Free State’s girls golf team has been preparing for the state tournament all year, even if it didn’t realize it. The Firebirds have done a better job of getting more practice holes in on a daily basis this season. They have cut down their time on the driving range, working on specific ...
Coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2018 Class 6A state girls tennis tournament, Free State junior Keegan VanPelt felt confident in how much she could improve in the offseason. “I noticed that (state is) really hard and that I have to keep working,” VanPelt said. “And I put in the ...
Free State senior Charlie Johnson kicked it into high gear once he saw a teammate’s mother. Susie Fagan, who is the mother of senior Erin Fagan, cheered loudly for Johnson on a steep downhill slope Saturday morning at Rim Rock Farm. It was all the motivation that Johnson needed to run a time ...
Just as Shawnee Mission East seemed to be getting back into the game, momentum swung once again in Free State’s favor, as Firebird junior running back Tyler Bowden broke off an explosive 80-yard touchdown down the left sideline. The reliable legs of Bowden and Free State’s opportunistic ...
Free State senior Colter Maldonado has had experience playing safety. And that has made the midseason position change much easier. Entering the year, Maldonado was taking a bulk of the reps at quarterback in the first year with Kevin Stewart at the helm. But an injury forced the Firebirds to ...
Free State’s volleyball team has known since last Thursday, but it waited until the end of Sunflower League play to officially say anything about it. On Tuesday, FSHS volleyball posted a team picture on social media to announce that it had won the Sunflower League title. The Firebirds, who ...
As soon as the final whistle blew at the end of the second overtime, it was clear both Free State and Lawrence High were gassed. “We had a couple (players) that started that came up with some cramps, so we needed people to step up off the bench, which they did,” Free State senior forward ...
Behind a balanced effort, Free State’s girls golf team secured a second-place finish at the 6A regional meet Monday afternoon at Lake Shawnee Golf Course. All six players finished inside the top 19 for the Firebirds, who qualified for the 6A state tournament as a team with their runner-up ...
Free State’s girls tennis team will be sending three athletes to the Class 6A state tournament. One singles player and one doubles team qualified for the final meet of the year for the Firebirds after a strong showing at regionals. FSHS claimed second place as a team Saturday afternoon at ...
The cross-country course at Haskell University may have been altered slightly, but that doesn’t mean any runners lost any familiarity. “Honestly it just feels like I know what to expect, which — even if it’s not true — it makes me feel like I have an edge on the competition,” Free ...
Free State's football team notched its fourth win in a row, including third consecutive road game, by taking down Olathe South Friday night at Olathe District Activity Center. Photos by Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Journal-World
With temperatures in the low 40s on a frigid Friday night at Olathe District Activity Center, Free State bullied its way to a 28-7 win over Olathe South. The Firebirds leaned on their ground game behind a solid showing from an offensive line that overcame multiple injuries, while the defense ...
One Sunday morning in late June really tells the whole story. Free State senior Marcus Preston was running drills with his family. Jordan Preston, who is now a quarterback at KU, was throwing to his younger brother. The two had linked up multiple times at Mill Valley the year before. The ...
Free State's volleyball team earned a 3-0 win over Lawrence High Tuesday night at FSHS on Oct. 8, 2019. Photos by Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Journal-World
Even when the Veritas volleyball team was on the verge of losing, senior Emma Boulton wasn’t worried. The Eagles were coming off a two-set loss (25-22, 25-14) to Kansas City East Christian Academy and had even dropped the first set (25-23) in the final match of the triangular against host ...
Even before Tuesday’s match started, the energy inside the Free State gym was palpable. That energy propelled Free State volleyball to a 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-13, 25-20) over Lawrence High in the City Showdown. “It definitely helped build a lot of momentum, especially when we went on long ...
Free State junior kicker Joey Wood ran around the field with 1:45 left in the first half, seemingly in disbelief after the Firebirds recovered their own kickoff. They capitalized on the opportunity, too, with Free State senior quarterback Malik Berry finding senior wide receiver Tae Rainey for ...
Free State head coach Kevin Stewart remembers being perplexed the first time he saw film of running back Tyler Bowden. At the time, which was two years ago, Stewart was preparing for the state championship game as the defensive coordinator for Blue Valley North. He was watching film on Derby, ...
Even though it is October, a sudden drop into cooler weather made things a bit tricky at the Sunflower League girls tennis tournament Thursday. “Well, it’s definitely weird when I go to serve because I don’t have as much movement in my arms,” Lawrence High senior Lilli Derby said. ...
Free State’s volleyball team picked up a pair of wins at Shawnee Mission West Tuesday night. The Firebirds swept both of their opponents, taking down Shawnee Mission West (25-17, 25-14) and Olathe West (25-17, 25-14) on the night to stay on a roll. FSHS (16-9) has now won eight of its ...