That Hahnville could turn things around after a major midseason slump, which was capped by a demoralizing 52-12 loss at St. Thomas More, wasn’t a huge stretch.
But few, if anyone, could have seen this coming.
The Tigers rose from the ashes of that three game stretch and have put together a series of complete performances rivaling those of anyone in the state, most recently a 49-12 Class 5A first round playoff win over Alexandria that saw the Hahnville defense hold a team which was averaging 50 points per game to just 12 — 0 of those against the Tigers’ first team.
This week, No. 7 Hahnville(8-3) hosts former district rival No. 10 St. Amant (9-2) in a second round game. The winner will advance to the state quarterfinals to meet the victor of the game between No. 2 Zachary and No. 18 Dutchtown.
Like Hahnville, St. Amant had its own midseason lull, suffering back to back losses, 31-10 at East Ascension and 51-14 at home to Catholic-Baton Rouge. But since then, the Gators have won three straight: a 57-8 win over Broadmoor and 41-14 victory at Dutchtown preceded last week’s first round 36-21 win against Covington.
“They’re similar to what we’ve seen,” Saltaformaggio said. “They’re a spread team with an effective quarterback, a very good running back and talented wide receivers. They present a challenge.”
The Gators captured their first playoff win since 2001 last week against Covington, and running back Nathan Taylor led the way. Taylor rushed 21 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns last week, and also made a critical 55-yard punt return for a score. Quarterback Hayden Mallory has broken numerous school passing records as the Gators’ quarterback, and last week, he passed for 158 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the win.
Saltaformaggio said Taylor is a player who stands out.
“He runs hard and with really good, low pad level,” Saltaformaggio said. “He can bounce it outside and he’s pretty dangerous there.”
St. Amant’s spread attack gives Taylor plenty of space to work in, but Hahnville has specialized in closing that space quickly. Saltaformaggio points out that his team has been playing at another level since the insertion of defensive tackle Tre’Vas Chambers and linebacker Elgin Collins into the starting lineup.
“We became infinitely better against the run (when they joined the lineup),” Saltaformaggio said. “Stephen Cloud’s been pressuring the quarterback. And Peyton Robert, he doesn’t have to do anything special, because his regular play is spectacular enough.
“We have to continue to excel in the secondary, which has been a major improvement for us. We weren’t eliminating explosive plays before. We are now.”
Alexandria had not been held under 35 points in any game this season until meeting the Tigers.
As importantly, the Tigers’ offense scored at will, something increasingly common since a midseason move to a shotgun-based offense. HHS has scored 41 points or more in five of their past six games; through the team’s first five games, it scored 24 or less four times and topped out at 38.
“It’s allowed us to get all of our weapons on the field at the same time,” Saltaformaggio said. “We have a bunch of guys who can score whenever they touch the ball, guys with good hands.”
Chief among those threats has been Williams.
“Pooka (Williams’ nickname) is the fastest guy on the field every week, no matter who we play” Saltaformaggio said. “He’s on the field all the time now, and the defense has to find him every play.
“Six weeks ago, we were down and out,” Saltaformaggio said. “People said Hahnville was terrible. We knew we weren’t, and people are seeing it now.”
Jamonte Williams intercepted two passes, both in the first quarter to lead the defensive effort for Hahnville in last week’s win over Alexandria. Williams also forced a fumble and defended four passes.
Anthony Williams finished the game with 260 total yards and two touchdowns. Drew Dunn, Norquell Flowers, Michael Gray and Devonte Clark each added scores for the Tigers.
“There’s a lot of people right now, looking at the bracket saying, ‘oh lord,’” Saltaformaggio said.
“Because we’re playing great. We’ve been playing great for six weeks now.”
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