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

Free State quarterback Finn Moore drops back to pass during the weather-delayed second half of the game against Olathe North on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Lawrence.

Free State football (5-2) let a 14-point lead slip at home and suffered its first Sunflower League loss on Saturday afternoon, falling to Olathe North (4-3), 35-14.

The Firebirds already trailed 21-14 when the game, affected by weather on Friday night, picked back up, and they couldn’t regain any momentum following the delay.

“I thought that our guys started the game really well last night, and we were hitting on all cylinders,” Free State head coach Kevin Stewart said. “We gave them some momentum, and they started to believe they could beat us, and that kind of carried over.”

Stewart added that he thought his team had opportunities to get back into the game, but key miscues allowed Olathe North to keep control.

One of those opportunities came right out of the gate as the Firebirds had a fourth-and-5 opportunity in Eagle territory on the first play of the day with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter. Quarterback Finn Moore kept it himself, but picked up just three yards, handing the ball right back to Olathe North just one play into Saturday’s continuation.

From there, the Eagles let their run game loose and picked up four first downs from the combination of running backs Blaise Adger and Chase Williams. With second-and-goal at the 2-yard line, Adger took a snap in wildcat formation and found a gap on the edge that led to the end zone for a score.

On the game, Adger rushed for 148 yards after rushing for minus-1 yard on two carries in the first half. Adger was able to find open lanes and gaps all second half thanks to the physicality of the Olathe North offensive line.

“We tried not to give them as much man coverage, but that allowed them to get hat-on-a-hat on the offensive line and run the ball, which they did,” Stewart said.

Free State’s first full drive of the day saw another opportunity to gain momentum back when running back Maddon Brittingham picked up 27 yards on the second play of the drive and got the offense in Olathe North territory. The drive halted on the next play when Moore underthrew a deep shot that was intercepted by an Eagle defender inside the 10-yard line.

The Firebird defense got a stop to begin the fourth quarter, with the help of a crucial holding call, and an 8-yard tackle for loss by usual offensive linemen Braden Wilmes, who was inserted at defensive end.

“I was happy to see him out there,” Stewart said of Wilmes playing on the defensive side of the ball. “He’s hard to block, he’s a big guy… that’s a good effort to do it for the team.”

After the punt, Free State seemed to have stalled after the Olathe North defense brought the Firebirds to fourth-and-4, where Moore, lined up as the punter, called his own shot and picked up 10 yards and a first down. A few plays later, however, on another fourth down, Moore was hit in the backfield and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by the Eagles in Free State territory.

Adger continued to terrorize the Firebird defense, picking up a gain of 14 on third-and-11 and scored his second touchdown of the game from six yards out.

Trailing by 21, Free State had to go to the air on the next drive, as a facemask penalty gave the offense a first down before Moore threw a pass over the middle that was tipped, landed on a defender’s back, and was picked up and ruled as an interception.

From there, the Eagle offense ran out the remainder of the game as Free State fell to 5-2 and is now in a three-way tie at the top of the league standings with Olathe West and Mill Valley.

Despite the result, Stewart said he still believes in his group and knows the season is far from over.

“The message is really, ‘Just keep working hard and believing in yourself and do the best you can,'” Stewart said.

The Firebirds will finish the regular season on Friday at 7 p.m. when they take on Lawrence for the City Showdown.