Beef season ends with 51-31 loss in semi-finals

Sixth seed Omaha Beef traveled to Dodge City Saturday for the NAL semi-final and saw its six-game winning streak come to an end as the number one seed Storm defeated the Beef 51-31 at United Wireless Arena. The Storm ran twelve more plays than the Beef and outgained them by 76 yards. Omaha lost the turnover battle and the time of possession by almost ten minutes as their magical run came to an end.

Jaden Sutten and Demarius Washington each scored three touchdowns as the Storm defense added a pick six and is headed to the NAL Championship game next week in Dodge City. Trae Self went 15 of 26 for 193 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions as the Storm will host the Championship game in their first season in the league.

Vincent Espinoza finished 16 of 29 for 151 yards with two touchdowns but threw three interceptions and saw the team convert only three of eight third downs. Devanaire Conliffe made seven receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns, while D’Nerius Antoine led the team with 28 yards rushing on eight carries.

SW Kansas needed only three plays to open the scoring as Self hit a wide-open Washington for a 29 touchdown catch.

On SW Kansas next possession, the Beef got the games first turnover as Ponce Deleon picked off Self in the Omaha endzone for a touchback. Then Omaha used a seven-play drive that included Antoine getting 21 of the 45 yards and finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown run and the game was tied at 7 with 1:50 remaining in the first quarter.

The Storm regained the lead when Washington caught his second touchdown pass this one from eight yards and it was again a seven-point lead.

Chase Contreraz nailed a 42-yard field goal with 7:36 left in the second quarter, then the Beef took their first lead of the game as Deleon got his second interception of the game and returned it 25 yards for a score and it was 17-14 with 6:29 left in the half.

However, it took only four plays for the Storm to regain the lead as Jaden Sutton scored from a yard out and it was 21-17 Storm with 3:23 left in the first half. SW Kansas increased their lead to 11 as Washington caught his third touchdown as he out-leaped the Beef defense as the first half ended. The Storm outgained the Beef 174 yards to 61 in the first half on ten extra plays.

The Beef got the ball first in the second half; however, Vincent Espinoza was picked off by Tim Shannon Jr, and he returned it 37 yards, and it was 35-17 with 12:22 remaining in the third quarter.

SW Kansas increased its lead to 25 when Sutton got his second touchdown as he caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Self and it was 42-17 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

Omaha cut the lead to 17 as Espinoza hit Conliffe for a five-yard touchdown pass and then the two connected on the two-point conversion and it was 42-25 with seven minutes in the game. The defense got a stop, and the Beef offense cut it to 11-point lead as Conliffe as 11-yard pass reception with 36 seconds left.

However, there was an on-side recovery by the Storm, and they needed three plays for Jaden Sutton to score a one-yard touchdown run and it was 49-31 with 26 seconds remaining. The final scoring happened when Storm kicker Dillon Burkhard connected on a deuce on the kickoff, and it was 51-31.

Omaha defense was led by Rodell Rahmaan with ten tackles, while Keyshawn Cobb added eight. 

The Storm defense was led by newcomer Vince DiLeo II who had nine tackles. Shaquez Bond (seven tackles), Kyle Myers (five tackles), and Tim Shannon Jr (three tackles) each had one interception.

OTHER NOTES:  

Any questions call the Beef office at 402.346.2333.

2026 Omaha Beef Schedule (6-6)

Beef All-Time records vs. (As of 6/13/26)