SPX Athletics

St. Pius X Falls to St. Thomas Aquinas in Overtime on Tuesday

The St. Pius X Warriors battled St. Thomas Aquinas in a hard-fought match, ultimately falling 2-1 in overtime. Jude Elliott scored the Warriors' lone goal, keeping Pius even with Aquinas. The Warriors fought hard until the final whistle, largely thanks to the incredible saves by goalkeeper Jonah Elliot, but St. Thomas Aquinas found the game-winner in overtime to take the victory. A tough result for the Warriors after a competitive performance.

St. Pius X Warriors With Tough Game Against Mid-Buchanan

St. Pius X Warriors had trouble keeping up with Mid-Buchanan in a 14-2 loss on Wednesday.

A single by Allie Compton on the sixth pitch of the at-bat put St. Pius X Varsity Warriors on the board in the bottom of the first. Scoring Sophia Armilio, who lead off the game with a single and was moved to second on a great bunt by Daley Byars.

St. Pius Warriors took the lead in the bottom of the second. Gracie Hatcher singled, scoring Haley Starzl to give St. Pius X Varsity Warriors the upper hand, 2-1.

Daley Byars stepped in the circle first for St. Pius X Varsity Warriors. The hurler gave up eight hits and nine runs (four earned) over six innings, striking out four and walking none.

Starzl, Byars, Armilio, Compton, and Hatcher each collected one hit for St. Pius X Warriors. Compton and Hatcher were tough to handle back-to-back in the lineup, as each drove in one run for St. Pius X Warriors. St. Pius X Warriors turned one double play in the game.

St. Pius X Varsity Warriors play at home on Monday against East Buchanan Varsity Bulldogs in their next game.

The SPX Boys Swim Team defeated Platte County, Smithville, Warrensburg, and Kearney on Tuesday night, taking first place the 200 free relay; 50, 200 and 500 freestyle; 100 fly; and 100 back! State consideration cuts were swum in each of those finishes, along with a 3rd place finish in the 200 Medley Relay that was also a state cut. Congratulations, Warriors!

Some wins are remembered for years.

Friday night, the St. Pius X Warriors opened the 2026 season with one of the program's biggest victories in recent memory. Facing Rockhurst at Dasta Stadium, the Warriors delivered a complete team effort, battling for four quarters and earning a hard-fought 23-17 victory.

The game opened as a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain control through the first quarter and a half. Both defenses played fast and physical, forcing each offense to earn every yard.

The first game-changing play came midway through the second quarter.

Facing a tough Rockhurst defense, junior quarterback Jake Nichols ( #1) delivered one of the most memorable plays of the night. Nichols fired a pass downfield that was tipped by multiple players before finding the hands of senior receiver Chase Brookings ( #11). Brookings gathered the deflection in stride and raced approximately 60 yards toward the end zone, appearing to give the Warriors their first touchdown of the season and igniting the St. Pius X sideline.

However, a block-in-the-back penalty wiped the touchdown off the board and forced the Warriors to regroup deep inside Rockhurst territory.

Instead of allowing the penalty to derail the drive, the Warriors responded with determination.

Just a few plays later, Nichols took matters into his own hands. The junior quarterback scrambled through a crowd of Hawklet defenders, fighting his way into the end zone for the Warriors' first touchdown of the 2026 season.

The extra-point unit then provided another pivotal moment. Rockhurst was flagged offside before the kick, giving the Warriors an opportunity to be aggressive. Head Coach Anthony Simone and the coaching staff elected to go for two, and the Warriors capitalized on the opportunity to take an early 8-0 lead.

What could have become a frustrating missed opportunity instead became the first statement of the night from a Warrior team that continually answered adversity with resilience.

The Warriors carried their 8-0 advantage into halftime and emerged from the locker room determined to build on their momentum.

To open the second half, St. Pius X continued to control the line of scrimmage and impose its physical style of play. The offense methodically moved the ball down the field before senior running back Cannon Cruse ( #2) powered into the end zone, extending the Warrior lead to 15-0 and putting the Hawklets on their heels.

Just when it appeared St. Pius X had seized complete control of the game, Rockhurst answered immediately.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Hawklets returned the kick for a touchdown, instantly cutting the deficit to 15-7 and swinging momentum back toward the home sideline. Energized by the special teams score, Rockhurst began to find its rhythm and continued to apply pressure.

Moments later, the Hawklets seized another opportunity when they intercepted a pass from Nichols. The turnover gave Rockhurst excellent field position, and the Hawklets marched deep into Warrior territory. Before long, Rockhurst found itself with first-and-goal from the St. Pius X one-yard line, threatening to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion of their own.

The next sequence would prove to be one of the biggest moments of the game.

Facing one of the area's premier programs with its back against the goal line, the Warrior defense refused to break. St. Pius X forced Rockhurst backward and, on a crucial third down, senior linebacker Charlie Prenger ( #8) broke through the Hawklet offensive line and recorded a drive-changing sack.

