Destrehan head coach Marcus Scott remembers his first taste of the Destrehan/Hahnville rivalry matchup.
“It was at Destrehan … at 6 o’clock, we walk in and the parking lot was packed. We walked out to the field and the Hahnville student section all stood up and booed, then the Destrehan student section stood up and started cheering. The building was already packed and it was an hour before kickoff.” said Scott, who was the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator at the time.
Hahnville head coach Daniel Luquet has a truly unique perspective on St. Charles Parish’s own version of the Super Bowl – he’s seen it from every possible angle.
Luquet played in the rivalry series as quarterback of Destrehan. He’s experienced it as a player, as an assistant coach at both schools and as a head coach – this will be the fourth Hahnville-Destrehan game for Luquet and Scott alike, both taking the helm of their respective programs in 2020.
This one always means that much more.
“You have people who go to every Destrehan game or every Hahnville game, people who have season tickets and have for 40 or 50 years,” Luquet said. “But then you have people who come to just this game – they have a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker playing. This rivalry means more to the people of St. Charles Parish than most rivalries mean elsewhere in the state.
“I know the kind of passion there is on both sides, the fanbases on both sides. You look at the really good players and coaches who have been part of this, littered throughout the NFL and college football over the years. This parish is built different. And all of that makes (the rivalry) the best.”
Destrehan will take the trip across the river for “The Battle on the River” this year as Tiger Stadium plays host at 7 p.m. Friday night.
Each team is coming off of a victory last week. Hahnville earned its first win of the season, beating Northshore 22-17 in Boutte. The Hahnville defense stood tall, with Kobe Louis’ game-sealing interception turning back Northshore’s last gasp. Hahnville (1-2) had eight sacks in the game, Chase Morales notching four and Nizair Miller three to lead the way. Morales also had a key fumble recovery. Calvin Smith scored two touchdowns and Ryan Gregson scored on the biggest highlight play of the game, a 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Destrehan moved to 3-0 last week with its own home victory, besting East Ascension 21-7. It was a rarity for the Wildcats as it was a game that saw DHS trail at half, something the team did not do at all in 2022. But the second half saw Destrehan seize control, including a goal line stop of EA in the third quarter that turned momentum in DHS’ favor for good. Shane Lee rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and added a 31-yard reception. Anthony Robinson and Jackson Fields each added rushing scores.
This Friday’s game will open up district play for both teams.
Luquet is very aware of the perception many carry heading in.
“There’s not too many people who think we have a chance to win this football game,” Luquet said.
Destrehan, the defending Division I non-select state champion, has not lost since 2021 – its 17 wins in a row represent the longest winning streak in the state of Louisiana. The Wildcats have won this rivalry matchup in each of the past five years. The Tigers, while coming off of a win, struggled in losses to
Newman and Mandeville to begin the season.
“They’re coming off of an undefeated season and they have multiple Power 5 guys still on this team. But for us, none of that matters – it’s about what we can do to make ourselves better,” Luquet said. “It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It only matters what the guys inside the four walls of our fieldhouse think.”
And one thing the Tigers have likely been paying close attention to is the way each of Destrehan’s past two games have played out. John Ehret led 7-0 before Destrehan scored to tie the game just before halftime – DHS pulled away in the second half, just as it did a week later when it turned things around after a 7-0 deficit at halftime.
In both games, a sensational defensive effort kept Destrehan steady until the Wildcats’ offense could get into a groove. But Destrehan was challenged in each of those games in a way only two opponents did through the entirety of the 2022 season.
Scott noted Hahnville’s defensive approach isn’t the most common, and that’s been a focus in preparation.
“You have to get ready for that,” Scott said. “They play a scheme you don’t see every day. There’s going to be a feeling out process for both teams and we’ll make adjustments as we go, based on what we get.”
While Hahnville employs a run-heavy approach, Scott said keeping Gregson in check will be a primary focus.
“The first thing you look at with any team is its quarterback play, and I think he’s grown into a really good player,” Scott said. “He’s mobile and he’s accurate. When you have a good quarterback, you always have a chance to win on Friday.”
Luquet, meanwhile, said his team’s defensive focus is and will be no secret – and he wears No. 4.
“They have several very good players. But make no mistake – the one person that it is imperative we stop is Shane Lee,” Luquet said of the Wildcats’ powerful rusher. “For the first time in a long time, Destrehan’s got a number of young players who are going to be playing in this game for the first time. Shane’s not one of them. There is nothing young about Shane – he’s a seasoned veteran and there’s nothing that’s going to get him off his game. He’s played in all of their big games the past few years.
“As talented as they are at receiver, at quarterback and also their other backs, you want to stop the known quantity and hope those other guys play like sophomores.”
Scott said that for those players starting for the first time in the rivalry, it will be important to shut out the outside noise.
“You want to try to keep everything as normal as possible and not make this too big for them,” said Scott. “They’ll be able to feel the intensity and the excitement once we get to the stadium. Before that, we want to make sure they focus on preparation and not the fanfare.”
Defensively, Luquet knows his offense has a similar challenge ahead of it. He credits Scott and DHS defensive coordinator Tim Taffi with molding a unit that’s been consistently outstanding year after year.
“At the end of the day, that defense is allowing just seven points per game,” said Luquet.
Another constant for Destrehan these days is the level of intensity the Wildcats are seeing from the opposition. The longer the Wildcats’ win streak goes on, the more teams will want to be the one to end that run.
Adding that to Hahnville’s motivation this Friday, there’s little doubt the atmosphere in Boutte will be absolutely electric.
Be the first to comment