Anyone’s Race to Win
If you want a strong, competitive race for the top team this season, look no further than Class B girls. The cream is rising to the top so far, with several teams out to strong starts and looking like contenders for the state championship. If you look at the top half of our rankings, you will see some teams that will give each other fits when they meet. Three teams in particular look to be leading the pack right now. Blair, Lincoln Pius X, and Skutt are all undefeated against Class B competition so far and have looked sharp in the process. Blair and Skutt haven’t dropped a game all season. The Bears have scored 44 goals and allowed just one, while Skutt has scored 24 and hasn’t conceded in a single game. Meanwhile, Pius X, though they have lost one game to Class A #1 Lincoln Southwest, have some of the strongest wins of the season. This past week, they dismantled a very strong Bellevue West team 5-1 and previously knocked off last year’s champs, Gretna East. There is a lot still to play for this year, but those three teams are making a name for themselves, and when two of them do meet on the field, we can expect fireworks.
A Look at the Leaderboards
We’re already close to the halfway point of the regular season, so I thought it would be worth taking a look at the statistical leaderboards to see who’s on top. On the girls side, Lincoln Southwest’s Ansley Throener leads in goal scoring with 20 goals in 7 games, already surpassing her tally of 17 from last year. Throener has been a player possessed this season and has been a crucial part of Lincoln Southwest’s dominating start. It makes sense that Nebraska soccer would look to secure the high-flying forward’s commitment as soon as possible. The girl’s assist leader is a familiar name. Blair’s Cadence Field made a namer for herself last season as she was among the top scorers in the state with 30 goals as a freshman. She is still finding the net this year with 15 goals, but is sharing the wealth more than she did last season, which seems to be a clear indication of her growing game.
https://www.maxpreps.com/ne/soccer/girls/stat-leaders
On the boys side, Roncalli’s Will Preston leads the way with 13 goals. Preston has been a workhorse for the Crimson Pride throughout his high school career, but this year has been something special. He is averaging nearly two goals a game (1.9) and is no stranger to scoring in big moments. Preston stepped up to the plate during his team’s biggest game of the season, a March 28th game against Bennington, and scored three well-taken goals. On the assist leaderboard, two players are tied at the top with 9 apiece: Preston’s partner-in-crime Jordan Martinez, and Elkhorn North’s Jack Olson. Olson has been a prolific performer for the Wolves since his freshman year, and his 9 assists this season add to a career total of 16, which is a number he’ll look to build upon.
https://www.maxpreps.com/ne/soccer/stat-leaders
Class A Boys Update
Last week, I talked about how unpredictable the Class A boys scene seemed to be, and this past week’s games backed that up. Current #1 Papillion-LaVista South was pushed to the limit, pulling off a stunning comeback against Omaha Central on Tuesday. The Titans were down 2-0 with just over two minutes remaining when a free kick goal sparked a furious rally. A second goal from senior Owen Smallfield came with 57 seconds left in regulation forced overtime, where Papio-LaVista South prevailed in a shootout to preserve their perfect record.
Elsewhere, another contender’s unbeaten season came to an end in similar fashion. Lincoln Southwest played 100 scoreless minutes with Norfolk, who put on a brave defensive performance led in part by goalkeeper Isaiah Wappelhorst. The goalkeeper made 9 saves in regulation and added two more stops in the shootout to earn his team the win. If there is anything to be learned from these results, it’s that no team in Class A has yet asserted its dominance and that picking a winner at this point in the season is a near-impossible task.