Actual written down math equations will always beat your blabber. You don't appear to even understand the matter, though. Here you go.

"Free fall" speed is not 32 ft/s2. That's the acceleration.

The speed may be considered as 32 ft/sec for the first second, 64 ft/sec for the 2nd section, and so forth. We're using 8th grade here, so no calculus. But it still works fine.
v (ft/sec) = 32(ft/sec2) * t(sec)

As the speed doubles, the kinetic energy quadruples.
e = 1/2*m*t^2

That "friction" that you keep harping about does not have to be zero. It could be a small amount, or a moderate amount. It's only in your head that it has to be zero. I repeat your assertion. "It is required, because if there was resistance, some of the energy held in the velocity of the downward acceleration would be lost in the destruction of the internal infrastructure as it fell, resulting in the slowing of its fall. ..."

Obviously, this "slowing of v" is trivial. It might have a significant effect on the 1st second. Say that is 1 second longer. It will then have 1/4 that effect on the 2nd second, 1/9 on the 3rd and so forth.

The series described is 1/2, 1/4, 1/9, 1/16, 1/25. That is the Basel problem, first solved in 1734. I confess to thinking it would be beyond 8th graders capabilities, and started to just suggest something less that 1.7 seconds.

But then I found this dude.

Ikhwan Mirza Hafiz
i'm 13 and i like maths and science. Assuming eight graders are 13, I guess I can continue.

The answer is pi squared / 6, or 1.644934066848.

Explaining what this means. Even with serious "friction", you will never have more than 1.64 seconds added to the descent time.