Lincoln Pius X football ‘at a pretty good place’ ahead of Week 0 game

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Lincoln Pius X Thunderbolts are getting a head start on the 2023 season thanks to a Week 0 game.

Eighth-year head coach Ryan Kearney said the extra week of preparation has already given the Bolts an advantage.

“This last week, we’ve been able to really move forward with our install,” he said. “We’re at a pretty good place right now, where we get to do a lot of refining of things that sometimes we aren’t at this point.”

The Thunderbolts have to fill more positions due to graduation but return several experienced linebackers and defensive backs.

The Bolts are also returning starting quarterback Kolbe Volkmer, who last season threw for 967 yards and four touchdowns.

“He got to start for us last year as a sophomore, which doesn’t happen very often,” Kearney said. “But credit to him, he earned the job. He kept putting in the work this summer. The spring and summer, he did a lot of extra things on his own that helped him kind of continue to progress.”

Volkmer is embracing year two in his role and leading by example on a fairly young team.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a senior, junior or sophomore, you got to hold everybody accountable,” he said. “Hold everybody to the highest standard possible so that in game, it just becomes so much easier.”

Kearney knows younger players will have to step up and fill important roles this season.

“They’ve really kind of been ready to go each day,” he said. “We haven’t had to try to encourage them too much with their effort. They brought their own effort and energy.”

Energy is a word often used by this team. Seniors say they feel a newfound sense of it within the group.

“There’s a lot of energy, a lot more energy this year,” said Jack Schafers, a senior wide receiver/defensive back. “Even though we lost a lot of guys last year — a lot of our team was seniors — everyone’s stepping up this year, and we all just need to be leaders.”

Pius takes on Lincoln Northwest on Aug. 18.

Last season, the Thunderbolts finished with a record of 5-5, qualifying for the state playoffs.

This year, Kearney said it will take consistency to get over that .500 mark.

“We have to be more successful in our passing game percentage-wise, and there’s a lot of factors that go into that,” he said.  “We have the opportunity to do that right now, which maybe we haven’t in the past with our quarterback coming back and some of our receivers getting a lot of experience last year as juniors.”