Hahnville head coach Greg Boyne called Friday night’s game a measuring stick for his Tigers as they prepared to host Division II select runner-up E.D. White Friday.
The Tigers measured up.
Behind Bennett Naquin’s three touchdowns, HHS captured a decisive 28-7 victory over the Cardinals at Tiger Stadium.
Naquin scored two of quarterback Landen Teague’s three passing touchdowns and added a third score as a runner. It could have even been a much bigger night for the senior – a deep scoring reception and a long touchdown pass on a trick play were negated by penalties.
Defensively, Hahnville held E.D. White to its lowest scoring output since the Cardinals’38-7 loss to St. Thomas More in the 2022 Division II select state semifinal round.
“In a game like this, when they were against the ropes – for our program, just a huge win. Offense, defense and special teams. We made a few mistakes, but it’s all correctable,” said Boyne. “Good programs prepare and do the things necessary to win games like this in the offseason, during the week, in the weight room, in conditioning. I thought tonight was a huge stride for the Hahnville program.”
Since the preseason, Boyne has consistently noted the Tigers’ were high on Naquin’s ability at wide receiver after officially making a position change to the position full time.
Consider Friday night his breakout performance.
“We were able to set some things up with him,” said Boyne. “E.D. White is very well-coached and they don’t make a lot of mistakes … it’s just one of those games, where everything we worked was on.”
E.D. White entered the game off of two very close losses to Holy Cross and Jesuit, respectively, and was hungry for a win. But Hahnville set an early tone in this game: The Tigers were going to attack – they attacked early and they attacked often. Landen Teague and a talented group of Hahnville receivers were on point from the opening quarter.
The Tigers (3-0) struck first on their first possession of the night. Teague saw single coverage on Naquin and dialed up a deep pass – Naquin hauled it in for a 30-yard touchdown catch to make it 7-0.
Hahnville held E.D. White’s offense in check and forced a punt on the next drive. The Tigers drove down deep into Cardinals territory. Teague took a snap, rolled to his left and fired an accurate pass to the back to the endzone to Aaron Williams to make it 14-0.
The Tigers forced a turnover next, when Al-Jarreau Walker picked off a Grant Barbera pass down the field.
It looked like Hahnville was going to jump ahead 21-0 on a screen pass to Fabian Celestine that went the distance, but a penalty negated the play. Ditto for a deep bomb to Naquin that would have been his second score of the night, but that play too was called back for a penalty. The Tigers ultimately punted.
Facing 4th down and 3, the Cardinals faced a potential knockout blow early, but Barbera converted on a deep pass down the middle to Reece Lafont for a score to make it 14-7.
Penalties bit Hahnville again when a trick play score was called back. A pass to Naquin on the outside saw the latter – who has primarily played quarterback until this season at HHS – uncork a ball downfield to Aaron Williams for a deep touchdown. But an illegal man down field penalty negated it.
The Tigers wouldn’t be denied, however. The Tigers ultimately drove into the red zone and Naquin – this time lining up at quarterback – scored on a keeper to make it 21-7.
The defenses stood tall from there. Hahnville carried that 21-7 lead into the locker room, then both defenses held the opposition scoreless in the third quarter.
That remained the score until late in the fourth quarter, when Teague again went over the top to find Naquin for his third touchdown of the night, this one a 34-yard score to round out the scoring in a 28-7 victory for Hahnville.
From the moment last week’s win over McMain was complete, Boyne began stressing the need to match E.D. White’s physicality for four quarters – Hahnville passed that test with flying colors.
That’s the only way for a team to hold an offense like E.D. White to 7 – the Cardinals’ flexbone option is difficult to both prepare for and stand ground against, but the Tigers managed to do that and then some.
“We talked about it during the week – to beat them, you have to be willing to go toe-to-toe for 48 minutes. If you don’t, they hit something on you and you’re back in a dogfight,” said Boyne. “(Defensive coordinator Malter Scobel) is an experienced play caller. He’s got the kids where they need to be. He knows how to stop, or at the very least slow down an offense. Hats off to him and the entire defensive staff. They work tirelessly. They’re in there right now creating the film and starting to move on to Terrebonne.”
