After falling to 47-7 to Westside in a staggering loss, Prep traveled to Norfolk to take on the Panthers in their regular season finale. The Junior Jays faced immense pressure, sitting 18th in the NSAA points standings and on the brink of playoff elimination. The Junior Jays were looking to extend their Class-A record of 31 consecutive playoff appearances.
Despite entering the game with four straight losses, the Junior Jays delivered a phenomenal performance, defeating the Panthers 45-20 and clinching a playoff spot for the 32nd consecutive season.
Two key factors contributed to Prep’s victory:
First, the Junior Jays dominated the ground game.
The Prep offense amassed a season-high 395 yards on the ground, surpassing 300 yards for the first time all season. Running back Jacob Ruby led the charge with a career-high 199 rushing yards on 26 carries, including a pivotal 58-yard touchdown to extend the Junior Jays’ lead to double digits in the fourth quarter. This marked Ruby’s first touchdown since facing Millard West in week four. Backfield partner Angelo Walker also shined, scoring two touchdowns and finding the end zone for the first time since week three. Fullback Colin Corrigan also found the endzone, scoring his first touchdown of the year.
Quarterback Tony Coniglio showcased his rushing ability, throwing only three passes but rushing for 126 yards on 14 carries, adding two touchdowns to the scoreline.
On the other side of the ball, Prep dominated in the trenches. The Panther offense was held to just 97 rushing yards, and was held to just above four yards per carry.
SecondSecondly, the Junior Jays won the turnover battle.
Panther quarterback Cole Signor had a strong performance in the first three quarters, throwing for two touchdowns and over 200 yards. However, after Ruby’s 58-yard score early in the fourth, the Junior Jay defense picked off the Panther quarterback on three straight possessions.
These interceptions eliminated any chances of a Panther comeback. The first two interceptions came on the Prep 33 and Prep 1 yard lines, halting the Panthers’ momentum and leading to Corrigan’s score. The final pick included a return to the Panthers’ 8 yard line, setting up Walker’s final score, capping off a major victory.
The impressive 45-20 victory pushed the Junior Jays to 13th in the NSAA points leaders, securing a playoff date with 4th-ranked Elkhorn South. Last week, the Storm narrowly escaped with a 28-20 victory over Papillion La-Vista South. Their lone loss is against top-ranked Omaha Westside.
Running back Gavin Shanahan leads a Storm offense that ranks second in rushing yards per game within Class-A, only behind North Platte’s triple option offense. Shanahan is third in Class-A with 1159 yards, second with 16 touchdown runs, and first with 180 attempts. Quarterback Madden Riggs has completed 59% of his passes for nearly 1400 yards, throwing for 16 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.
The Storm defense has only allowed over twenty points once and has shut out opponents three times. Linebacker Devin Meier is the force behind the Elkhorn South defense, leading the team in tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss.
Despite being the lower seed, the Junior Jays have pulled off playoff upsets before. Two years ago, the 11th seeded Junior Jays made a run to the state semifinals, taking down 6th seeded North Platte and 3rd seeded Elkhorn South behind dominant defensive efforts. The Junior Jays will have to excel in all phases to take down the Storm. However, if they play like they did against Norfolk, the Junior Jays have a shot to pull off a major upset.
THIS WEEK: 8:00 on Friday Nov 1 vs Elkhorn South @ Elkhorn Stadium
