Lancers run over FSHS, 42-14

Free State High junior quarterback Bryce Torneden (1) is unable to escape the clutches of Shawnee Mission East's Sam Williams (19) and Kyle Ball during their game Friday night at FSHS. The Firebirds fell to the Lancers, 42-14, and the loss dropped Free State's record to 2-3 for the season.

Free State High football players knew what to expect from Shawnee Mission East’s offense on Friday. They just couldn’t figure out a way to stop it.

The Lancers ran for 249 yards as they drove down the field repeatedly with runs up the gut in a 42-14 rout of the Firebirds at FSHS.

SM East uses the flexbone offense, which has five linemen and three running backs, along with the quarterback. The Lancers, who also go no-huddle, couldn’t be stopped as they ran downhill and only were forced to punt once.

“Against their offense, we just have to be so disciplined, and we just weren’t disciplined tonight,” senior lineman Scott Frantz said. “Everyone has to do their job, and we just didn’t do that tonight.”

After Free State went three-and-out on offense to open the game, SM East went 53 yards on four plays in just 45 seconds. Junior Wyatt Edmisten, who ran for 121 yards on 23 carries on the night, scored on a 10-yard sprint.

The Firebirds answered with 14-play, 65-yard scoring drive, through strong runs from senior running back Joe Lane and junior quarterback Bryce Torneden, before Torneden scrambled for a 15-yard touchdown.

But the Lancers never slowed down. On their next drive, senior quarterback Gunner Englund found senior receiver Alec Dean for a 42-yard touchdown toss. Then midway through the second quarter, they used eight run plays and one pass before Edmisten scored on a one-yard plunge to the end zone.

“They did a great job running the midline option,” FSHS coach Bob Lisher said. “We worked all week on tackling the dive back and quarterback, and we did it all week in practice, but there’s a big difference between our scout squad running that offense and those guys running that offense.”

SM East (5-0) opened the second half with a seven-play drive in just more than three minutes. Senior running back Jackson Gossick scored on a eight-yard run up the middle.

Then after SM East forced the Firebirds into a quick three-and-out on offense, Lancers senior Charley White returned a punt 43 yards, leading to junior Calvin Jones’ six-yard run up the middle to take a 35-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

“Yeah, we didn’t expect this,” FSHS senior lineman Shane Hofer said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Our offense didn’t do horrible. We were moving the ball. We just didn’t execute. But we were pretty surprised how about they moved it every play.”

The Firebirds (2-3) produced 209 yards on the ground but didn’t have much to show for it on the scoreboard. Torneden added the Firebirds’ final touchdown on a one-yard run late in the third quarter.

“We moved the ball a little bit, but never could finish,” said FSHS senior Joel Spain, who ran for 70 yards on 14 carries in his first career game as a running back. “That’s definitely been one of our Achilles heels this year.”

The Firebirds entered Friday with plenty of injuries, especially to their linebackers and running backs, and didn’t make it through the night unscathed. Sophomore middle linebacker Jay Dineen went down midway through the second quarter after a play near the goal line. He needed crutches and had a cast on his left leg after the game.

Lisher said he looked out at one point during the game and noticed seven players on Free State’s defense who weren’t starters at the beginning of the season.

“Those guys are going to have grow up in a hurry,” Lisher said. “If we can’t get that to happen, then we’re going to have to change our scheme and try something different, because we’ve got to be able to play defense against teams like that, and obviously we didn’t do a great job against it tonight.”