photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State's offense jogs off the field in celebration after a 35-8 win over Wyandotte High School in the flag football state tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Olathe.

Olathe — Free State’s first girls flag football season went all the way to the state semifinal round, two months into every member of the team’s first-ever flag football season.

“These kids were unbelievable in the growth and maturity they showed,” Free State coach Adam Barmann said. “From our first practice on August 19 to today, it’s just a night-and-day difference.”

The Firebirds entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed in the state, with the top 16 teams competing in the final tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday. The Firebirds went 2-1, with the loss to Maize in the semifinal round.

Free State started with Wyandotte but led and controlled for the entire contest for a 35-8 win. It was a lockdown game on defense, with the Firebirds only allowing a touchdown late in the first half while racking up turnovers and sacks against the Bulldogs.

Linebacker Shana Teenor secured a fourth-down interception late in the game, which gave the Firebirds the opportunity to kneel out the game and come away with a win.

Free State faced No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas in the next round in a comeback overtime win that propelled the Firebirds into the final four.

The Firebirds started the game with a strong drive to around the 8-yard line, but an interception kept the Firebirds from scoring points. On the other end, the Firebirds got the job done on defense, forcing a turnover on downs on the first drive.

Both teams failed to score over the next few drives, but on the third drive for St. Thomas Aquinas, the Saints scored the first touchdown of the game.

The Firebirds prevented a successful point-after attempt but punted on their next drive. Just before halftime, the Saints scored again to take a 13-0 lead.

Free State’s defense bounced back in the second half with an interception from Sophia Hothan. The offense couldn’t turn the pick into points and turned the ball over on downs as the game shifted into the final quarter.

Once the Firebirds got the ball back after the Saints turned the ball over on downs, the team finally found the end zone. Quarterback Quinlyn Vail hit Adri Grooms for a deep pass that put the Firebirds right on the edge of the goal line, and a quick pass to Layla Hafoka gave the Firebirds their first score of the night with under four minutes left in regulation.

Free State forced St. Thomas Aquinas to punt on the following drive, giving the Firebirds a chance to send the game to overtime. The Firebirds methodically marched downfield and, on a fourth-and-goal, scored a touchdown on a quick pass to Hafoka. Another quick throw to Hafoka on the point-after attempt tied the game at 13-13 with under 30 seconds left.

“Talk about resiliency to come back down 13 to the defending state champs,” Barmann said. “They dug deep, and that was incredible to watch.”

The Firebirds started with the ball in overtime, which consisted of point-after attempts. Both Free State and St. Thomas Aquinas failed to score in the first overtime, and Free State defensive back Ella Stroh picked the ball off to start the second overtime. Vail proceeded to hit Grooms in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

The 15-13 win put the Firebirds into the semifinal, where they faced Maize. Both teams found the end zone multiple times in the first half, but Free State converted on both of its point-after attempts while stopping Maize’s, giving the Firebirds a 14-12 lead at the break.

Stroh picked off the Eagles on the first drive of the second half, but the Firebirds weren’t able to score off the turnover. The third quarter ended without a score from either team, but the Eagles scored early in the fourth to take a 19-14 lead.

Free State bounced back with another deep pass from Vail to Grooms, and Vail later hit Mallary Hice for a touchdown to take a 20-19 lead. Maize responded with a rushing touchdown at the two-minute warning to regain the lead at 26-20.

Needing another game-saving drive, the Firebirds failed to move the ball much downfield, and on a fourth-and-long, an interception secured the win for Maize.

“You had two really good teams going at it, and one team was going to make a play,” Barmnann said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t us. It was a good football game, but it just didn’t go our way.”

The loss ended the season for the Firebirds, but the team’s accomplishments in only two months of anyone having played the sport brings a lot of excitement for what lies ahead for the team.

“I wish this thing wasn’t over — I feel like we’re just hitting our stride — but that’s sports,” Barmann said. “We’re extremely excited for what we’ve got coming back, but our seniors were incredible. I told them in the huddle: They are the ones who set the expectation for this program. They’re the first senior class to come through Free State, and that won’t be lost on us.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State quarterback Quinlyn Vail reads the defense in the flag football state tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State snapper Layla Hofaka avoids the defense in the flag football state tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State quarterback Quinlyn Vail throws on the run under pressure in the flag football state tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Sarai Preston, left, and Hallie Vail, right, celebrate a sack in the flag football state tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State snapper Layla Hafoka extends the ball out toward the end zone following a tackle in the flag football state tournament at Olathe East High School on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Olathe.