photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State linebacker Colton Berger reacts to a play during the Firebirds' road contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

Overland Park — The Free State football team lost a heartbreaker against Shawnee Mission Northwest, 31-28, on Thursday night at SM North District Stadium.

Trailing by three points with less than two minutes remaining in the game, Free State had a chance to either tie or take the lead until an interception gave the Cougars the ball and the ability to run out the clock.

FSHS quarterback Wesley Edison impressed with 145 passing yards and 146 rushing yards. Tay Ware tallied 41 rushing yards and 73 receiving yards, and wide receiver Bralin Preston added 58 receiving yards for the Firebirds (1-3).

“I thought we had a chance to win for sure,” Free State coach Kevin Stewart said. “Wesley had a pretty good game and then he really stepped up and made some nice plays. Obviously, a few little mistakes, a couple of turnovers and things. But at the end of the day, he gave us a chance to win the game.”

Free State had the first crack on offense. Although the Firebirds picked up two first downs thanks to Edison’s legs, they eventually faced a fourth-and-five and were unable to convert.

It didn’t take SM Northwest long to find the end zone following the turnover on downs, with a 40-yard run from Malik O’Atis setting up a 17-yard touchdown pass that put the Cougars in front.

Free State responded, though. Led by a 48-yard pass from Edison to Preston, the Firebirds put themselves in Cougars territory early in the drive. After a fourth-down conversion, Edison bolted to the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7 apiece.

With momentum on its side, the Firebirds defense forced a Northwest fumble on its own 42-yard line to set up the offense in opposing territory. The Firebirds didn’t waste the turnover and moved down the field quickly, once again led by Edison’s running ability. He capped off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to give Free State its first lead of the game.

SM Northwest tied the game on its next offensive series with a 17-yard touchdown run, but Free State came right back with a 55-yard touchdown run from Devon Hamilton on its next drive to claim a 21-14 lead before halftime.

The Cougars scored quickly to open the second half, tying the game on a 3-yard touchdown run by O’Atis.

The Firebirds went three-and-out on their first offensive series of the second half. And a few plays later, O’Atis ran for a 68-yard touchdown to put SM Northwest in front for the first time since 7-0 at 28-21.

Free State put together a long drive to end the third quarter, but disaster hit on the first play of the fourth, when Edison fumbled the ball away to the Cougars.

Northwest kept possession and drained half of the fourth-quarter clock on the ensuing drive before the Free State defense stiffened and held the Cougars to a field goal for a 31-21 lead.

The Firebirds bounced back quickly with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Edison to Ware to cut the lead to three with just under four minutes to play.

The FSHS defense held again to give the ball back to the offense with under two minutes to play, but a few plays into the drive, a Northwest defender picked off Edison and the Cougars ran out the clock to pick up the victory.

“Just have to come work hard tomorrow,” Stewart said. “We’ve got weightlifting in the morning. So show up, work hard and hopefully they decide to have a little leadership. That’s what we really need.”

GAME STATS:

Shawnee Mission Northwest 7 7 14 3 – 31

Free State 7 14 0 7 – 28

HOW THEY SCORED:

1Q:

5:21 – SM Northwest touchdown: Morley 17-yard pass, Habben reception. Larsen kick is good. (SM Northwest 7, Free State 0)

1:50 – Free State touchdown: Edison 17-yard run. Coup kick is good. (SM Northwest 7, Free State 7)

2Q:

10:29 – Free State touchdown: Edison 2-yard run. Coup kick is good. (Free State 14, SM Northwest 7)

4:22 – SM Northwest touchdown: Quails 17-yard run. Anderson kick is good. (SM Northwest 14, Free State 14)

1:54 – Free State touchdown: Hamilton 55-yard run. Coup kick is good. (Free State 21, SM Northwest 14)

3Q:

8:06 – SM Northwest touchdown: O’Atis 4-yard run. Larsen kick is good. (SM Northwest 21, Free State 21)

5:01 – SM Northwest touchdown: O’Atis 68-yard run. Anderson kick is good. (SM Northwest 28, Free State 21)

4Q:

5:18 – SM Northwest 34-yard field goal by Larsen (SM Northwest 31, Free State 21)

3:49 – Free State touchdown: Edison 48-yard pass, Ware reception. Coup kick is good. (SM Northwest 31, Free State 28)

SM-Northwest | Free State

First downs: 13 | 14

Rushing yards: 246 | 223

Passing yards: 145 | 133

Total offense: 391 | 356

Fumbles: 1 | 1

Interceptions: 0 | 1

Penalty yards: 15 | 30

INDIVIDUAL STATS:

Passing: Free State – Wesley Edison 9-12, 145; SM-Northwest – Logan Morley 13-20, 133.

Rushing: Free State – Wesley Edison 21-146, Tay Ware 15-41, Devon Hamilton 2-59; SM-Northwest – Malik O’Atis 25-173, Logan Morley 5-29, Evan Quails 1-21.

Receiving: Free State – Tay Ware 3-73, Bralin Preston 3-58, Cortez Overstreet 1-7, Dylan Farrel 1-5, Colton Berger 1-3 ; SM-Northwest – Daisean Bennett 4-66, Clayton Habben 2-25, Evan Quails 2-11, Carter Walsh 1-10, Malik O’Atis 1-8, William Flickinger 2-7, Seth Cunningham 1-6.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State QB Wesley Edison waits for the snap during the Firebirds’ road game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State wide receiver Devon Hamilton turns upfield during the Firebirds’ road game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Matthew Marcum puts a hit on the Shawnee Mission Northwest quarterback during the Firebirds’ road game against SMNW on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State running back Tay Ware looks to get outside during the Firebirds’ road contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State quarterback Wesley Edison calls out a play during the Firebirds’ road contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State quarterback Wesley Edison runs through tacklers during the Firebirds’ road contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

The Free State defense celebrates a big stop during the Firebirds’ road contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State defenders Blaine Larkin (87) and Matthew Marcum (59) celebrate on the sideline during the Firebirds’ road game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State quarterback Wesley Edison sheds a tackler during the Firebirds’ road contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

photo by: Mike Shaw/Special to the Journal-World

Free State wide receiver Bralin Preston looks to the sideline during the Firebirds’ road game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.