The sack forced Rockhurst to settle for a field goal, trimming the Warrior lead to 15-10 instead of potentially tying the game. The defensive stand shifted momentum back to St. Pius X and energized the entire Warrior sideline.

With momentum back on their side, St. Pius X answered in championship fashion.

Later in the second half, junior running back Kaden Locke ( #10) found the end zone, extending the Warriors' lead to 23-10 and giving St. Pius X valuable breathing room heading into the fourth quarter.

To their credit, the Hawklets continued to battle. Rockhurst answered with a late fourth-quarter touchdown and successfully converted the two-point attempt, cutting the deficit to 23-17 and creating one final opportunity for a comeback.

But the Warriors remained composed and executed when it mattered most.

The final nail in the coffin came on Rockhurst's ensuing onside kick attempt.

Junior wide receiver Gerrardo Pena ( #13) secured the football, recovering the kick and sending the Warrior sideline into celebration. The recovery effectively sealed the victory and allowed St. Pius X to run out the remaining clock.

When the final whistle sounded, players, coaches, students, alumni, and fans celebrated a victory earned through discipline, toughness, and teamwork.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Anthony Simone, the Warriors demonstrated resilience throughout all four quarters. Every phase contributed, from the offense capitalizing on opportunities, to the defense standing tall in key moments, to special teams recovering the game-sealing onside kick.

The images of players celebrating together after the final whistle captured the significance of the moment. It was a complete team victory built on toughness, discipline, and ex*****on in all three phases of the game.

Built through countless offseason workouts, unwavering brotherhood, and a commitment to something bigger than themselves, this team showed exactly what it means to be Warrior Tough.

The Warriors now turn their attention to another important challenge as they travel to Lee's Summit North High School this Friday to take on St. Michael the Archangel for an opportunity to retain the Crystal Cup. After an impressive season-opening win, St. Pius X will look to carry that momentum into another key matchup.

For one night, however, the Warriors can celebrate a tremendous team effort and a well-earned victory over Rockhurst.

Final Score
St. Pius X 23
Rockhurst 17

Keep checking about game times today. With the high temperature, game times might change or be cancelled.

Gracie Hatcher’s Clutch Hitting Propels St. Pius X Varsity Warriors To Victory Over Notre Dame de Sion

Gracie Hatcher drove in four runs on three hits to lead St. Pius X Varsity Warriors past Notre Dame de Sion 12-0 on Saturday. Hatcher doubled in the fourth inning, scoring two runs, and singled in the first inning, scoring one.

St. Pius X Varsity Warriors got on the board in the top of the first inning after Hatcher singled, scoring one run, and Tishia George doubled, scoring two runs. Sion tried to rally in the bottom of the first, but Sophia Armilio and Allie Compton combined on an outfield assist to throw a runner out at the plate.

St. Pius X Varsity Warriors added one run in the third. Allie Compton doubled to center field, making the score 4-0.

St. Pius X Varsity Warriors scored five runs on four hits in the top of the fourth inning. Hatcher doubled, scoring two runs, and George lined out, scoring three runs.

Daley Byars earned the win for St. Pius X Varsity Warriors. The starting pitcher gave up four hits and zero runs over four innings, striking out six and walking none. Bailee Millhouse tossed one inning of shutout ball for St. Pius X Varsity Warriors in relief. The hurler gave up one hit, striking out two and walking none.

St. Pius X Varsity Warriors amassed 10 hits in the game. Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, amassing eight walks for the game. Byars and Hatcher each stole multiple bases for St. Pius X Varsity Warriors. St. Pius X Varsity Warriors stole four bases in the game.

Next up for St. Pius X Varsity Warriors is a game at West Platte on Tuesday.

Lady Warriors Claim Pool Championship at Pony Express State Preview Classic

The St. Pius X Lady Warriors made an early-season statement at the 2nd Annual Pony Express Girls Volleyball State Preview Classic, going a perfect 4-0 over two days of competition to claim the pool championship.

The Lady Warriors opened play Friday afternoon against Ray-Pec, battling to a hard-fought three-set victory. They followed it with a dominant straight-set win over Central of St. Joseph, sending St. Pius X into Saturday with a perfect 2-0 record. Both Ray-Pec and Central compete at the Class 5 level.

Saturday brought another important test as the Lady Warriors faced Savannah, a potential postseason opponent. St. Pius X took control early and never looked back, earning another convincing straight-set victory.

In the final match of the tournament, the Lady Warriors squared off against Class 5 Seckman High School. St. Pius X capped off the weekend in impressive fashion, taking care of business in straight sets to complete an undefeated 4-0 run through the tournament.

With wins over four quality opponents — including three Class 5 programs — the Lady Warriors walked away as Pony Express State Preview Classic pool champions.

The undefeated weekend gives St. Pius X plenty of early-season momentum as the Lady Warriors continue building toward their goals for the 2026 season.