Destrehan High School alumnus Tim Molton fondly remembers the battles between his Wildcats and their archrival Hahnville Tigers during his time with the team, and he seems to have brainstormed a way to add to the tradition of that annual throwdown.
Molton, a former standout receiver with DHS who went on to play at LSU and Louisiana Tech, has begun coordinating a flag football game that will pit the alumni of the two schools against one another, with proceeds directed to benefit the football programs of both schools.
The game is tentatively set to take place the afternoon of Sept. 23, one day after Hahnville and Destrehan face off on the prep gridiron in the coming season. Participation is open to anyone who played for either HHS or DHS in 2015 or any year prior.
Molton, who has already begun making a list of interested former players, said interest is high.
“Man, I just put it out there without even knowing if I’d do it, and it just skyrocketed from there,” Molton said. “I think it’s gonna be pretty big, because it doesn’t matter how old you are or anything. The East Bank is gonna claim that they’re the best and the West Bank that they’re the best.”
He said the inspiration for the idea came from hearing about the alumni basketball game put on by Destrehan recently.
“When I found out that was real, I was sitting back and thought, ‘man, I really want to do something like that,’” he said. “I had been looking for something to do with Destrehan … if we can do a Destrehan-Hahnville alumni flag football game, we can make it something for the whole community vs. just something for our football team.”
The heated on-field rivalry between the schools always seems to capture the imagination of St. Charles Parish, and the tradition has garnered national attention, the annual game recognized by the Great American Rivalry Series. The game, unofficially referred to by some as “the Super Bowl of St. Charles Parish,” not only yields in-parish bragging rights for the winners, but features two of Louisiana’s traditionally elite football programs.
The site of the alumni game is still pending, though Molton said that ideally it will be held at one of the schools. He also hopes the game could become an annual tradition.
Molton, who was known for his game-breaking speed and big play ability during his time with the Wildcats, helped spur Destrehan to a state championship in 2007. That year’s Wildcats team went unbeaten, downing Hahnville along the way.
He said there is little that can compare to taking the field when Destrehan and Hahnville are set to lock up. That’s one reason he believes the alumni game could really take off.
“Everyone who’s not from down there would never understand what Destrehan vs. Hahnville means to the parish and what it looks like when you’re there,” Molton said. “There’s no other game … don’t get me wrong, when Destrehan plays anybody, the stadium’s filled.
“But when it’s time to play Hahnville, not only is the stadium filled, but the track is filled. It’s a whole different vibe when it’s Hahnville vs. Destrehan, so that’s why I thought it could really explode.”
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