Rivalries bring added fun and excitement to sports. They elicit passion and spirit beyond the normal enthusiasm for sports. Tonight, the Westside varsity football team will play Creighton Prep in the next chapter of arguably the best and biggest rivalry in the Omaha Metro.

Coming into the game against No. 2 Creighton Prep, Westside is 1-0 and ranked No. 6, after a 24-7 win against Central High School. Creighton Prep is 1-0 coming off of a 25-7 win over Burke High School. Last season, when Creighton Prep beat Westside at Burke 35-30, both teams came in 1-0, with Westside ranked No. 10 and Creighton Prep ranked No. 8.

Creighton Prep returns their top play makers from last season. Senior quarterback Easton Stick and senior wide receiver RJ Urzendowski, players who were main contributors in the Creighton Prep win last year, are back for their senior seasons. Stick, who is 6-2, 210 pounds and runs a 4.6 second 40-yard dash, completed  86-150 passes for 13 touchdowns and only one interception last year. He picked up where he left off by throwing for 172 yards and rushing for 109 yards. Urzendowski, Sitck’s primary target, amassed 1,069 receiving yards last season, a Creighton Prep record. Last week, he led the Junior Jays in receiving with 85 yards.

To stop Stick and Urzendowski, assistant coach Rick McKeever said the defense will be focusing on containing Stick, who thrives in scrambling situations, and bringing a man to help on the Urzendowski side of the ball. The defense will also focus on stopping big plays, something Stick and Urzendowski are capable of. Head coach Brett Froendt said holding back Urzendowski and Stick is among the keys for Westside to win.

“[Key for us is] Stopping Urzendowski and Easton Stick,” Froendt said. “They’re tremendous players that are Division I, Division II type players and they are big play makers. So certainly slowing them down, and of course improving on the offensive line will be a big factor for us.”

The offensive line will be especially important this week, as Creighton Prep has big, disciplined defensive linemen who leave no extra gap distance, according to offensive coordinator Craig Secora.

“Our key players offensively starts up front led by Tom Young and Mr. [Henry] Dobson,” said offensive coordinator Craig Secora. “We take a lot of pride in developing linemen, and our offensive line coach Shawn Blevins does a fantastic job of getting those guys together, and it doesn’t really matter, your skill positions, how talented they are if you don’t have linemen up front that can block and open up holes, it really limits your offense. So No. 1 our key players are right there up front, protecting the quarterback and opening up holes.”

On the other side of the field, fourth year Creighton Prep head coach Chris Nizzi sees a key area of focus for his team.

“We have to be very physical, just like Westside is,”  Nizzi said. “Coach Froendt and his coaching staff do a great job preparing their kids to play physical football, and we have to be able to play that way, also, against Westside.”

Nizzi sees many strengths of Westside’s offense that his team will look to stop.

“[We need to stop] All of them [players],” Nizzi said. “For us to stop, obviously you have two great running backs, and you have a very good quarterback, and very good skill people, and the tight end also is a threat all the time going deep and doing a good job blocking, and your line and fullbacks just do a fantastic job of blocking, also. Westside is always well-balanced, they can beat you running the ball or throwing the ball, so you have to be prepared everywhere for them.”

The teams play tonight at 7 p.m. at Phelps Field. Follow us on twitter @westsidewired or watch our live stream with play-by-play and color commentary, to keep updated on the game if you can’t make it.

Stats

Westside

Total yards: 227

Passing yards: 83

Senior Christian Hagan, 7-15 for 83 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Rushing yards: 144

Senior Lane Yates, 91 yards, 1TD, 25 attempts

Senior Drew Fitzmorris, 39 yards, 2 TD, 10 attempts

Receiving

Senior Jamal Conway-Smith, 37 yards, 2 receptions

Defense total yards allowed: 142

Creighton Prep

Total yards: 434

Passing yards: 172

Senior Easton Stick, 9-20 for 172 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Rushing yards: 262

Junior Micah Rensch, 114 yards, 1 TD, 12 attempts

Stick 109 yards, 1 TD, 12 attempts

Receiving

Senior RJ Urzendowski, 85 yards, 6 receptions