Westside is back to back state champions after beating Elkhorn South 56-0. The win is one for the ages, after Westside finishes 13-0, completing a perfect season and extending the winning streak to 20 straight wins. The championship game looked very similar to every other game this year, with the Warriors dominating the turf from start to finish.
The offense and defense rolled all game, showing no signs of weakness. Westside put together a masterclass of a season, with eight shutouts and giving up only 46 points in 13 games. In the locker room before the game Head coach Paul Limongi said “Those 7,000 hours you put in it all comes down to 48 minutes.” Those 48 minutes ended up being some of the best moments in the players and coaches careers.
“It’s unbelievable, so special, I don’t have the words to describe what it means to us, the program and the kids,” Limongi said. “It’s something we’ve been fighting for since January and they’ve worked so hard, they dedicated themselves, they sacrificed and it was a great cherry on top of the sundae tonight.”
Westside quarterback Anthony Rezac, who led the Warriors all season completed 20 of 25 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown. The superstar senior also had 35 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
“I feel like you know, got the job done. We have a lot of talented players around me so you know, even when I don’t necessarily have my best game, statistic wise, you know, they helped me out a lot,” Rezac said.
Jahmez Ross had 19 rush attempts for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Beau Ryan and Brody Goc both got on the scoreboard, each with a rushing touchdown. Caleb Bening led the Warriors in receiving with 82 yards and caught the lone receiving touchdown.
The Warriors played a complete game of complementary football, with the offense capitalizing on every play made by the defense. The unit loaded with stars was led by Teddy Rezac who had 13 tackles.
“Stats don’t really matter, it’s a team game,” Teddy Rezac said.” I think our defense, code red, was playing really well and it just so happened that our outside linebackers were flowing a lot of stuff to me, so I was fortunate to make those plays.”
Beau Ryan had eight to his name. Benning added an interception to his stat line, and Christian Jones returned an interception for a touchdown. Andrew Neilsen also had two fumble recoveries to round off the eight shutout of the season.
“I was looking around the flats and I was like everyone was gone, that’s weird, I turn around and I see the ball and I’m going to pick that off,” Jones said. “It was fun, a good way to set the tone.”
The team’s success all season was in part to every player in the program, but especially the seniors. The seniors never lost a home, and played their hearts out their entire career. The class of 2024 is one to remember, from the stars on defense, to the leaders on offense the class of 2024 is a team to go down in the record books.
“They’re truly special,” Limongi said. “They love each other, they’re brothers pursuing victory, they’re going to be lifelong friends and they are competitive, they’re going to remember this the rest of their lives.”
