Hahnville Tigers still have bite post-Pooka

Contrary to popular belief, Hahnville is not a one-man team.

The 2017 Tigers were an outstanding football team and reached the Class 5A state championship game for the first time since winning its last title and sixth overall in 2003.

To accomplish that achievement, you must have good players.

Tigers head coach Nick Saltaformaggio will be the first person to tell you that he had good players surrounding one great player.

Anthony “Pooka” Williams had a spectacular senior season with 315 carries for 3,128 yards and 37 touchdowns (9.9 avg.). He caught eight passes for 169 yards and one touchdown. Williams returned six kickoffs for 333 yards and one touchdown (55.5 avg.). He added three punt returns for 64 yards and a score (21.3 avg.).

Overall, Williams accounted for 3,694 yards and 40 touchdowns and was named USA Today’s Offensive Player of the Year in Louisiana. Williams was named Mr. Football in the state by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association.

For his career, Williams rushed 535 times for 5,604 yards and 68 touchdowns. He caught 78 passes for 1,504 yards and 11 touchdowns. Williams returned 20 punts and kickoffs for 852 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished his career with 670 touchdowns for 8,114 yards and 86 touchdowns.

Williams is now plying his trade at Kansas. To say he will be missed at Hahnville is an understatement.

“He was a very special player, the kind you are fortunate to see rarely, if not once in a lifetime,” Saltaformaggio said. “Anyone would miss a player like that. It will be strange not having him here.”

Entering his fifth season on the job, Saltaformaggio feels his program has turned the corner to become an annual contender for state honors. Coming off of a season in which he got his first win over rival Destrehan and his first appearance in a state title game, it is easy to understand why.

“I think we are that program now,” Saltaformaggio said. “This has been our best summer since I’ve been here. We don’t have the numbers we had three years ago but they are fine. We will dress 80 kids, rather than 100. I think we have turned the corner. I think football is tougher to get kids out and to stay out for the sport now. I think the hard work has gotten us to the part that year in and year out, we will be one of those five or so teams that can play in December in the ‘Dome.”

Along with Williams, key losses to graduation included tackle Larry Dixon (Independence), guard Torin Borne (Langston University), defensive end Lyncoy Reynaud (Independence) and wide receiver Jamel Byrd (Southern University) but there is a host of talent returning.

Hahnville got a real boost when outstanding quarterback Andrew Robison (6-0, 190) transferred from Vandebilt Catholic. A senior, Robison has offers from Nicholls and Northwestern State.

For the Terriers a year ago, Robison completed 192-of-330 passes (58%) for 2,341 yards and 28 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He rushed 67 times for 429 yards and six touchdowns.

In his two seasons as a starter at Vandebilt Catholic, Robison completed 363-of-615 passes (59%) for 4,764 yards and 54 touchdowns with just 16 interceptions and rushed 109 times for 735 yards and nine touchdowns.

“What Andrew has done has given us great competition at the position,” Saltaformaggio said. “We did not have a second kid last year at quarterback. He fell into our lap. His father did not have his contract renewed at Vandebilt Catholic. They were looking at a place to locate. Jha’Quan Jackson was a good friend of his and they talked. It kind of all fell in our direction. We have a talented sophomore in Drew Naquin. We feel good about the most important position on the team.”

That enables Saltaformaggio to move Jackson (5-11, 180), an SMU commit, to wide receiver. Jackson took over at quarterback to help the team a year ago and rushed 137 times for 1,477 yards and 22 touchdowns, giving Hahnville a good one-two punch in the running game which dominated its offense. He completed 21-of-44 passes for 344 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.

“Jha’Quan moves to his natural position and he will shine,” Saltaformaggio said. “We feel he will be superb and he has a great future.”

While it will be impossible to fill the shoes of Williams, Hahnville has a talented junior running back in Daryle Evans (6-2, 200).

A year ago, Evans rushed 88 times for 623 yards and eight touchdowns and caught a pair of touchdown passes.

Up front, the Tigers are huge and experienced. Senior guard D’Quinn Butler (5-11, 285) and juniors J’cobe Scott (6-0, 305) and Gabe Medina (6-1, 270) lead the way. Scott will man the other guard spot while Medina will start at tackle, along with massive sophomore Reginald Pierre (6-6, 335). The center is senior Chase Miguez (6-0, 290). The Tigers average 296 pounds up front.

