Hahnville battled back in the second half but a 20-point deficit proved too large to overcome at Shaw Friday night as the Eagles captured a 20-13 victory over the Tigers.
Shaw (1-0) took the lead early via a first quarter touchdown run by quarterback Allen Shaw III. His brother Allen Shaw V started alongside him at running back and punched in two touchdowns of his own, one in each of the second and third quarters to push Shaw’s lead to 20-0.
For an Eagles team that returns the majority of its starters from last season’s Division II select state runner-up – and many of them comprising a suffocating defensive unit – that left Hahnville in a difficult place to be.
But the Tigers found some offensive footing in the fourth quarter and it made for a tight finish. Fabian Celestine scored the Tigers’ first touchdown of the season on a 6-yard run. Then the Tigers forced a turnover when Jaeden Downs recovered a fumble, setting up a Landen Teague to Dwayne Cola touchdown connection to make it 20-14.
Hahnville, however, needed an onside kick to complete the comeback – that wasn’t to be, as Shaw recovered to seal the win.
“We didn’t play very well,” Boyne said. “The kids competed. They played hard. But we didn’t play well … some fundamental mistakes on our part and you can’t make those kinds of mistakes against good teams. We had a few times where I felt we were going to make a big play, and they made good tackles in space, one-on-one. And that’s something we didn’t do well tonight.
“I didn’t call a good game. I didn’t think we coached a good game. We didn’t have our team ready to play, and I thought our kids played hard in spite of that. Shaw’s a well-coached team. We said all summer it would probably come down to 3 or 4 plays. The kids battled and made plays that kept us in the game.
Some of those plays included a blocked punt and a forced three-and-out late in the game.
Boyne said Hahnville wanted to use its passing game to make Shaw cover and chase the ball, and ultimately wear down a very good defense. To that end, Boyne felt the Tigers saw some of the benefits of that in the fourth quarter when it scored its two touchdowns.
Hahnville also overcame some adversity to score those points, with Hahnville receivers Aaron Williams and Gage Touchard sidelined for stretches of the second half.
“Late in the game we were playing a few guys who played a full JV game, and those guys played really well,” said Boyne.
Boyne said his message to the team following the game was simple – the Tigers have to raise their level of play entering next week’s game against St. Charles Catholic – the team that defeated Shaw in the Superdome last season to earn the Division II select crown.
“If you know high school football, you know that’s a team in St. Charles that has our attention,” Boyne said. “We’ll get back at it. It doesn’t get easier, but that’s by design. To make a run in the playoffs, you’ve got to beat 4 or 5 teams who are good – so why not get a look at those teams early.”
