St. John falls to Hanson in one of few Week 1 games

The evening may have not brought the perfect outcome for St. John, but the Eagles had an opportunity many teams in southeast Louisiana did not have on Friday night.

St. John was one of few teams to play in Week 1 action when the Eagles lost, 34-6, against Franklin-based Hanson Memorial at Andrew Canova Green Devil Stadium.

First-year head coach Coby Minton and his Eagles would have preferred a different outcome. But he said it was a victory in itself for SJHS to have the opportunity to play on a night many high school stadiums remained dark due to damages from Hurricane Ida.

“I told our players before the game that it was a blessing in itself that we were able to play,” he said.

Joseph Schlatre scored on 78-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Maddox Bennett.

The TD in the second quarter tied the game after Hanson scored in the first quarter.

“Joseph scored on a nice running catch,” Minton said. “When we scored that touchdown, it was 6-6 and gave us the spark to even the ballgame up. Unfortunately, we missed the extra point, but it was nice to answer after they scored in the first quarter.”

A lot of the skilled guys for the Tigers played both sides of the ball, but linemen did not.

“That was definitely an advantage for them, and a lot of it goes back to us missing those two weeks in preseason where our team was quarantined,” Minton said. “We ran out of gas in first quarter, able to take advantage.”

The opportunity to play during a tumultuous week and preseason meant a lot to the team, Minton said.

“We had lost a scrimmage due to being quarantined, but then we went into a jamboree game that turned out to be a slop fest,” he said. “This game gave us a chance to see what needed to be worked on and the coaching points that needed to be made.

“I brought the players in on Saturday morning, made our adjustments and had them do some yoga to stretch out,” Minton said. “Our main message was that we’re going to win, or we’re going to learn to win. If we learn, it’s not a loss – it’s a learning experience.”

Among the small list of other games in the Baton Rouge area were U-High’s 39-7 win over Central, Brusly’s 23-12 victory over Port Allen and Dunham’s 28-14 triumph over Parkview Baptist.

NEXT FOR THE EAGLES …

The Eagles head to Central for action against Central Private on Friday. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

As with most schools in the southeast Louisiana region, a cancelation due to Hurricane Ida kept Central Private out of action Friday.

The Rebels were set to face Central Catholic of Morgan City, which sustained major damage during Ida’s landfall.

It doesn’t mean the Eagles can take Central Private lightly, Minton said.

“I think they’ll be a lot like us, with a lot of guys going both ways on the field,” he said. “Their quarterback, who is a lefthander, started for them last year. He’s very talented and athletic, and their offense will use the run to set up play action with him.”

The Rebels face a lot of the same challenges as the Eagles, Minton said.

“They’re young and looking to gain experience, just like us, he said. “But we see this game as an opportunity for us to get back in the win column and gain momentum if we play well.”