Free State’s boys soccer season ended on Monday night with a 7-0road loss to Dodge City in the 6A quarterfinal round.

The Red Demons took the lead early and controlled the match the entire time. Dodge City’s goalkeeper saw more passes back from his teammates than shots by the Firebirds in the first half, as Free State struggled to possess the ball and keep up the pressure that led to a dominant regional performance.

Dodge City’s first goal came less than two minutes into the match on a shot from just outside the penalty area in the midfield. The ball sailed just beyond the diving arms of Free State senior goalkeeper Micah Jones to the top right corner of the net. It was a quick score, but the Red Demons had possessed and moved the ball well on passes.

The Red Demons scored again in the 10th minute after the Firebirds were given a yellow card for a foul in the penalty area that resulted in a penalty-kick goal. Three minutes later, the Red Demons scored again after a rebound off a midfielder was put back in the net.

A deep pass got behind the Free State defense a few minutes after the third goal, and a quick tap by a Dodge City forward got the ball over Jones and led to a fourth goal of the night.

Dodge City didn’t score for the next 20 minutes, but the Red Demons put one more in before halftime. Free State had a better defensive angle and blocked a deep shot, but the ball bounced back to the outside where the Dodge City forward put the ball on the money for the fifth goal.

Free State’s defense held out for the first 23 minutes of the second half, with Jones making big saves and the Free State defense preventing more challenging one-on-one opportunities. But the Red Demons weren’t kept out of the net forever, scoring twice in the second half, both from inside the penalty area.

The Firebirds had a little more offensive success in the second half, stringing along more scoring chances and a few more shots on goal, including a shot on a header from senior Kaiden Helm, but none were enough to force a mistake by the Red Demons and allow a goal.

Dodge City won with a 7-0 final score to advance to the 6A semifinal match. For the Firebirds, their season ended with a 13-5-1 record. The loss was Free State’s first since Sept. 24, after which Free State went on a nine-game win streak to reach the quarterfinal round.