FOOTBALL

WALKER HOME (NON -DISTRICT) 7 PM

DUTCHTOWN AWAY (NON -DISTRICT) 7 PM

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS HOME (NON -DISTRICT) 7 PM

COVINGTON AWAY (DISTRICT) 7 PM

NORTHSHORE AWAY (DISTRICT) 7 PM

MANDEVILLE HOME (DISTRICT) 7 PM

SLIDELL AWAY (DISTRICT) 7 PM

FOUNTAINEBLEAU AWAY (DISTRICT) 7 PM

ST. PAUL'S HOME (DISTRICT) 7 PM

HAMMOND AWAY (DISTRICT) 7 PM

# 1

Hello, Coach Willie. How are you doing today, and more importantly for our readers, how are the Ponchatoula Green Wave looking today?

Right now, in the summer, it's really hot so we're trying to battle around that. We go practice early in the morning about 8:00 o'clock and we lift, and we do some stuff outside I think we’re heading in the right direction as a football program As a football team, you know we had a great spring in the weight room and in our spring ball I’m excited to see the next step that we can take with this team

# 2

You’re a veteran now with a year as head coach under your belt. What has been the biggest learning experience since stepping into your new role, what were you able to take away from that?”

Yes, I’ve learned it's not as much coaching football as it is dealing with certain situations, whether it be with schools, the team, or even the booster club I'm fortunate to have a good booster club and a good administration, you know, and I guess the familiarity with all the coaches being together because a lot of them were new coaches last year.

# 3

You moved into the head coaching position after the best season Ponchatoula had in decades, how has being a part of that season rubbed off on the coach you are today?

I don't think I really changed that much because I've always believed that you have to coach hard in every situation every year, and that is a little bit easier when you have really good players After last year, we didn't have as good a season as we would have expected and what we wanted to have, but you just continue to coach hard, and you keep on working the kids harder. These kids, they just want to be worked and want to be shown love -- they want to be successful They’re a bunch of competitors

# 4

Do you have a message for the Green Wave faithful about the 2023 season?

I mean I always tell our kids we're just going to compete. We're a bunch of competitors, so I'd say that we're coming to compete and we're coming to win every game That's our goal The 5-6 season is behind us, so you know I got a lot of high expectations for these kids, and they've been accepting the challenge all right

24

AUG