Make no mistake, Millard West boys soccer coach Ron Beernink said. His Wildcats, Class A's defending champion, aren't the favorite in Monday's Metro Conference tournament championship.
“We're clearly the underdogs,” Beernink said without hesitation.
The reason?
What Beernink and anyone else watching Saturday's other semifinal saw. Second-ranked Omaha Creighton Prep convincingly beat No. 3 Omaha South 4-1 to move into Monday's 7 p.m. Metro title game against the ninth-ranked Wildcats at Omaha Westside.
“(They've) got a team that reminds me of my team last year,” Beernink said. “They can put some good soccer players out there. I'm very impressed.”
The Junior Jays are 9-1 and have won their last seven, including two victories against South. Prep looked sharp throughout the Metro tournament, outscoring its three opponents by a combined 16-1.
The Junior Jays also got star forward Jake Linden back for the start of the tournament. The junior was overseas playing with a regional team, facing international competition. Against Omaha Burke in the quarterfinals, Linden had a goal and two assists.
“His return helped,” Prep co-coach Jim Swanson said. “I'm just really pleased with how the guys are playing and their attitude. They played very loose against South. They're having fun with it.”
There's definitely been much more fun of late for Millard West, which has won five in a row after back-to-back 1-0 losses to the two Papillion-La Vista schools. The Wildcats beat a tough Westside team 2-1 in the semifinals. In eight games this season, they've given up a combined three goals.
“That's going to have to be our game,” Beernink said, “tight defense and sneak in our chances when they come.”
He's hoping that it pays off against the toughest opponent his team has seen this year.
“We're going to hope to keep the game tight,” Beernink said. “I think win or lose (Monday) if we can keep it tight, it might prove that we can play with the big dogs.”
Swanson said his Junior Jays will need to be prepared for a battle.
“They're a very physical team. And very strong,” he said. “Their high-skilled players are the biggest concerns. We certainly believe they are more than a worthy opponent.”
Contact the writer:
850-0781, nickrubek@hotmail.com
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