After a historic 2025 season that culminated in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Omaha South to claim the Class A state championship—the program’s first title since 2004—the Omaha Westside boys soccer team is no longer the hunter. They are the hunted.
As the Warriors prepare to kick off the 2026 campaign, head coach Mike Dean and his squad are leaning into the pressure that comes with being the defending champions.
“Defending our state championship! It was such an unbelievable feeling to win last year, but this year, we’ll have a huge target on our back,” Dean said. “Let’s see how we embrace this challenge.”
The Warriors return a veteran-heavy core that anchored their championship run. While Dean noted the team may not have the same depth as some of the other Class A powerhouses, the top-end talent remains high.
“We have a strong core of players returning that played a big part in us winning last season. We’re not the deepest team, but we have some quality that will help us hopefully go deep in the state tournament again,” Dean said. “We really hit our stride in early April and if we do that again, all of our goals are reachable.”
One of those key returners is senior keeper Lucas Noll. For Noll, the excitement of the upcoming season isn’t just about the hardware—it’s about the atmosphere of playing at home under the lights.
“There is a lot that I am looking forward to this season. I think more than anything I am excited for feeling the pressure and excitement of big home games,” Noll said. “Running out on the field and feeling that I am playing for my school and for my brothers around me is one of the best feelings ever.”
Despite the “defending champion” label, the Warriors are determined not to rest on their laurels. Noll emphasized that the team is focused on the daily grind rather than the preseason hype or rankings.
“We know we have to be better than last year. We are putting the high preseason ranking behind us and focusing on what it takes to win any soccer game, regardless of rank or talent,” Noll said. “We are going to achieve this by focusing on each day, and not looking past a single rep or practice, or game.”
Another returning player for the Warrior team is senior Graham Papenfuss. Papenfuss talks about the Warrior’s preseason so far this year and how it will help them be successful during the season.
“After winning state last year, I think there’s a noticeable determination in the team so far during preseason.” Papenfuss said.
“During workouts, conditioning, open plays, and tryouts, everyone has shown passion and a drive to become a cohesive team before the season starts so that we can repeat the success we enjoyed last year.”
The Warriors’ success this season comes from not only their skills on the field but their strong relationships they have built off of it.
“I think the biggest thing about our off-field chemistry is the strong relationships we have from the top to the bottom of our roster.” Papenfuss said.
“Everyone has a great bond with each other and communicates their thoughts and feelings, which creates a great team atmosphere both on and off the field.”
The Warriors have already found their recipe for success and have it down to a science, and they’re looking to build on it even more this season.
“We don’t want to change our formula.” Senior Max Huyck said.
“We did everything right last year so we just need everyone on the same page and working together like last season.”
The road to a repeat begins Thursday, March 19, with a heavyweight clash against Millard North. For Coach Dean, the opener is less about the result and more about establishing the team’s identity for the long haul.
“Just to get off on the right foot and see where we’re at with the team,” Dean said. “We lost our first game of the season last year, so we’re aware that March games are just about finding ourselves and working out the kinks.”
Westside and Millard North are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.
