Welcome to the rivalry, kids.
Top 10 No. 3 Omaha Creighton Prep got three goals from newbies, then held off a late charge for a 4-3 win over fourth-ranked Omaha South in the boys championship of the Metro Conference soccer tournament.
A pair of goals - one in each half - from Jordan Igwenma and another from fellow sophomore Tim Dowd shortly after the break fueled the attack for the defending state champions.
They were part of four straight goals for Prep, which lost to the Packers in the Metro final in 2019, the last time the longtime rivals met for a conference crown. The victory gave the Junior Jays their second Metro title in four years.
“Good win,” Igwenma said, “we haven’t really done anything, though.”
A fast start and furious finish nearly caught the Junior Jays.
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South sprinted to the opening score, getting a goal in the fourth minute on a header from Ryan Kubiak near the back post.
The lead lasted less than four minutes, as Prep leveled on Igwenma’s looper over the head of Packer keeper Israel Zubia.
The Junior Jays took a lead late in the half when Sean Stratman blasted home a ball that was put on a tee for him just outside the six.
Igwenma netted his second just over five minutes after the break, picking the pocket of one South defender, skipping past another, then cashing in his fifth of the season with a blast that beat Zubia.
Dowd got a very important insurance goal just 93 seconds later, letting loose a blast from outside the box that found the top left corner of the goal.
It stood up as the winner after South scored a pair of goals just 78 seconds apart — the first from Julian Rodriguez in the 77th minute and then Kevin Hernandez shortly after.
The Packers made a late push for a dramatic equalizer, but couldn’t come up with anything of danger in the final few minutes.
“It was a rollercoaster,” Igwenma said of his first installment in the rivalry.
Junior Jays head coach Tom Hoover credited a pair of seniors — defender Drayton Beber and midfielder Jack Johnson — for steadying things after South's early score.
"You lean on guys like that," Hoover said.
But in these types of matches, Hoover added, he'd expect nothing less.
“It’s Prep-South,” he said. “It’s a remarkable experience for Omaha soccer and Nebraska soccer.”
It’s just the beginning of a challenging stretch for the Junior Jays.
A match Thursday against top-ranked Gretna is a replay of last year’s Class A championship. A weekend double dip with a pair of Iowa powers follows. Then comes another clash with South to start next week.
Omaha Creighton Prep (9-1)....1 2—3
At Omaha South (8-2)..............2 2—4
GOALS: OCP, Jordan Igwenma 2, Sean Stratman, Tim Dowd; OS, Ryan Kubiak, Julian Rodriguez, Kevin Hernandez.