Player of the YearJD Woods, LawrenceThe Sunflower League’s leading rusher, Woods made a weekly occurrence of explosive plays for touchdowns. He finished the year with 1,667 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging more than eight yards per carry, to help the Lions to a spot in the state ...
Runner of the YearRyan Liston, Free StateListon became the first Free State runner to win a Sunflower League championship, and he followed it up with a regional title. He won four races this season and has committed to run for Kansas University next year. Coach of the YearMike Spielman, ...
Player of the YearAsher Huseman, TonganoxieA dynamic player with strong field vision, Huseman led the Chieftains with 26 goals and 16 assists this season. The first-team all-state and All-Kaw Valley League selection scored a school-record 62 goals over his three-year career. Coach of the ...
Emporia ? Three Free State High wrestlers earned top-four placings in their respective weight classes on Saturday at the Emporia Winter Classic.Free State senior Shayn Morris finished in second place at 113 pounds, losing by a 3-1 decision in the championship to Pittsburg’s Tyler Kester. ...
Kudos to Free State High coach Chuck Law for employing a turn-back-the-clock, clock-eating strategy, and especially to his players for having the discipline to execute their coach’s game plan remarkably well.Shockingly, visiting Lawrence High had to come from behind to defeat underdog Free ...
Free State High’s boys basketball team entered Friday with a plan to stop Lawrence High’s explosive offense. It included packing the paint on defense and slowing the tempo down on offense. For three quarters, it worked to perfection in the City Showdown. The Firebirds led by two, and the ...
Free State sophomore Madison Piper was not about to let an illness or any player from Lawrence High stop her from leading the Firebirds to a victory in the girls basketball City Showdown on Friday at FSHS.Piper scored 19 of her 21 points in the first half and knocked down five three-pointers to ...
When high school basketball coaches get move-in transfers, they never know what they are going to get or how they’ll transition to their team.Free State High girls basketball coach Bryan Duncan met senior forward Sarah Coversup at the beginning of the school year as her school counselor and ...
Olathe ? Free State High’s boys swimming and diving team took fourth place among 18 teams, while Lawrence High finished seventh at the Olathe Invitational on Friday night. Senior Jack Ziegler highlighted the Firebirds’ performance by taking second place in the 50 freestyle and fifth in the ...
Shawnee ? Free State High freshman Tate Steele won three matches and took first place at 106 pounds in the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational on Saturday. Steele, who to 9-0 on the year, won by fall over Wasburn Rural’s Gunnar Murray in the finals. Free State’s Cameron Shanks took ...
Lansing ? Free State High’s girls basketball team raised its record to 4-0 with a 59-51 victory over Lansing on Saturday.Madison Piper led the Firebirds with 16 points, Sarah Coversup added 13 points, and Jaycie Bishop scored 10.Free State trailed 18-10 after one quarter but outscored Lansing ...
Free State High’s boys basketball players were supposed to have trouble defending Mill Valley’s post players Friday. The Jaguars have a rotation that includes two 6-foot-7 forwards and another that is 6-foot-5. But the Firebirds flipped the script. It didn’t matter that they don’t have ...
Free State High senior Sarah Coversup admitted she was nervous when she stepped to the free-throw line in a tie game with under 30 seconds left on Friday. But after a deep breath, she settled in and drained the two free throws to lift the girls basketball team to a 42-40 road victory against ...
Manhattan ? Free State High’s boys swimming and diving team won the Manhattan triangular on Wednesday at the Kansas State Natatorium. The Firebirds picked up 212 points in the tri, edging Lawrence High (158 points) and Manhattan (156 points). They were lifted by victories in all three relays, ...
Two Free State High athletes signed their letters of intent to play college sports in the school’s library on Wednesday. Senior Paige Corcoran, a libero for the Firebirds’ volleyball team, signed with Johnson County Community College, and senior Lily Ross, an infielder for the softball ...
Topeka ? Free State High’s wrestling team won both of its matches in a double dual on Tuesday. The Firebirds beat Topeka High, 49-36, and topped Royal Valley, 45-27. They are now 3-1 in dual competition this season. FSHS will compete in the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational at 9 a.m. ...
Kansas City, Mo. ? Sophomore Madison Piper scored 18 points to guide Free State High’s girls basketball team to a 49-29 victory over Kansas City (Mo.) Central Academy on Tuesday.Jaycie Bishop joined Piper in double figures with 10 and knocked down both of Free State’s three-pointers.Free ...
Leavenworth ? Two city high school wrestlers took first place in their respective weight classes at the Leavenworth Challenger on Saturday afternoon. Lawrence High junior Alan Clothier, the defending Class 6A state champion at 182 pounds, won all four of his matches to take first place, and ...
The 1-2 punch of sophomore Madison Piper and senior Sarah Coversup powered the Free State High girls basketball team to a 61-44 victory over Topeka on Friday in the Firebirds’ season opener at FSHS.The Firebirds and Trojans were deadlocked at 17 early in the second quarter before Free State ...
Olathe ? Free State High’s wrestling team split its matches in a double dual against Olathe East and Bishop Miege on Wednesday in Olathe. The Firebirds lost to Olathe East, 42-33, before beating Miege, 57-18. Isaiah Jacobs and Gage Foster both picked up two wins throughout the day, while Tate ...