St. Pius X-St. Mathias Academy presents their football athletes who signed their college letters of intent, from left, Marcus Ball, Greg Taylor, Elijah Ali, Malik Brooks, Jaylen Stokes, Kenny Peavy, and Demari Nunley during their campus announcement. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)

DOWNEY – St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (PMA), which has had resurgence in its football program over the past few years, has recently announced a school record six college signings for next season.

The Warriors, who have been in four CIF Finals since 2019, won a title last year and is the only Downey area school to play in a state championship, introduced six athletes recently at a ceremony inside the school gymnasium.

Those six athletes are – DeMari Nunley, UNLV; Elijah Ali, Texas; Marcus Ball, Sacramento State; Jaylen Stokes, New Mexico State; Kenny Peevy, Sacramento State and Gregory Taylor, Western Colorado.

“We’re the only program to reach back-to-back finals in the archdiocese of Los Angeles since the 2010’s,” PMA athletic director James Covell said. “This speaks volumes of the type of kid that we are developing at PMA. This group of graduates has set a precedent that will carry on for years to come. They’ve set the gold standard. We’re all excited to watch them all play on Saturdays.”

In just the past two years PMA has played in the last two CIF-SS Championship games, while also qualifying for CIF State both years. They made it to the State Regional championship game in 2024.

With all of these deep playoff runs, PMA was under the leadership of Devah Thomas, who became the head coach in 2021.

Thomas, who was previously at Salesian High L.A. before coming to St. Pius X, talked of his six outstanding seniors.

“It’s big,” Thomas said. “It’s a blessing to be in charge of this program and see these kids go to college. That’s what I always wanted. That’s the main goal. The championships and stuff are fine. Some of these kids are like family to me. They’ve been my babies since the ninth grade and some came in the 10th grade and never looked back.

“Football is my ministry and I just try to tell them to keep going. Everybody will get their turn and keep driving, keep fighting and I try to live by those words.

“These kids believed in what we do. I couldn’t do it without my assistant coaches.

Thomas spoke of his AD (James Covell) and assistant AD Donte Archie (PMA head basketball coach) saying, “James is great. He’s done a great job since he’s been our athletic director. Him and our assistant athletic director Donte do a great job with all of our public relations and all of our sports.”

Thomas talked of his coach, Shay Fields, that helped with the recruiting process for these players. “Me and coach Shay, my recruiting coordinator, does a great job with the kids that are on the borderline between DI, DII or DIII. He does a great job of that reaching out and we go hand-in-hand building portfolios for the guys. That’s something that gets us excited. We go to every coaches conventions and corner them up. You got to do what you have to do to help these kids.

“We’ve got to keep building and hopefully people will notice (PMA) and people see that we’re grinding and if you build it, they will come.”

Of all six players, only one (Jaylen Stokes) has changed his address from Sacramento State to New Mexico State.

Here are their stories.

DeMari Nunley, wide receiver, UNLV

“I’m really excited under the staff of Dan Mullen (head coach),” Nunley said. “He’s a national championship coach. I feel like with his guidance and his excellence from the past it’s going to build from here.”

Mullen was a head coach at Mississippi State (2009-2017) and Florida (2018-2021).

“They (UNLV) went 10-2 last year and had a great season,” Nunley added.

“That day I signed (Late last year) was very emotional. My mom couldn’t be there (signing day), but I’m happy she is here now and got to see me give a speech. My dad came the last time. Seeing my mom cry made me emotional.

“I was sticking with (UNLV) early on because they had me the number one guy and they really wanted me. Their receiver coach always was texting me and made it known that I was what they were looking for. The head coach texted me and called me.

“I went on my recruiting trip in June (2025) and some of the players took me around and told me about the facilities and insight about them.

“I want to try and play corner if I could, I’ll see.”

On his connection with quarterback in high school, Jassi Williams, Nunley said, “

“It was great. Good connection. I feel like it grew. When we first came in we couldn’t complete a pass. He’d either overthrow it or I would outrun it.

