The game of the week in St. John the Baptist Parish features East St. John High (4-3, 3-1) hosting Hahnville High (5-2, 3-0).

The game includes two District 7-5A heavyweights, with Hahnville, sporting perhaps Louisiana’s best rushing attack (on pace for 4,000 yards in 2017), and the red-hot Wildcats, winners of three of their last four and playing their best football in years.

East St. John coach Alden Foster said his players are showing a lot of character after falling behind two weeks in a row, only to come back and defeat Terrebonne last week and force overtime in a tough loss the week before at Destrehan.

The game also marks East St. John’s first home game since a raucous victory Sept. 29 over H.L. Bourgeois.

“We’re very excited,” Foster said. “The last time we were at home, we filled the stadium. Hopefully, the fans will come out again. That just gives you an extra boost when you have a bunch of your own fans in the stands.”

Foster said Hahnville does just about everything well on offense and defense, meaning the Wildcats have their work cut out for them

Hahnville coach Nick Saltaformaggio said East St. John is very athletic offensively with the ability to throw the ball to multiple players who present deep ball threats.

He said the game may come down to the Tigers’ linebackers and safeties’ abilities to not get sucked in close on run fakes and keep coverage up against East St. John quarterback Duke Crosby.

“He is one of those guys who seems to be able to find the passing lanes,” Saltaformaggio said of Crosby. “In this day and age of the (run/pass option) game, he gets the ball where it needs to be.”