By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Hahnville Coach Lou Valdin deemed it his team’s best overall performance of the season. It was an excellent time to see it.

Hahnville’s Class 5A bi-district opener at home was a dominating one. The Tigers scored on all five of its first half possessions offensively and added a score on special teams as it took a 42-0 halftime lead and a 56-8 victory over Huntington on Friday night.

“We played very well in all three phases,” said Hahnville Coach Lou Valdin. “Special teams was real big for us, and our defense was very, very tough. We shut them out through three quarters.”

The No. 11 seeded Tigers (9-2) will travel on Friday night to face No. 6 Rummel in the regional round.

B.J. Young broke Nick Cannon’s school record for touchdown passes in a season, tossing two for his 27th and 28th scores of the year. He was 12-for-13 for 274 yards.

Jai Steib ran 9 times for 46 yards and three touchdowns. Ivory Washington caught two passes for 113 yards and score.

The early Hahnville lead allowed the vaunted Tiger defense to make Huntington – an option based team – one-dimensional.

“We were able to take the option away from them, make them throw,” said Valdin. “Once we got a lead, it took them out of what they wanted to do offensively.”

Young opened up the scoring with a 1-yard scoring run in the first quarter to make it 7-0. After stopping Huntington (6-4) on its first possession, Hahnville blocked the ensuing punt and Reggie Johnson recovered in the endzone. Just like that, it was 14-0.

Steib put the Tigers on top 21-0 entering the second quarter after scoring on a 3-yard run. Huntington found no relief in the second quarter, as Young dialed up Washington on a long distance 58-yard touchdown to make it 28-0.

Steib scored twice more before halftime to give Hahnville a 42-0 lead at the half. Young found LaRon Byrd for his second touchdown pass early in the second half, from 25 yards away.

Valdin said that while he expected good things from his team entering the game, he is never certain of what one will get in the playoffs.

“When you face a team you haven’t seen before, you can’t be that sure of how good they are or what problems they can present,” said Valdin. “We expected to play well, but you never know in the playoffs.”