Sitting at 11-5, after a 1-2 start, the varsity boys basketball team has flipped the script. The team found its momentum after statement wins against Bellevue West and Omaha Westside, both top teams in Class A. Papio South is beginning to look like a group built for a deep postseason run.
Much of this confidence comes from the experience of winning a state championship at the end of the 2024 season.
“Everyone knows how good it felt to win state last season, everybody knows how good it felt, and the work that we put in together made us a great team,” junior guard Levi Webb said. “Everyone knows what that standard is from last season to be the standard for this coming year.”
Senior forward Connor Falkinburg said last year’s leadership set the tone for the current team.
“Just the experience we had overall last year because of the guys on the team and their mentorship,” Falkinburg said. “Bryson [Bahl], Reece [Kircher], and Jayden [Herrera] went about their business, and how they did things on and off the court, they set a culture that has been carried over into this season.”
With three key starters from last season’s championship team gone, players were forced into new roles. Webb said he felt prepared for the challenge.
“I was ready for that role, and I knew that we had the guys and the pieces to have a team that could do what we did last year,” Webb said. “I trust this team that we have this year, and everyone’s been ready to step up.”
Falkinburg also noticed the difficulty of replacing that production but emphasized the team’s approach.
“We obviously lost a large amount of production from all of those guys,” Falkinburg said. “But I feel confident in our abilities, especially on the offensive end, with Levi, Brady [Alderson], Grant [Beckenhauer], and myself filling those roles. Filling these roles is tough for one person; it’s collective group effort.”
Leadership has also looked different with a new roster. Webb said that consistency has been one of the biggest challenges.
“Everyone this year has to have bigger roles,” Webb said. “Different people show up this year and we can’t have off games, because if one person has an off game, it kind of messes everyone up.”
Falkinburg pointed to chemistry as a strength, even with the jump in competition.
“A lot of the seniors on this team have been teammates together for a while,” Falkinburg said. “It was a little bit of a switch specifically in the competition level going from JV to varsity and the speed of the game is different, but that past experience has helped us a lot.”
For Webb, his focus remains the same.
“My mindset hasn’t changed too much, because the most important thing is winning, and doing what I have to do to make this team better,” Webb said. “This team is doing whatever it takes to win.”
Falkinburg said his role has shifted to being more offensive.
“It has been more of a first score mindset,” Falkinburg said. “Last year we had plenty of scorers, and so my role was a rebounder and shooter. But this year, I’ve had to look a lot for ways to score for my team.”
Looking ahead, there are clear goals. Webb said he wants to continue growing while also helping his teammates succeed.
“Be the best version of myself, and do what it takes to make my teammates win,” Webb said. “The sky is the limit for this team.”
Falkinburg said the team’s ultimate goal is another trip to the state championship.
“For the team, we want to make it back to Pinnacle Bank [Arena] and make a run, that’s the ultimate goal,” Falkinburg said. “We got a lot of big games coming up… it is just taking it one game at a time.”
With confidence building after wins against Westside and Bellevue West, the team is focused on maintaining its momentum.
“Not being satisfied,” Webb said. “Take each game at a time and win the rest all the way to the championship.”
Falkinburg agreed: “With the big wins against Westside and Bellevue West, we can’t get complacent.”
The Titans have seven remaining games in the regular season, with five of them being home: 1/30 @ Omaha North, 2/3 vs. Norfolk, 2/5 vs. Bellevue East, 2/10 @ Lincoln High, 2/13 vs. Lincoln Northeast, 2/17 vs Millard West, 2/20 vs. Millard North.
