Saint Paul’s and Catholic High, two of the top Louisiana high school soccer programs, played to a 2-2 draw at a preseason scrimmage on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.

Despite it being the first scrimmage of the season for both teams, the game was an absolute thriller. 

Saint Paul’s went into the game seeking revenge because Catholic won the last two times the teams faced off. 

Only about 10 minutes in, Saint Paul’s striker Bryce Bordes (#10) took on a defender one-on-one and rifled home a shot with his left foot, making the game 1-0. “Once I was passed the ball and was one-on-one, I knew I was going to score,” said Bordes.

This was a massive start for Saint Paul’s, giving them confidence and control over the game.

However, Catholic was not going to give up that easily. For the rest of the first half, Saint Paul’s and Catholic looked pretty even with each having several chances on goal. Saint Paul’s goalkeeper, Felix Aceves, made a massive save in the game when Catholic’s attacker was one-on-one with the aggressive keeper.

Toward the end of the first half, Catholic was awarded a corner kick. They played in a beautiful ball to the back post that was headed in by one of their attackers, making the game 1-1. This was a big blow to Saint Paul’s and a huge goal for Catholic because it gave them momentum going into halftime.

The second half started off similarly to the end of the first. Saint Paul’s had a tough time generating any promising chances in the attack, and Catholic was starting to look dangerous. 

Saint Paul’s defense held off the Catholic attackers until about halfway into the second half. Catholic was in their attacking third, and a miscommunication from the defense and lack of a clearance led to Catholic having an easy shot and goal, making it 1-2. This moment seemed to deflate Saint Paul’s. 

The rest of the half went on with Catholic looking more and more dominant, taking almost complete control over the game.

It stayed that way until the last ten minutes of the game. Saint Paul’s had made several substitutions to give the Wolves some fresh legs, and this was the best decision they could have made. These players came in and made an immediate impact on the game, giving Saint Paul’s the spark they needed. The Wolves kept the ball on Catholic’s side for almost the entirety of the last ten minutes, creating more chances than they had all game.

In the game’s final minutes, a corner kick was awarded to the Wolves. This was likely going to be the last goal-scoring opportunity due to expiring time, and players and fans knew it. Saint Paul’s midfielder Ethan Brown (#8) stepped up to take the kick in the dire moment. When asked about what he was thinking before he kicked it, all he thought was, “Please be good,” showing the nerves he felt in the moment.

Brown rose up to the moment and played in a beautiful ball that the keeper bobbled and hit into his own net, giving Saint Paul’s the tying goal they were fighting for and settling the score at 2-2.

The Wolves bench absolutely erupted in celebration and ran to celebrate with the whole team.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw, but it felt like a win for Saint Paul’s team due to the late-game heroics.

“They were pushing for a result. They had a bad taste in their mouths after last season,” said varsity’s assistant coach Matt Jacques when asked what propelled Saint Paul’s to their victory.

The Wolves’ ability to keep battling all game long, even when down, and save themselves from a loss is a bright sign of things to come. With a team filled with as much talent and passion as this varsity team is, the sky’s the limit.

Saint Paul’s has a history of being a dominant soccer school. They finished consecutively in the top 10 ranked soccer schools in the country from 2014 to 2017. Moreover, Saint Paul’s varsity squad has won the state championship 9 times since 2000, a feat that is almost unheard of. Head coach Sean Moser has created a system that trains and prepares players from 8th grade all the way to senior year. On top of this, Saint Paul’s reputation as a soccer school brings in excellent soccer players from all over the area. For many soccer players, the program’s prestige and dominance is one of the draws to attend Saint Paul’s.

Saint Paul’s opens the regular season on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, against Dutchtown at Hunter Stadium in what many expect to be a competitive test for both teams.