At minimum, Friday night marks the first showdown between Hahnville and St. Charles Catholic on the football field in a very, very long time.
According to longtime River Parishes journalist Lori Lyons, who has kept record of games and scores dating back to 1990, the two teams have never played in that timeframe. Hahnville head football coach Greg Boyne nor St. Charles Catholic head football coach Wayne Stein could recall record of a game between the schools.
That’s quite notable given the proximity of the two schools and the strong traditions of their programs. Hahnville plays host to the Comets, who will visit Tiger Stadium.
Hahnville (0-1) fell at last year’s Division II select runner-up Shaw in Week 1, 20-14. This week’s Tiger opponent represents the other side of that division’s championship game – the Comets defeated Shaw last year in the Superdome to capture the state championship. It was SCC’s third state crown in five years. St. Charles went 13-1 overall last season.
Last week, St. Charles defeated Legacy School of Sport Sciences, a visiting team from Texas, 34-28.
“They are very sound in everything they do,” said Boyne. “They’re very good running the football. They don’t do a lot of different things offensively – what they do, they do well. Defensively, they’re a little more experienced than they are offensively. They’ve got smart, athletic kids. Obviously, they’re state champions. They beat Shaw last year in the Superdome and in the regular season they beat them decisively. They certainly have our respect and attention.”
The Comets (1-0) have had to reload this year. Gone are 18 seniors from its 2025 state champion squad. But among those departures is not starting quarterback Landree LeBlanc, who accounted for 21 touchdowns last season. Boyne said LeBlanc reminds him of HHS senior quarterback Landen Teague.
“He’s a two-sport kid, actually maybe a three-sport kid. They’ll run him, especially if you take guys out of the box, and they use him in the running game more than most,” said Boyne. “They’ll run quarterback power, some options. He can throw it and he can run it.”
Running back Evan Duffour keys the ground attack. Parker Millet, an All-State tackle last season, anchors the offensive line.
“(Dufour’s) not the biggest kid, but when he hits the hole you better be ready to wrap up and tackle. He’s running with a full head of steam,” said Boyne. “It all starts with their offensive line. It’s a very well-coached group.”
Defensively, the Comets are stout – as they have been for many years under Stein, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator before being named successor to Hall of Famer Frank Monica to lead the SCC program. The defensive line is deep and experienced with most starters from last season back, among its anchors Byron Bailey. Creed Marix is a standout linebacker and among the team’s leaders. In the secondary, James Tyson is a Tulane commitment, leading the way.
“Multiple fronts, multiple coverages, people moving around before the snap. I think some of it is trying to cause confusion,” said Boyne. ”You have to be on top of who is where, and what those different looks mean and what’s available. Their safeties are very good. They use the safeties to fit in the run game.
