By LEONARD GRAY Staff Reporter

BOUTTE – After trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, the Hahnville Tigers clawed their way to a shot at the 5-A state football championship Friday by clobbering the Carencro Golden Bears, 42-21.

At the state final next Saturday at 7 p.m., the Tigers will face the Evangel Eagles, fresh from their 26-15 semifinal win over the West Monroe Rebels.

Everything seemed to go Carencro’s way early in the game, as running back Herbert Hill delivered on two touchdowns in two quarters. Midway through the second quarter, though, the Tigers stirred. A one-yard TD by quarterback Bryant Lee was called back for an illegal shift. Two plays later, running back Darius Reynaud scored on a five-yard run to put the Tigers on the board.

With just under four minutes to the first half, Carencro’s Wilton Bossier grab of a downed ball was ruled an interception. On the next play, wide receiver Quenton Lawrence pulled in the last Carencro score with 3:48 remaining in the half.

From then on, it was Hahnville all the way, as they roared back with 35 unanswered points.

Craig Turner had the first of his two TDs for the evening on a 40-yard pass reception with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter. Then, 20 seconds later on the game clock, defensive end Brandon Sam scooped up a loose ball, blew past several tacklers and scored with 2:06 on the board to tie the game at halftime, 21-21.

Reynaud scored his second touchdown with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter on a 17-yard run to give the Tigers their first lead of the evening at 28-21. Then, on their next possession and capping a 14-play drive which began on their own 17, Hahnville scored again. This was a three-yard dash with 1:06 left in the third quarter to push the Tigers into a commanding 35-21 leading position.

The final scoring drive, a 10-play effort which ended with Turner’s second touchdown from the four-yard line and 3:45 remaining on the clock.

Finally, the Golden Bears listlessly drifted through their last possession as the clock ticked down and “Another One Bites the Dust” sounded from the HHS locker room.