Week in Review – Week 2

Lincoln Southwest’s Miguel Solano tracks the ball during their game at Creighton Prep on March 29, 2025. (Photo/Fisher Madsen)

#1 Creighton Prep 3 – #2 Lincoln Southwest 1

In their fourth game in five days, the #1 Creighton Prep Junior Jays left little doubt of who the top team in Class A is.

After defeating Omaha South two days before, the Junior Jays took down #2 Lincoln Southwest 3-1 on Saturday in a repeat of last year’s championship game. 

“(Southwest coach) Derek (Siech) does a great job,” Prep coach Tom Hoover said. “He keeps these guys really highly motivated. They don’t stop. They compete and compete. I love that kind of energy.”

The game took place in cold and rainy conditions.

“It does create a faster game with the skipping and the mistakes are more likely to happen with the ball kind of skidding past you,” Hoover said. “I would love to play in this kind of weather, when I was playing, it’s so much fun.”

It took 21 minutes for Creighton Prep to get on the board, with Jordan Igwenma heading a ball into the net.

Prep looked like it would escape the match with a win, but Southwest’s Eli Riese found an equalizer in the 67th minute to put his team on the board.

“The team that gets scored on a late tying goal like that, the tendency might be to give up a little bit and get discouraged,” Hoover said. “But the strategy is no strategy. It’s more hoping that the team responds with confidence, and the response, that was what you saw, that response for our team after a pretty demoralizing goal. (Southwest) earned it, but our guys, they just kept coming hard at it.”

Prep responded less than two minutes later with a goal from Tim Dowd

“We’re on the counter,” Dowd said. “I knew I had to get in the box and make something happen. I think I’ve been playing too defensive this year, and we have players like Jordan getting down that wing. I knew something was gonna happen.”

Around five minutes later, Jacob Szatko scored the final goal for the Junior Jays, giving them the 3-1 win.

Wednesday, Prep fell to unranked Millard North, but bounced back the very next day to beat #3 Omaha South.

Dowd called the Millard North loss a “wake up call,” and said it was a humbling experience.

“We weren’t really prepared,” Dowd said. “We weren’t ready in warm ups, but in these past two games, we really stepped it up and had our leaders help us.”

The schedule will remain tough for Prep, as they’ll take on #4 Omaha Westside next week. Meanwhile, Southwest will have two of the top teams in their conference this week, as they travel to Norfolk and host Columbus next week. 

OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS

Monday

#2 Bennington 3 – #7 Lincoln Pius X 0

Bennington’s Austin Kaiser had two goals and Beau Pick had one to help the Badgers stay undefeated. Pius meanwhile has yet to win a game against a ranked team. They won their first of the season later in the week against Norris.

Tuesday

#3 Omaha South 2 – #7 Millard West 1

Omaha South picked up a quality win Tuesday night against Millard West, with Joel Atencio and Ryan Kubiak finding the net for the Packers.

#8 Omaha Central 3 – Omaha Buena Vista 2

Buena Vista opened the game with a Sports Center-worthy goal, scoring off the opening kickoff from midfield. However, the Eagles outlasted the Bison in a potential new rivalry matchup.

B #1 Skutt 3 – A #10 S. Sioux City 2

Skutt led by two goals in the second half, before the Cardinals answered both. A late goal from Ridge Jackson iced the game for the Skyhawks.

#5 Papio South 4 – #4 Omaha Westside 1

The Titans led 1-0 at the halftime break before unleashing their attack in the second half of this state tournament rematch. Ethen Jeffers and Morgan Macke had a goal apiece for South, and Owen Smallfield added two.

#1 C. Prep 4 – #6 Elkhorn South 0

In another state tournament rematch, the Junior Jays overwhelmed Elkhorn South, with goals from four different players in their season opener.

Wednesday

Millard North 2 – #1 C. Prep 1

In the aforementioned Millard North game, the Mustangs led 2-0 in the 66th minute, before Prep scored in the waning minutes of the game. North held on to pull off the huge upset.

Thursday

#4 Omaha Westside 3 – #7 Millard West 2 (OT)

The Warriors responded to their defeat at the hands of Papio South with a quality victory over Millard West. Everest Scherlizin, Mushibar Hilowle, and Sebastian Perez all scored for Westside. A promising stat sheet for a team that lost a majority of their scoring production last season.

Hastings 1 – #3 Lexington 0

After winning the Skutt invite against the five-time defending champion Skyhawks, Lexington were unable to find a result in Hastings and obtained their first loss of the season. The Tigers scored in the second half after a scoreless first, and are undefeated.

