Sam Houston’s 18-play, nearly 12-minute opening drive set a physical early tone and quickly raised some tension for the opposing crowd.
But Hahnville’s two-play, 49-yard final drive proved the decisive swing on a night in a 21-14 victory in which the No. 7 Tigers weathered an unusual start and rode a familiar second half into the second round of the Division-I Non-Select playoffs.
The senior backfield duo of quarterback Landen Teague and Fabian Celestine found the end zone three times, including a couple in highlight-reel fashion, and the defense came away with timely stops, including a game-sealing Brayden Fontenot interceptions.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been in the game where we don’t get a possession in the first quarter — very rare,” Hahnville coach Greg Boyne said. “Credit to those guys. Look, they’re good up front. They have a great back. They executed, kept the ball out of our hands, which is what we were worried about. But as has been the case since Week 3 or 4 when we played Lutcher, the defense pitches shutouts in the second half. It’s pretty consistent. They make adjustments. They kids listen. They do what we ask ’em to do, and that’s the result.”
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