The Southwest Roughriders will challenge the Wauneta-Palisade Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Southwest's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
On Friday, Southwest was fully in charge, breezing past Medicine Valley 61-14. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Roughriders' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked ninth, while the Raiders are ranked 83rd).
Houston Billeter
| 10/03/25 @ Medicine Valley | 177.1 |
| 09/18/25 @ South Platte | 158.6 |
| 09/05/25 vs Harvard | 155.2 |
| 08/30/24 vs Grand Island Lutheran | 149.3 |
| 10/24/24 vs Paxton | 143.8 |
Houston Billeter was his usual excellent self, rushing for 60 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing for 85 yards and a pair of TDs. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passer rating (177.1). Deric Kelley was in the mix as well, providing Southwest with two scores.
Southwest's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. Leading the way was Gage Hammond with two sacks. He has been hot recently, having also posted six or more total tackles the last four times he's played. Southwest received some extra help from Kelley, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, it looked like the Kentucky Derby when Wauneta-Palisade faced off against Sumner-Eddyville-Miller on Friday. The Broncos were beaten by the Mustangs 63-33. The contest marked the Broncos' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Kreyton Wiese and Jordan Scoville. Scoville had a great game and gained 336 total yards and seven touchdowns. Meanwhile, Wiese was balling out in the loss, rushing for 146 yards and two TDs.
Southwest's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 13.3 points on average over those games. As for Wauneta-Palisade, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Southwest has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wauneta-Palisade struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 297.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Southwest skirted past Wauneta-Palisade 41-39 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Wiese, who rushed for 253 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.2 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Roughriders still be able to contain Wiese? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
