photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State quarterback Wesley Edison looks to make a play with the ball during the Firebirds' game against Olathe West on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 at FSHS.

The Free State football team will start its season on the road Thursday against Olathe West, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at the College Boulevard Activity Center.

Thursday’s game is the first of back-to-back away games for Free State at the College Boulevard Activity Center — it will return next week to face Olathe Northwest. As for Week 1, however, coach Kevin Stewart knows how eager his players are to finally face off against another opponent after months of practice.

“We’re very excited to get into a game and see where we are at,” Stewart said. “Around a week ago is when our guys started to jell and now they’re at the point where they are tired of competing with each other.”

It could be an explosive year for the Firebirds’ offense, which is led by senior quarterback Wesley Edison. He had more than 1,800 total yards of offense and led the Firebirds to four straight wins to close out the regular season in 2022. Seniors Hank Fuchs on the offensive line and Devon Hamilton at receiver are also expected to play a big role in the offense, which returns a majority of its core production from a season ago.

Defensively, junior lineman Hyrum Vaeono and senior cornerback Johnnie Williams will anchor an athletic group of Firebirds, most of whom played important roles on last year’s team and got better as the season progressed.

“I think our defense will be the strength of our team,” Stewart said. “Last year it felt like at times our defense was a weakness and this year I’m excited right now.”

As the Firebirds put the finishing touches on their preparation for Olathe West, FSHS understands there are still lots of unknowns for both teams — in fact, the Owls are led by a first-year coach, Jon Wiemers, who previously worked in Arkansas City. Stewart said that as far as he knows, Olathe West appears to be a balanced group that has standout players on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

“I think they are going to look to throw the ball,” Stewart said. “They have very good receivers, and defensively their defensive line is really solid. We know their defensive front is going to give us a challenge, but we’ve been working on that.”

Needless to say, the goal for Free State remains clear: Find a way to start the season out on the right foot.

“The most important thing for us is to be prepared, to compete and to do our best to win the game,” Stewart said. “If we do win, it’s going to help our team morale and keep us together, and if we don’t win, we’re going to have to respond. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a win.”