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Photo Credit: Nick Smith/PrepsKC

Free State and Shawnee Mission East lived up to the hype on Friday night as the Free State outlasted the Lancers 36-30.

These two teams surely would love to see each other again at the end of November. Not speaking for Free State coach Bob Lisher, but Shawnee Mission East coach Justin Hoover sure would like a rematch.

“I definitely want another shot at them because that means we’re playing for a state title,” Hoover said. “It’s a message that we’ll have as this group continues to grow and as we continue to climb is that, ‘From here on out, we don’t lose.’ That’s the way this thing works. I understand Week 8 being a regular season game, but our mindset right now is that we’re moving forward with the idea that we don’t lose from here on out.”

Free State went down 19-6 early, but Lisher liked how his team and go into the locker room ahead 20-19 in large part thanks to Keenan Garber, who intercepted an Andy Maddox pass on third and 10 and took it to the Lancer 32 with .8 seconds left.

On the final play of the half, Malik Berry threw it to the front corner of the end zone and Garber went up with three defenders on him to bring the ball in for the score.

“That’s what we told them in the huddle: Throw it to him,” Lisher said. “Let him make a play. We were going to put him in the corner of the end zone and there were three guys on him and he came out with it. That’s what we wanted to see. He’s a big-time receiver for a reason.

“It lifted my spirits, I hope it lifted theirs. The offensive line may not have thought it lifted my spirits at halftime; we had a little chat. We came out and did better in the second half.”

It was his third of four scores on the evening as he had scores of 48 and 50 yards in the first half and added a 26-yard catch in the third quarter.

“We’ve had to overcome adversity a little bit here and there this year, but not like that,” Lisher said. “That’s a good team to come back like that against. That’s something we have to build on and feel proud of. To come back and win that game – it wasn’t pretty the way we started.”

Part of the reason for the lackluster start was Shawnee Mission East’s front seven made didn’t give Jax Dineen anywhere to run. Lisher said the Lancer defensive line did a nice job protecting the linebackers from being blocked. 

Hoover said what led to the 13-point lead was playing with a sense of urgency from the opening kickoff on both sides of the football. He said the emphasis all week was starting fast.

“From a schematic standpoint, I think we played our game early on and really played to attack and we weren’t going to sit back and wait back for them to do something,” Hoover said. “We were just going to attack, and we did that early.”

On its opening drive following a turnover on downs in Free State territory, the Lancers drove down to kick a field goal to take a 3-0. It was the first deficit the Firebirds had faced all season.

The lead grew to 10 after a Berry fumbled was scooped up at the Free State 23 by Shawnee Mission East. Two plays later, Tony Friends was in the end zone. 

After Garber’s first score, the Lancers were gifted a safety on a bad snap on a punt in the Free State end zone. The Lancers extended the 12-6 lead to 19-6 with a 30-yard pass from Maddox to Ryan Hess.

In the second half, Garber opened the scoring with his fourth touchdown, only to be answered 17 seconds later by Friends on a 69-yard run. The Lancers converted the two-point conversation as Maddox hit Rashaun Burney to tie the game at 27.

Dineen found the end zone on the next drive on a four-yard run, but a bad snap and hold on the point after to give Free State a six-point lead.

The Lancers tied to cut the lead to three, but a bad snap on the 24-yard field goal attempt by Parker Willis halted that opportunity. The Lancers gave the ball right back on a fumble and Willis connected on a 41-yard field goal with 6:29 left in the game.

Free State started to move the ball and milk clock, but on first and second down inside the Shawnee Misison East 30, the Lancers brought pressure and was able to pick off Berry on second down. However, on the very next play, Maddox was picked off and Free State ran the ball down to kick a 30-yard field goal.

Free State finishes the regular season at home against rival Lawrence next week. Shawnee Mission East travels to Olathe West.