MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / September 27, 1999

BOUTTE -It was deja vue all over again for East St. John and Hahnville intheir District 7-5A opener Friday night at Hahnville’s Tiger Stadium.

Bryson White sacked Dawan Landry on a potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt with 57 seconds left, preserving a 28-27 victory for the Wildcats. In 1997, East St. John had stopped a two-point attempt byHahnville in the final minute in a 45-44 victory.

East St. John evened its record at 2-2 on the season and moved to 1-0 indistrict. Hahnville fell to 2-2 and 0-1.Hahnville had moved to 28-27 on an improbable 80-yard touchdown pass from Landry to Darryl Honor. Honor caught the pass on the right sideline atthe Hahnville 46-yard line, cut across the field, avoided a tackle inside the 10 and scored. After a timeout, the Tigers decided to go for two.Landry rolled left but could not find anybody open and was brought down by White.

Chris Bush recovered the ensuing on-sides kick at the East St. John 46 andFloyd Smith kneeled twice to run out the clock.

Smith, who missed last week’s game against Warren Easton with a separated shoulder suffered in the St. James game, had thrown a 14-yardtouchdown pass to Roydel Williams for the go-ahead touchdown on fourth- and-14 with 7:17 left in the game. Billy Hogan kicked what proved to bethe game-winning extra point. Smith had led the Wildcats on the 60-yarddrive, completing passes of 14 yards to Bush and 12 yards to Williams.

Smith played the second half, completing 7-of-18 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Randy Sutherland started the game and completed 5-of-11 for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Williams caught eight passes for185 yards and a score. Bush had three catches for 73 yards. Chuckie Burlhad 30 carries for 135 yards and a score.

Landry finished with 13-of-26 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Aaron Alexander had three catches for 48 yards, including a37-yard score. Corey Woods caught four passes for 28 yards. Honor hadtwo catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. Carl Raymond had two catchesfor 79 yards and a score. Skyler Boyle led the rushing attack with 55 yardson 10 attempts.

East St. John grabbed a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. Frommidfield, Smith found Williams on the right side for a 42-yard gain to the 8. Burl squirted up the middle for 6 yards and then took it in off the leftside. Hogan’s extra point made it 21-14 with 6:42 left in the third.Hahnville did not take long to come back. On the third play after takingover at the Tiger 37, Landry threw deep down the right sidelines for Raymond. Raymond took it in at the 31, broke away from a tackle at the 25and went down the sidelines for the score. Rogers’ extra point tied thegame at 21 with 5:31 left in the third.

East St. John had chances to score on its next two possessions. After an18-yard pass from Smith to Williams at the 43, Smith went back to Williams at the 32. Williams was hit and fumbled with Nick Cannonrecovering for the Tigers at the 26.

After a Hahnville punt, the Wildcats took over at the Tiger 39. On third-and-8 from the 25, Burl swept right for an apparant score but a holding call brought the play back and the Wildcats were forced to punt.

The first half was an offensive shootout as the teams combined for 352 yards in the first 24 minutes.

Hahnville got the fireworks started on its second possession, doing the damage on the ground after starting from its 40-yard line. Skyler Boylewent up the middle for 6 yards and then swept right for 19 yards to the East St. John 35-yard line. After runs of 13 and 6 by Boyle gave Hahnvillethe ball at the 16, Landry swept right on a keeper, broke a tackle at the 10 and went in for the score. Rogers’ extra point made it 7-0 with 5:48 leftin the first quarter.

East St. John came right back on its ensuing possession. A 34-yard kickoffreturn by Terron Charles gave the Wildcats the ball at the East St. John 37.Sutherland hit Darwin Pittman over the middle for 15 yards and came back three plays later for a 17-yard strike to Williams at the Hahnville 28.

After runs of 8 and 3 yards by Burl gave the Wildcats a first down at the 18, Sutherland found Williams slanting in at the 1. Williams spun out of atackle for the score. Hogan’s extra point knotted the score at 7 with 2:25left in the period.

Mark Barnes took the ensuing kickoff at the 9 and returned it 51 yards to the East St. John 40-yard line. On third-and-19 from the 37, Landry foundAaron Alexander streaking down the right hasmark. Alexander caught theball at the 10 and went in for the score. Rogers made it 14-7 with 47seconds left in the opening quarter.

Again East St. John had an answer on its following possession. A passinterference at the end of the quarter gave the Wildcats a first down at the Hahnville 44-yard line. Two plays later, Sutherland threw deep downthe left sidelines. Bush made a leaping catch at the 18, broke a tackle andwent down the left sidelines to complete the 44-yard scoring play. Hogantied the game at 14 at the 11:35 mark of the second quarter.

Hahnville drove from its 35 to the East St. John 5-yard line. Landryscrambled for 12 yards and then hit Corey Woods for a 12-yard gain to the Wildcat 35-yard line. Two plays later, Landry hit Carl Raymond for 20yards to the 10. But the Wildcats then held with Kentrell Robertsonsacking Landry for a 11-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the 3.

East St. John had 178 yards in the half compared to Hahnville’s 174 yards.

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