This past week the Warrior football team stepped onto the field up against their third top ten ranked opponent of the year in the Elkhorn South Storm. Coming into the game the Warriors kept a 1-1 record against ranked opponents throughout the season. The Storm, however, were still winless in ranked games, losing to Bellevue West by a wide margin in week four and then dropping a close one to the Millard South Patriots by 5. W

At Elkhorn stadium, Friday’s game turned out to be a cold one. After a quick three and out forced by the Warriors’ defense, the offense grabbed possession looking to get on top early. At the end of a 53 yard drive Senior Grant Tagge hauled in an 8 yard TD pass to start the team’s first quarter scoring barrage. Just over a minute later on the Storm’s next possession, a tipped pass would be intercepted by defensive-back Avante Dickerson and brought back to the end zone for the pick six, putting the Warriors up 14-0 early. The Warriors started their next drive the same way they had ended their last, with an Avante Dickerson touchdown. On broken coverage up the middle of the field, a pass from Cole Payton gave Dickerson the room for the 61 yard score. 

After a quick first down on the next drive, Koby Bretz snaged a 54 yard touchdown reception with just over a minute to play in the first quarter, putting the Warriors up 28-0 early. A late field goal in the second quarter scored the only points either team put up in the second, and the game went into half with a 31-0 lead for the Warriors.

Koby Bretz hauled in another touchdown reception in the third quarter, and the Warriors kept a 38-0 lead headed into the final quarter of play. The shutout ended with an 8 yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, but a comeback would not be in store. The Warriors walked out of Elkhorn Stadium with a 38-7 win, improving to 6-1 on the year.

Head Coach Brett Froendt explained how the defense was able to keep the Storm from getting anything going. 

“Our defense just executed their assignments well. Really well,” Froendt said. “When you do that, you tend to take away what they do best. We found some creases and disrupt a few of their plays and it made the difference early.”

With two more regular season games left to go, the district standings are still very much up for grabs. The Warriors hold the top spot as of now but could very well be toppled down to a lower spot throughout these two games. With Millard South on for the season finale, the district A-5 trophy could very well be decided that night. Junior Avante Dickerson, who put up a score on each side of the ball in the win, said the key to winning these games is something they’ve been trying to do all year.

“Just being us,” Dickerson said. “Making our offense play well, gameplanning right ad being who we are.”

The Warriors will head on the road later this week once again to face off against the Discoverers of Columbus High School. The team will look to stay undefeated in district play and take down the 3-4 Discoverers on what’s supposed to be breezy night.