photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State junior quarterback Finn Moore runs through contact for a touchdown during the game against Gardner Edgerton, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Lawrence.

Free State needed just one stop to salvage what was nearly a heartbreaking finish.

The Firebirds, who had led for most of the night, had surrendered a touchdown and were forced to defend a two-point conversion that would decide the game. Senior linebacker Ethan Prescott fired off the edge and stopped the Gardner Edgerton ball carrier, sending the team into a flurry of emotions as Free State held on for a 35-34 win in Friday’s season opener.

“They ran that triple option, they were killing us on it in the second half,” Prescott said. “My teammates really helped me make that play.”

On a night when defensive stops were at a premium, it took just a handful of key plays for the Firebirds to give their offense enough help to fend off the defending state champions.

“We got a couple stops, and that was huge,” head coach Kevin Stewart said. “We got a stop we needed, but they were running downhill pretty hard.”

The offense had its own game-changing play, 40 seconds of game time before Prescott’s game-saving tackle. Facing fourth-and-5 at their own 25-yard line, the Firebirds called an option rollout to pick up a first down, but picked up a 75-yard touchdown instead as quarterback Finn Moore found receiver Jonas Lonard in wide-open space.

“We were rolling the pocket, and I saw our receiver in the flats, and like three people jumped it,” Moore said. “I knew Jonas was down there wide open, I just had to get the ball off (and) it worked out pretty nicely.”

Moore threw just three passes on the night, completing each one for a total of 111 yards, but shone as a runner, carrying the ball 24 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns.

“He’s a better runner than people know,” Stewart said. “(He) had some nice passes, too. Not a lot, but we got them when we needed them.”

After Free State received the opening kickoff, gains of 19 and 20 yards on the ground by Moore put the Firebirds on the Trailblazers’ side of the field. Moore found the end zone on the ninth play of the drive with a 12-yard run to put the Firebirds ahead early.

Free State forced an immediate three-and-out with the help of two Gardner Edgerton penalties, and once again found success on the ground in its second drive. The Firebirds used six minutes of game time and drove 56 yards across 11 plays, capped off with an 8-yard run by Moore for his second score of the game.

The Trailblazers found much more success on their second drive thanks to a heavy dose of fullback Syre Padilla. Padilla rushed for 51 yards on the drive and capped it off with a 2-yard score to cut the Firebirds’ lead in half.

With four and a half minutes left until halftime, Free State got the ball back with a chance to once again make it a two-score game. Moore started the drive with a 13-yard run before running back Maddon Brittingham scampered for 20 yards to put Free State in prime scoring position.

After runs of five and four yards by Moore, Brittingham received a halfback draw up the middle and found the endzone with a 28-yard run to make the score 21-7.

Gardner Edgerton received the ball with 1:28 on the clock and needed just three plays to respond, as quarterback Carson McCall found tight end Zeryan Yancy on the first pass of the game, resulting in a 48-yard touchdown with 51 seconds left in the half. The Firebirds ran just one play before halftime.

The Firebirds ran for 188 yards on 26 carries, led by Moore, who rushed for 110 yards on 10 carries in the opening 24 minutes.

Out of the locker room, the Trailblazers picked up right where they left off and drove 79 yards down the field in seven plays, tying the score at 21 after a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Padilla.

On its first drive of the second half, Free State picked up three first downs before Moore came up one yard short of converting on fourth down, giving the ball back to Gardner Edgerton.

The Free State offense wasted no time moving the ball down the field, as Moore found wide receiver Shawn Overstreet for a 38-yard reception. After an unsportsmanlike conduct gave Free State another first down, Moore found the endzone for his third score of the night.

The Trailblazers’ rushing offense continued to cause problems for Free State, as quarterback Shawn McConnell finished off a 16-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28 with 4:21 remaining.

The Firebirds’ first three plays on the ensuing drive went for just five yards before Moore found Lonard for the go-ahead 75-yard touchdown.

A critical penalty gave Gardner Edgerton good field position, leading to a 14-yard touchdown by McCall, before Prescott’s defensive stop allowed the Firebirds to improve to 1-0 on the young season.

“He’s worked his butt off for four years, and for him to make that play his senior year, (I’m) just so proud of him,” Stewart said of Prescott.

Free State will remain at home next Friday, taking on Manhattan at 7 p.m.

Score by quarters

Free State (1-0) – 7 14 0 14 – 35

Gardner Edgerton (0-1) – 0 14 7 13 – 34

How they scored

First quarter

6:48 – Finn Moore 12-yard run. Micah Jones PAT good. FS 7, GE 0

Second quarter

9:56 – Moore 8-yard run. Jones PAT good. FS 14, GE 0

4:29 – Syre Padilla 2-yard run. Jensen Honey PAT good. FS 14, GE 7

1:28 – Maddon Brittingham 28-yard run. Jones PAT good. FS 21, GE 7

0:51 – Zeryan Yancy 48-yard pass from Carson McCall. Honey PAT good. FS 21, GE 14

Third quarter

9:00 – Padilla 1-yard run. Honey PAT good. FS 21, GE 21

Fourth quarter

11:54 – Moore 13-yard run. Jones PAT good. FS 28, GE 21

4:21 – Shawn McConnell 1-yard run. Honey PAT good. FS 28, GE 28

1:40 – Jonas Lonard 75-yard pass from Moore. Jones PAT good. FS 35, GE 28

1:00 – Carson McCall 14-yard run. Two-point conversion no good. FS 35, GE 34

photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State junior running back Maddon Brittingham fights past the defense on a touchdown run during the game against Gardner Edgerton, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State junior running back Maddon Brittingham runs up the sideline for a first down during the game against Gardner Edgerton, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State seniors Ethan Prescott and Greysen Rawls tackle a wide receiver during the game against Gardner Edgerton, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior offensive lineman Braden Wilmes runs sits near the review screen during the game against Gardner Edgerton, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State junior quarterback Finn Moore celebrates after a touchdown during the game against Gardner Edgerton, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Lawrence.