BOUTTE ― Hahnville shot up fireworks prior to Friday night’s showdown with parish rival Destrehan.

It would be the only pyrotechnics the Tigers would provide all night.

The third-ranked Wildcats came through with the rest.

Photo by Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Destrehan's David Lane sacks Hahnville's Guiseppe Crovetto (12), causing a fumble that led to the Wildcats' first points in Friday night's 33-7 win over the Tigers.

Destrehan went into Tiger Stadium and took its fourth consecutive win in the series, defeating Hahnville 33-7 and cementing itself as one of the state’s teams to beat.

“We stepped up,” Destrehan receiver Brandon Armstrong said. “It was a big win. Everybody thought it was going to be a close game but we came through.”

You now can make it 20 in a row for Destrehan, which hasn’t lost since the second round of the 2006 playoffs and is showing why it should be a favorite to repeat it's 2007 state championship in Class 5A.

The Wildcats (5-0) held Hahnville to 158 total yards and forced four turnovers which led to three touchdowns, all but taking the Tigers (3-2) out of the contest.

“All year long the offense makes a big play and turns the defense on,” Destrehan defensive coordinator Chris Stroud said. “This time it was the defense making the play and the offense got the momentum going.”

And it all started on the first defensive series for Destrehan. After Hahnville had driven from its own 29 to the Destrehan 25, the Wildcats’ defense came up with big play No. 1.

Linebacker David Lane burst through the line, chasing down the Tigers’ Guiseppe Crovetto, sacking the quarterback for a 10-yard loss and knocking loose the football. Destrehan’s Brennon Mora fell on the ball and the Wildcats took over at the 35.

“That was my job to step up and look what’s going on,” said Lane, who finished with two sacks. “I saw it was pass and that’s my job to rush and I came up with a big sack.”

It only took two plays for Destrehan to lead 7-0. Quarterback Wynrick Smothers found Henry Lenox for a 37-yard completion to the Hahnville 28, then did the rest on his own, scampering in from 28 yards out.

Smothers finished with 21 yards rushing, but was 12-of-20 for 150 yards and two touchdowns and most importantly, no turnovers.

Photo by Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Destrehan's Kyron King (2) catches a pass in front of Hahnville's Brion James (26) during the Wildcats' 33-7 win Friday night.

The defenses took over from there until the end of the half, when Destrehan drove far enough into Tigers’ territory for Ryan Rome to make a 36-yard field goal.

Destrehan led only 10-0 at half despite outgaining Hahnville by nearly 60 total yards and committing only one penalty.

And then the second half happened.

Hahnville got the ball first. That wasn’t a good thing.

Destrehan linebacker Rufus Porter intercepted Crovetto at the Tigers’ 32 and raced into the end zone, giving the Wildcats a 17-0 lead just 45 seconds into the second half.

“We always talk about the first three minutes of the second half being the most important and Rufus Porter came up with a big interception return for a touchdown and momentum was just unbelievable from there,” Destrehan head coach Stephen Robicheaux said.

Nevertheless, Hahnville wasn’t out of the game, at least not yet.

The Tigers marched 80 yards in eight plays, getting help from a Destrehan facemask penalty and cut the deficit to 17-7 when Jai Steib took a toss sweep right through the Wildcats’ defense and into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.

Then the game got away from Hahnville quickly.

Photo by Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Hahnville head coach Lou Valdin tries to figure out a way to slow down Destrehan during the Tigers' 33-7 loss Friday.

First Blaise Dempster muffed a punt and Destrehan recovered. The Wildcats turned it into points four plays later when Smothers connected with Armstrong for a 20-yard touchdown pass.

On the ensuing Hahnville series, the Tigers snapped the ball out of the end zone on a punt for a safety, handing Destrehan a 26-7 lead with 2:40 to play in the third quarter.

Destrehan took over at midfield after Hahnville was forced to kick off from its own 20. Not too long later, Smothers struck again, this time lofting the ball between two Tigers’ defenders and into Armstrong’s hands.

Armstrong finished with 97 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches.

“You can’t play the defending state champions and have penalties and turn the ball over,” Hahnville head coach Lou Valdin said. “We were in the game until we dropped the punt. We don’t drop the punt, we have a chance to get back in.”

The win means Destrehan’s senior class will leave having never lost to Hahnville. A week after beating then-No. 4 Ehret 35-6, these Wildcats still know which games are big.

“Look at them – they’re going crazy,” Robicheaux said. “They know what it means. That’s a bunch of seniors that haven’t lost to Hahnville.”

• Bradley Handwerger can be reached at bhandwerger@wwltv.com or 504-529-6439