Ryan Gregson showed growth throughout his junior season as Hahnville’s starting quarterback, but he had one major takeaway from the year: he could do better, and he would work as hard as he had to in order to make that happen.
Gregson made a major leap from his junior to senior season and it showed in his play on the field, affecting the game both through his downfield passing and his ability to take off and run.
“Not that I didn’t work hard before, but I knew I had to put in even more work because I wasn’t satisfied with how my junior year went,” Gregson said. “I pushed myself more on the practice field and in the weight room. And at the same time, I pushed everyone around me to put in that work too in order to have the outcome we wanted.”
He put on some muscle and also had a bit of a growth spurt, and as the spring and summer rolled on, he gained more and more confidence in what he could do.
“Confidence is earned. You have to put in the work and trust that the work and effort you’ve put in is going to come out on the field. I knew I was prepared and that’s where the confidence came from,” Gregson said.
It was an experience he says he’ll always cherish.
“Friday night lights is a whole different atmosphere,” Gregson said. “It’s completely different from a lot of things people get to experience … I’m grateful I got to experience it as Hahnville’s quarterback. It’s amazing to play in that atmosphere, especially at a place like Hahnville with the fanbase we have.”
He said it’s hard to narrow down his favorite single moment, but ultimately one stood out – a 70-yard run for a touchdown that helped spur Hahnville to its first win of 2023 against Northshore. He broke a pair of tackles and then sped away from the pack.
Being the quarterback of a 5A traditional power program like Hahnville brings as much responsibility off the field as on it.
“I realized I had to be a vocal leader. When you’re the quarterback, you can’t just lead by example,” Gregson said. “It helped me develop more leadership skills.”
Hahnville is where his football career concluded, but he has plenty more to do on the baseball diamond.
Gregson signed with Delgado and will continue his baseball career at the collegiate level. This comes after a senior season at HHS where he helped lead the Tigers to a Top 10 seed and 22 wins – and helping to establish the Hahnville program on an upward trajectory over the past two seasons.
“We said before the season began we wanted to be a top 10 seed, to host a first-round game and to make a playoff run to Sulphur (for the state baseball championship tournament). Unfortunately, we didn’t get to Sulphur, but we took a step in the right direction,” Gregson said.
Gregson was named to the All-State Academic Composite baseball and football teams and was named First Team All-District for baseball.
He’s been a member of the Beta Club, National Honor Society and was Summa Cum Laude all four years at HHS.
