New faces, fresh starts the focus for many Free State High fall sports teams in 2021

photo by: Shane Jackson

Free State head coach Kevin Stewart speaks to the football team after the final day of summer camp on Thursday at FSHS on July 15, 2021.

The 2021 high school fall sports seasons at Lawrence High and Free State are officially under way, with a few programs opening play or practicing for the first time since last October.

Like many things, the 2020 fall seasons were dramatically altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and while precautions remain in place, the coaches, athletes and administrative staff at both schools are hopeful that the upcoming seasons will be more normal than what took place a year ago.

Here’s a quick look of what to expect from the fall sports squads at Free State High. A breakdown of the LHS fall sports teams will appear in Friday’s paper.

FOOTBALL

Last season, Kevin Stewart’s Firebirds tied for the fewest games played by any high school football team in the state.

The fact that so many of those games came against some of the best teams Kansas had to offer led to an 0-6 season.

But with a large group of returners who gained valuable experience a season ago, the 2021 Firebirds are hungry to prove that last season was a one-year blip.

“The team gained confidence in competing against a very good schedule last season,” Stewart said. “And although we weren’t able to put it all together, the guys understand that we played very good football at times against some of the top teams in the state.”

On offense, the Firebirds return quarterback Jet Dineen, who threw for 427 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 672 yards and four more scores. He’ll be joined by another top returning rusher in Dash Cleveland as well as the team’s top two receiving threats from a season ago (Jake Patchen and Manny Epelle).

The Firebirds also will return two of their top three leading tacklers in Tai Newhouse and Quez Lee. Newhouse is one of two players who will play both ways up front. He’ll be joined by three-year starter Tyler Gourley at center on the O-Line, and by returning starters Preston Tran and Brian Lane along the D-Line.

In all, the Firebirds return 13 starters from last season (6 on offense and 7 on defense) and 20 letter winners.

Stewart expects a strong season from a bulked-up Dineen, who also will play safety, and believes that one of the biggest keys to the season will be developing consistency at

“I think we have a lot of talent and potential,” Stewart said. “We will need to be more consistent at running back, at linebacker and in the secondary.”

The Firebirds will open the 2021 season on the road at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2 against Shawnee Mission Northwest at SM North Stadium.

VOLLEYBALL

Coming off of a trip to state in 2020, FSHS coach Jayme Savage’s volleyball team is eager to see if there’s more where that came from.

The 2020 Firebirds proved to be a classic case of a team peaking at the right time. The group finished 18-14 overall but played its best volleyball when it mattered most.

A key group of juniors and a few returning seniors will look to make sure that type of play surfaces earlier in the season in 2021.

“This team is focused and ready to pick up where we left off,” Savage said. “We have a lot of depth returning and chemistry developed.”

Leading the way are junior middle hitters Aubrey Duncan and Sawyer Thomsen, who provide good size and intimidation at the net. Junior setter Rylee Unruh and senior outside hitter Kenzie Marcum figure to lead the FSHS offense.

The Firebirds will open the season Sept. 7 in a dual at Olathe West.

BOYS SOCCER

First-year head coach Joe Waldron believes he walked into just about the perfect situation, leading what he dubs as a team loaded with upperclassmen.

The Firebirds went 10-6-1 a season ago and have their sights set on improving that record in 2021.

From what Waldron has seen so far, it will be the FSHS defense that leads the way.

“(We have) a solid defensive unit with strong goal keeping and the ability to possess the ball,” Waldron said.

Junior goalkeeper Ben Barnett is the backbone of the Free State D and he will be supported by senior defender Aaron Neff and senior midfielders Joon Chun and Andrew Henderson.

While defense might be the key to a strong season, Waldron believes this team offense has the potential to be “dangerous.”

Joining that group in leading the Firebirds this fall will be seniors Jackson Bone, Dawson Pfannenstiel and Evan Wilson, juniors Syash Kumar and Michael Lickert and sophomore Kaleb Stewart.

Free State opens the season Sept. 2 at home against Shawnee Mission East.

CROSS COUNTRY

Head coach Steve Heffernan enters his 24th season in charge of the program with a state title to defend.

