St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy begins its first season of 11-man football

As a brand new program, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy has its work cut out for it this season. Building an 11-on-11 tackle football program from the ground up is not an easy task. Coach Todd Butler has the challenge of converting the remnants of St. Pius’ flag football team into a functioning full-contact program.

“My expectations aren’t just to take this field,” Butler said. “I think administratively, they’re happy to have a team there, but as competitors, that’s not how we do things.”

The Warriors are aiming high in their inaugural season with the Academy League a mere four teams this year. St. Pius X-St. Matthias will have to come out strong in its inaugural game on Aug. 25 to beat Claremont’s The Webb Schools.

“That Friday night experience is gonna be really great,” Butler said. “I’m a one-day-at-a-time kinda personality, but you can’t help but get excited for this idea of Aug. 25.”

The team could clinch its spot in the playoffs with a win over league foe Orange Vista on Oct. 27. The Academy League’s size means that a 2-1 record in league play is enough for a playoff berth, and should the Warriors enter homecoming 1-1 in league play, it will be their deciding game.

“It’s too early to tell ... but we have a chance,” Butler said of his team’s playoff possibilities.

Senior lineman Leonard Payne will certainly have something to say about that. The Salesian High transfer is easily the most imposing player on an undersized team, standing at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds.

“At Salesian, there were people that were already older than me, and I was following them, so now I get to teach (my new teammates) what I leaed over there at Salesian and help them out over here,” Payne said.

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