OMAHA-A few months ago it seemed state championship football may have seemed out of the realm of possibility, but last night the possible was achieved.
The two-seeded Westside Warriors captured their first Class A state title since 1982 and third state title overall with a win over the fourth-seeded Elkhorn South Storm 37-21. The Warriors were backed by the stellar performance of Westside quarterback Cole Payton who accounted for five Westside touchdowns.
“Cole can do anything, he’s Superman,” Westside receiver and Nebraska recruit Koby Betz said.
Payton connected with Betz on an 18-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter to put the Warriors up 21-14, a lead they would never relinquish.
Though the Warriors struggled to score early in the first quarter they found their stride in the second and third quarters outscoring Elkhorn South 27-7.
Elkhorn South quarterback Dilan Krause finished the game 15-28 with three touchdown passes. The Storm lead Westside 430-378 in total yards, but miscues including Krause throwing an interception in the endzone to Westside’s Avante Dickerson and the overwhelming talent of Anthony was too much for Elkhorn South to overcome.
“He’s definitely a playmaker and a one-man gang,” Elkhorn South head coach Guy Rosenburg said. “They’ve got a lot of fire power and we were able to keep pace for a while, but Payton was a huge difference-maker. At key points he was able to get away and make a play.”
Westside head coach Brett Froendt who won his first state title after leading the Warriors to a runner-up finish in 2019 said Payton’s versatility with his arm and legs was the key for Westside.
Payton in addition to collecting five touchdowns threw for 218 yards and ran for 129.
“Part of our plan was dropping him back and letting him run,” Froendt said. “Sometimes he does it on his own. When he breaks away from tackles, that’s not by accident, you should see him train. He trains like that every day.”
Westside will look to capture their second straight title next season. A feat they haven’t accomplished since winning back-to-back state titles in 1981 and 1982.
