NATCHEZ — A key 72-yard interception return by Daniel Culbert turned what could have been a five-point lead for Cathedral into a 19-point led as the Green Wave held on for a 48-32 win over the Stringer Red Devils at homecoming at D’Evereaux Stadium Friday night.

“With 12 seconds left in the first half, they were going in to score and we intercepted it,” Cathedral head coach Craig Beesley said. “That was the biggest play of the game.”

Culbert’s interception return gave Cathedral a 28-9 lead at halftime and then it was a matter of holding on to the lead in the second half. Stringer (2-4, 2-4) cut into the Green Wave’s lead at the 8:27 mark of the third quarter on Cole Walters’ 39-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Pierce and Ervin Gavin’s two-point conversion run.

But the Green Wave responded as Jesse Morrison scored on a 2-yard run with 37 seconds left in the third quarter for a 35-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Red Devils scored two touchdowns in the final 12 minutes, but both times Cathedral answered with a touchdown of its own.

Fondren, who scored on a 76-yard pass from Braxton Fondren early in the second quarter, had a 5-yard touchdown run and then sealed the win with an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown with 52 seconds left in the game.

“We came out kinda flat to start the third quarter, but we ran the ball down field and ran the clock” Beesley said. “We caught them off guard in the second half.”

Edwards completed 11 of 16 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns and he had one rushing touchdown. Fondren led the Green Wave in receiving with four catches for 121 yards and in rushing with three carries for 61 yards.

“Preston played a real good game, especially in the first half,” Beesley said.

Gavin and Spencer Williams did their part to keep Stringer in the game. Gavin finished with 105 yards rushing on 15 carries and one touchdown while Williams had 18 carries for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Walters didn’t have a particularly good game as he went just 7-of-24 passing for 93 yards and two interceptions.