photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Firebirds storm out on to the field to take on Olathe East for their playoff game on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Free State High School in Lawrence.

Free State football (6-3) will have the task of trying to slow down yet another assertive rushing attack as the Firebirds take on Shawnee Mission Northwest in the regional round of the 6A football playoffs.

The third-seeded Cougars (6-3) come into the game on a four-game winning streak, having not lost since Oct. 3, when they fell to Mill Valley, 56-24. Since then, the Cougars have notched two wins against Lawrence, as well as victories over Shawnee Mission West and Shawnee Mission East.

“They’ve been rolling — I think they’re a really good football team,” Free State coach Kevin Stewart said.

Shawnee Mission Northwest ranks among the top offenses in 6A, averaging 39.6 points per game this season. In last week’s opening-round game, Shawnee Mission Northwest scored 50 points to sneak past Lawrence.

In their first season under head coach Kurt Webster, the Cougars have stuck with the wishbone offense and haven’t taken a step back, thanks to the play of quarterback Trai Woodruff, who Stewart says is “one of the best players in the league.”

In last week’s win against the Lions, Woodruff ran for 308 yards and six touchdowns, including long scoring runs of 80 and 53 yards.

“He’s elusive and he’s fast, and he’s really a good athlete — he’s the real deal,” Stewart said. “If we can stop him, that’s going to give us a great chance to win.”

The Cougars don’t just rely on Woodruff, either. Fullback Demetric Tyler and slotback Tyree Newton are important pieces of the rushing attack as well. Tyler is a stronger and more physical rusher, while Newton is a faster back who is used on jet sweeps and other various carries around the edge.

Last week, Tyler rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while Newton took four carries for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Paving the way for the Shawnee Mission Northwest rushing attack is a physical offensive line, which isn’t the biggest in stature, but the unit opens up gaps by firing off at the line of scrimmage, allowing any of the three rushers to have success.

The key for the Free State defense is to match that physicality at the line of scrimmage and be disciplined with its assignments, especially at the defensive line, and play with great effort as well.

“We’ve talked all week about their jobs, their keys, their eyes, their hands, where they’re supposed to go, and just trying to understand their assignment,” Stewart said. “In (the Cougars’) offense, you’re not always going to be perfect because there’s a lot of bodies in there… If you play with great effort, you might find yourself making a backside tackle, (or) you might find yourself getting the ball out.”

The Firebirds’ defense gets a much-needed return from senior linebacker Karson Bowers, who has dealt with injury over the past few weeks. Bowers’ return gives the defense another physical piece to match the Cougars’ Tyler.

“Karson’s not the fastest guy, but he can definitely take on a fullback,” Stewart said. “That’s a plus for us, getting him back, because he’s just got the size to be able to take (Tyler) on in the A-gap run.”

Offensively, Free State rushed for over 500 yards of offense in last week’s 61-47 victory against Olathe East. While teams have started to key in on both quarterback Finn Moore and Maddon Brittingham, the Firebirds were able to keep the Hawks’ defense honest with the passing game, in which Moore threw for 119 yards on 9-for-12 passing.

The Firebirds will need to continue this trend, spreading out the offense and getting receivers like Packson McDaniel and Alijah Beckum involved, which in turn can allow Brittingham and Moore to have continued success behind the offensive line.

“The reality of it is, getting (McDaniel) in there and catching the ball a few times, allowed us to spread out the defense a little bit and make them respect more of our receivers,” Stewart said.

Added Stewart: “I think Alijah Beckum has done a fantastic job this year. His work ethic’s definitely been really, really good… He’s quick, he can catch, he can move, but being in the slot is a little bit different than being on the outside. We needed a guy that we were going to throw the ball to more consistently, and Packson did a nice job there last week.”

Free State finds itself in familiar territory, as last season the team was also 6-3 before its regional game. A win this week would send a message not only to the program, but to the entire school that the team has taken a step forward after finishing 6-4 last season.

“We’re right back where we were last year, and all you can ask for is to try to improve every single year,” Stewart said. “Winning this week would really validate (the players’) efforts, validate the coach’s efforts. This is the equivalent of making it to state, winning the regional championship, so that’s what we’re aiming for.”

Kickoff on Friday night at Shawnee Mission North Stadium is set for 7 p.m.