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

Free State sophomore Packson McDaniel throws to the end zone during the Firebirds' game against Shawnee Mission East on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at the Shawnee Mission District North Stadium in Overland Park.

In the midst of a four-game losing streak, it’s easy for teams to fold and lose confidence. But with Free State football (2-4), head coach Kevin Stewart says there’s still plenty of trust throughout the roster.

“I think there’s a belief that they feel like, ‘Hey, we can do this,'” Stewart said. “There’s some confidence there in each other, and I think they know that they have to step it up a little bit.”

The Firebirds will look to snap this skid once and for all on Friday, as they host 1-5 Shawnee Mission South.

The Raiders’ offense presents a very similar style of play to the Firebirds’, primarily operating out of a spread offense, so it’s been an easier week of preparation for the Free State defense, allowing the unit to get back to its base defense and simplify things on that side of the ball.

“It gives us a chance to do some things where we can blitz, we can change some coverages, we could disguise some things, and I think our guys will do better,” Stewart said.

What’s made the last few weeks challenging for the defense is having to go up against run-heavy formations. With that, the team has had to adjust, filling up the box more than it would like to. It has allowed for the team to have success against the run, but in last week’s 42-39 loss to Shawnee Mission East, the Lancers took advantage of this by throwing the ball against man-to-man defensive looks.

“We have to adjust, and we have to put our guys in the best position to do things,” Stewart said. “We’ve (had) to put an extra D-lineman on the field, but now because of this, our coverages are a little bit different. We’ve got to play more man-to-man… When that happens, you put a lot of pressure on individuals, you know, playing man-to-man to do their job.”

The Raiders’ offense has also struggled mightily throughout the season, scoring no more than just 14 points in a single game and averaging less than 10 points a contest. Those issues have resulted in short field positioning for opposing offenses against the Shawnee Mission South defense, so winning in all phases, Stewart says, will be the ultimate key to success.

“That’s going to be huge, (not just) the turnover battle, but special teams and field position,” Stewart said. “I really believe our defense can step up and take it to another level… We’re still improving, but those guys are good football players.”

On offense, the Firebirds are without senior quarterback Finn Moore, along with sophomore Rohan Patel, so the team will turn to sophomore Packson McDaniel to run the offense.

After rushing for 62 yards and passing for another 42 last week, McDaniel will now have a full week of practice at the position ahead of his first varsity start at the position, which has been an encouraging sign to the coaching staff.

“He’s a winner, and when I say he’s a winner, what I’m talking about is he has positive character, he has confidence, he’s played multiple sports, and he has the ability to execute,” Stewart said. “Even him just being able to step in last Friday was very impressive… We’re hoping this week with a little bit more reps at practice, he’ll have not just a (better) understanding, but just a better feel for the game.”

Shawnee Mission South’s defense is unique in that it shows a lot of blitzes, twists and different formations along the defensive line, making it difficult for opposing offenses to know exactly what’s coming its way.

These elements put extra pressure on the offensive line, but Stewart likes the way the Firebirds’ front line has been playing and trusts its ability to allow the offense to get going.

“We’re going to have to be able to run the ball,” Stewart said. “I thought last week our offensive line did a tremendous job, considering all the circumstances, and I thought all the young guys really stepped up. Our offensive line’s got to play really well this week, and then we’ve got to take advantage of opportunities when we get them in the passing game because there will be some opportunities.”

An added element to Friday’s game is that it’s senior night. This year’s class is smaller in numbers compared to years past, but the group has contributed to multiple successful teams, including a 7-3 record their freshman year and back-to-back 6-4 seasons as sophomores and juniors.

“I’m very proud of the guys that stuck it out,” Stewart said. “We’ve had a very, very good run here, and those guys have contributed a lot.”

Getting back in the win column will be no easy feat for Free State, but the team has given itself plenty of chances to win over the last four weeks. With the City Showdown next week and playoffs a week after that, in which the Firebirds are still in position to potentially host a first-round game, Stewart describes this week as a “must-win.”

“If we can’t win this week, I’m a little bit concerned (our guys) are going to lose some confidence,” Stewart said. “We’ve had challenges, but I don’t know that we’re really struggling. I mean, we’re struggling compared to our standards, but we’ve had chances to win these games.”

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