Westside and Creighton Prep rivalry continues at the ‘Birdcage’

The Westside-Creighton Prep basketball game is one of the one of the biggest high school rivalries in the state. The Warriors and Junior Jays will face each other on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at Creighton Prep. 

The Warriors lost to Creighton Prep in the first round of the State Tournament 53-48 last year. Creighton Prep is ranked No.3 in the state with a record of 11-5.  Westside is going into the game ranked No.4 with a record of 11-3.

Since Westside head coach JIm Simons has been on the sidelines, neither Creighton Prep nor Westside have won an away game against each other. 

“There are kids in other schools who don’t get to play a game, like Westside gets to play Creighton Prep,” Simons said. 

There is a lot of pressure on the Junior Jays to keep this streak going. Westside freshman Donnie Bartfield is excited and ready to take on the Junior Jays for the first time. 

“Creighton Prep likes to pass the ball quickly along the three point line,” Barfield said. “To prevent Creighten Prep from scoring we need to close out hard.” 

Creighton Prep has a much different lineup from what they were last year. All of their guards are gone, but 6-foot-7 center Dillon Claussen along with many other players are dangerous outside of the arc. Claussen is the team’s leading scorer at 12.1 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounds with 7.1 per game. Creighton Prep’s home court could be a huge factor in the game.

“The birdcage is a tough place to play,” Simons said. 

The games between Creighton Prep and Westside is not only a cool and fun environment for the athletes at Westside, but also for the students and alumni. Prep’s home court is set up differently than most high school basketball courts. The student section is behind the hoop and Prep has a big basketball facility. 

The tip-off between the Warriors and the Junior Jays is at 7:15 p.m at Creighton Prep.