By George Mahl

DESTREHAN – Rhonda Landry, Angie Keller, and Anna Marshall have a couple of things in common with one another. Not only do they work at the souvenir stand at all Hahnville football home games, but they are also parents of Tiger football players. Marshall, whose son Durell is a quarterback, is as excited about this season as her son is. “I’m ready to see some action from him. I’m excited for my son because he loves the game of football.”

Landry’s mother is a little worried about her son, Laron, going from a defensive player last year to an offensive player this season. She said her son used to play quarterback in junior high and it may take a little time to make the transition from defense to offense. Angie Keller, linebacker Anthony Ayo’s mother, seems to feel that her son may be jinxed.

“Last year he sat out the last half of the season with a broken hand. His freshman year he broke his collar bone. He must get an injury every other year.” Keller said her son seems like he’s cursed. “Well, it is his senior year and that means he won’t get hurt,” Keller said laughing.

Over at Destrehan, Cheryl Taylor, president of the Destrehan Kickoff Club, has two sons currently playing on the Fighting Wildcats roster. Corey, a sophomore, and Jared, a senior, are Taylor’s two sons on the playing field. Taylor said football has been an important part of her two sons’ lives. “It is good because it has always kept them off the streets from doing stuff that they should not be doing.” What happens if they go to different universities and play against each other? ” I won’t root for the team, I’ll root for each player,”Taylor said laughing. Renee Sesser also has a son that she plays close attention to on the Fighting Wildcats field. Sesser’s son Jonathan is an offensive lineman for coach Stephen Robicheaux’s squad. Sesser, a sophomore, has always been a good athlete, according to his mother. “I think he has got a good sports mentality because he started playing football at a young age.”

A parent’s worst nightmare on the field can be caused when an injury occurs. Taylor and Sesser each put a different spin on the subject. “I try not to think about it because it’s in the hands of the trainers,” said Taylor.

While Sesser jokingly said “I’m not as nervous as I used to be. I guess its because he is a big boy now.”