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.

Following its statement Week 1 win, Free State football will be tested once again in Week 2 when the Firebirds host Manhattan.

This will be the third straight season that the two teams meet, with the Indians having won both back-to-back games and the last four in total, dating back to 2018. The results of the previous matchups have left bad tastes in the mouths of more than just the Free State players.

“I think our coaches are super motivated,” head coach Kevin Stewart said. “I said at the (coaches’) meeting, ‘We’re tired of losing to Manhattan, we’ve lost to them four times in a row now.’ So, the coaches are probably even more motivated than the guys. Now, I think our guys are really dialed in, (and) they want to win.”

The Firebirds are riding high after their thrilling 35-34 win over defending state champion Gardner Edgerton in the season opener. The win earned the program recognition from around the state and the Kansas City area, being named KCTV5’s Team of the Week, and earning the No. 2 spot in the Kansas Football Coaches Association weekly rankings.

“I think that it’s good recognition for our entire program, starting with our players and coaches,” Stewart said. “(It) validates the efforts they’ve put in, and so that’s a cool deal. At the same time, we’ve got to move on from last week and get ready for another really good football team.”

Free State ran for a total of 291 yards in the opener. Quarterback Finn Moore accounted for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Maddon Brittingham added 106 yards on 16 carries.

For the Firebirds to remain successful, keeping both Moore and Brittingham on the field is a priority for the team and coaching staff, not only for the success of the offense, but for their contributions on the defensive side of the ball, as well.

“Those two guys have to stay healthy, that’s the main thing,” Stewart said. “There were just a lot of physical plays in (last week’s) game. The good news is our offensive line is pretty solid, so that’s going to help them a little bit.”

Stewart said that the Firebirds will continue to run the ball if they can, but they plan to move the ball through the air more often moving forward. Against Gardner Edgerton, Moore was 3-for-3 on passing attempts for 110 yards and a touchdown.

“We’d like to spread it around a bit more. We have some skill guys that we know can help contribute,” Stewart said. “Teams are going to play man-to-man and give us heavy boxes. If (opponents) are going to crowd the box, we’re going to have to be able to win some one-on-one matchups and get the ball outside.”

The Indians (1-0) are the No. 1-ranked team in the KFBCA poll, and are coming off a 43-13 win over Garden City in which they ran for 287 yards of offense and threw for another 175. Last season, the Indians went 12-1 and appeared in the state championship before falling to Gardner Edgerton, 36-33.

Manhattan presents a similar challenge to Gardner Edgerton in that it uses multiple quarterbacks. Senior Finn Watson is a prolific passer who threw for 133 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, while sophomore Mclain Aslin is a dual-threat option who passed for 42 yards and ran for 100 yards and a touchdown against Garden City.

Stewart says the key to slowing down the quarterbacks, who both have limited varsity experience, is being physical and applying pressure, forcing them to be uncomfortable.

The biggest piece of the Indians’ roster is senior defensive back/wide receiver JJ Dunnigan. Dunnigan, the 2024 Centennial League defensive player of the year and a University of Kansas commit, did not play against Garden City, but is expected to return to action against Free State.

While he is primarily known for his defensive skill set, Dunnigan’s ability to make game-changing plays on offense forces opposing defenses to decide how to defend the Manhattan offense as a whole.

“The hard part with him is you don’t want to leave him one-on-one. If you’re leaving him one-on-one, that means you’re probably light in the box, and they like to run the ball,” Stewart said. “It becomes a real challenge of ‘Hey, do we want to give up a little bit in the pass game or do we want to cover up Dunnigan and give up a little bit of the run game?’ He’s really good, he’s going to be the best athlete on the field in pretty much every game he plays.”

The Indians’ defense presents challenges of its own for Free State, returning several starters, including linebacker Max Evans-Pryor, defensive end Garrison Vikander, defensive end Evan Middleton, and several defensive backs, including junior Joseph Mortensen.

Stewart says that Manhattan’s defense is potentially more impactful than its offense, and that Free State will need to play complementary football on both sides of the ball.

“They pressure quite a bit, and they’re just a really good defensive team,” Stewart said. “We’ve got to be physical and take care of the football, and then our defense has to step up and stop their offense because I think our offense will be challenged a little bit more.”

The season-opening win has been a confidence boost to the Firebirds, but they have put the past behind them and are ready for their next challenge.

“The morale is very positive and confident. Overall, our guys are focused, that’s why we won (last) Friday,” Stewart said. “I could just see a difference in our focus from the very beginning.”

Kickoff on Friday at Free State is set for 7 p.m.