photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Free State celebrates recovering a fumble against Shawnee Mission North on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at Free State High School in Lawrence.

Free State football has had a roller-coaster start to the season. After starting the season 2-0, the Firebirds have dropped their last two games ahead of Friday’s homecoming matchup with Mill Valley.

Despite the recent skid, head coach Kevin Stewart still has confidence that his team can right the ship and get back to winning ways.

“We have a lot of good players, and we’ve seen some really good individual efforts,” Stewart said. “Now, we’ve got to change and adjust and figure out who we are and make some adjustments and try to get better there.”

Another tough test awaits the Firebirds this week, as Mill Valley is ranked as the No. 1 team in 6A across multiple polls, and comes in with a 4-0 record. Not only are the Jaguars unbeaten, but they have won every game by double digits, including a blowout 63-21 victory against Olathe South last week.

This is Mill Valley’s first season at the 6A level, but it has proven to be one of the best programs in the state regardless of class with seven state championships, all coming since 2015.

“They have really good players, and it’s one of those things where winning and consistency creates momentum,” Stewart said. “That’s kind of the key, is if you can develop (a) winning program and a culture, good kids want to naturally go play in a good program with good coaches and good teammates.”

The Jaguars present a run-first style of play led by running back Max Piva and another talented offensive line. The good news is that the Firebirds have already seen a multitude of different formations, and Stewart has been impressed with the way his defense has stayed assignment-sound.

“It honestly all starts with Piva,” Stewart said. “He is the engine, and then everything else builds off of that.”

In facing another talented group up front, Stewart says a big emphasis for the defense is getting bigger on the line. This means leaning on pieces like James Kahungara, Orris Kline, Kamai Ford and Croix Kelley who all have the size and strength to match up against the Mill Valley offensive line.

“As these teams get more tight ends, they get fullbacks, they get more backs in the backfield, you’re not really able to blitz as much and create some of that havoc,” Stewart said. “This week, we’re trying to use a few different looks.”

Injuries have also started to impact the Firebirds, as safety Jude Dowdle and linebacker Mark Ke are both out this week, but Stewart is hopeful that both starters will be back by next week.

Free State’s offense, on the other hand, will have to face a talented defense that is strong upfront. While Free State’s tradition has always been building a talented offensive line, Mill Valley is the opposite in that it always presents a challenge along the defensive line, and this year is no different.

“That’s kind of how it’s always been with them,” Stewart said. “Their two defensive ends are really the key, they’re both very athletic and they’re both good-sized, good strength.”

The Firebirds, Stewart says, need to find more consistency on the offensive end. Last week’s loss to Shawnee Mission North was a step up compared to Week 3, as the Firebirds scored 28 points and gained 347 yards, 261 of which came via the run.

However, 183 of those rushing yards came from quarterback Finn Moore, so finding balance on offense is key.

“We need to figure out what we can do well and who we can do that with,” Stewart said. “We’ve had some really good performances on offense, and we’ve had some games that we didn’t do as well.”

While Mill Valley will be a tough task for Free State, Stewart is still confident in his group, and says belief is the first step in going out and making a statement.

“For me as a coach and for all of our coaches, you have to believe that you can win the game,” Stewart said. “It starts with me. And so if I don’t believe, then the other coaches and the players aren’t going to… Yes they’re ranked No. 1 in the state, and yes their defense is really good, and they do some good things on offense… but I still believe in myself, and I still believe in our kids.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.