As he walked onto the field to play the biggest game of his career, Eddie Gordon tried his hardest to hold back a smile.
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The 2016 Super-State soccer honorary captains — Millard West's Brenna Ochoa (left), Creighton Prep's Ed Gordon (center) and Lincoln Southwest's Hannah Davis — pose for a photo in May 2016.
Union Omaha's Eddie Gordon attempts to dribble past a defender in a home match at Werner Park in Papillion. Gordon, an Omaha native, says it's "a dream come true" to play for his hometown team.
Star recognition: Meet the 2022 boys soccer first-team Super-Staters
𝙁; 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙣𝙖; 𝙎𝙤.
The resume: Perkins (front) was the top goal scorer in Class A with 25 goals, while also adding 10 assists. He made a huge jump this season after scoring three goals last season, and excels at putting himself in the best areas on the field to have a chance to put in a goal.
The opponent’s view: “As a sophomore, Maguire Perkins is already proving to be one of the most dangerous players in Class A. He is extremely technical with the ball at his feet, and is able to create space for himself, but he also works tirelessly making runs to open up space for his teammates.” — Papillion-La Vista South coach Dave Lawrence.
𝙁; 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖, 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣-𝙇𝙑 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝; 𝙎𝙧.
The resume: Santamaria (left) scored 15 goals, which is a school record for goals in one season. He’s got a rocket of a shot that is extremely accurate. But he also helped set up a lot of scores, leading Class A with 14 assists (also a school record).
The opponent’s view: “When watching Andre play in person or on film, the word that comes to mind is relentless. The passion and energy he brought to the field for Papio South was as good as anyone we saw all year. That mentality, combined with his athleticism and technical skill, made him a force this year.” — Kearney coach Scott Steinbrook.
𝙁; 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙯, 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙣𝙖; 𝙎𝙤.
The resume: Stuckenholtz (left) scored 20 goals this season, including five during the state tournament. He’s really good at working himself into one-on-one situations with the defense, and when that happens he can dominate with his speed.
The opponent’s view: “He’s a gifted athlete with fantastic technical ability, which is a combination that makes it very hard to play against, as he reminded us this season. A real live wire who would terrify any back line across the state. His movement is great, he can dribble, pass and shoot.” — Bellevue West coach Alan Carr.
𝙈𝙁; 𝙀𝙙𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙞𝙨𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨, 𝙊𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝; 𝙎𝙧.
The resume: Coach Joe Maass says Cisneros is probably the best player in program history, and that’s really saying something at South. He started right away as a freshman, was on two state championship teams, and earned first-team Super-State honors twice. This season he had 14 goals and seven assists.
The opponent’s view: “Edwin is the type of kid that when he gets the ball with a little space, you hold your breath as a coach. He is just so explosive and clever. He's truly a great player.” — Millard North coach Sandro DeAngelis.
𝙈𝙁; 𝙎𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙩, 𝙊𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙖 𝙎𝙠𝙪𝙩𝙩; 𝙅𝙧.
The resume: He was the playmaker for the state champion SkyHawks, including making the game-winning goal in the championship match on a penalty kick with eight minutes remaining. He had 12 goals and 14 assists. He also won a state championship in speech in the informative speaking category.
The opponent’s view: “Sam's ability to accelerate with the ball at his feet and finish the way he does is impressive. Our goal was to try and stop Sam because he can do so many things in the midfield. It was a tough task because he is so talented.” — Elkhorn North coach Fred Doscher.
𝙈𝙁; 𝘾𝙚𝙨𝙖𝙧 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙯, 𝙊𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙖 𝘽𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙣; 𝙎𝙧.
The resume: He was known for a great shot that led to some remarkable goals. He played a big part in Omaha Bryan making it to the state tournament for the first time since 2015, including two goals in a 3-2 win against Lincoln Southeast in the district championship. His 14 goals and three assists helped Bryan set a school record for goals in a season with 61.
The opponent’s view: “Cesar was one of the most prolific midfielders in this 2022 campaign. His shot was deadly from anywhere in the final third, as was evident on the most prestigious stage at Morrison Stadium in the state tournament. Cesar is quick and makes very intelligent decisions. — Omaha Burke coach Nick Bratt.
𝙈𝙁; 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙣𝙖; 𝙅𝙧.
The resume: Perkins (14) the key player for a Gretna team that won the state championship, including a dominating 8-0 win in the championship match. He had 14 goals and 14 assists. He probably could have had more goals, but there were games his assignment was more focused on defense. At the state tournament, he scored two goals on free kicks.
The opponent’s view: “Brett is a big-moment player and showcased this in our semifinal matchup in the state tournament. The score is 2-1, we had momentum and Gretna is awarded a free kick. Up steps Brett to hit a worldly free kick top corner, and the momentum is back to Gretna. Top players always find a way in big moments.” — Lincoln East coach Colin Smitsek.
𝘿; 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙚, 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙣𝙖; 𝙎𝙧.
The resume: He was the center of the defense for the state champion Dragons. He also had four goals and two assists.
The opponent’s view: "Carson was such a solid force in defense for the Dragons. He has the rare combination of intimidating size and physical strength, mixed with great technique. One of the things that stood out this year was his composure. I've always appreciated his ball-winning and physical play, but the game seemed to slow down for him and this definitely helped take his play to the next level." — Papillion-La Vista coach Andre Watts.
𝘿; 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙗 𝙃𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙥, 𝙅𝙧.
The resume: Hove's play on defense was a key part in the Junior Jays having a 16-3 record. When there was chaos near the goal, Hove seemed to be at his best in clearing out the ball.
The opponent’s view: “Jacob has great command of the backline. He reads the game well, is a great one-on-one defender, and was a big part of the success Prep had this season.” — Omaha Skutt coach Justin Zabawa.
𝘿; 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝; 𝙎𝙧.
The resume: Weaver (23) is a key reason why Millard South made state in the past two seasons. He’ll play in college at Hastings.
The opponent’s view: “Mac was one of the most tenacious defenders we faced this year. If you couldn't figure out how Millard South made a run to state, look no further than Mac. His size and versatility made it near impossible to penetrate the back line of the Patriots. Whether you tried to go through or over the top, Mac won everything. He is a great communicator and distributes very well out of the back as well. As a former goalkeeper, I would have loved to have Mac in front of me.” — Omaha Burke coach Nick Bratt.
𝙂𝙆; 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙘 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙛𝙛, 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙣𝙖; 𝙎𝙧.
The resume: He helped Gretna win the state championship, and was known for making saves in the biggest moments of matches. He had 11 shutouts in 22 matches.
The opponent’s view: “Not possessing an intimidating height for a goalkeeper, Alec had the innate ability to play above his height. He was brave in the air on both crosses from the flank and aerial balls played from the middle. In addition, he had the reflexes to deny anything from close range. Maybe just as important, his ability to distribute was elite. Alec began many attacks from his precise and quickly timed throws, whether it be to his outside backs, midfielders, or even high-pressing wingers.” — Omaha Burke coach Nick Bratt.
