The Precap is back!!!  This is the third (and, unfortunately, the last) year I’ll be previewing Prep’s football games, and this year looks extraordinarily promising for the Junior Jays.  They did open the season with a loss against Westside, but that game had some encouraging signs that bode well for the rest of the year.  Prep will start trying to follow those signs against unranked Papillion La Vista this Thursday night (unless the rain gets too bad).

Papillion La Vista also looked like they were going to enter this matchup with a loss-for two quarters.  Whatever the halftime adjustments were, they were good ones, because the Monarchs scored 28 straight points against their rival Papillion South.  They then stopped a two point conversion late in the fourth quarter to preserve a 28-26 win.  

The Monarchs’ senior quarterback Nick Chanez had a great night, going 16/22 for 241 yards and 4 touchdowns, all 4 of them to different receivers.  His favorite target was senior Caleb Walker, who caught 3 passes and took them for 68 yards and a score.  The Monarchs also got some great contributions from their sophomore running back Payton Prestito, who touched the ball 23 times (runs and catches) and used those touches to get 152 total yards and 2 touchdowns.  

Meanwhile, the Junior Jays were stuck in the mud (and the rain) for most of the opener against the 2nd-ranked Warriors of Westside.  Senior quarterback Jack Piernicky struggled for most of the night, going 4 of 24 and throwing 2 interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown by Westside’s sophomore cornerback Teddy Rezac).  Thanks to those interceptions and a catch-and-run by Dom Rezac (Teddy’s older brother), Prep went down 17-0 before the first quarter was over.

From there, the game looked much better for the Junior Jays.  Junior Marty Brown’s first varsity game was a success, with 21 carries for 61 yards and a score.  Another junior running back, George Egan, had 5 carries for 20 yards.  The defense also stepped up, allowing just 2 field goals after the first quarter and scoring a safety after a botched Westside punt.  However, it wasn’t enough as the Junior Jays fell, 23-8.

This game will be a classic case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.  Prep’s defensive line is among the best in Nebraska and held Westside’s quarterback Kolby Brown to just 7/21 passing for 94 yards.  Meanwhile, Papillion La Vista appeared unstoppable in the third quarter of their game against the Titans and has a senior-heavy receiving corps.  If their line can give Nick Chanez plenty of time to throw, it could be a long night for the Prep defense.  

Another thing that has to be mentioned is the rain.  It’s bad enough that the broadcast won’t happen, so it will definitely affect the game.  This plays right into Prep’s hands, as their strongest games happen when the power running is working and the other offense is stuck in the mud.  If the rain forces the Monarchs into 3 fumbles like they had last week, Prep should run away with this one.  

My final prediction is 28-10 Creighton Prep.