#6 Elkhorn South 2 – #5 Papio South 1

In a top 10 matchup, the Storm battled back from a one-goal halftime deficit to secure a favorable result. Lane Keiper and Ryan Siemek both scored for Elkhorn South.

Friday

#6 Mt. Michael 1 – Gretna East 0 (SO)

After a scoreless regulation and overtime, Mount Michael defeated Gretna East in a shootout. With the win, the Knights remain undefeated. 

Saturday

#2 Bennington 3 – # 8 Roncalli 0

Bennington rose to the occasion in their third ranked matchup of the young season to preserve their undefeated season. Standout Austin Kaiser had a pair of goals and Kade Olbrich added one of his own. Meanwhile, Roncalli had their first loss of the season and have two ranked matchups on the radar.

B #3 Lexington 3 – A #10 S. Sioux City 1

Lexington has proven themselves time and time again as a team who can get it done in extra time. In their fourth overtime game of the season, Lexington scored twice in extra time for their third ranked win of the season. South Sioux City’s record drops to 1-3 with the loss.

Grand Island 2 – B #1 Skutt 0

Grand Island showed they mean business in their second ranked win of the season. Freshman Eddy Ramirez-Gamero scored his second goal of the season and Kevin Sanchez added one of his own. The Islanders had a total of six shots on goal.

Bennington’s Nico Smith dribbles the ball during their game at Omaha Roncalli on March 29, 2025. (Photo/Fisher Madsen)

GIRLS

Monday

Elkhorn North 2 – #5 Elkhorn 1

Elkhorn North put the state on notice after securing a result against cross-district rival Elkhorn. Last year, Elkhorn won their lone matchup. This year, the result secured Elkhorn North’s undefeated status, while the Antlers are still in search of their first win.

Norfolk 2 – #5 Columbus 1

It was not a good day for #5 ranked teams and 2-1 results, as Norfolk upset Columbus the same night. The Panthers battled back from an 0-1 halftime deficit to earn the win.

Tuesday

Millard North 1 – Westside 0

The Mustangs found a goal and held on late against the Warriors. North won their other matchup on the week to advance to 2-0 on the season, while Westside has yet to find a win this year.

#8 Millard South 1 – Omaha South 1 (SO)

Millard South narrowly avoided an upset on the road after not finding a result in regulation. The Patriots limited the Packers to just two shots on goal on the night. 

#2 Lincoln Pius X 5 – #8 Gretna 2

Pius, a low-scoring team known for defense, managed to leave Gretna with a win in a very un-Pius like fashion. Pius allowed multiple goals for the first time since March 15, 2024, and scored three or more goals in a ranked matchup since April 19, 2023.

Thursday

B #1 Gretna East 5 – A #7 Millard West 2

Gretna East continued their tear through the state against Millard West. Sonora De Fini had two goals, while the Dobberstien twins had one apiece. Sophomore Lily Frederick had a goal as well, showing that the Griffins’ reign is likely not lost with their senior class.

Bellevue West 1 – #2 Marian 1 (SO)

After their blowout win against last year’s Class B runner-up, the Thunderbirds cemented their case as a top ten team after defeating Marian in a shootout. Bellevue West also defeated #10 Papio La Vista earlier in the week.

#7 Bennington 1 – #4 Norris 0

The Badgers kept Norris out of the net and out of the win column on the season with their result Thursday. Sophomore Claire Miller scored in the first half and Bennington did not look back.

#6 Elkhorn South 2 – #8 Millard South 1

The Storm were able to secure their first ranked win of the season at Millard South after a 3-0 loss to Marian in their season opener. Meanwhile, Millard South still is in search of their first ranked win of the season.

Saturday

A #7 Millard West 1 -B #3 Skutt 1 (SO)

It’s been a great season for shootout fans this season, with yet another ranked shootout final taking place Saturday. Freshman Madison Huttiger assisted freshman Carly Mohatt on the Wildcats’ only goal of the game. The win gives Millard West their first against a ranked team, and Skutt their first loss.

#1 Lincoln Southwest 3 – #2 Marian 2

Marian led Southwest 2-1 at the half, before Southwest stormed back and took the lead in the second half. With the win, Southwest remains undefeated heading into their matchup with #3 Lincoln East next Thursday. Meanwhile, Marian’s record worsened to 2-2 on the year.

Conestoga’s Ella Tegels (8) celebrates a goal with Mya Kelley (3) during their game against Omaha North at Benson High School on March 29, 2025. (Photo/Fisher Madsen)