Keyshawn Johnson recently interviewed Devah Thomas, the head football coach at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy, who achieved an incredible milestone by guiding his team to its first CIF-Southern Section championship title despite starting the season with an 0-8 record and finishing at 1-9.
So, how did St. Pius—a modest co-educational Catholic high school in south Los Angeles with an enrollment of about 520 students—manage to pull off this remarkable turnaround?
According to Sports Illustrated, the team’s rigorous strength of schedule was instrumental in securing an at-large spot in the postseason.
“People just can’t believe it,” Thomas remarked during his appearance on “All Facts No Brakes.” He further explained, “I don’t make the rules, I just follow them,” referring to Calpreps, the system that determines playoff divisions.
Thomas noted, “I figured if we won one or two games, we could get in because our strength of schedule was among the best in California. Every team we faced in the regular season made the playoffs, except for one out of nine. All were in a higher division than us, except for one team. … [There are] teams that finished 7-3 and didn’t qualify. They played weaker opponents, and it caught up to them.”
“They want competitive equity. … The CIF is running with it … [and] we fit the criteria,” he added, highlighting the importance of the playoff system.
The concept of competitive equity is relatively new, designed to ensure that teams are placed in appropriate divisions to foster competitive games. If spots are available in the 16-team playoff field, at-large teams are selected based on their Calpreps rankings. St. Pius holds a Calpreps ranking of 96, with a strength of schedule rating of 17.2, surpassing all its playoff opponents except for Cypress (18.1), which St. Pius defeated in the first round with a score of 21-14.
In a thrilling match, St. Pius triumphed over Serrano in the CIF-SS Division 8 final, winning 38-19. Junior quarterback Jassi Williams showcased his talent by completing 25 passes to six different receivers for an impressive 444 yards and contributing five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing).
Thomas expressed confidence in his team’s potential for a playoff run. “You just saw the grit and grind of these kids,” he stated. “They never gave up. They showed up every Monday after a loss, still motivated.”
The Warriors’ roster features only 30 players, with just two seniors, showcasing the youthful spirit and determination of the team.
Looking ahead, St. Pius is set to host San Diego’s St. Augustine in the state regional game on Saturday night, a matchup in the Division 4-A category. St. Augustine finished its regular season winless at 0-10.
Previously, St. Pius reached the Division 14 final in 2019 and the Division 7 final in 2021, which marked Thomas’ inaugural season. Since then, Thomas has guided the team to playoff victories each season.
