It took just one quarter for Free State junior running back Tyler Bowden to break two school records and secure another multi-touchdown game. “We came out and we knew what we needed to do,” Bowden said. “We just tried to get it done quick.” Bowden’s explosive first quarter and Free State’s stifling defensive front pushed the Firebirds to a 34-12 victory over Wichita South in the first round of the ...
As senior defender Hayden Robinson’s penalty kick sailed into the back of the net, pandemonium ensued on Free State’s soccer field, with players and fans alike swarming the team in celebration “When Hayden made that (last kick), I just wanted to cry,” senior midfielder Peter Boncella said. “I was so excited.” Free State outlasted Lawrence High to win the Class 6A Regional title Thursday night, in a ...
Coming in as the highest rated recruit in the class of 2019 for Kansas — No. 47 according to Rivals — freshman forward Jalen Wilson understands the pressure placed upon him. “I’m used to high expectations in basketball,” Wilson said. “I mean, I knew that coming here to Kansas, such a respected program. You’ve got to step up to the plate even more.” Wilson, who decommitted from Michigan on May ...
With turnover in college basketball becoming more prevalent with the addition of the transfer portal and players leaving due to graduation or turning professional, coaches constantly have to adjust. “I think even if you lose one player it still looks different chemistry-wise,” Texas women’s basketball coach Karen Aston said. “I just think every year you have to be prepared to sort of go with the flow ...
Coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2018 Class 6A state girls tennis tournament, Free State junior Keegan VanPelt felt confident in how much she could improve in the offseason. “I noticed that (state is) really hard and that I have to keep working,” VanPelt said. “And I put in the work this (past) summer and earlier this year and it all pays off.” And as she had hoped going into the 2019 Class 6A ...
Just as Shawnee Mission East seemed to be getting back into the game, momentum swung once again in Free State’s favor, as Firebird junior running back Tyler Bowden broke off an explosive 80-yard touchdown down the left sideline. The reliable legs of Bowden and Free State’s opportunistic defense led the Firebirds to a 41-14 victory over SM East on senior night. “This game we really just played as a unit ...