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

Free State quarterback Finn Moore (left) follows Maddon Brittingham down the field during the Firebirds' game against Mill Valley on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at Free State High School in Lawrence.

As Free State football starts to hit the home stretch, the Firebirds (2-3) are looking to get back on track with a win Friday against Shawnee Mission East.

Despite a 42-28 loss to top-ranked Mill Valley last week, the team is still positive in the work it’s putting in during practice, and knows that with time, the results will once again show themselves on the field.

“We really just got to focus on getting better each and every day,” senior Maddon Brittingham said. “We definitely are getting better each game, and last week we had a great showing, so we definitely have confidence (in) the guys, and it’s good just to see them grow and get better.”

Shawnee Mission East also comes into the game with a 2-3 record. Two of those three losses came in one-score games, as Lawrence defeated the Lancers 35-34 in Week 3, while last week Shawnee Mission East fell to Gardner Edgerton 20-15.

The Lancers run the wishbone offense, which the Firebirds have already seen multiple times this year. What makes Shawnee Mission East even more challenging to stop is that it likes to wear down opposing defenses and dominate time of possession with its running game, but is not afraid to pass the ball either.

“It’s going to be tough because we’ve got to stop the run, and then they’re going to try to throw the deep balls in play action,” Stewart said. “So, we’re trying to get our guys in the right spot.”

Free State’s defense will not only be challenged schematically, as the Lancers are physical and strong on the offensive line. Stewart said that the Lancers O-line is “as good as any we’ve seen,” making the task at hand difficult for the defensive line.

“We’ve got to play low, and we’ve got to play aggressive,” senior defensive end Garrison Oatis said. “We’ve just got to play the best game that we’ve played to really stop them at the line of scrimmage, or behind it, preferably.”

Oatis has continued to make big plays for the defense all season, including a sack and quarterback hit at the end of the first half last week. Despite his individual play, overall team success remains at the forefront.

“I think that if our team’s not doing good, then I don’t look at my performance as good,” Oatis said. “We’ve got to keep pushing forward, and start winning some games as a team.”

The good news for the Firebird defense is that safety Jude Dowdle and linebacker Mark Ke, who both missed last week’s game with injuries, will be back in action this week.

Stewart wants to see his defense finish this week’s game strong. With a lack of depth, the Firebirds have a lot of players who see the field on both sides of the ball, including Brittingham and quarterback Finn Moore.

“We got a lot of guys playing both ways, and they’re worn out (by the fourth quarter),” Stewart said. “I mean, that is a real factor to it.”

For the offense, sophomore quarterback Rohan Patel, who threw for 213 passing yards last week, remains out with a hand injury, so Moore will be the play-caller at all times. The Firebirds had multiple explosive plays against Mill Valley thanks to a more spread offense and success in the passing game with both Patel and Moore.

Stewart says that to replicate that success again this week, taking whatever Shawnee Mission East gives the offense will be important.

“We did a nice job of that last week, and we don’t want to go back,” Stewart said. “If that’s where we need to be against the best competition, then why go back?”

Spreading the offense out, in turn, will then allow Free State’s running game to open back up, especially with Brittingham, who Stewart has emphasized over the last few weeks is not getting as many opportunities as the team would like.

Despite the drop-off in carries compared to last season, Brittingham liked what the offense showed last week and how versatile it can be. It also allowed the Air Force commit to take reps at wide receiver, which he hadn’t done since his sophomore year.

“Last week we totally tried something new, and it worked,” Brittingham said. “It was a lot of fun… but just continuing to run the ball and throw the ball a lot more than we have been is going to be big.”

Kickoff from Shawnee Mission North District Stadium is set for 7 p.m.