout, his teammates encouraged him — “We were just like, ‘If you make it, you make it. If you don’t, you don’t. But just drill it and put your leg into it,'” senior Noah Kema said.

Lake started kicking last year when the Firebirds went the first two weeks of the season without a kicker. When the student section stormed the field after the victory, they chanted his name.

“Honestly, I didn’t even hear them at all,” said the 5-foot-10, 140-pound Lake, who missed a couple of kicks from a similar distance this year. “People were just hitting me on my helmet and everything. Got a little dizzy, too.”

Washburn Rural, which was limited to 68 yards of offense, missed a 33-yard field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Following Lake’s field goal, the seventh-seeded Junior Blues (7-4) started a drive at their own 31-yard line with 1:42 left. On the first play, Free State linebacker Gage Foster went untouched on a blitz and sacked Washburn Rural sophomore quarterback Jordan White, forcing a fumble and FSHS linebacker Jay Dineen recovered to seal the victory.

“I thought he threw the ball,” Foster said. “I was like, ‘Dang, we have to go another time.’ I looked up and my boy Jay fell down on the ball about to cover it up. Just a lot of emotion.”

Free State’s defense, which has allowed 9.1 points per game during an eight-game winning streak, didn’t give up any points to Washburn Rural’s offense.

Washburn Rural senior Cody Ladson fumbled the opening kickoff in the second half, which led to a two-yard touchdown run by FSHS sophomore Jax Dineen. On the next kickoff, Ladson returned it 89 yards for a score, streaking along his team’s sideline.

In the second quarter, Washburn Rural junior cornerback Tyler Cummings intercepted a pass and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown.

The sixth-seeded Firebirds (9-2) were constantly in the backfield and registered a total of four sacks from Kema, Jax Dineen, David Johnson, Adam Tapp, Nathan Spain and Bo Miller. In the first half, the Firebirds only allowed 26 yards and two first downs (one via penalty).

“Same success recipe that we’ve had: a little bit of pressure, stay after it and stay in gaps,” Lisher said. “That’s what we were doing and what we continued to do.”

The Firebirds set up Lake’s heroics with a 16-play drive to the 23-yard line — all run plays. That included a fake punt, where senior running back Zion Bowlin lowered his shoulders and picked up four yards on a 4th-and-1.

Bowlin, an all-state baseball player, finished with 162 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 attempts.

Free State quarterback Dallas Crittenden, who set the school’s single-season passing yardage record Friday, was constantly under pressure and limited to 86 passing yards. He was sacked three times. But his longest pass — a 36-yard completion to senior Daniel Bryant on the first play from scrimmage — helped set up a four-yard score from Bowlin.

“They were running a defense that we hadn’t seen,” Lisher said.

Looking to make their first trip to the state championship game since 2008, the Firebirds will travel to No. 1-seed Derby (11-0) in the semifinals for the second straight year.

“I’m going to enjoy this one here because this was a tough, hard-fought win,” Lisher said. “I’ll worry about Derby tomorrow morning.”

Free State 17, Washburn Rural 14

WR | FS

First downs 5 | 16

Rushes-yards 26-27 | 53-231

Passing yards 41 | 86

Total offense 68 | 317

Fumbles-lost 3-2 | 3-1

Penalties-yards 4-17 | 3-40

Score by quarters

Washburn 0 7 7 0 — 14

Free State 7 0 7 3 — 17

Individual statistics

Rushing

WR: Hunter Browning 8-20, Jordan White 10-negative 13, Ben Harrison 5-15, Khalfani Scroggins 3-5.

FS: Zion Bowlin 26-162 TD, Zack Sanders 2-4, Gage Foster 7-55, Jax Dineen 13-34 TD, Dallas Crittenden 5-negative 24.

Passing

WR: White 4-7-41 INT.

FS: Crittenden 9-16-86 INT.

Receiving

WR: Harrison 3-22, Collin Wilson 1-19.

FS: Daniel Bryant 1-36, Sanders 4-36, Foster 1-negative 3, Tanner Cobb 1-4, Noah Kema 1-7, Bowlin 1-6.

HOW THEY SCORED

First quarter

8:53 — Zion Bowlin 4 run. Kameron Lake kick. (FS 7, WR 0.)

Second quarter

4:46 — Tyler Cummings 80 interception return. Ross Boyd kick. (FS 7, WR 7.)

Third quarter

10:04 — Jax Dineen 2 run. Lake kick. (FS 14, WR 7.)

9:49 — Cody Ladson 89 kick return. Boyd kick. (FS 14, WR 14.)

Fourth quarter

1:42 — Lake 40 field goal. (FS 17, WR 14.)