OMAHA — Creighton Prep played keep-away from Lincoln Northeast in the first half and then played take-away to start the second half.

The third-ranked Junior Jays broke open a tight game by scoring twice in less than 20 seconds to open the third quarter and then held off the Rockets for a 42-20 victory Friday in the season opener for both teams played before an estimated crowd of 2,000 at Al Caniglia Stadium on the Nebraska-Omaha campus.

“We got the ball a couple of times and hit them with big plays,” said Creighton Prep coach Tom Jaworski. “Alex (Hook) really threw the ball well tonight.”

Hook connected on 9-of-11 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns.

Leading 14-6 at halftime, Steven Nebbia gave the Junior Jays their first opportunity when he recovered a Northeast fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half. Three plays later, Hook found Andrew Pryor open for a 27-yard scoring toss.

Scott Criss provided Prep its next opportunity when he pounced on a fumble on the Rockets’ first play from scrimmage after the kickoff.

The Junior Jays went for the jugular. On the first play, Hook fired a 45-yard scoring pass to Nate Bird and Creighton Prep hiked its lead to 28-6 less than two minutes into the third quarter.

“At halftime, we talked about how we need the ball so we could get in a rhythm,” said Northeast coach Dave Svehla. “We have a good line and we think we can move the ball, but those turnovers killed us. On a quick change of possession, you have to be looking for the big play.

“Creighton Prep is a very good team and you just can’t do that against a good team.”

But Svehla said he’s encouraged by the Rockets’ play despite the final score.

“I thought our defense played well. They got a lot of tackles behind the line of scrimmage and some for big losses,” he said. “And we came back after they made it 28-6 and got a score, but then we needed some things to go our way and they didn’t.

“We gave ourselves some opportunities. We just didn’t do enough with them.”

On the first drive of the game, Prep marched 73 yards on 14 plays, eating up more than seven minutes to take a 7-0 led when Hook found Cody Hobbs on a 16-yard swing pass for the score.

It looked like Prep might streak away from the Rockets then because Dan Faulkner pounced on a fumble on Northeast’s first play from scrimmage. But five plays later, Porter Groves stepped in front of a Hook pass and raced 86 yards to the 5-yard line and the Rockets pulled to 7-6 when Tyler Francis scored on a sneak.

Creighton Prep needed 12 plays to march 69 yards and take a 14-6 lead when Nick Mizaur bulled three yards into the end zone with 6:11 left in the first half.

The Rocket defense stiffened when Groves got back-to-back sacks to thwart the Junior Jays late in the first half.

Northeast used 19 plays to drive 81 yards, with Francis finding Tai Pleasant for an 11-yard scoring pass with 11:02 left in the game.

But the Junior Jays added a score on a 13-yard run by Mizaur, who finished with 87 yards on 18 carries and after another Northeast fumble, Prep drove for another score.

“We were solid on defense. Almost all those kids have experience,” said Jaworski. “They just turned it over and we took advantage.”

Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.