photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State's Parker Moore (8) attempts to tackle Olathe North's Aiden Bruce (7) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

The Free State Firebirds fell to Olathe North 35-21 in the final game of their regular season Friday at Free State High School, losing their second straight game heading into postseason play beginning next week.

The Eagles (7-1) scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Firebirds (6-2), who despite having over 200 rushing yards from quarterback Wesley Edison, could not manufacture a late comeback to earn a win on their senior night.

“Our guys battled and they battled really hard,” FSHS head coach Kevin Stewart said. “We have to get better at scoring in the red zone and we have to take care of the football better. We had way too many turnovers.”

To start out the night, Olathe North only needed three minutes to score on the first drive, with the opening drive being capped off by a 22-yard pass from Jamison Sarver to Aiden Bruce. The opening score gave the visitors an early 6-0 lead with 9:06 left in the first quarter, with the drive covering most of the field on the Eagles’ first possession.

Edison led Free State’s response on their first drive, rushing nearly 30 yards into the red zone. After a 12-yard run from Grant Lincoln, Free State dialed up a trick play and had receiver Landon Leipold find Edison for a 4-yard score, giving the Firebirds a 7-6 lead midway through the opening quarter.

The Eagles screamed back following an interception from Jaalan Watson and then took the lead right back in two minutes. Their next drive resulted in a touchdown run from TJ Porter, who handed his team a 13-6 lead nearing the end of the opening quarter.

After Edison threw his second pick of the night, courtesy of Olathe North’s Jeremiah Rhoades, the Eagles took advantage and got a 44-yard touchdown pass from Sarver to Cole Smither, making it a 21-7 lead for Olathe North with 9:33 left in the second quarter.

Following a missed field goal for FSHS and a fumble by each team on their next drives, the Firebirds proceeded to score on the final drive of the first half on a 1-yard run from Edison. His quick dive into the end zone trimmed the deficit to a one-score game as time expired through the first 24 minutes, with the Eagles still leading 21-14 going into halftime.

“I think our offense has a lot of ability,” Stewart said. “We just have to get better and we have to be stronger with the ball. We have to get better at those things.”

After Free State punted it away on its first drive of the second half, the Firebirds defense forced a crucial stop on the ensuing Olathe North drive, giving the ball back to Edison and the Firebirds immediately on the plus side of the field.

From there, Edison rushed it in from on that drive from 7 yards out to tie the score at 21 apiece, which held going into the fourth quarter.

But it didn’t last. The Eagles ran for the majority of their next drive, and it was Porter who scored from 16 yards out to give the lead right back to the visitors early in the fourth quarter.

Following another Free State fumble on the first play on its next drive, an important 4th-and-1 conversion for the Eagles set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Sarver to Porter, putting Olathe North up by two scores with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Despite a late Free State drive that saw them reach the 36-yard line of Olathe North, an interception sealed the deal, handing the Eagles a 35-21 victory to clinch a share of the Sunflower League title.

The Firebirds now await their postseason seeding in the 2023 KSHSAA 6A State Tournament. Tournament games will be announced Saturday morning with the first round of the postseason set for next Friday.

“I told them tonight we’re as good as anybody,” Stewart said. “It’s a new season and I told them we’ll see who’s No. 1 at the end of the next five weeks. We’ll see how it goes.”

Game stats

Olathe North 35, Free State 21

FS | ON

First downs 16 | 16

Rushes-yards 39-239 | 35-159

Passing yards 176 | 226

Total offense 415 | 385

Fumbles-lost 2-2 | 1-1

Interceptions 3 | 0

Penalties-yards 2-27 | 3-35

Score by quarters

Olathe North 13 8 0 14 – 35

Free State 7 7 7 0 – 21

How they scored

1st Quarter:

09:06 – Aiden Bruce 22 yard pass from Jamison Sarver. Brent Scoma kick no good. (ON 6 FS 0)

04:31 – Landon Leipold 4 yard pass to Wesley Edison. Yusef Iskandrani kick good. (FS 7 ON 6)

02:25 – TJ Porter 6 yard run. Scoma kick good. (ON 13 FS 7)

2nd Quarter:

09:33 – Cole Smither 44 yard pass from Sarver. Two point conversion good. (ON 21 FS 7)

00:05 – Edison 1 yard run. Iskandrani kick good. (ON 21 FS 14)

3rd Quarter:

03:15 – Edison 7 yard run. Iskandrani kick good. (ON 21 FS 21)

4th Quarter:

07:27 – Porter 16 yard run. Scoma kick good. (ON 28 FS 21)

03:24 – Porter 13 yard pass from Sarver. (ON 35 FS 21)

Individual statistics

Rushing:

FS: Wesley Edison 31-211; Grant Lincoln 7-26; Maddon Brittingham 1-2

ON: TJ Porter 17-92; Aiden Bruce 6-46; Jamison Sarver 12-21

Passing

FS: Wesley Edison 13-25-172; Landon Leipold 1-1-4

ON: Jamison Sarver 16-21-226

Receiving

FS: Bralin Preston 5-38; Devon Hamilton 5-100; Liam Stramberg 1-6; Landon Leipold 1-15; Grant Lincoln 1-13; Wesley Edison 1-4

ON: TJ Porter 3-22; Samuel Simmons 1-13; Aiden Bruce 9-126; Cole Smither 1-44; Miller Jones 2-21

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Edison (7) walks to the sideline after the Firebirds fumbled against Olathe North Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State quarterback Wesley Edison (7) throws a pass to Landon Leipold (3) during the game against Olathe North Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Devon Hamilton stiff-arms Jaalan Watson of Olathe North Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Edison (7) runs down the sideline past Olathe North’s Nathan Gunderson (20) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Edison (7) stretches for the first down over Olathe North’s Jacob Vasquez (17) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Hyrum Vaeono (55) sacks Olathe North’s Jamo Sarver( 12) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Edison (7) shows frustration after an interception against Olathe North Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Tyler Jeffries (35) looks over a play on the sidelines against Olathe North Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Hyrum Vaeono (55) holds on for a sack on Olathe North’s Jamo Sarver (12) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Hyrum Vaeono (55) celebrates a sack against Olathe North with teammates Tyler Jeffries (35) and Parker Moore (8) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Wesley Edison (7) reaches in for the touchdown in the first quarter against Olathe North Friday night at Free State High School.