Boys Basketball Season Preview
Nate Ankenbauer, Sports Reporter
December 21, 2019
Coach Sam Stroh and the varsity boys basketball team have tipped off their season in the Hays City Shootout, placing third out of eight teams. They started their season off with a 59 to 35 win over Millwood, Oklahoma. The win booked them a trip to the semifinals where they would play Manhattan. ...
Playoff Prep: Football team makes progress towards state
Chase Overton, Sports Reporter
October 21, 2019
Free State’s varsity football squad kicked off the season with six wins and one loss, ranking them tied for second in the Sunflower League. Currently, the team is still adjusting to new head coach Kevin Stuart and an unfamiliar playbook. Members possess immense individual talent on both sides of the bal...
Football team adapts to new leadership, upholds past priorities
Anthony Barberena, Sports Reporter
October 6, 2019
The ambitions of Free State football have remained the same since its establishment: dominate competition and demonstrate sportsmanship. With past head coach Bob Lisher announcing his retirement last year along with key senior graduating, multiple coaches and players have stepped up to fulfill the team...
‘Just treading water, dude’: Baseball ready to prove they deserve no. 1 ranking
Jax Egan, Sports Editor
May 16, 2019
At the Free State baseball alumni game earlier this season, former Sunflower League MVP Ryne Price brought one message to the Firebirds baseball team that stuck with them. “Ryne said something like ‘Just treading water, dude,’ so we’ve all taken that to heart,” senior pitcher Jake Zenger said...
Firebirds suffer season-ending loss in State basketball tournament
Jax Egan, Sports Editor
March 9, 2019
While maybe not as easily as in previous seasons, for the third consecutive year Coach Sam Stroh took his Firebirds to the state tournament, this time as the eighth seed. After a seemingly endless defensive battle, Washburn Rural High School finally prevailed over the Firebirds in overtime, 45-54, ending the season...
Sophomore Cole Anderson plays for all-dwarf basketball team
Sabrina Castle, Editor-in-Chief
March 2, 2019
Born with Achondroplasia—a genetic disorder which causes dwarfism—sophomore Cole Anderson has always been different from his peers. While his appearance is a large part of his identity, Anderson stands out for much more than his height. Known for having a positive attitude, Anderson has ...
A Coach’s Coach: The Life and Legacy of Bob Lisher
Jax Egan, Sports Editor
December 18, 2018
It’s not common for one person to stay at one job for 22 consecutive years. It’s even less common for one person to live in one place their entire life. But don’t tell Bob Lisher that. After a historic 37-year coaching career in the state of Kansas, 22 of them at Free State, the Firebird...
Game Preview: Free State vs. Manhattan
Ahmed Jakmouj, Sports Reporter
November 9, 2018
Following a 51-27 victory over Haysville Campus in the second round, the 10-0 Firebirds look to take down the 9-1 Manhattan Indians. Last season, Free State was eliminated in this round of the playoffs by the Derby Panthers. This year the Firebirds have to beat a strong Manhattan defense to advance ...
Game Recap: Free State vs. Haysville Campus
Hayden Robinson, Co-Sports Editor
November 7, 2018
Taking care of business on their home field yet again, the Free State football team brought their record to 9-0 by defeating Haysville Campus, 51-27. Coming off a 61-point effort last week against Wichita North, the Firebirds had no trouble picking up where they left off, clicking on offense all...
Game Preview: Free State vs. Haysville Campus
Jax Egan, Co-Sports Editor
November 2, 2018
After handily defeating the Wichita North Redskins by a score of 63-18, the Firebirds will now face opponent Haysville Campus in the second round. The Haysville Colts finished their regular season with a 5-3 record, but looking at their schedule tells a more impressive story with their losses to D...
Game Preview: Free State vs. Wichita North
Jax Egan, Reporter
October 26, 2018
After beating Lawrence High School in the final game to complete an undefeated season, the Firebirds will take on a struggling Wichita North in the first round of the 6A State Playoffs. The exact same series of events happened to end the previous regular season, too. Last year the Firebirds beat ...
Football Forecast
Ahmed Jakmouj, Reporter
September 28, 2018
During the off-season, the football team was ranked third in the state by SportsinKansas and #1 by CatchitKansas after finishing 10-1 in 2017. Last year’s successful season ending in a heartbreaking playoff loss has put pressure on the team to outdo their performance. As they prepared for the season, the team tried not to let the pressure affect ...
Maya Pavlyak and Emma Hardesty, Photo Editor and Photographer
December 2, 2019
Baya Burgess and Isabel Janssen, Photographer
November 12, 2019
Isis Norris, Maya Pavlyak, and Emma Hardesty, Photo Editor, Photo Editor, and Photographer
November 5, 2019
Elana Ho, Photographer
October 30, 2019
Emily Zeller, Design Editor
November 6, 2019
Emily Zeller, Designer
October 15, 2019
Chloe Stafre, Designer
May 17, 2019
Photos by: Maya Pavlyak, Riley Boehle