With a 5-2 victory over #2 Millard North, top-ranked Creighton Prep won their second consecutive and tenth total Metro Conference Soccer Tournament championship. The title pushed the Junior Jays’ record to 11-1, the best record in Class A, ahead of a matchup against #7 Millard West.
The Junior Jays opened the tournament with a 10-0 win over Bellevue East. The Junior Jays unleashed 47 shots and 29 shots on goal, both season highs. Jordan Igwenma scored a hat trick, Connor Lodes found the net twice, and Drew Gotch, Josh Franco, Landon McKinney, and Caleb Pick scored once.
Despite all that, this game will be remembered for senior goalie Shane Borman’s late goal. Earlier this season, Borman suffered a shoulder injury that would require season-ending surgery. With a commanding lead in the final minutes, he was subbed in as a forward for his final time as a Junior Jay. In the final seconds, the Chieftains committed a handball outside their penalty box. Then, on his final kick of the season, Borman unleashed a bending rocket, curving around the wall and into the bottom corner, sealing one of the most dramatic and emotional goals in Prep history. The bench erupted, storming the field to mob Borman in celebration, capping off a dominant 10-0 victory in the most unforgettable way possible.
The Junior Jays followed up their win with a 6-1 quarterfinal victory over rival Omaha Westside. This game was all Igwenma. The forward was on the gas from the start, scoring on a header just three minutes into the game. He’d then record a career-high four goals, joining Jack Johnson (2024) and James Narke (2014) as the only Junior Jays to score four times in a game since 2010. Goals from Tim Dowd and Jude Van Bell extended the Junior Jays’ lead.
On the other end of the field, goalie Alec Sibbernsen performed at an elite level. Sibbernsen recorded 11 saves, entering double digits for the second time in his career. Outside of the Warriors’ lone goal coming from Ellis Oksman, Sibbernsen put on a clinic, securing the victory.
In the semifinals, the Junior Jays recorded their fifth shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory over Millard West. Sibbernsen and Louis Harrington both got time in goal, combining for seven saves while the defense controlled possession and stalled the Wildcat’s offense throughout the day.
On the offensive end, the Junior Jays continued their hot streak. Lodes opened the scoring with a volley after a miscue from the Wildcat defense. Later in the first half, Igwenma and Drew Monzu each scored off assists from Gabe Vaughan. Igwenma scored his second after beating Wildcat goalie Christian Pogue one-on-one before McKinney ended the day’s scoring with a counterattack goal.
The semifinal victory set the Junior Jays up with a familiar foe in the Metro Tournament finale: Millard North. Not only did these two play in the 2021 and 2023 Metro Tournaments, but the Mustangs handed the Junior Jays their lone loss this season.
With the title on the line, the Junior Jays delivered a dominant 5-2 victory. The first half was chaotic, with a combined six goals between both sides. Igwenma opened the scoring with a twisting volley before Millard North’s Tin Oo knotted the game at one. In the final 13 minutes, the Junior Jays scored thrice. Louis Tokporo beat Mustang goalie Carter Wiebusch in a one-on-one, Igwenma scored his second on a flying header, and Van Bell found the net off a Vaughan assist. In the final minute, Mustang forward Braden Schwinch cut the Junior Jays’ lead to two, scoring past Sibbernsen.
In the second half, the pace slowed down and the Junior Jay defense took over. Defensive captain Brody Brakke led a Creighton Prep unit that held the Mustangs to a season-low in shots while shutting them out in the second half. The Junior Jays capped their 5-2 title victory with a Jacob Szatko goal off an ankle-breaking assist from Igwenma.
As the Junior Jays enter the back half of the season, two questions linger:
First, just how far can the Junior Jays go? It felt impossible to improve upon last year’s 20-1 season, but it’s possible this year’s squad could. The Junior Jays are averaging 4.2 goals per game, an increase from last year’s 3.4 while matching last year’s 0.8 goals allowed per game. The Junior Jays have only gotten better as the season goes on, as they outscored their Metro Tournament opponents 26-3. They’ve been #1 in Nebraska throughout the season and have entered the top 50 nationally. At their current pace, this year’s squad is well on their way to a third straight state championship and might cement themselves as one of the greatest soccer teams in Creighton Prep history.
Secondly, can Igwenma be stopped? The junior is producing at an astonishing rate this season. Through 12 games, he leads Class-A with 20 goals and is second with 10 assists. The gap between Igwenma’s 50 points and second place in Class-A is the same as the gap between second and thirteenth.
At this point, Igwenma is chasing history. Despite only playing 12 games, Igwenma’s 50 points is the most by a Junior Jay in a single season since 2010. His 20 goals are second among Junior Jays’ since 2010 behind USMNT forward Duncan McGuire, who scored 21 in 2018. Not only could he shatter Creighton Prep records, but he could set Nebraska history. The Class-A record for goals in a season is 35, set by Fremont’s Nolan Dillon in 2017. If the Junior Jays make the state final, Igwenma would need to score two goals per game to break that record.
This Creighton Prep squad has unmatched potential in Nebraska Class-A. They’ve dominated opponents throughout the season, outscoring them by an average of 3.4 goals per game, and are playing their best right now. With Igwenma’s record-breaking numbers alongside a top defense in the state, this team could become the first Class-A boys squad to capture the elusive three-peat in the state tournament.
