As another school year wraps up, Lincoln East is back to rearranging its trophy case.
East won the Class A all-school NSAA Cup for the 2022-23 season. The Spartans did it with three state championships — baseball, girls cross country and speech — and five top threes.
It's East second straight Cup, which recognizes the state’s most successful high school athletic and fine arts programs. The point system awards 50 points for a first-place finish in a championship event, 45 for runner-up, and so on through eight teams.
East finished with 850 points (510 in boys, 465 girls), which was plenty more than runner-up Omaha Westside (742.5 points).
Lincoln Southwest came in third with 640 points behind its girls golf title and runner-up finish in girls soccer.
Gretna (592.5), Millard North (555) and Elkhorn South (522.5) rounded out the top five in Class A.
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Malcolm won the Class C title with 385 points with championships in baseball and play production. The Clippers clinched both the boys (270) and girls (257.5) divisions too.
Elkhorn North won the Class B all-division title and Cedar Catholic won Class D.
All-state soccer: Meet the 2023 boys first-team Super-Staters
(𝑭) 𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑬 𝑲𝑹𝑼𝑺𝑬, 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑵 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑯𝑾𝑬𝑺𝑻
Year: Senior.
The resume: The Concordia soccer commit set the school record for goals in a season with 21, including nine game-winning goals. Kruse had an assist or goal in 15 of the Silver Hawks' 18 matches.
Defining moments: “We were knotted 2-2 with Lincoln Southeast in the HAC tournament semifinal. We had a good chat during the intermission and 90 seconds into the second half, Lane received a ball down the line. He fended off two defenders — dribbling approximately 60 yards — cut in on his weaker left foot and drilled a shot into the bottom left corner. We went on to win the match 5-2. That run and finish was pure class.” — Lincoln Southwest coach Derek Scheich.
(𝑭) 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑰𝑵 𝑴𝑨𝑪𝑲𝑬, 𝑷𝑨𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑵-𝑳𝑨 𝑽𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑯
Year: Senior.
The resume: Macke’s school-record 22 goals led Class A. When defenses upped the pressure, he dished for 15 assists, a key in the Titans reaching the state semifinals for the first time in 11 years.
Defining moments: “In the Metro Tournament, he knew he had to involve his teammates more and had two goals and five assists on his way to earning player of the tourney and securing just our second Metro championship in school history.” — Papillion-La Vista South coach Dave Lawrence
(𝑭) 𝑨𝒀𝑶 𝑴𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬, 𝑩𝑬𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑻𝑶𝑵
Year: Senior.
The resume: Makinde is a threat to score or assist on a goal every time he gets the ball. His 40 goals ranked in the top 10 nationally, and he also had 12 assists. He had three hat tricks.
Defining moments: “We were down by a goal at halftime against Elkhorn North in an away game. Ayo shook off the mounting frustrations and found the game-winner in the second half. He calmly received the ball in traffic, beat his defender, and then placed it across the face of the goal, beating the keeper with a well-placed shot.” — Bennington coach Nick Nyman.
(𝑭) 𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑼𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑺, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Junior.
The resume: Perkins led the Class A state runner-ups with 19 goals and eight assists. That gives him a remarkable 44 goals and 18 assists over the past two seasons. He’s being recruited by several NCAA Division I programs.
Defining moments: “Maguire is a natural goal scorer. There are many things you can coach, but his ability to read the game and be in the right place is something you cannot.” — Gretna coach Tyler Ortlieb.
(𝑭) 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑬𝑳 𝑺𝑻𝑼𝑲𝑬𝑵𝑯𝑶𝑳𝑻𝒁, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Junior.
The resume: He had 18 goals and 14 assists, including three goals and two assists at the state tournament. He’s committed to UNO.
Defining moments: “The defining moment for Mikey was the Metro quarterfinals against Creighton Prep; he was able to make something out of nothing beating two Prep players and finding Maguire Perkins back post to make it 1-1.” — Gretna coach Tyler Ortlieb.
(𝑴𝑭) 𝑩𝑹𝑨𝑫𝒀 𝑩𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑮, 𝑪𝑹𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑶𝑵 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑷
Year: Senior.
The resume: He led the Class A state champions with 11 goals and five assists.
Defining moments: “Brady carried us on many, many occasions, almost single-handedly at times willing us to stay the course and remain optimistic even during the bleakest moments of our season. He will forever be remembered for the intangible qualities he contributed to his team's journey.” — Creighton Prep coach Tom Hoover.
