Westside is looking to make history this week in the state finals against Elkhorn South. The Warriors head back to the title game for their fifth consecutive year, and look to win the championship in back to back years. Westside will take a perfect 12-0 record into Memorial Stadium looking to put the cherry on top of an undefeated season.
Westside had no easy road to the championship game, but they made it look easy. The Warriors margin of victory is 46 points, and they’ve outscored their opponents 144 to 6 in the three playoff games they’ve played. Head coach Paul Limongi likes what he’s seen out of his team in the playoffs.
“There was no let up, we just continued to elevate each and every week,” Limongi said. “The guys understood that every game is different and every game is big because it’s the next one. I think they kept that mentality going all year, they never looked past anyone, focused on the task at hand and because of that, that’s why we’re playing in the biggest game of the year and it’s the biggest game of the year because it’s the next.”
Elkhorn South is no team to look past, they come into the title game with a 11-1 record. The Storm defeated Papio South 42-8 in the opening round of the state playoffs. Elkhorn South edged Lincoln East 24-19 in the quarterfinals. They rallied in the fourth quarter to upset the No.2 seed Millard South 24-13 in the semi-finals. Elkhorn South scored 21 points in the final eight minutes to win the game and advance to the title matchup. Westside Quarterback Anthony Rezac has never played the Storm as a starter, so he’s excited for the opportunity.
“I’m really excited for it, obviously we haven’t played them at all. I’ve never played them in my high school career,” Rezac said. “Im super excited for it, looking forward to it. I know a few dudes over there, they’re super talented, really well coached, so it’s going to be a fun game.”
Elkhorn South has lots of talent lining their roster, including running back Brady Bousquet, who has rushed for 1,222 yards this season. Bousquet ranks sixth in Class A in rushing this season. Madden Riggs is the quarterback for the Storm and has passed for 13 touchdowns this season. The offensive line is anchored by three-star Nebraska recruit Ashton Murphy, who’s six-foot-five and 250 pounds. Coach Limongi is still holding the same mindset, saying the Warriors must execute to win.
“We got to do what we’ve done all year. We got to execute,” Limongi said. “We got to play fast and we have to play extremely physical, protect the football and if we do those things, I think our chances are going to be as good as we can possibly can be.’
The championship game will be held at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7:15.
