Hahnville shook off a rough start at East St. John Friday night, in the end posting a dominant performance in a 41-20 victory in District 7-5A action.Anthony Williams and Devonte Clark each scored two touchdowns. Austin Perrin rushed for another, while the Tigers got a defensive score on an interception return by Khalil Mason.
East St. John (2-5, 1-3) led 13-0 in the game, just as it did a week ago against Destrehan. The Tigers (5-2, 2-1) scored 34 unanswered points to seize control from there.
“This was a big win for us because I told our kids all week, don’t let their record fool you, that’s a great, athletic football team,” Hahnville coach Nick Saltaformaggio said. “We did well matching up with their athletes and got out with a win. That team will be heard of down the line, I can tell you that. This is a tough place to come get a win.”
Hahnville moved the ball throughout the night, but first-half turnovers thwarted promising drives. In the second half, the Tigers largely turned to the ground game and controlled both the ball and the scoreboard.
“That’s what we want to do,” Saltaformaggio said. “I know Austin’s had those back to back 300 yard games, but (running the ball well) is how you win football games.”
East St. John scored on its opening drive of the game on a Duke Crosby’s touchdown pass to C.J. Turner. Hahnville quickly drove deep into ESJ territory, but fumbled the ball away.
After a Wildcats punt, Hahnville again drove past the 50 yard line. But HHS quarterback Austin Perrin was off target on a second and long throw and Teorae Henderson intercepted him and took it the distance to make it a 13-0 ESJ lead with 1:57 left in the first quarter. The point after attempt was no good.
Hahnville broke through with 8:31 left in the second quarter on Anthony Williams’ 11 yard touchdown run, capping a 41-yard drive after the Tigers’ defense forced a punt deep in ESJ territory.
The Tigers appeared to be in business after a big Michael Gray punt return set HHS up at the ESJ 12. But an attempted dump off pass was intercepted by defensive lineman Demond Stewart to end the threat.
But after another three-and-out, Hahnville took over with less than a minute left in the first half. The Tigers quickly drove down the field and scored on a 5-yard Perrin run to make it 14-13 at halftime.
“We’d been driving up and down field. We needed to finish the drives. There, we finished the drive, and it was big,” Saltaformaggio said.
In the second half, the Tigers defense came up clutch after ESJ put together a strong drive on its next possession, a Tre’Vas Chambers sack helping to short circuit the drive at the HHS 10.
Then, it was Hahnville’s own defensive lineman interception that got things going as William Brown intercepted Marquise Darensbourg and set up a 2-yard Clark plunge to make it 21-13 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.
Hahnville drove 58 yards on its next drive, capping it with another Clark touchdown, this one from six yards out with 8:40 left in the game.
Mason’s interception return for a score put the game out of reach for good for the Wildcats, while Williams added his second touchdown of the night later to put a cap on things.
Williams and Clark combined for most of the Tigers’ yardage on the night.
“He’s a speedy back and I’m a powerful back,” Clark said. “He runs to the outside and I run it on the inside. We’re peaking and getting closer and closer every game. We’re fighting hard”
Williams said Saltaformaggio lit a fire under the team at halftime.
“It was the turning point,” Williams said. “We didn’t put up points (in the first half). He told us this isn’t the Hahnville High School team he’s coached all year and that now, we’ve got to show them the real Hahnville in the second half.”
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