After a heartbreaking loss to Gretna, Creighton Prep had little time to reflect before their next big matchup, facing third-ranked Millard West at Buell Stadium. The Junior Jays came into the game at 1-3 with their lone win against Millard North.
On the other hand, Millard West came into the game with their lone loss against still undefeated Millard South before getting strong wins against Omaha North and Burke. This was Prep’s fifth straight ranked matchup to open the season.
Both defenses came out and dominated throughout most of the first half. Neither offense could touch the red zone during the first half. With punt after punt, both offenses were desperate for simply anything to get them on the board. Both teams ran run-heavy offenses -with Millard West not even throwing in the first quarter – and it wasn’t working.
It seemed Millard West had finally broken through with 4 minutes left in the half, but an illegal block in the back penalty negated what would have been a 77-yard punt return touchdown from receiver/defensive back Jackson Williams.
It seemed that both teams would go into halftime knotted at 0. Quarterback Brody Peterson had other plans, as he launched a 51-yard touchdown pass to Williams, sending Prep into the locker room down 7-0.
Millard West received the second-half kickoff and kept their offensive momentum from their touchdown drive. The Wildcats took a long, methodical drive downfield before ending it with a 20-yard touchdown run from Peterson.
The Junior Jays needed something badly, anything to get them on the board. With the offense struggling, Zac McLeay took it into his own hands and took the kickoff 96 yards to finally get Prep on the board.
The Junior Jays needed a stop to keep it a one-score game, but after a 60-yard run from Bobby Joseph, Millard West had first and goal inside the Prep 5-yard line. The game seemed in peril, but the Junior Jay’s defense and special teams came through once again.
The defense forced the Wildcats to attempt a field goal, but outside linebacker Michael Sall blocked the kick, giving the Prep offense a chance to tie the game.
Unfortunately, the Prep offense still could not score, as the Junior Jays punted the ball away and entered the fourth quarter down 14-7.
The Junior Jay defense kept fighting, as just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter Prep receiver/defensive back Wyatt Lasher picked off Peterson, giving the Prep offense starting field position in Millard West territory.
Prep’s offense just could not figure out this Millard West defense, and on the following drive, Millard West iced the game with a 7-yard touchdown run from Peterson. The Junior Jays fell 20-7 after a missed extra point.
Prep’s defense held the Wildcats to 20 points, the lowest the defense has allowed all year. The special teams applied lots of pressure, forcing 2 missed field goals and returning a kick for Prep’s lone score.
The Junior Jay offense limited turnovers, but they could not score any points on this Wildcat defense. Whenever Prep got close to the red zone, penalties held them back from scoring any points. Quarterback Tony Coniglio was limited to 95 yards, and the Junior Jays were limited to 19 rushing yards. Prep’s offense needs to change something, whether that be a change in play calling or personnel, if they want to get a few more wins to end the season.
This week, Prep opens district play by hosting Burke at 7PM this Thursday at Burke High School. Burke is 0-4 on the year, and Prep is looking to get back on track toward a winning record.
