2nd-ranked Creighton Prep soccer defeated top-seeded Lincoln Southwest 3-1 in a dominant victory to win their second straight state championship.
“Just gratitude. So impressed with the boys tonight”, head coach Tom Hoover told Jay Journal’s Alex Tietjen after the game.
Hoover had all to be thankful for following one of the Junior Jays best performances of the season.
This performance was marked by dominance on both ends of the pitch.
The Prep defense played their best game of the tournament. After struggling in their first two outings, they held one of the state’s top offenses to 1 goal, tying the Silverhawks lowest total of the season. They allowed a season low 2 shots on goal.
Jack Johnson led a potent offense that scored three goals and had 18 shots on goal against a Silverhawk defense that had not conceded any goals the entire tournament. The senior forward opened the scoring right before the halftime intermission with a header off of a corner kick from Sean Stratman.
”There’s nothing like it. It’s a dream come true”, Johnson told Tietjen. “There’s no way else I’d want to go out”.
Johnson played a role in the next two goals as well. Forward Jordan Igwenma scored off of a deflection after Johnson unleashed a shot. Johnson then sealed the game himself with a goal in the 72nd minute. He scored off a through ball from Drew Monzu, giving Prep a two-goal lead they’d never give back.
Heroics from Lincoln Southwest goalie Dylan Beiermann were the main reason the Silverhawks kept the game close. He had a career high 12 saves, stopping what looked like sure goals for the Junior Jays.
“He really played an epic, historic game”, Hoover said after the game.
This performance marks the end of a historic season for Creighton Prep soccer. A 20-1 record marks their best record since 2016, and their lone loss to Lincoln Southwest was avenged in the state championship. They went 10-1 against ranked opponents.
Most importantly, the Junior Jays won their 11th state championship. This separates them from Omaha Skutt (who won their 10th earlier in the evening) as the lone holder of the record for most state soccer championships. The future for Prep looks bright as well. Sophomore Igwenma led the Junior Jays in assists while being second in goals. Fellow sophomores Louis Tokporo, Connor Lodes, and Tim Dowd all got significant minutes. The defense returns some juniors, including starting center back Brody Brakke and goalie Alec Sibbernsen.
This soccer season will be remembered for quite some time. Not only did the Junior Jays dominate the regular season, but their state championship cements them as one of the best teams in Creighton Prep history.