(𝑴𝑭) 𝑱𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑴𝑰𝑨𝑯 𝑯𝑻𝑬𝑯, 𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑯𝑨 𝑾𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬
Year: Junior.
The resume: He was key for Omaha Westside, scoring the game-winning goal in six of the Warriors’ 10 wins for the season. He broke a 25-year-old school record for goals in a match with five against Omaha Westview. His 21 goals accounted for about 50% of the Warriors’ goals this season.
Defining moments: “He’s a goal machine from the attacking midfield position. He’s extremely dangerous on the dribble, can strike from distance from beyond the 18-yard box and can finish anything with one touch.” — Omaha Westside coach Mike Dean.
(𝑴𝑭) 𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑻 𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑺, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Senior.
The resume: He was key in the Dragons’ two wins at the state tournament, and ended the season with nine goals and 13 assists.
Defining moments: “What Brett does is control a game. His style of play is calm, cool and collected. He has been the spine of Gretna soccer for the past three years, and when Brett is on the field, there is a sense of relief.” — Gretna coach Tyler Ortlieb.
(𝑫) 𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑴𝑰𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑼𝑴𝑷𝑭𝑭, 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑵 𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑻
Year: Senior.
The resume: Stumpff helped Lincoln East make a late-season surge to reach the state tournament with a 9-7 record. On numerous occasions, he made a stop on defense that shifted the momentum back to the Spartans.
Defining moments: “In a shootout win against Millard West in the district semifinal he showed the composure to score the PK. And then he plays a 40-yard diagonal pass for Diego Reyes-Barbosa to run onto and score that epic last-minute goal.” — East coach Colin Smitsek.
(𝑫) 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑻𝑶𝑩𝑨𝑩𝑬𝑵, 𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑯𝑨 𝑺𝑲𝑼𝑻𝑻
Year: Senior.
The resume: He had an impressive eight assists from the left back position while helping Omaha Skutt win the Class B state championship.
Defining moments: “At the state tournament, on the biggest high school stage, he was a lockdown defender and got forward in the attack to create numerous opportunities for our team.” — Omaha Skutt coach Justin Zabawa.
(𝑮𝑲) 𝑫𝒀𝑳𝑨𝑵 𝑩𝑬𝑰𝑬𝑹𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑵, 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑵 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑯𝑾𝑬𝑺𝑻
Year: Junior.
The resume: He helped Southwest to a 14-4 record and a state semifinal appearance. His 15 career shutouts already rank fourth in program history.
Defining moments: “In our first match against Lincoln East he picked up a minor injury and was hobbling a bit. East won a corner and the ball was put into the box and fell to the head of Aidan Nachi who flicked it onto goal at point-blank range. Dylan was able to react and palmed the ball over the bar to maintain his clean sheet. We went on to win 3-0.” — Lincoln Southwest coach Derek Scheich.
All-state soccer: Meet the 2023 girls first-team Super-Staters
(𝑭) 𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑨 𝑫𝑬 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑰, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Sophomore.
The resume: Her 18 goals were the second-highest on the state champion Dragons.
Defining moments: “Sonora came through for our program time and time again in critical moments. She is ultra-confident in one-versus-one situations, combined with a tremendous amount of finishing talent.” — Gretna coach Chace Hutchison.
(𝑭) 𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑶𝑵 𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑳, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Junior.
The resume: She scored 21 goals and passed for seven assists. That included two assists when Gretna beat Lincoln Southwest 5-2 in the state championship match. For her career, she’s averaging about one goal per match.
Defining moments: “We faced double-digit top 10 teams, all of which dedicated one if not two defenders to her area. Her ability to find the open space, win in the air, and distribute the ball is phenomenal.” – Gretna coach Chace Hutchison.
(𝑭) 𝑲𝑬𝑵𝑵𝑬𝑫𝒀 𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑨𝑵, 𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑰𝑺
Year: Junior.
The resume: She ranked second in Class B with 26 goals while helping to lead Norris to a state runner-up finish. With career totals of 64 goals and 26 assists she has the Norris career scoring record. She’s committed to play at Boise State, where she was recruited to play defender.
Defining moments: “She can anticipate the next play and put herself in perfect positions to finish crosses, intercept the opponents' passes, or make a slashing run in behind the defense. Kennedy was involved in many of our attacks and showed up big for the team during big moments.” – Norris assistant coach Samantha Areman.
(𝑴𝑭) 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑳𝑬𝒀 𝑲𝑶𝑹𝑻, 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑵 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑯𝑾𝑬𝑺𝑻
Year: Junior.
