St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy running back Le'Allyn “AJ” Monroe (5) scored four touchdowns against St. Paul in their league football game at PMA on Friday on October 23, 2026. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)

DOWNEY – With a monster game from senior running back Le’Allyn (AJ) Monroe with 262 yards (12 carries) and four touchdowns, the St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy football team defeated visiting St. Paul, 37-27, Friday (October 23) in an Angelus League game.

With the win, the Warriors (3-6, 3-1) moved a step closer to qualifying for their sixth consecutive CIF-Southern Section playoff appearance dating back to 2021.

This Friday (October 30) PMA can wrap up its post season streak with a win over Cathedral (7-0, 4-0), which currently sits atop the league standings. With that scenario, the Warriors could possibly end up in a three way tie for first place.

Scenario No. 2 – If PMA loses and St. Francis loses to Paraclete, it’s a three-way tie for second. The top three teams automatically qualify for the playoffs. A coin flip between the three second place teams would then decide the top two teams. The fourth team would then apply for an at large berth.

(PMA has been an at large team the last two seasons and won a CIF title in 2024).

Scenario No. 3 – If PMA loses and St. Francis defeats Paraclete, the Warriors automatically qualify.

PMA was led by touchdown runs by Monroe of 24, 72, 51 and 78 yards.

Freshman quarterback Romere Jones (13 yards, 9 carries) threw for 90 yards (9 for 15) and a touchdown, while senior wide receiver Edward Spriggs had seven receptions for 42 yards. Senior wide receiver Francisco Meza, Jr. caught two passes for 11 yards and freshman running back Skyler Townsend had one catch for 48 yards.

Senior running back Geremya Hood had 14 yards on four carries.

“We played as a team (Friday) and executed the assignment we came out here for,” PMA coach Devah Thomas said. “We had a great rushing attack. A.J. Monroe stole the show (Friday). He put on a clinic. He’s one of the great premier backs in the area. He’s very determined and already is a division one athlete and he wanted the world to know that in front of the homecoming crowd.

“The whole offensive line was phenomenal.”

St. Paul was led by junior quarterback Josh Villalta with 255 yards passing (17 for 26) and four touchdowns, while junior running back Benny Lafferre led with 80 yards on 15 carries.

Receivers Jace Levario and Daniel Castaneda had 89 and 78 yards, respectively for the Swordsmen.

St. Paul opened the game with an 18-play drive for 70 yards that took up all but the last 12 seconds of the first quarter. It ended with an 8-yard pass from Villalta to sophomore receiver Cole Levario (3 catches, 22 yards, 2 TDs) for the 7-0 lead.

However, the Warriors quickly responded with a short 4-play, 62 yard drive that resulted with a 24-yard run by Monroe with the first of his four TDs and the 7-7 tie.

Monroe, who ran untouched for the score, opened the drive with a 24-yard run, followed by a 5-yard run by Jones and 9-yard run by Hood.

“(St. Paul) took over the first quarter and did a great job,” said Thomas, of the Swordsmen’s long opening drive. “But once we got the ball in our hands we tried and made some big plays.

“St. Paul is a well-coached team and coach (Austin) Montoya is doing a great job. He’s going to turn that program around.”

In what started like a scoring frenzy for both teams in the first half, those were the only two touchdowns scored.

After the Swordsmen’s second drive ended with a punt, PMA was driving deep into St. Paul territory only to fumble the ball away on its 15-yard line late in the second quarter.

The only other score of the half came with 1:50 left in the quarter. The Swordsmen were backed up on their 3-yard line and quarterback Villalta was tackled by PMA junior defensive lineman Comarion Lenoir in the end zone to take a 9-7 lead.

The half ended with a 2-yard sack of Villalta by the Warriors senior defensive end Isaiah Wheeler.

It was a tale of two halves as the two teams combined for 48 points in the third and fourth quarters.

PMA quickly established its dominance in the second half with another quick score – the first of four TDs by the Warriors.

Jones tossed a short pass to Meza that was followed by a PMA penalty, which ended with the first of three long touchdown runs in the second half by Monroe for the score and 16-7 lead with less than a minute gone in the third quarter. Monroe just ran right through the defense and outran everyone.

Monroe, who also shined on defense, made a big fourth-down tackle on the ensuing St. Paul drive near midfield.

After the first Warrior touchdown at the beginning of the third quarter, they scored on three of their five drives in the half. One drive ended with a lost fumble and the other time was a fourth down punt.

Late in the third quarter with 2:03 left, Monroe again exploded for a 51-yard run for the score to lead 23-7.

This time he broke multiple would be tackles on his touchdown run.

On his big night, Monroe said, “The holes opened up for me like the Red Sea, just like Moses for sure. We all played as a team and we all played together and executed. We’re trying to make a statement for sure.

“(Friday) every single last player counted and we all played as a team. Our focus is punching our ticket into the playoffs.”

St. Paul’s second TD of the game came on the next drive as Villalta found Castaneda at the goal line with a 32 yard score to trail 23-13. Their 2-point conversion attempt was no good.

PMA’s only punt of the second half came in the first drive in the fourth quarter.

The first drive for the Swordsmen in the fourth quarter saw another sack by the defense. PMA senior linebacker Elijah Hamilton sacked Villalta for a 10-yard loss.

St. Paul failed to convert a fourth down deep in PMA territory and four plays later Monroe raced 78 yards untouched with his fourth rushing TD to lead 30-13 with 3:39 left in the quarter.

St. Paul came right back with a quick score less than a minute later as Villalta connected with Jace Levario for a 63 yard touchdown pass to trail 30-19. Levario was all alone behind the defense for the score.

The 2-point conversion was no good.

PMA’s last score of the night came on another short drive. This time it was just two plays, culminating with a 48-yard pass from Jones to Townsend with 2:43 remaining.

Townsend took a short screen pass from Jones and sprinted untouched to the end zone.

The Warriors led 37-19.

The Swordsmen added one last score with a minute left in the game.

Monroe scores four TDs to lead PMA over St. Paul