Free State High’s top doubles team of Jake Hedges and George Thornton was one set away for playing for a state title on Saturday when their good fortune started to shift to the other side of the net.

Playing in the Class 6A state semifinals on Saturday after winning two matches on Friday, Hedges and Thornton opened their semifinal match against Blue Valley Northwest’s Luke Pennington and Aiyan Sanjanwala with a 6-0 victory in the first set.

One more set victory — by any score, in either of the next two sets — would have sent them to the state title match against eventual champions Matt Crossland and Zachary Amsterdam of Blue Valley North. But the Firebirds lost the second set, 6-3, and then dropped the third, 6-2, to fall into the third-place match at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.

There, they lost to another duo from Blue Valley Northwest (Jackson Marrs and Cameron Parrish) in straight sets — 6-4, 7-5 — to finish in fourth place and with all-state honors.

“They fought hard,” FSHS coach Aaron Clark said after Saturday’s bracket was finalized. “It was an excellent season overall for them, and, with both returning, I anticipate them building on this for next season.”

The strong showing by the two Firebirds earned 11 team points for Free State, which finished the state tournament in sixth place. Shawnee Mission East won the meet with 41 points, edging out Blue Valley North and Blue Valley Northwest, which tied for second place with 34 points apiece.

In singles action, Free State’s Britton Snyder and Felipe Reina-Salas both finished 1-2 and were eliminated on Friday.