photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence Free State head coach Kevin Stewart talks with junior Finn Moore during a timeout against Shawnee Mission Northwest at Shawnee Mission District Stadium, North Location, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 in Overland Park.

After a long summer and nearly two weeks of practices, the Free State football team is prepared for Week 1.

The Firebirds will begin the 2026 season on the road at Shawnee Mission West, which finished 1-8 in 2025 in its second season led by coach Craig Lewis. That season featured a young but promising squad for the Vikings.

They bring a lot of that youth back this season, returning three offensive linemen, junior running back De’Andre Simms and a more experienced defensive line. Free State head coach Kevin Stewart says all three of these factors could be a challenge for his squad in game one.

“They had a lot of young guys playing last year, and I think they’re going to be quite a bit better (this season),” Stewart said. “O-line, the D-line, and the running back: Those are the three areas that are most concerning.”

With a slightly inexperienced team that returns just seven starters from a season ago, Free State will have to learn how to play as a team from the beginning while allowing new starters to acclimate to the speed of the game.

The biggest question Stewart wants to see answered in game one is how the team as a whole will face adversity.

“I just want to see how the guys will respond to a challenge,” Stewart said. “Will they stick together and compete and fight back? I do think we’re going to be challenged. It’s the first game of the season… so there’s going to be some challenges; something’s going to go wrong, and, you know, how do we handle that?”

The Firebirds return their two-headed monster of quarterback Finn Moore and running back Maddon Brittingham. The pair combined for over 2,500 rushing yards in 2025, and are expected to carry an even heavier load this season.

The challenge for both players is that they will also be asked to play on the defensive side of the ball, with Moore serving as a linebacker and Brittingham as a safety. The good news is that both have familiarity with what the offense wants to accomplish, allowing them to focus more on defense during practices.

“Those guys, since they’re ahead of the game on the playbook and they understand the offense, they don’t have to take as many reps at practice,” Stewart said. “So, that’s kind of been nice keeping them fresh.”

As for the rest of the offense, Free State brings back junior offensive lineman Reece Wilmes as well as multiple skill position players from last year. Senior Alijah Beckum and sophomore Packson McDaniel are expected to contribute as wide receivers, and another name expected to make a difference is junior tight end Charlie Griffith.

Stewart says what makes the offensive players so talented is their ability to win individual matchups, which could force defenses to hone in on one and allow another skill player the opportunity to have more success.

“We have a lot of guys that can win one-on-one this year,” Stewart said. “When you have that many guys that can win one-on-one, or you think you do, really, it’s about coordinating the offense and finding your matchups.”

Defensively, the Firebirds have a lot of speed, which showed itself in the team’s jamboree at Basehor-Linwood. While speed is a good thing, the biggest emphasis is covering gaps in the defense and stepping up to make tackles before allowing big gains.

“I thought our guys generally ran well and they knew what was going on,” Stewart said. “The problem defensively is we were getting a little bit far upfield. We were getting a little deep in our blitzes and getting too far upfield, and we were creating lanes (for opposing offenses).”

Another positive Stewart saw from the team’s defense in the preseason is its ability to tackle as a unit, with seven different players making solo tackles in last Friday’s jamboree.

“We have some guys we feel confident in tackling,” he said, “now it’s (about), you know, gap integrity, and not getting knocked back.”

The Firebirds are prepared to get back under the Friday night lights.

“They definitely are ready to play a football game,” Stewart said. “They’re eager to play and get out there and compete. They want to show what they can do.”

Opening kickoff from Shawnee Mission South District Stadium is set for Friday at 8 p.m.