By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Behind a monstrous night by Alfred Blue, Hahnville will enter the playoffs with momentum after a 42-28 win over district foe St. Amant.

Blue rushed for 301 yards on 32 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Tigers dominated the Gators on the ground. In total, Hahnville rushed for 401 yards, to only 102 for St. Amant — and the significance of that is hardly lost on Hahnville Coach Lou Valdin.

“You’ve got to run the football and stop the run in the playoffs,” Valdin said. “You can’t beat yourselves in high school football. There is no next week, now. When you make mistakes, you’re picking up equipment and waiting for next year.”

After beginning the season with very little experience at the skill positions, Hahnville’s 42 points on Friday night represents the second time in the last three games the team has scored 40 points or more.

“We began the year as a young team. But we’re not young anymore. We’ve played nine full games,” said Valdin.

“I really believe that when we’re firing on all cylinders like we were in the second half, we’re almost unstoppable. When we hurt ourselves with drops, penalties and turnovers, we get into trouble.

Despite Hahnville’s advantage in both rushing and total yardage — the Tigers outgained the Gators 464-267 in total — St. Amant hung tough for most of the night.

Hahnville took a 10-0 first quarter lead after a 23-yard touchdown pass from Guiseppe Crovetto to Jared Harrell and a 32-yard field goal by Brandon Larousse.

St. Amant fired back, scoring on an Adrian Bourgeois 4-yard run to cut the lead to 10-7 in the second quarter. Larousse added another field goal and the Tigers led 13-7 at halftime.

But St. Amant took their first lead of the game on Trae Vaughn’s 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter that put the Gators ahead 14-13.

It seemed to wake the Tigers — and Blue — up. Blue scored on runs of four and 13 yards, and added a two-point conversion to give Hahnville a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

“In the second half, we were able to run it down their throat. Alfred Blue had a big night,” said Valdin.

St. Amant answered again, this time via the arm of Tyler Guillory who found Matt Marrero for a 26-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-21.

Blue responded with his biggest run of the night, a 50-yard touchdown run that again put Hahnville ahead two scores, if only briefly.

Guillory pulled his team within a touchdown one last time, after capping a scoring drive with an eight yard pass to Chase Kelly to make it 35-28.

But Jai Steib gave Hahnville enough breathing room to close things out, his 1-yard touchdown capping the night’s scoring.

“I was real happy with the defense in the first half, and the offense in the second half,” said Valdin. “St. Amant played hard. It was the last game for those seniors. And we expected it, a tough, tough game.

“We expected their best game of the year, and I think we probably got it.”