Creighton Prep’s Connor Lodes (6) dribbles the ball while defended by Omaha South’s Ryan Kubiak (16) during their match in South Omaha on March 27, 2025. (Photo/Fisher Madsen)
As Chumbawumba’s 1997 hit song “Tubthumping” goes, “I get knocked down, but I get up again.”
After unranked Millard North knocked them down 2-1, the #1 Creighton Prep Junior Jays got up again in a statement 2-1 win of their own against #3 Omaha South in NEST’s Game of the Week.
“Millard North was an outstanding opponent,” Creighton Prep coach Tom Hoover said. “It got our guys’ attention. I think we’ve been full of ourselves. I think we started to believe the headlines… so once they got humbled a bit, which does a good team a good service, that was okay. I hate saying that I like losing, but I didn’t mind what it could bring us to.”
Prep had one day to turn around from their match against Millard North, and had to play in front of a packed Omaha South crowd. It took 27 minutes for Prep to get on the board off a corner kick own goal. With a minute remaining in the first half, preseason Player of the Year candidate Jordan Igwenma capitalized on an opportunity to give the Junior Jays a 2-0 lead leading into the halftime break.
“It was just a matter of determination,” Hoover said. “and with young people like this. If you can kind of light a fire on them and remind them of the greatness in them… Remind them that there’s something new that you can reach.”
The Packers did not go away in the second half, with Yerai Vargas capitalizing on an open Prep box to put his team within one in the 47th minute.
Prep’s Jude Van Bell (20) tracks the ball while defended by South’s Hugo Hernandez (2) during their match in South Omaha on March 27, 2025. (Photo/Fisher Madsen)
“Our halftime message was that ‘you know they’re not gonna go away,’” Hoover said. “That’s hat we love about playing South, they’re one of our most respected opponents. They always make us better.”
With just 11 minutes left, South defender Jesus Gonzales was shown a red card, helping Prep outlast South for the final minutes of the game.
The game was Prep’s third in as many days. The Junior Jays were also relying on third-string goalkeeper Luther Harrington after injuries to both varsity goalies.
The Class A gauntlet does not get easier for Prep, as they host #2 Lincoln Southwest on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s state championship game.
“We’ll have to get our heads right pretty quickly,” Hoover said. “And not let the stupor of this lull us into complacency like ‘we’ve arrived again.’ Lincoln Southwest will remind us that there are a lot of great teams out there. I have no concerns about them looking past anybody from now on.
Meanwhile, the Packers will host Lincoln North Star on Saturday. After that, they will face Millard South, Elkhorn South, and #4 Omaha Westside.
Prep’s record improves to 2-1 and South falls to 1-1 on the year.
Fisher Madsen is a contributor for Nebraska Soccer Talk, currently studying Sports Media at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
