2024 Nebraska high school football state championship matchups

Monday's Class A championship football game will have added meaning for the seniors at Omaha Westside.

It will mark the end of an era for a class that has accomplished so much.

The Warriors' senior class will be playing in its fourth consecutive title game. Westside, which reached the final for the sixth straight year, will be seeking its third consecutive championship while riding a 32-game win streak that broke the longstanding Class A record of 28.

That's what will be on the line when the Warriors play Millard South at 7:15 p.m. Monday at Memorial Stadium.

"We met last January, and this senior class wanted to form its own identity," coach Paul Limongi said. "They love what the seniors did last year, and they wanted to come into the 2024 season and do something special for themselves."

What the 2023 senior class accomplished truly was "something special." Westside steamrolled its opponents and finished 13-0, capping the season with its eighth shutout -- a 56-0 win over Elkhorn South for the championship.

Limongi said he wasn't surprised this senior class has been able to continue that winning tradition.

"They believed in the culture, and they believed in each other," he said. "They bought into everything we needed to do and worked their tails off."

The Warriors have 25 seniors on their roster, and many have played key roles in the team's success. That includes Nebraska commit Christian Jones, a 6-foot-4 linebacker who has been in on 86 tackles.

"We've got a very good class, really great dudes," he said. "Our relationships are top-notch, and these guys are my best friends off the field."

Jones said that camaraderie is a positive during games.

"I think that's what makes us so good," he said. "We're going to play harder for each other because it just means more to us."

He added much of the credit for the return to the final goes to Limongi, who coached at Omaha Burke for 16 years before moving over to Westside in 2022.

"It shows that Coach knows what he's doing," Jones said. "Everyone has bought into his culture, and his culture works."

Senior wide receiver Keynan Cotton, who has scored 14 touchdowns, agreed the senior class is especially close.

"It's like a brotherhood," he said. "We bought into what Coach was teaching and we all really believe in each other."

Cotton, who has caught 40 passes for 688 yards, is the son of former Nebraska football player Curtis Cotton. Three teammates also have fathers who played for the Huskers.

Sophomore quarterback Braylen Warren, who has thrown for 2,053 yards and 30 touchdowns, is the son of Steve Warren. Junior wide receiver Mo Purify is the son of Maurice Purify and junior defensive back Bryson Williams -- third on the team in tackles with 63 -- is the son of Jamel Williams.

Perhaps no player epitomizes the spirit of the senior class more than Blake Keifer, who switched from fullback to the offensive line at the start of the season.

"We needed a spark there in fall camp," Limongi said. "He was doing great at fullback but we really had a need in the line, and he's done a great job as our center."

The coach said Keifer has improved with each game and is a key piece in the offense that is averaging more than 44 points per game.

"He's used his tenacity and his aggressiveness to become one of the best centers in the state," Limongi said. "He's got a great attitude and he's so unselfish, and that's what we're all about here at Westside."

Keifer said it was an easy decision for him to make the position change.

"The team needed me," he said. "Whatever's best for the team, I want to do everything I can to help."

Keifer said the senior class has worked hard to try and bring the Warriors that third consecutive title, something that hasn't happened in Class A since Omaha Creighton Prep won five in a row from 1985 to 1989.

"We've been through a lot," he said. "We hope to finish this thing off and go out with a bang."

Standing in the way is Millard South, which has won 11 straight since a season-opening road loss to a team from Arizona. The Patriots are the one squad that has outscored the Warriors, averaging more than 48 points per game.

"They've got a lot of playmakers and they've been on a really nice run this year," Limongi said. "We think we're playing our best football right now and it should be a fun matchup."

As for the Class A win streak of 32 that broke the mark previously shared by Grand Island (1946-49) and Prep (1952-55), the coach said it's never been a point of emphasis.

"We haven't talked about that too much because we want to focus on taking care of business from week to week," he said. "When the season is over, then the guys can look back and feel really proud of what they've accomplished."

Cotton said the Warriors will be ready for one more challenge as Millard South seeks its third title and first since 2009.

"I think it's the final a lot of people expected," he said. "We're fired up to play in the championship because it's another opportunity to show the state what we're all about."

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