photo by: Parker I. Johnson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State players run onto the field on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 at Blue Valley District Athletic Complex ANT-DAC in Overland Park.

After two road wins to begin the season, Free State football (2-0) is looking to carry that momentum into its home opener on Friday.

The Firebirds’ opponent is perennial Sunflower League and 6A powerhouse Gardner Edgerton. The Trailblazers are 1-1 to begin the season, and are coming off a 20-6 loss last week at home against Hays. No matter what its record is, however, Gardner Edgerton will provide a good checkpoint for Free State as it begins a three-week homestand.

“They’re really good,” Free State head coach Kevin Stewart said. “They have some really good athletes, and they play hard… They’ve got some good talent, and yeah, they’re going to be tough to beat for sure.”

What has made Gardner Edgerton consistently good year in and year out is its offensive scheme, in which it presents a run-heavy offense that operates primarily out of the flexbone, keeping two wide receivers on the outside and three running backs along with the quarterback in the backfield.

Stewart said that this allows the Trailblazers to play “one-on-one football” and take advantage of individual matchups. In order to counter this, the Firebird defense will have to play with good effort and have multiple players attacking the ball carrier in order to take away big plays on the ground.

“Good coaches that know their scheme, and their coaches are good, they know how to get guys one-on-one,” Stewart said. “When there is a one-on-one matchup, if the guy misses the tackle, (and) he takes a good angle, hopefully everybody else is swarming the ball and can help him.”

What also defines the Trailblazer offense is its physicality along the offensive line, which allows for the run game to get going. While the Firebird defense as a whole is more known for its speed and finesse, Stewart knows it will take an all-out effort to match the Trailblazer’s physicality and has liked what he’s seen from his unit this week.

“It all starts with being assignment-sound up front, but definitely playing fast,” Stewart said. “We were very physical this week, so that was (a) good week of practice, but you know, it starts with being quick, not getting beat to the punch, not letting the center when across our face, staying low and then doing our job.”

Gardner Edgerton’s defense is just as physical as the offense and is allowing 23 points per game this season. Stewart believes the Trailblazers’ defense is one of the best in the state with a healthy mix of physicality up front and speed in the secondary.

For the Firebirds’ offense, the key is trusting the scouting report and relying on its offensive line to give its skill position players a chance to succeed.

“Their defense has me losing sleep looking at the film,” Stewart said. “They’ve got a lot of dudes on that side that can run, and so for us, it’s all about just trusting the call… and doing our best to maintain our blocks and take our shots when we get a chance to take shots.”

Much like Gardner Edgerton, Stewart expects his team to also have one-on-one matchups on the offensive side of the ball, so taking advantage of these situations is also important for the offense’s success.

Over time, what has made the Trailblazers so successful is not just their play on the field, but their team discipline and forcing the other team to make more plays. Last year’s game between the two teams resulted in a 35-34 win for Free State on the final play of the game, and Stewart expects a tightly contested matchup this time around as well.

“I think it’s just understanding the competitive nature of four-quarter football — this is not a team that you’re going to beat in two quarters,” Stewart said. “If we want a chance to win, we’re going to have to win it in the fourth quarter.”

Kickoff from Free State High School is set for 7 p.m.