By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

BOUTTE — In the most heated of rivalries, you can throw out the records, the playoff implications and the statistics.

And Destrehan at Hahnville qualifies.

“Next week,” said Hahnville coach Lou Valdin after his team’s 28-21 win over Ehret, “is the freaking Super Bowl.”

It’s not really hyperbole, even if Destrehan has lost seven straight games. The Wildcats will not be returning to the playoffs, even with a win. Only Hahnville has something tangible to earn in terms of playoff seeding and district, as a win would mean at least a share of the District 8-5A title.

But as always when Destrehan and Hahnville meet, it’s about more than that. A win over the other can make a season memorable in itself, a team unofficially crowned for a year as the King of St. Charles Parish.

Hahnville, as is usually the case, has gotten stronger as the season has gone on. After losing 18 starters and beginning the season 1-3, Hahnville has gone 5-1, losing only to East St. John — and in that game, quarterback Easton Melancon was sidelined unexpectedly with food poisoning.

Its win against Ehret came in dramatic fashion, a game in which the winner would find itself in a three-way tie for first place. After a fumble recovery and return by Ehret late in the fourth quarter — a play in which Melancon made a touchdown saving tackle — HHS forced three straight incompletions on from the Hahnville 7, sealing the win.

“I think we’re finally playing four quarters,” said Valdin. “I think our kids would have panicked earlier this season in that situation.”

Hahnville led 28-14 in the second half after touchdown passes by Melancon to Ronnie Greene and Jaylon Bryant. But a 76-yard Ehret touchdown put the Patriots (2-6, 2-2) back within striking distance.

Ernest Thompson ran 16 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Travis Faucheux also rushed for a score to go with 29 yards.

Destrehan, meanwhile, is likely wondering what it must do to earn a win after a deflating 18-14 loss to Bonnabel that came under unusual circumstances.

Destrehan led 14-0 and then 14-6 with 28 seconds left in the first half. But Bonnabel cut the lead on a fortunate bounce, after a deep pass by Ryan Evans hit a Destrehan defender in the chest and bounced into the arms of Troy Lilly for a touchdown, making it 14-12. Then, as time expired in the first half, Bonnabel managed to score again, this time in even more remarkable fashion: Donovan Isom’s Hail Mary attempt was intercepted by Arthur Maulet — and returned, unbelievably, for a score. That made it 18-14, and the score held.

It spoiled a 110-yard, two touchdown performance by Destrehan rusher Kevin Smith.