Football · State semifinals · Class A · Recap
Omaha Westside beats Bennington 45-14, reaches Class A final unbeaten
Top-seeded Omaha Westside beat No. 4 Bennington 45-14 in a Class A state semifinal and is 12-0 heading to the Class A final in Lincoln.
No. 1 Omaha Westside beat No. 4 Bennington 45-14 on Friday at Omaha Westside in a Class A semifinal. Omaha Westside handles Bennington, 45-14, and heads to its seventh state title game in eight years. Westside entered 11-0 and is 12-0 after the win. Bennington entered 10-1 and finished 10-2. Westside had shut out No. 16 Columbus 59-0 and Papillion-La Vista 35-0. Bennington had beaten No. 13 Lincoln Southwest 42-17 and Elkhorn South 42-14. Published scoring plays from MaxPreps cover the scoring through 38-7. How the game went from 38-7 to the 45-14 final was not reported in the trusted notes.
Tay Tay Jenkins scored on an 8-yard run, and Ty Hanna's extra point gave Westside a 7-0 lead with 8:00 left in the first quarter. Bennington answered with a touchdown pass, and the extra point tied the game at 7-7 with 3:00 left in the first.
Braylen Warren hit Mason McKenna for a 21-yard touchdown pass, and Hanna's extra point put Westside back in front 14-7 with 11:00 left in the second quarter. Hanna added a 23-yard field goal with 4:00 left in the second, making it 17-7. Warren found McKenna again for a 4-yard touchdown pass just before halftime, and Hanna's extra point made it 24-7 at the half.
Jenkins scored on a 4-yard run, and Hanna's extra point pushed the lead to 31-7 with 6:00 left in the third quarter. Warren then scored on an 8-yard run, and Hanna's extra point made it 38-7 with 5:00 left in the third. Westside scored in the fourth quarter to make it 45-7. Bennington scored to make it 45-14. The 45-14 score stood as the final.
Warren entered having completed 120 of 194 passes for 2,121 yards and 29 touchdowns, and he had rushed for 599 yards. Jenkins entered with 1,473 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Bryce Johnson Jr. had 32 catches for 651 yards and nine touchdowns, and Yasir Grixby had 31 catches for 466 yards. On defense, Jacob Obermeyer led Westside with 61 tackles. William Gutz entered with 1,526 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. Ty Bouaphakeo had completed 137 of 186 passes for 1,611 yards and 17 touchdowns, and he had added 559 rushing yards. Jay Stahlecker led Bennington with 70 tackles.
The teams shared three regular-season opponents. Against Creighton Prep, Bennington won 21-13 and Westside won 42-10. Against Columbus, Bennington won 51-10 and Westside won 59-0 in the first round. Against Norfolk, Bennington won 58-0 and Westside won 63-0. Bennington's only loss this season was 35-0 to Millard North on Oct. 23. That same night, Westside beat Millard South 41-17.
Westside will face Millard South in the Class A final on Monday, Nov. 23, at 7:15 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The final is a rematch.
Scoring summary
Published scoring plays from MaxPreps (coverage marked partial):
| Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 8:00 | Westside | Tay Tay Jenkins 8-yard rushing touchdown, Ty Hanna extra point | 0-7 |
| Q1 3:00 | Bennington | touchdown pass, extra point good | 7-7 |
| Q2 11:00 | Westside | Braylen Warren to Mason McKenna 21-yard touchdown pass, Ty Hanna extra point | 7-14 |
| Q2 4:00 | Westside | Ty Hanna 23-yard field goal | 7-17 |
| Q2 0:00 | Westside | Braylen Warren to Mason McKenna 4-yard touchdown pass just before halftime, Ty Hanna extra point | 7-24 |
| Q3 6:00 | Westside | Tay Tay Jenkins 4-yard rushing touchdown, Ty Hanna extra point | 7-31 |
| Q3 5:00 | Westside | Braylen Warren 8-yard rushing touchdown, Ty Hanna extra point | 7-38 |
Fourth quarter: Westside 45, Bennington 7
Final: Westside 45, Bennington 14
Sources
Updates from trusted accounts. Scoring plays from MaxPreps. Season stats from MaxPreps. Seeds, records and prior playoff results from the NSAA bracket.