November 2025 will be remembered as a great month in Papillion-La Vista South sports history. As the No. 1-ranked varsity volleyball team continued its championship dynasty, the football team reached the state’s final matchup for the first time ever.
The moment that truly defined this era came Nov. 7, when both football and volleyball played in critical playoff games at the same time: volleyball in the Class A state semifinals against Millard South at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln (a 3-0 win for the Titans), and football at home in the Class A quarterfinals against Millard North (a 36-26 win for the Titans).
It was two different venues, two different atmospheres, but a school community that showed up loudly at both.
“That was obviously a very tough situation, because of the two important games,” senior Black Hole leader Grayson Wallace said. “We knew that there would be a bunch of people at volleyball, and that we could split and still have an impact at both games.”
Senior quarterback Grant Beckenhauer felt the presence: “Even though the crowd was split, they helped us win those games.”
That night reflected the larger story: two programs succeeding at the highest level, supported by a student body and community that wouldn’t pick favorites.
The varsity football team’s run to the state championship was historic both because of the destination and because of the way they got there. The Titans broke major team records on both sides of the ball: Number of Sacks in a Game (nine against Omaha Burke on Oct. 16, breaking the 2006 record of seven); Season Point Total (467, breaking the 2014 record of 383), Average Points Allowed Per Game (10.7, breaking the 2015 record of 19.7), and Tackles For Loss in a Season (83, breaking the 2018 record of 75.5). Individually, Joshua Thompson tied the record of four sacks in a single game at Burke.
Head Coach Tim Clemenger said the team’s growth started early: “Our mindset – it is different among different players, and coaches. It was a spiderweb that went off of our mindsets in the weight room, practice, and during games.”
Players felt the difference at every level on the team.
“Everybody is more connected with each other this year,” junior quarterback Colin Raybourn said earlier in the season. “It could be a fourth-string guy, a sophomore, or even a freshman, everyone is there for each other. There is no bad relationship between anyone; we are all brothers.”
Thompson said the team’s togetherness set it apart: “We’ve had Division 1 players [previously] on our team, but this year we didn’t have that many, so it made us rely on each other.”
Senior running back Logan Arch agreed: “The guys really played for each other, which is cool to see. In the past we’ve had a little bit of individuality, where guys were playing for the stat sheet, or guys playing to get offers. This year, the big focus is that the guys care for each other.”
Injuries forced new players into bigger roles, but the team never wavered.
“We had a lot of injuries, but we had guys step up and fill those positions,” Thompson said.
As the football team advanced to the state championship, a moment many players had dreamed about since childhood became real.
For senior Ray Flynn, playing in the college stadium he grew up watching felt surreal: “Before the game we did a tour of [Memorial] Stadium. It was really cool, because that is where the [University of Nebraska] Huskers play… it’s where you dream of being. It was unreal – during plays you wouldn’t realize it until you saw the big red N on the field.”
Beckenhauer said the experience was something he would hold onto forever.
“Playing in Memorial Stadium was the most fun I’ve ever had playing a football game,” Beckenhauer said. “The experience of playing your last game with your boys in Memorial Stadium is something I will never forget.”
Senior Devin Cotton said the atmosphere made it unforgettable: “It was fun because I knew it was going to be on TV, and getting to play there was awesome… it was freezing and windy, but it was an awesome experience.”
Even though the final result didn’t go the Titans’ way, with a 49-0 loss to the season-dominating Millard South Patriots, players found moments to celebrate along the way.
“Seeing my teammates on the field, making plays and being there and competing was great,” said Flynn, who made a crowd-pleasing interception in the first half.
Beckenhauer said the team kept fighting: “Things were not going our way, but during the second half we got some first downs and shut out Millard South…. But going out there and playing was the best.”
For Cotton, the meaning of the game went beyond the scoreboard: “Just knowing it was our last game together… it was fun being able to play as a team one last time.”
Looking back, the football players saw the accumulation of successes that earned them their runner-up trophy.
“All of the playoff wins, and the eight regular-season wins,” Flynn noted. “We played a lot of teams that people thought we’d lose to… We were ranked 13th in the state at some point, and we couldn’t wait to prove people wrong.”
Beckenhauer pointed to the team’s grit. “We … definitely battled through some adversity this season,” he said. “We played a lot of good opponents… and were able to take on good teams in the post-season.”
Cotton said it all came down to how the team carried itself. “We were always working, and doing everything as a team. There was no individualism this year, and we worked hard all year,” he said.
While football was building a new legacy, volleyball was solidifying its own.
Under Head Coach Katie Tarman, the team finished with the school’s eighth state title in the sport and a 31-9 winning record for the season. Tarman pointed to a culture that has become the backbone of Titan volleyball.
“The things that I feel make us successful are a constant pulse on our girls and a constant emphasis toward being connected to one another as well as working at a very high standard of excellence,” she said.
The team competed at the national level early in the season at the Durango Classic in Las Vegas, Sept. 18-20, and came away with a 0-4 loss.
“We had to hard reset and refresh our minds,” junior Lyric Judson said. “Tarman got upset with us, but in the end she pushed us extra hard, and it helped us.”
The team’s closeness—strengthened by team bonding, journaling, and even the Las Vegas trip—showed throughout the post-season.
“Every year we’ve done such a good job, and have shown everyone what the culture is within the program,” senior Ella Eymann said. “It is really easy to teach the freshmen and sophomores. And it really started with the upperclassmen, along with Tarman hammering it into us.”
Senior Maddie Larsen said it was the combination of high standards and high support that made the difference.
“We really focus on the relationship we build between each other,” Larsen said. “That’s what gets us to the highest level.”
Claiming a second consecutive state championship at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Nov. 8 was the big payoff.
“I’m so grateful because it’s a testament to all the hard work we put in behind the scenes,” Eymann said.
Larsen recalled the moment the team sealed its 3-0 victory over North Star: “Knowing that it was the end was bittersweet, but I wouldn’t want it to end any other way.”
The story of November wasn’t just about athletic success. It was about a student body that found a way to be in two places at once, athletes who supported each other across programs, and coaches who built environments defined by connection and consistency.
Wallace said that type of support defined Titan Nation: “Having a sense of community and getting behind the athletes… everyone’s got each other’s backs.”
Two teams, two playoff runs, one unforgettable month. And on the night the crowd split, Titan Nation proved it was more unified than ever.