The Free State boys won it all at the 6A state meet in 2020, and the FSHS girls finished fifth at regionals, missing out on a trip to state by one spot.

“Both varsity teams will have an opportunity to return to state this year,” Heffernan said. “The girls have a good core back from last year and will be even better with the addition of a couple of experienced runners. For the boys, it will be another exciting season where they will be very competitive at all their meets this fall.”

The Free State boys will be led by senior Ben Shryock, who won the 3,200-meter run at the 2021 state track meet and is a two-time state medalist in cross country.

He’ll be supported by senior Jack Keathley-Helms, who took third in the 800 at state track last spring, along with senior Max Bates, junior Carson Marsh and sophomores Ryan Whittlesey, whose father is the head cross country coach at KU, and Blake Wohler

The Free State girls will be led by a trio of state track qualifiers in senior Allison Babbit, junior Olivia Goeser and junior transfer Isabella Pro, who also has a state cross country medal in her trophy case.

Senior Janice Werth, juniors Ella McCleary and Ella Marshall and sophomore Stella Mosier round out the list of those expected to lead the Firebirds early in the season.

Heffernan’s squad will open its season on Sept. 1 at the Olathe East Invitational.

GIRLS GOLF

Coming off of the best finish in program history (4th at 6A state) the Firebirds will be counting on a mixture of returning faces and new blood to lead them on the links this fall.

“We lost some key members from last year’s team and we will need people to step up and attempt to fill those roles,” ninth-year head coach Layne Meyer said ahead of the 2021 season.

One of those who Meyer will be counting on is junior Claire Berquist, who competed at state last year and, according to Meyer, is poised to be one of the best players in the state in 2021.

She will be joined by junior Emma Stammeyer, who also helped the Firebirds bring home that fourth-place finish a year ago, and junior Evan White.

FSHS opened the 2021 season on Monday by finishing eighth at the 14-team Olathe West Invitational. Berquist (79) took seventh and Stammeyer (90) finished 18th.

GIRLS TENNIS

Coming off of a fourth-place finish at the Sunflower League meet in 2020, fifth-year Free State coach Aaron Clark is hoping for an even better finish in 2021.

“Last year’s state tournament field was reduced because of COVID, so the lone qualifier (we had) doesn’t represent the success many of the varsity girls had,” Clark said.

Those returners who just missed out on making it to state a year ago include senior Dayna Steadman and sophomore Maya Lee. Both finished in the top five at the league meet a season ago.

Seniors Emma Evans and Jada Fowler will join that duo as the other top returners hoping to lead the Firebirds to a spot at state. But Clark said there is a lot of young talent in the program, as well.

“We have a lot of spots open for varsity this year,” said Clark, who likes the mixture of experience and fresh talent on this year’s roster. “Depending on the results, the lineup could change throughout the season.”

FSHS opens the season Sept. 2 at Olathe East.

GYMNASTICS

The Free State portion of the FireLions gymnastics team will be looking to replace the all-around talent of Talia Gay, who graduated after leading the team to a state title in 2020.

Even without the 2020 all-around champion, FSHS coach Kat Farrow believes her team has the talent and experience to make another run this fall.

“Talia was a huge force and piece of our team,” Farrow said. “But she didn’t win the state title by herself. Free State has several heavy hitters that are ready to step into their roles of seniors and leaders and it will be exciting to see her amazing teammates who helped secure the state title last year try to grab another state title this year.”

Leading the way are seniors Chaney Finkeldei, Avery Qualseth, Ashley Mai and Audrey Hoey-Kummerow.

Junior Kenzie Vaughn, who took fourth at state in the all-around competition in 2020 — including a silver medal finish on the vault — also adds talent, depth and experience to the Free State roster.

“After years of working to earn the state title, but then to actually achieve it, is exhilarating and monumental,” said Farrow, now in her sixth season coaching the team. “But we now go from underdogs to top dog, so it is crucial that we keep our focus and to work just as hard, if not harder, than last year to try to repeat.”

Free State opens the season on Sept. 7 at Newton.

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