Waverly will face off against Northwest on Friday. Waverly is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
If Northwest heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Waverly took over last week. The Vikings strolled past Pius X with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 22-7. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked second, while the Thunderbolts are ranked 34th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Nathan Axmann
| 10/24/25 @ Pius X | 102 |
| 10/17/25 vs Norris | 211 |
| 10/10/25 @ Plattsmouth | 106 |
| 10/03/25 @ Beatrice | 102 |
| 09/26/25 vs Standing Bear | 106 |
Waverly relied on the efforts of Nathan Axmann, who rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and Brockston Teply, who threw for 176 yards and one TD. Axmann's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 102 rushing yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Waverly proved: they limited Pius X to a paltry 1.4 yards per carry. The Vikings' ground attack was stronger, having averaged 3.8.
Meanwhile, Northwest made easy work of Lincoln Northwest on Thursday and carried off a 44-18 win. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 26 points or more this season.
Waverly better keep an eye on Blake Wissing. He was instrumental in Northwest's win, rushing for 78 yards and three scores, while also throwing for 111 yards and one TD. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Wissing a new career-high.
One reason for the win was Northwest's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Dawson Johnson was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. The game marked his first with multiple sacks this season.
Waverly's record is now 9-0. As for Northwest, their record now sits at 4-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Waverly has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 176.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northwest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 169.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything went Waverly's way against Northwest when the teams last played back in November of 2022, as Waverly made off with a 30-7 victory. Does Waverly have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northwest turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
