After a long week with four games in the span in five days the Warriors won the Metro Holiday tournament, beating rival Creighton Prep in the standing room only Heider center to claim the crown 63-61. This was the first Metro Holiday tournament for the Warriors since 2022 and was an even sweeter victory coming up one point short last year losing to Papillion South 60-59.
Jim Simons talks about how they have learned from the championship game last year.
“We’ve talked a lot about what it takes to get over the hump in championship games,” Simons said. “Even though this is not the championship we are pursuing the hardest, getting over the hump in this game against a great team I’m proud of the guys.”
Westside not only was runner up in Metros last year but also districts losing to Lincoln Southwest at home and the state championship against Papillion South all three games the Warriors lost by one possession and a combined six points
Over the span of the Tournament the Warriors defeated Omaha Northwest in the first round 78-29 behind 18 points from Donnie Barfield and everyone but one player scoring, In the quarterfinals the Warriors beat Millard South with 21 points from Augustana signee Emre Gedik and 16 points from Barfield. In the semifinals Papillion took them all the way to the very end but another game dominated by Gedik and Barfield allowed them to reach the championship game to face the rival Jr. Jays who came off a big upset of their own defeating the one seeded Millard North in the semifinals.
Both the Warriors and Jays went back and forth for the first half with neither team getting up by more than two possessions but the Jays went into halftime with a small two point late lead. Midway through the third quarter the Warriors were down by 50-44 which was the largest lead by either team during that point in the game but over a three plus minute span the Warriors went on a 11-0 run capped off by a London Dada three to put the Warriors up 55-52 with just over a minute left.
The Warrior lead ballooned to at most seven before Creighton Prep point guard Torran Carter Brown cashed in a quick three with around thirty seconds left to make it a four point game. Creighton prep eventually got the ball with two seconds left and a two point deficit after Kai Fredrick split a pair of free throws. They got the ball in but Max Jungers held the ball too long and shot after the buzzer sounded giving the Warriors the win.
Dada led the way for the Warriors scoring 23 points and nabbing 16 rebounds in a career performance.
“I’ve not been playing well the past few games,” Dada said. “But my coaches and teammates had confidence in me so I just go out there play well and be confident.”
Gedik also had a solid game playing bully ball in the paint allowing him to score 19 which put him in double digit points for all the games except the first round which he got nine. Dada, Gedik, and Barfield along with the Jays Carter Brown who put 14 of his 20 points against the Warriors in the 2nd half and Jungers were named to the all-tournament team by the Omaha World Herald.
Creighton Prep has the quick opportunity to avenge this loss against the Warriors with both teams having one more shot against each other six days after their first meeting, this time at Jim Tangdall court at Westside. Both teams anticipate a sellout for their rematch where the Jays look to avenge their loss and the Warriors to prove that they still own this rivalry and put their winning streak up to six games on Friday Night.
“This rivalry never disappoints,” Simons said “It always comes down to overtime, one possession, two possession games, it’s just a great for both teams.”
