The final 10 minutes of Wednesday night’s Class A boys soccer state title game ticked down much too slowly on the Morrison Stadium scoreboard for Lincoln Southwest coach Derek Scheich’s liking, but goalkeeper Brentyn Ebeler and the Silver Hawk defensive line ensured the score didn’t change.
Ebeler and the Silver Hawks denied a series of chances from Omaha South over the final 10 minutes to preserve a 1-0 Silver Hawk win and give Lincoln Southwest its second title in program history.
“The clock was agonizingly slow, it seemed, but eventually the seconds ticked away and the boys got the job done,” Scheich said.
Ebeler made eight saves for his ninth shutout of the year, denying South’s Ryan Kubiak on a header attempt in the 75th minute and saving a shot from in front in the 78th minute that helped close out the game for the Silver Hawks (15-3).
The Packers also had multiple shot attempts go wide or high of the goal in the final minutes.
“Everyone was communicating,” Ebeler said. “Everyone knew their assignments and what they were supposed to do coming into this game.”
The Packers (14-6), who lost in the title game for the second year in a row, had a 16-4 advantage in shots and a 7-2 edge in corners.
“It wasn’t like we didn’t have our chances, we just didn’t finish,” South coach Joe Maass said.
After a scoreless first half, Miguel Solano Rodriguez netted the only goal of the match 57 seconds into the second half. He dribbled into the box, got around a sliding Packer defender and shot the ball under South goalkeeper Joshua Orea.
“The goalie came out, and I just had to compose it and tap it in,” Solano Rodriguez said.
The goal was the sixth of the state tournament for Solano Rodriguez.
“He’s the player of the tournament for me,” Scheich said. “Phenomenal job by Miguel. I’m super proud of him and his efforts.”
Solano Rodriguez had nine goals and two assists in the postseason.
“Knowing any game could be my last kind of game that grit and the second wind to be able to fight every game,” the senior said.
Solano Rodriguez’s goal was the only shot the Silver Hawks recorded in the second half.
“We have Jacob Hardy on our coaching staff, who was the 2018 state championship-winning goalkeeper, and that season, Kearney won 1-0, 1-0, 1-0,” Scheich said. “I turned to him on the sideline with about eight minutes to go, and I said, ‘I hope we can Kearney this game,’ and we ended up doing it.”
The Silver Hawks are the first non-Omaha metro area team to win the Class A boys title since that Kearney team in 2018.
“It’s the first one for Lincoln since 2014,” Scheich said. “We take a lot of pride in our district, in our conference, the HAC, and again, our city, so it’s very special.”
“Fell short my sophomore year, so wanted to get the job done my senior year.”
Miguel Solano Rodriguez scored in the 41st minute of Lincoln Southwest’s 1-0 Class A title win over Omaha South.
The senior tallied six goals in the Silver Hawks state tournament run. #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/iinLyCMDFm
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) May 21, 2026