I had left to go to another school and didn’t have time to connect with Jassi.”

After finishing 1-9 in the regular season, the team made a run in the playoffs as Nunley was a big part of a target for Williams.

Nunley said of his junior year, “It was unexpected,” he said of the playoff run and eventual CIF Championship. “We all came together and we all wanted to win and we knew we could win.”

Nunley, who transferred from St. Monica, said of his future at UNLV, “I’m very excited. I just want to help build the program and take it to new heights. “I’m just making sure my body is college ready. I always thought I was going to go somewhere. I knew I had the talent.”

On coach Thomas, Nunley said, “He’s such a great coach. He was a quiet leader for sure. He always put me in the right position to make plays and had my back.

“He was great for the kids. We had (six) signees. A lot of schools can’t say that. Seeing my brothers getting signed was very, very emotional. I’m happy they get a chance to play somewhere.”

Marcus Ball, linebacker, Sacramento State

“In all honesty, the emotions that I had, it just hit me,” said an emotional Ball, on the stage talking about his opportunity to play college football. “I just realized when I was crying all night thinking am I good enough, am I going to be able to make it. All the times I was just stressing over it. Everything just came out. I thought I was going to cry at the end, but I just started choking up and started tearing up. It was just a joy that I made it.

“Now, I got to keep working, keep grinding.”

Ball, who was one of the two players that were at the school, played all four years at PMA.

“I came and checked out the school while I was in eighth grade,” Ball said. “I did my interview and got on the field for a little practice that they had. I went against a senior lineman and I beat him.

“I was playing D-end at the time and that’s what coach said, ‘We need you’.”

Ball played on JV in his freshman year on both sides of the line on JV.

“At 180 (pounds) I was playing offensive line at the time and was doing everything.”

Ball made the switch to linebacker fully in my senior year.

Ball will be joined by his teammate Kenny Peevy at Sacramento State. At the time of the signing, Jaylen Stokes also committed to Sac State.

“I’m happy that I’m going with my boys and being with people that I know every day,” he said of Peevy. “It’s a good feeling.”

Ball said of coach Thomas, “Coach D showed a lot of tough love, but it’s just mentally preparing you for college. College is going to be 10 times worse than him.”

Coach Thomas said of Ball saying, “Marcus Ball is like a little cousin to me,” Thomas said. “His dad and my mom grew up together. It was just a blessing to see him grow and get this opportunity.”

Elijah Ali, defensive tackle, University of Texas at Austin

“I’m really excited,” said Ali, of his opportunity to play at Texas. “It’s going to be a new experience. New things to see, new people to meet and everything to learn. I’m pretty excited about it. Everything is bigger in Texas.”

Ali said of his mother, “I’m really grateful for her (Ahava).

“I committed on February 1,” he added. “It’s my whole dream. It was everything I’ve been working for. It’s all paid off.”

Ali, who just came into PMA last Fall and played about five games, didn’t really have anyone on his radar at the time.

“I had a little bit of exposure, but nobody really wanted to give me an offer, because they wanted to see more film. “I felt like my heart was on the line every single game. During the playoffs, there was a little bit of talk here and there.”

Ali, who just came from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York, committed prior to the signing day ceremony and made his visit to the Austin campus. Ali transferred in from Bishop Montgomery and had no offers until the Texas offer.

“It’s a beautiful campus and had a really great experience and all of the staff was super kind to me,” he said. “They all believed in me and even though I didn’t come from much here. I really appreciate all of their beliefs in me and all of their support.”

Ali said of his teammate Ball and his emotional moment about finally getting a chance to play in college, “I can really feel for him, because there’s always nights of worrying if you’re good enough. Not everybody gets that chance.”

On coach D: “He’s basically like an older brother. He’s like family pretty much. When you get on the field he is always supporting. He cares more than just football.”

On playing in the CIF Championship game: “That was the first time I ever played in a championship game at any level.”

