Sophomore Quaterback Braylen Warren has come on the scene recently and has shattered expectations for Nebraska class A football. Warren, along with sophomore running back Tay Tay Jenkins, have been tearing it up for a Westside team that came into the season with many more questions than answers. But answers and more are what this team has provided all season long going undefeated in the regular season and seizing an early playoff win against Westview.
Warren has been the general in the backfield for the Warriors helping to lead them to this point and getting lots of opportunities with the team that has one of the best offenses in the state.
“It’s great having a team like Westside.” Warren said “with all the coaches and all the players around, like looking at the chemistry and just having confidence going out, knowing the team that is believing in me. They trust me in going out and playing.”
The year for Westside has been change they lost many seniors to graduation. One of those players was quarterback Anthony Rezac who went to Notre Dame which left a spot open for Warren to grab and give coach Paul Limongi to get an opportunity to coach a new quarterback for the first time in his career here at Westside.
“He’s got good size, he’s got good strength, he’s got a really live arm, an accurate football, He’s got good feet.” Limongi said “Every game he plays he gets more experience and gets better.”
Warren was the third string last year as the only freshman on varsity to begin the season and learned under Rezac for the whole year. He did get some playing time at the end of blowout games which was the Warriors specialty last year cruising all the way to the to the second state championship in a row. They are looking likely that they will make it back to the big game for the sixth consecutive time.
“We just get better day by day.” Warren said “There are others climbing the mountain and we need to keep climbing to reach the top.”
Warren has had football in his blood since he was born, along with other players he has a family member who played high level football, in this case his dad Steve Warren. Steve played defensive tackle at Nebraksa during when they won their last national championship in 1997 and also played at the NFL level spending some years with the Green Bay Packers and even recording an NFL sack. When his career ended he started a football academy in Omaha called Warren Academy where they have helped produce many college football players and some have made it all the way to the professional level.
“You can just go in there anytime if you want to work out if gyms are closed.” Warren said “Just being able to rely on that place if I need more training is really nice.”
Already in ten games as the starting quarterback Warren has put up some great numbers even with Westside’s more recent smash-mouth style of football. Warren has put up 1832 passing yards over those games which is third in class A, with a competition percentage of 70 percent, and 23 touchdowns to only five interceptions on the season. Warren with his big frame is a pretty good runner when he gets the chance to extend plays having another 127 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
“He’s made big improvement from last season and he has lots of potential.” Warrior receiver Mo Purify said “With his mentality right now he should have potential at the next level too.”
Along with the new starting quarterback job, Warren has been getting some college attention as well with his high upside. Before the season even started he got his first official offer from Iowa State and as summer went by and the season was moving along he has been getting even more attention he has visited schools such as Nebraksa, Iowa State, Missouri and most recently Michigan just as a sophomore.
“[It’s] a blessing just having colleges look at me.” Warren said. “Right now the biggest ones are Michigan, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska and some other good D1 programs.”
Warren still has two more years left to go in his high school career and is looking to lead Westside back to Memorial Stadium for the first time under a new quarterback since Cole Payton did it for the Warriors in 2019. If Warren keeps his production for his final two years at the high school, he should be a highly sought after prospect in the realm of college football and if he and the Westside squad keep up this production they will most likely face Millard South in the state championship game which is shaping up to be one of the best games in the history of Nebraksa class A football, on par with Westside vs Gretna in 2022 which came down to a game winning field goal.
“We try to get three percent better everyday.” Warren said “We keep focusing on what’s in front of us and in the moment with the eventual goal of bringing another state championship home.”
