After a tough loss against Destrehan, Hahnville aims to bounce back Friday night as the Tigers face off against another River Parishes rival in East St. John.
Hahnville head football coach Greg Boyne said the team met Monday to regroup following the Tigers’ 35-14 loss to DHS. It was the first district loss for Hahnville, which is 4-3 this season overall and 2-1 in District 7-5A play.
While the loss no doubt stings, the good news for Hahnville is that all three losses this season have come to teams ranked in the top two in their classification in power points; Shaw is ranked first, St. Charles Catholic second and Destrehan second in their respective classifications. The Tigers are ranked 13th in Division I non-select, which would set the Tigers up for a home game in round one were the postseason to start today.
With a strong finish, Hahnville could host beyond that – which is the goal, Boyne said.
“We’re still a good team and we’ve got a chance to host one, if not two games if we’re fortunate enough to advance. We have a lot to play for,” Boyne said. “I think our guys saw firsthand, having to go to Parkway for a second round game, traveling way out there … right now, we want to get into that top eight if we can win out.”
Boyne doesn’t anticipate a letdown coming off of the rivalry matchup and emotion that went with it last week.
“We need a win. We need to close out and finish games,” said Boyne.
East St. John has already surpassed its win total of a year ago, but after a 2-1 start, the Wildcats have fallen to 2-5. That includes a tight 28-27 loss to Thibodaux in Reserve a week ago.
Boyne noted East St. John’s dealt with some injuries and absences throughout the season, but appeared to be much closer to full strength last week when it went down to the wire with a 6-1 Thibodaux squad.
Damon Scott has led East St. John at quarterback after earning a lot of experience a season ago. He’s a dual threat that can create big plays with his legs – he scored on the ground against Thibodaux a week ago. However, Boyne noted East St. John’s Cast Burl could return this week – the quarterback was injured in the Wildcats’ preseason jamboree against St. Charles Catholic. Were Burl to start or see action at quarterback, the Tigers may see Scott at wide receiver.
East St. John can stretch defenses vertically in a way few other teams can with leading receiver Deontae Fleming, who has blazing speed.
“(Fleming) is very comparable to the kids they have (at wide receiver) at Lutcher,” said Boyne. “I think he’s an acrobat. He can make catches in traffic. He can jump over, through or around you.
“You’ve got to account for him first. I think if you’re gonna stop them, you’ve got to stop him. Make sure he stays in front of you and wrap up. If we tackle well, we’ll play well,” Boyne said.
Dallas Brown, Boyne said, is a big, physical back who doubles as a linebacker on defense.
“He’s as good a linebacker as a running back – and he’s a really good linebacker,” said Boyne.
Another player who plays both ways is Demir Hamilton, who will play H-back and on the defensive line.
“They don’t have a large roster, but the guys on the field can play,” Boyne said. “It’s not a big group, but it’s a really talented group.”
Khalil Green-Gathers and Stanford Jenkins are both standouts at linebacker for ESJ.
“They’re very good. They step up and stop the run. They’re also good in coverage,” said Boyne. “When they blitz, it’s usually one of those two.”
While ESJ will be closer to full strength, Hahnville looks to have a healthier Landen Teague on Friday night. Teague suffered a sprained ankle that sidelined him in the second half of Hahnville’s win over Terrebonne two weeks ago. He was in a walking boot last week but made the start against Destrehan.
“I thought as a senior, he deserved the chance to make that decision if he wanted to play – provided it wasn’t detrimental to his health,” Boyne said. “He’s a tough kid. It means a lot to him and he wanted to help the team win. He came out of the game in pretty good shape and should be closer to full health this week.”