The resume: She finished with 15 goals and nine assists. That included her goal on a free kick in overtime that got the Silver Hawks to the state championship match for the first time in program history. She’s committed to play soccer at Omaha.
Defining moments: “Charley was decisive in big games with goals or assists against Gretna, Lincoln East, Lincoln Pius X, Elkhorn South, Lincoln Southeast and Kearney.” — Lincoln Southwest coach Thomas Nettleton.
(𝑴𝑭) 𝑨𝑽𝑨 𝑴𝑨𝑲𝑶𝑽𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑨, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Senior.
The resume: Makovicka was often a threat to help Gretna score on free kicks and corner kicks. The future Husker scored 11 goals and had four assists this season while helping Gretna to its third straight state championship.
Defining moments: “Defensively, Ava was one of the best players in the state. She used her athletic gifts to chase down opponents and win critical situations.” — Gretna coach Chase Hutchison.
(𝑴𝑭) 𝑲𝑨𝑹𝑳𝑰 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑨𝑴𝑺, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Sophomore.
The resume: She was key to starting the Dragons’ high-powered offense, and finished with 11 goals and four assists.
Defining moments: “Defensively, Karli was one of the best players in the state during 50/50 situations and in aerial duels. Offensively, Karli was a key contributor for our build-up play as she was primarily responsible for switching the point of attack and pushing the ball forward. Her passing ability was incredible to watch as placement, pace, and touch all came together.” — Gretna coach Chace Hutchison.
(𝑫) 𝑻𝑬𝑺𝑺 𝑩𝑬𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑺, 𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑯𝑨 𝑺𝑲𝑼𝑻𝑻
Year: Senior.
The resume: She stood out as a shutdown defender, while also helping on offense with seven goals and six assists for the Class B state champions.
Defining moments: “Tess was a do-it-all player and would move to forward when we needed more scoring chance during a game. But it was her calming presence in the back that helped make us a state championship team.” – Omaha Skutt coach John Carlson.
(𝑫) 𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑫𝑶𝑵 𝑫𝑬 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑰, 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨
Year: Junior.
The resume: De Fini had a big role on free kicks and corner kicks for Gretna, which contributed to her finishing the season with seven goals and eight assists. She’s committed to Lipscomb.
Defining moments: “She is a complete player excelling at every aspect of the game including passing, dribbling, defending, and shooting. She has a wonderful touch on the ball and the confidence to make the special play in big moments. London thrived as our left back contributing in both phases of the game.” — Gretna coach Chace Hutchison.
(𝑫) 𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑬 𝑲𝑶𝑯𝑳𝑬𝑹, 𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑰𝑺
Year: Junior.
The resume: She had nine goals and a remarkable 19 assists while helping Norris to a Class B state runner-up finish.
Defining moments: "Grace is one of the most complete players in the state. She has incredible footwork and can strike a perfectly paced ball accurately with both feet. She has outstanding positional awareness so she's able to pick out passes and visualize plays that completely break down opposing defenses.” — Norris assistant coach Samantha Areman.
(𝑫) 𝑨𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑬 𝑴𝑼𝑳𝑫𝑬𝑹, 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑵 𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑻
Year: Senior.
The resume: She has started every match for East in her three-year career, and rarely left the field. Despite playing defender, her career stats are six goals and 10 assists. She’s signed with Kansas State, having committed to the Wildcats when she was in eighth grade.
Defining moments: “In our district final against Southeast, while we were down a goal, she moved up into the midfield to help push for a goal. She then provided the assist on a kick from the half-line to the opposite winger on a heads-up play where only the two of them had locked eyes. She also provided an assist in the first game at state against Millard West, and in similar fashion moved up into the midfield to push for a goal when we needed it.” — Lincoln East coach Emily Mathews.
(𝑮𝑲) 𝑫𝑬𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑰 𝑫𝑨𝑼𝑩𝑴𝑨𝑵, 𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑯𝑨 𝑾𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬
Year: Senior.
The resume: She made several game-changing saves on breakaway attempts during the season. Daubman was key to Omaha Westside reaching the state semifinals for the first time since 2010, including four consecutive shutouts late in the season.
Defining moments: “In the district championship against Columbus it was 2-0 to us with 20 minutes left. Columbus had a breakaway chance and Delani came out and made an outstanding save. That broke their spirit and gave us even more momentum to go on and score a third goal and wrap up the district title.” — Omaha Westside coach Chris Dunford.