Jaylen Stokes, wide receiver, New Mexico State

Stokes, who came to St. Pius after his freshman year, was introduced to football for the first time ever at Lakewood High School.

Stokes started in his sophomore year.

On coach Thomas: “The D man. I couldn’t ask for a better coach or a better guider. He’s a male figure in my life. He’ll run through a brick wall for us. He puts us before him no matter what he’s doing through the darkest times in his life. He puts us first and he’s all for us.

“He wouldn’t sleep trying to get us to college, weather it would be in the classroom or outside of school; he just looked out for us.

“I’m so excited to go to college and go out there and take a spot.”

Stokes originally committed to Sacramento State with his two teammates (Ball and Peevy), but later had an opportunity to play at New Mexico State.

On the ceremony, he said, “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We all get to sign on the same day and grow as a man.

“We have some big shoes to fill.”

Stokes talked of the last two years and the championship appearances.

“I thank God for putting us in the exact spot and opportunity and the coaches for doing the hard work to give us the knowledge to outsmart the opponent, outwork the opponent and outlast the opponent.”

Kenny Peevy, wide receiver, Sacramento State

“We all signed together to play at Sacramento State,” said senior wide receiver Kenny Peevy, of the three players signed to play at the Northern California school. (Stokes later signed with New Mexico St.). “There was some buzz last year and I thought I was one of those guys receiving but wasn’t. Thank God they still came and got me.”

“The ceremony meant a lot to me and my teammates,” he said. “We’ve been grinding and praying for a chance. All we needed was one, especially me.

“We have to work harder in college. No days off.”

Peevy, who played his junior and senior year at PMA, played at Lawndale in his freshman year and sophomore year at Inglewood.

Peevy’s dad Billy had a connection with coach Devah and finished up at PMA in his junior and senior years.

“There was a big difference between Inglewood and here (St. Pius),” Peevy said. “Everything is more structured and we’re more of a family and bond like brotherhood.

“When I got here I kind of had catching problems of seeing the ball through, but as I developed, my catching got better,” he added.

Peevy said of the signing ceremony, “It meant a lot. It’s a brotherhood. They were here for me when I got hurt.”

Peevy got hurt (ligament injury) early in his senior season, as he got injured in the fourth game of the season. He came back on senior night and just before the playoffs.

“I was extremely excited because I had my weekend opportunity to showcase myself, because when I came back I had to leave it all out on the field,” Peevy said. “Our connection with Jassi was beautiful. When he comes to the huddle and he stares at me in my eyes I know it’s coming my way.”

On playing for coach Devah: “To me personally, that’s my uncle. He means everything to me. To the team it’s everything to us.”

Gregory Taylor, defensive back, Western Colorado

“This day means a lot to me, honestly,” said Taylor, of the ceremony. “From being not so much of a looked at player coming into high school it means a lot to me. All of my hard work does show.

“With that being said, it’s a great moment. It shows that my work had actually paid off all of these years. No matter what you do, as long as you come to work, you’ll get to where you want to be.”

Taylor, who is 5-8, has stood tall against a lot of his defenders saying, “From my junior year to my senior year I played against a lot of great athletes. A lot of them were taller than me. I really played up to the occasion.

“I will be going there as a DB.”

Taylor was one of the two players that committed that played all four years at PMA.

“For being here all four years and being MVP last season (2024) and being on JV for two years, I’ve seen a lot of great athletes here. (Coach Thomas) runs a great system at Pius He’s a hard coach and he’s going to break you down to be a great athlete. He also builds you up to be a great athlete.”

Taylor was All CIF in his junior year when they won the championship. In addition, he had the most or nearly the most interceptions in league.

Taylor talked about the 1-9 regular season and how they won the title: “That was a crazy season, especially because it was my first year on varsity. It was unbelievable. But, it was competitive equity. We played some of the best teams. We never gave up in that season. We showed a lot that we should be in the playoffs.”

Malik Brooks (undecided)

Six PMA football players sign with colleges