Free State defensive back Quez Lee gets a flying bump from head coach Kevin Stewart after intercepting a pass to start the second quarter, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 at Free State High School.

The Free State High football team scored early and often in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs Friday night, knocking out Wichita South, 49-22.

The Firebirds (7-2) piled up 521 yards of offense compared to the Titans’ 360 yards. The favored home team, FSHS relied on its speed and strength to power to the regional round of the playoffs for a matchup next week with Washburn Rural (8-1).

“I’m proud of the guys,” head coach Kevin Stewart said. “They played hard at the beginning of the game. I’m happy that we got the win and now we have a big game next week against Washburn Rural.”

From the start of their postseason opener, the Firebirds took control. FSHS elected to receive the ball to start the game, and never looked back. The scoring got started with a 7-yard run by Tay Ware early in the first quarter. For FSHS, that would spark a domino effect on both sides of the ball.

After a three-and-out for Wichita South (2-7), the FSHS offense marched down the field again, and eventually scored on an 11-yard run by Dash Cleveland. That gave the Firebirds a 14-0 advantage midway through the first quarter.

With the Firebirds’ defense keeping the Titans’ offense at bay, FSHS then covered 99 yards on its next drive, capped off by a 62-yard pass from Jet Dineen to Jordan Brown. The FSHS lead grew to 21-0 late in first quarter.

“Jet can throw the ball. He really can,” Stewart said. “He’s a great football player. We haven’t had to throw it a whole lot this year at times. When we’ve needed it he’s been there.”

It was more of the same in the second quarter for the Firebirds, with Cleveland running into the end zone from 5 yards out with 10:04 left in the first half.

Before Cleveland’s second score, Quez Lee snagged one of two FSHS interceptions in the opening half to keep the Titans scoreless.

The Firebirds scored once more in the second, to head into the locker room up 35-0 at halftime. Dineen found Brown for a second time, with the TD connection coming from 17 yards out.

By the end of the first half, FSHS had totaled nearly 360 yards, and 263 of those came in the air with the help of Dineen’s arm.

In the second half, the Titans started off the scoring for a change. The opening drive of the third quarter resulted in a 19-yard touchdown pass from TJ Neal to Dameion Beaver.

Wichita South’s defense then forced the Firebirds to punt for the first time all game. The Titans made it to the plus side of the field after converting a fourth down.

However, that momentum for the Titans was short-lived. Josiah Nash secured the third interception for the Firebirds, ending a promising Titans drive.

FSHS turned that interception into points, as Jake Patchen scored from 12 yards out on a pass from Dineen, extending the Firebirds’ lead to 42-8 early in the fourth.

Wichita South got a late score off a 1-yard touchdown run by Marques Tolefree, but the Firebirds responded with a 45-yard touchdown run by Welsey Edison.

Another late score would not be enough for the Titans, as the Firebirds ran the clock down to punch their ticket to the next round.

“We’ve got to have our best week this week,” Stewart said. “Next week is going to come down to if we win, we move on, and if we lose our season is over. Next week will be a challenge.”

GAME STATS

Free State 49, Wichita South 22

FS | WS

First downs 20 | 16

Rushes-yards 28-203| 22-70

Passing yards 318 | 290

Total offense 521 | 360

Fumbles-lost 0-0 | 0-0

Interceptions 0 | 3

Penalties-yards 6-41 | 5-58

Score by quarters

Wichita South 0 0 8 14 – 22

Free State 21 14 0 14 – 49

HOW THEY SCORED

1st Quarter:

08:42 – Tay Ware 7 yard run. Adam Coup kick good. (FS 7 WS 0)

04:54 – Dash Cleveland 11 yard run. Coup kick good. (FS 14 WS 0)

02:29 – Jordan Brown 62 yard pass from Jet Dineen. Coup kick good. (FS 21 WS 0)

2nd Quarter:

10:04 – Cleveland five yard run. Coup kick good. (FS 28 WS 0)

02:46 – Brown 17 yard pass from Dineen. Coup kick good. (FS 35 WS 0)

3rd Quarter:

08:30 – Dameion Beaver 19 yard pass from TJ Neal. Two point conversion successful. (FS 35 WS 8)

4th Quarter:

11:15 – Jake Patchen 12 yard pass from Dineen. Coup kick good. (FS 42 WS 8)

05:21 – Marques Tolefree one yard run. Two point conversion successful. (FS 42 WS 16)

02:50 – Wesley Edison 45 yard run. Coup kick good. (FS 49 WS 16)

01:50 – Tolefree one yard pass from Neal. Two point conversion unsuccessful. (FS 49 WS 22)

Individual statistics

Rushing

WS: TJ Neal 13-58; Marques Tolefree 9-12

FS: Dash Cleveland 6-40; Jet Dineen 6-29; Tay Ware 7-37; Wesley Edison 2-59; Dylan Farrel 7-38

Passing

WS: TJ Neal 21-36-290

FS: Jet Dineen 20-33-318

Receiving

WS: Damion Beaver 5-106; Brendan Kirkhart 2-54; Caiden Neal 6-51; Ivam Teal 3-51; Jose Perez 1-18; Marques Tolefree 2-7; Owen Mullen; 1-3; Aubrey Clark 1-0

FS: Jordan Brown 9-138; Jake Patchen 6-136; Jerred Willits 3-42; Dash Cleveland 1-3; Dylan Farrel 1–1