Second-half surge powers Firebirds to playoff win

Free State High senior linebacker Jay Dineen demolishes Wichita South quarterback Evan Kruse (7) for a sack during their game Friday night at FSHS.

Several of Free State High’s football players were loud and proud as they cheered on the Firebirds volleyball team in the Class 6A state tournament Friday in Topeka, and coach Bob Lisher was happy to see that.

What concerned Lisher, though, was that the Firebirds didn’t have that same intensity in the first half of their 52-14 first-round playoff win over Wichita South.

The Firebirds struggled to find their way after first-quarter touchdowns runs from Gage Foster and Zion Bowlin, and went into the locker room tied with the Titans at 14-14. Lisher made it clear in the locker room that the Firebirds’ play was unacceptable, and they responded by shutting out the Titans, 38-0, in the second half.

“That’s what we’re capable of doing when we set our minds to playing football the way we can play it. I was very proud of our guys for supporting the volleyball team, and going over there today, but we left a little energy there, and it showed and it took a little while to get it back,” Lisher said. “I was proud that we were over there, and I was proud that we answered in the second half and came out and played the way we did.”

After five combined fumbles in the first half between the offense and special teams, the Firebirds still stuck with their bread-and-butter running game to put together a 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive to open the third quarter. Bowlin and sophomore Jax Dineen provided a one-two punch on the ground for the majority of the drive, and senior quarterback Dallas Crittenden finished it off with a one-yard run.

“It was huge to come out and own the line of scrimmage and drive it down like we did,” Lisher said.

“We needed that momentum.”

The Free State defense and special teams did their parts in the second-half surge as well. Seniors Jay Dineen and Nick Eddis and junior Nathan Spain had two sacks apiece to spark the Firebirds on defense.

“Defensively, we came out at the beginning and we smacked them in the mouth, but we really showed what Free State defense is in the second half,” Eddis said. “We came out with twice the intensity and twice the anger. We really showed what Free State defense truly is.”

Eddis helped set up the Firebirds’ second score of the third quarter when he tackled Wichita South punter Kasdon Arehart at the Titans’ 1-yard line after an errant snap. Bowlin scored his second touchdown one play later.

“I know I didn’t play to what I should have played,” Bowlin said. “Coming out in the third with some intensity was definitely something that we needed to do.”

Bowlin and senior Zack Sanders both had their share of difficulties with fielding punts in the first half, but Sanders made amends for his fumbling issues in the third. The Missouri State commit took a punt back 80 yards to the house for the Firebirds’ third score in four minutes.

The Firebirds’ 28-point fourth quarter was then capped off by a 36-yard interception return by Bowlin for a pick six.

“He’s a competitor,” Lisher said of Bowlin. “He knew he had some bad plays in the first half that hurt our team, but he came out and made up for it in the second half by making some good plays.”

Bowlin kept the Firebirds rolling in the fourth by scoring his fourth and final touchdown on the first play of the quarter. The senior running back agreed with his coach that the team’s focus wasn’t where it needed to be in the first half, but was happy to see the Firebirds move on to the second round.

“We kind of left our heads in the volleyball gym instead of locking it in when we needed to,” Bowlin said. “In the second half, we locked it in.”

Bowlin said that the Firebirds (7-2, No. 6 seed in the 6A west bracket) will have to bring their best in order to come up with another victory in the second round, as they will square off against No. 3 Garden City (9-0).

“We just need to come locked in and be ready to play because the first half we didn’t play too well,” Bowlin said. “We just need to play like we did in the second half.”

The Firebirds ended the Titans’ season, as they finished with a record of 4-5.

Free State 52, Wichita South 14

FS | WS

First downs 12 | 6

Rushes-yards 36-168 | 40-59

Passing yards 120 | 69

Total offense 288 | 128

Fumbles-lost 5-1 | 1-0

Penalties-yards 4-48 | 12-103

Score by quarters

Wichita South 0 14 0 0 — 14

Free State 14 0 28 10 — 52

Individual statistics

Rushing

FS: Zion Bowlin 11-62 3TD, Jax Dineen 11-68, Gage Foster 4-17 TD, Dallas Crittenden 3-8, Zack Sander 1-8, Jalen Nash 3-5, Shane Skwarlo 1-0, Matthew Georgie 1-(minus-4), Malik Berry 1-4.

WS: TreVaunte Hunt 18-48, Marco Parker 7-29, Evan Kruse 7-(minus-22), BJ Richard 8-4 TD 2-pt. conversion.

Passing

FS: Dallas Crittenden 8-11-120, Jordan Preston 0-1 0.

WS: Evan Kruse 3-9-44, BJ Richard 3-5 15 INT.

Receiving

FS: Zack Sanders 3-27, Bo Miller 2-28, Keenan Garber 1-37, Bo Miller 2-28.

WS: Jariah Taylor 4-30, Dearius Roberson 1-12, Jabril Freeman 1-17 TD.

HOW THEY SCORED

First quarter

7:26 — Zion Bowlin 10 run. Kameron Lake kick. (Free State 7, Wichita South 0.)

1:16 — Gage Foster 5 run. Lake kick. (Free State 14, Wichita South 0.)

Second quarter