Tough, explosive, fast, a dawg, the best in the state — the list goes on for Tay Tay Jenkins.
Whether they came from teammates, coaches, alumni or media members, the compliments were plentiful and well-deserved Friday night at Phelps Field as the senior running back stole the Omaha Westside spotlight once again.
The senior rushed for three scores and hauled in a 44-yard TD catch, earning himself a second consecutive four-touchdown effort, this time in a 35-14 win over Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High School. He finished with 193 yards and three touchdowns on three touchdowns plus 55 yards and another score on two receptions.
“We came out here to play tough, and that’s what we came out and did to get the win,” Jenkins told Hurrdat Sports.
Jenkins showed his speed and elusiveness throughout the night, as the Warriors defeated the reigning Missouri Class 6A state champs. Two of his three rushing scores were over 50 yards and Jenkins had an additional pair of touchdowns wiped out by penalties, too.
It’s no secret how pivotal Jenkins is to Westside’s success. He rushed for 1,866 yards and 28 scores in 2025, and hauled in another 329 yards and three touchdowns through the air. That followed a sophomore season with 2,503 all-purpose yards and 28 total touchdowns, 22 of which came on the ground.
Omaha Westside senior running back Tay Tay Jenkins scores a touchdown against Lee’s Summit (Mo.). Photo by Koby Meyers.
Jenkins said he focused on getting bigger while keeping his speed this past offseason, and he came into this fall hoping for a big senior year.
He’s off to a tremendous start through two games after opening the season with 116 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) on just 12 touches in a 42-10 win over Creighton prep in week one.
“He just loves to play football,” said Westside head coach Paul Limongi. “He’s our spark and when he’s out here, he’s truly at peace with everything. He loves to play at home and he loves to play on Friday nights, and he’s just so electric and elusive. Then you take into account his speed, his strength, his balance, and his elusiveness. He’s a special player.”
“He’s like Houdini,” added senior quarterback Braylen Warren. “He just goes out there and no one knows how he does it, but he makes a play.”
Warren and Jenkins are sharing a backfield for a third consecutive season, and their bond is obvious.
Warren receives much of the spotlight, understandably so, as the Missouri commit is among the metro’s top prospects. However, Warren is the first to credit his “brother” and wants to cherish their final season at Westside.
“That’s my brother right there,” Warren said. “I love him. That’s my guy and it’s huge seeing what he can do. Having him right by my side, it means a lot. It takes a lot off my shoulders and it’s really a blessing playing with him.”
As both have developed as players in recent years, their chemistry has only strengthened, too.
“We’ve grown a lot,” Jenkins said. “We’ve improved with each other through the years, especially from our sophomore season. But we’ve just improved throughout the years and have gotten better, and we’re just stacking days.”
The plan is to continue stacking days from here.
Jenkins and the Warriors are happy with their start, but they’re far from satisfied. The ultimate goal is a Class A title, and the No. 1 Warriors look poised for a deep run this fall. Yet the message is one day and one game at a time.
Jenkins doesn’t want to slow down individually either. It’s certainly been an impressive start and one he and the Warriors hope continues.
“He’s going to go down as one of the best that I’ve ever seen at the running back position,” Limongi said. “Definitely here at Westside he’s one of the best, and we think he’s got a long way to go. So he needs to keep getting better and keep improving, but if he does that it’s going to be a special senior season for him.”
Jenkins and the Warriors will look to stay hot in Week 3, as Westside (2-0) visits No. 10 Bellevue West (0-2) on Sept. 11.
Stay tuned to Hurrdat Sports all fall for more high school football coverage.
The Westside Warriors take down out-of-state opponent, Lee’s Summit, 35-14. 🤝
Tay Tay Jenkins collected four touchdowns for a second-straight week. pic.twitter.com/SywByMyg52
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) September 5, 2026
