Hahnville hasn’t caught many breaks over the past few seasons.
Five years ago, it’s quarterback was rendered ineligible just days before the start to the regular season. The next season, a holding penalty on a game-winning field goal at Zachary was called back for holding, resulting in a loss. Three years ago, HHS lost its starting running back and top wide receiver just as it entered the postseason. Two years ago, forfeits by a non-district opponent flipped the team’s power rank and took the Tigers from a first round home game to on the road to start the playoffs. And last season, the team lost its starting quarterback for the season in the preseason jamboree.
While the loss of many seniors from an experienced 2022 squad will be felt, a talented young Hahnville squad will take the field in 2023 – and this team no doubt remains hungry as ever to make the kind of playoff push the program has been known for over its history.
The Tigers will need to quickly become acclimated to playing on the road, starting the season with back-to-back away games and playing away in four of its first six matchups.
The first of those will see the Tigers travel to Newman. Unlike last year, which saw experienced senior and current Texas Longhorn Arch Manning lead the Greenies to a 35-14 victory, Hahnville will have the more experienced passer in September. Ryan Gregson saw his first varsity start in that Newman game, but now has a full year of starting reps under his belt.
Newman went 9-3 last season, earning the top seed in Division III and defeating Sophie B. Wright in round two before falling in the quarterfinals to University Lab. While this year’s matchup won’t carry the hype that last year’s did with Manning on center stage in Boutte, it’s no less a matchup between two programs steeped in tradition on the Louisiana prep landscape.
Mandeville welcomes the Tigers to its home field in the second week of the season, one year after the two teams waged battle in a wild shootout, one won by Hahnville 42-41 in Boutte. That game saw a relatively low score just before halftime – it was 7-6 with 3:11 left in the second quarter and would not stay that way, with four touchdowns scored in less than three minutes of game action thereafter. Calvin Smith’s rushing touchdown in overtime and a stop of a two-point conversion by the Tiger defense sealed the win.
Mandeville finished last season 4-6, but maintained strong offensive output all season and will be looking for some payback on the Skippers’ home field.
Hahnville returns to Boutte for its home opener in Tiger Stadium Week 3, as Northshore visits. And while Northshore and Mandeville are local rivals to one another, their two games with Hahnville could not have been more different: the Tigers earned a 17-10 win over the Panthers last season in a defensive slugfest.
Northshore went 8-4 in 2022, earning the No. 13 seed and beating Salmen round one before falling in round two to fourth-seeded Southside.
Everyone will have Week 4 circled, as Hahnville hosts archrival Destrehan.
The Tigers will be seeking their first win over DHS since Hahnville’s Superdome and district championship season in 2017. To do so they’ll have to beat a different Destrehan team than the one that took the field for its unbeaten state championship run in 2022, but one still blessed with a wealth of talent and top prospects.
DHS will enter the season on a 14-game winning streak, and only time will tell if that number climbs to 17 by the time this matchup happens: if so, the Tigers would no doubt like nothing better than a chance to end that streak in Tiger Stadium – and to begin District 7-5A play 1-0.
In Week 5, Hahnville travels to East St. John. Last season, ESJ defeated the Tigers 33-24 at Tiger Stadium, one win on the way to a 10-3 season and quarterfinalist finish. In that quarterfinal, East St. John came the closest of anyone to stopping Destrehan from its championship run, a potential two-point conversion pass completion away from ending things then and there.
ESJ has won the past three meetings with Hahnville. These matchups have turned into some wild games over the years, even when compared to other River Region rivalries.
Hahnville travels to Thibodaux next in Week 6 in a battle of the Tigers. HHS handled Thibodaux 49-20 last season, though THS picked up steam in the final weeks of the regular season following that game, winning its next three. THS went 4-6 last season overall and 3-3 in district play.
It’s a break from District 7-5A competition for the first time since Week 3 for Hahnville in the Tigers’ next game – and a River Parishes showcase. Lutcher visits HHS in Week 7 as both teams have a district bye. LHS bested HHS 35-14 last season on route to a 13-2 record and the Division II non-select state championship and will no doubt bring a stern challenge for the Tigers once again.
Hahnville remains home in Week 8, where it meets up with H.L. Bourgeois, back in district competition. Bourgeois went 1-9 last season and fell to Hahnville 51-7 at home last year.
The Tigers will wrap up a three-game home stand in Week 9 with Central Lafourche, another retooling squad after a 2-8 season a year ago. HHS bested Central 49-17 in last season’s matchup.
Week 10 opponent Terrebonne had a strong start to its 2022 campaign, going 3-2 before stumbling down the stretch to five straight losses, including a 27-7 loss to Hahnville. Terrebonne will look to continue building under head coach and former West St. John star Tyler Lewis, who led an improvement for a program that went 1-6 two years ago.
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