Playoff hopes fading for HHS - can Tigers turn it around?

Big games against John Ehret and Destrehan will tell the tale

By Kristian Garic

October 23, 2006 at 5:45 pm  | Mobile Reader | Print 

West Jefferson’s ‘One Man Show’ too much for Tigers in 47-27 shellacking

In a key District 5-5A match up on Friday Oct. 13, the Tigers fell short for the second week in a row, losing 47-27 to the West Jefferson Buccaneers after starting the season 5-0.

And I gotta tell you, folks, before the game started, I would have called this game an easy "W" for the Tigers.

That was before I got to see West Jefferson quarterback Ryan Jackson run Coach Hank Tierney's “triple-option attack.”

That kid dismantled the Tigers with his feet and his arm, rushing for three touchdowns and passing for three more. Jackson stands "all" of 5-feet-9 inches tall, but he plays much bigger as the 9th-ranked Hahnville learned the hard way.

Jackson carved up the Tigers' defense, keeping Hahnville off balance with a mix of running plays and an efficient passing attack.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Bucs. The Tigers actually jumped out to a 20-7 lead and held it through the first quarter and a half.

But then things went “kablooey” - and it became clear Hahnville hadn't quite recovered from the previous week's loss to East St. John.

And in the second quarter, West Jefferson surged, scoring through the air and on the ground to tie things up 20-20 before the half.

In the third quarter, the Tigers struggled to regain momentum, but it wasn’t to be.

The Tigers had no answer for Jackson’s offensive firepower. As Buc’s coach Hank Tierney put it, “Our quarterback gets us in the right position. He makes the right decision. He can run. And he can throw.”

This game may have been a playoff preview. Hahnville can still turn things around and make a run for the championship.

And Tierney has his team poised for the playoffs, too, with a 2-0 district record.