In what is usually one of the hardest fought games of the season for the Hahnville Tigers and Destrehan Wildcats, this year was no contest. The Hahnville Tigers took an early lead and never looked back on their way to a 34-3 victory, a share of the District Championship and a guaranteed playoff spot.
The game was featured by the Great American Rivalry Series, presented by the Marines, recognizing the years of battles that these two teams have fought. Hahnville quarterback Easton Melancon was named the MVP of the game by the organization.
And Melancon was well deserving of that honor, completing eight of 10 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown. Hahnville running back Travis Faucheaux was also stellar on the night, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown.
The Hahnville game plan, according to Head Coach Lou Valdin earlier this week, was to limit the running game of the Wildcats. And they succeeded, holding Destrehan to just 65 yards on the ground.
The Tiger offense hit the ground running from the first few plays of the game. After a 34-yard run from Faucheaux helped to bring them deep into Wildcat territory, kicker Craig Ford put the Tigers on the board with a 22-yard field goal.
Then on the very next play from scrimmage, Destrehan fumbled a handoff and Hahnville defensive lineman Jamon Lathers recovered it at the Destrehan 21-yard line. From there, Melancon hit wide receiver Ronny Green for a 21-yard touchdown, giving the Tigers a very early 10-0 lead.
The Tigers would have good field position on their next possession as well when a Destrehan punt was tipped and downed at the Wildcat 33-yard line. The three-headed rushing monster of Faucheaux, Ernest Thompson and Michael Ford then pounded the ball down to the one-yard line where Melancon dove in on a quarterback sneak to give the Tigers a 17-0 lead with three and a half minutes left in the first quarter.
The Tigers went on to score on their next possession as well. Melancon began the drive with a 34-yard strike to Green. Then after a 15-yard Thompson run, Melancon scrambled to the left and flicked the ball to wide receiver Jaylon Bryant in the end zone to raise the score to 24-0.
Minutes later, Destrehan finally caught a break when defensive back Dillan Dent recovered a Hahnville fumble at the Tiger 22-yard line. Kicker Daniel Cimino then put the Wildcats on the board with a 33-yard field goal.
Hahnville would add another field goal themselves just before the half when Craig Ford hit a 45-yarder to bring the score to 27-3.
The third quarter found both teams’ offenses struggling, but the Tigers found the end zone in the fourth quarter as they drove methodically down the field with their running backs, going 74 yards in 13 plays culminating in a three-yard touchdown run from Faucheaux. And with just less than 10 minutes left in the game, that brought the scoring to an end at 34-3.
Destrehan quarterback Donovan Isom finished the game 11 for 17 for 81 yards. Green led the receiving corps for the Tigers, hauling in four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, while freshman wide receiver Adam Smith led the Wildcats with five catches for 52 yards.
The Tiger defense sacked Isom three times, one each from James Poree, Sergio Medina and Dalton Simon. Wildcat defenders Zachary Agurcia and Bryan Singleton also had sacks in the game.
The win gives the Tigers a shared District Championship with the East St. John Wildcats as they both finish the district season with 4-1 records. The Tigers finish the regular season with a 6-4 record while Destrehan falls to 2-8. The Tigers will find out on Sunday who they will fac
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