The Saint Paul’s football Wolves defeated the Ponchatoula Green Wave 45-10 on Oct. 17, 2025.

Thousands filled Ponchatoula Stadium to watch the exciting Friday night game that featured numerous big plays. The autumn weather was nice and crisp, with a slight chill – perfect football weather. The evening began with a performance from Ponchatoula’s dance team, band, and cheerleaders, all celebrating Ponchatoula’s Homecoming game.

As the Ponchatoula band performed the National Anthem, the Saint Paul’s players prepared for battle with focused faces.

The game started slowly, but the Wolves kept on picking up momentum, with the first touchdown being scored by Saint Paul’s running back Cody Corales. Corales took the handoff and scampered for a big 25-yard run to put the Wolves ahead early. The stadium was getting rowdy after that first touchdown, and the Green Wave fans sitting across the field could feel the Wolves’ energy.

A few plays later, the Green Wave scored their first and last touchdown on the Wolves, equalizing the score 7-7.

The Wolves never had a problem moving the ball on offense in this game. The second touchdown for the Wolves was scored by Saint Paul’s quarterback Brady Pierson, who ran through the defense for a 50-yard touchdown.

“Offense was marching down the field. Defense at first was a little sluggish, and in the second quarter, we came out and just wreaked havoc,” Saint Paul’s linebacker Dylan Post said. Post scooped up an 85-yard fumble recovery for a defensive touchdown, but it was negated by a penalty.

The Wolves were starting to pick up the pace in the second quarter, and the Green Wave could not keep up. Corales rumbled for another big touchdown run, this time for 20 yards. This was the Wolves’ last touchdown before halftime. Both teams managed a field goal on successive drives, making the score 24-10 at the half in favor of the Wolves.

Bill Pierson, the grandfather of quarterback Brady Pierson, was enjoying the game but knew Saint Paul’s could play better. “I thought we would round them down, and I have respect for Ponchatoula, but I thought we’d be beating them by more points by halftime,” Bill Pierson said at halftime.

Despite the 14-point lead, many Saint Paul’s fans were hoping the Wolves would stay aggressive in the second half. “The boys are playing hard. I’d love to see us put the ball in the air a little more. It will help us down the road as we get closer to district and playoffs,” Brad Villa said at halftime. Villa is the father of Saint Paul’s senior wide receiver Brennan Villa.

The fans also found it very entertaining to see young talent alongside upperclassmen. For instance, Keith West, the father of Saint Paul’s senior defensive lineman Brett West, was enjoying the team’s chemistry.

“It’s exciting to see the younger players starting to gel with the returning starters and play as a cohesive unit. If they continue to play together as a team, they can really make some waves down the stretch,” said West.

Throughout the game, and especially during halftime, the Saint Paul’s Marching Wolves did a great job of keeping the crowd engaged, playing fun songs while the SSA cheerleaders and Golden Blues dance teams performed their routines.

The halftime show also consisted of the Ponchatoula Homecoming Court’s king and queen being congratulated, along with another performance by the band, dancers, and cheerleaders.

Coming back from halftime, the Wolves started the third quarter strongly with an interception from Saint Paul’s sophomore Christian Martin.

Saint Paul’s defensive lineman, senior Gage Brown, was fired up. “Everyone knows what they’re doing, everyone’s locked in,” said Brown following Martin’s interception.

Saint Paul’s senior running back Troy Willis was able to put the game out of reach, scoring the next two touchdowns, both from distance. Willis’s touchdowns were Saint Paul’s fourth and fifth of the game, giving the Wolves a commanding lead.

The fans got what they asked for, as the Wolves picked up the pace and had many big plays in the second half.

“Offense and defense came out fast in the second half,” Willis said.

Corales had the sixth and final touchdown of the game, wrapping this one up and putting a bow on it. The final score was 45-10, and the emotions were running high after the Wolves’ best performance of the season.

After the game, Saint Paul’s assistant football coach Gabe Emerson was proud of the boys but not satisfied, knowing what the Wolves need to do going into the district and playoffs. “Staying consistent… it was a really gritty game to win, and we can’t win off of just two plays. We need to play the full 48 minutes,” Emerson explained.

Many players shared this sentiment. They were pleased with the team’s performance, but they recognized that there is always room for improvement.

Saint Paul’s offensive lineman and team captain, senior Nate Canizaro, knows what the offense needs to do to secure the district. “As a team, we’re starting to come together really well, but I can only speak for the offense by saying we need to come out to play with our fists out, ready to fight, and we will do great things,” exclaimed a fired-up Canizaro after the game.

Saint Paul’s junior defensive lineman Jacob April was happy with the way the team was competing. “We were competing hard against a talented team in Ponchatoula. The district has a lot of talented teams and players, so we focused on one play at a time,” said April.

Saint Paul’s senior defensive back Aidan Brooks, who is also a team captain, was pleased with the overall performance but said the Wolves’ special teams needed to match the performances of the offense and defense for Saint Paul’s to reach its potential.

On the other hand, Wolves’ quarterback Brady Pierson thought this game was great for capturing some momentum going forward. Pierson totaled four touchdowns in what was his best night of the season.

The Saint Paul’s football Wolves are hoping to carry over that momentum into next week against Northshore on the road.

“We can’t be complacent,” senior running back Cody Corales said.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Neil Woodall