“It is a typical big Hahnville front,” Saltaformaggio said. “They can push people around. That is what our make-up is going to be. We will run it and throw play-action off of it. We have two guys who can throw it down the field and who are very accurate. Robison has won a bunch of games on the varsity level. We feel we will have balance.

The tight end is senior Noah Zeringue (6-5, 215). Zeringue is committed to Nicholls.

“Noah is big and he will be a tremendous talent before the season is over,” Saltaformaggio said. “He reminds me a lot of Foster Moreau of Jesuit and LSU.”

Junior Brandon Comardelle (5-11, 190) is the other running back while Jackson will be joined at wide receiver by junior Norvel Revader (5-11, 170).

“We feel we have three good running backs with Evans, Cormardelle and Jayce Meyers (5-9. 170 Sr.). They give us three different dimensions. Daryle is a power runner. Brandon is a long, lean kid who is explosive on the edge. Jayce is the Pierre Thomas of the group. He is not flashy but he does everything right and he has a little wiggle in the open field.”

The defense is deep and talented as well, led by three college commitments. Eight starters return from a year ago.

“We’re better than we’ve ever been defensively,” Salformaggio said. “We’re bigger than we’ve ever been.

Up front, end Jalen Singleton (6-3, 230) is committed to Arkansas Pine Bluff while inside linebacker Amontae’ Jernigan (6-1, 220) is a Lamar commit.

“Jernigan is very good and so is Singleton,” Saltaformaggio said.

Singleton is joined at defensive end by junior Logan Brimmer (6-2, 230). The nose tackle is junior Adonis Frilous (6-3, 275).

“Frilous is a special talent with a lot of size and upside,” Saltaformaggio said.

Joining Jerrigan at inside linebacker is junior John Persall (6-1, 230). The outside linebackers are Corey Labranch (5-11, 190) and Change Tregle (6-0, 195).

The secondary features junior cornerback Syrie Lewis (5-9, 165) and sophomore Arijah Hamilton (5-11, 180) while the safeties are junior Robert Jackson (5-11, 175) and senior Max Ferrell (5-10, 185).

The kicker is sophomore Ethan Chacon while senior Devyn Ortalano is the punter.

“That is our biggest concern as we lost an outstanding kicker and an outstanding punter,” Saltaformaggio said. “Ethan and Devyn were good in the spring. We hope they can keep improving.”

The coaching staff is very solid, including four new staff members.

“Carey Melvin, Ervin Hodges, Mark Gonzales and Easten Melancon are upgrades to our staff,” Saltaformaggio said. “Melvin was the head coach at H.L. Bourgeois. Gonzales is outstanding. Melancon was a very good player here.”

The schedule is challenging but it is one that Hahnville can navigate successfully.

The Tigers open at Hoss Memtsas Stadium against West Jefferson on August 31 before hosting talented John Ehret and new coach Marcus Scott on Sept. 7. The Tigers then travel to Tad Gormley Stadium to take on Brother Martin on Sept. 14. The Crusaders beat the Tigers at Boutte a year ago.

District 7-5A play opens with a bang once again as Hahnville hosts Destrehan on Sept. 21 before another tough game at Terrebonne on Sept. 28.

After what should be a breather for Homecoming against Pearl River, Hahnville returns to district play against Thibodaux on Oct. 12. After hosting East St. John and new head coach Brandon Brown, the Tigers close on the road against Central Lafourche and H.L. Bourgeois.

“West Jefferson has a couple of special players,” Saltaformaggio said. “Ehret is immensely talented with a slew of college prospects who will sign. Brother Martin beat us last year. Terrebonne is much improved, talented, very good. You know Destrehan is good. East St. John will be better. Anytime you can an alum coaching your school (Brandon Brown), it will help. Thibodaux has big lineman and a couple of skill kids. Our league will be good. Central Lafourche is well coached.”

With the size, talent and improved dual threat play at quarterback, Hahnville should be a more diverse offense with an improved defense and should be a team that will have a real shot at returning to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in December.

“That is what we strive for and hope for,” Saltaformaggio said. “That is the goal and the expectation. I really like our football team. I think we have a tremendous opportunity to get back in the Superdome. We will miss Pooka but we still have bite.”

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