DENHAM SPRINGS – The St. Helena Hawk football team spent the day gutting homes and carrying water-soaked furniture to the street following the recent flooding in the area. 

Many of the players have friends and family dealing with devastation, but on Friday the team made a choice to help others.

"To be honest with you, I thought maybe five or six guys would volunteer," Brandon Brown, St. Helena head football coach, said. "When I proposed the question, they said coach, 'We want to help,' and that brought tears to my eyes," Brown said.

Brown brought the team to Plantation Estates in Denham Springs where they helped Wayne Wells with his home. It had been a week since Watts had been inside his home. Mud covered the counter tops, drawers were turned inside out and there were many holes in his walls. Due to the mess, more than 30 years of memories are gone.

"My house did have water, 5.5 feet. I did have flood insurance and my heart just goes out to all those that are not as fortunate," Wells said.

Coach Brown recognizes the hard work the team demonstrated and says they are learning life lessons.

"They said, 'Coach, you know what, next time we're running those sprints and its hot we're going to remember this,'" Brown said.

The team plans to spend the rest of the weekend helping other Livingston Parish residents clean out their homes.