Football Game Preview: Pius X Thunderbolts vs. Waverly Vikings

The Pius X Thunderbolts will take on the Waverly Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Friday, Pius X was able to grind out a solid win over Beatrice, taking the game 20-10. The victory continues a trend for the Thunderbolts in their matchups with the Orangemen: they've now won five in a row.

Caleb Davis

Total Tackles

10/17/25 @ Beatrice	7
08/29/25 vs Elkhorn North	6
10/10/25 vs Standing Bear	4
10/03/25 @ Skutt Catholic	2
09/26/25 @ Norris	2
+ 3 more games

Pius X didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Henry Suelter and Caleb Davis. Davis also made seven total tackles, which is notable because Pius X is 2-1 when he posts at least three total tackles, but 2-3 otherwise.

Meanwhile, Waverly faced Norris in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Vikings had just enough and edged out the Titans 45-42. Waverly's win was all the more impressive since the Titans were averaging only 12.13 points allowed on the season.

The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Nathan Axmann and Markus Nelson. Axmann had a great game and gained 351 total yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Nelson was balling out in the loss, rushing for 132 yards and one TD.

Waverly's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Pius X, the win got them back to even at 4-4.

Pius X came up short against Waverly when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 31-27. Will the Thunderbolts have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.