The Handy 5: Eagles up to No. 1, poised for upset

Shaw, to me, is the most solid team in the area. Destrehan is the most loaded. Both are well coached. Both also might run into upset-minded teams this week.

For the Eagles, it’s the aforementioned Terriers from Houma. For Destrehan, its nemesis East St. John, a 4-3 team that is as good as any 6-1 or 5-2 team in this state.

Its three losses have to come to 7-0 Bastrop, 7-0 Acadiana and 5-1 John Curtis. If you’re playing along at home, that’s a 19-1 combined record. The four East St. John wins have come against 4-3 Patterson, 4-3 Carencro, 2-5 St. Amant and 5-2 Dutchtown. The wins weren’t even close.

Hahnville showed it had staying power a week ago. After falling in dramatic fashion to Destrehan, Hahnville came back and pounded East Ascension. This team is for real, and if it were to get a shot at Destrehan again, I’d think it could beat the Wildcats.

1.) Shaw (7-0), next – Friday at Vandebilt, 7 p.m.: The Eagles are winning while reeling. QB Robinson is out with a torn ACL. At any one time, the defense has been down three starters with injuries. Two of the walking wounded are back this week. Will that make a difference?

2.) Destrehan (7-0), next – Friday vs. East St. John, 7 p.m.: How do you dock a team for winning by two points? It’s hard, but that’s a game that never should have been that close. The Wildcats need to get their minds straight if their going to avoid falling to ESJ for the third year in a row after entering the game undefeated.

3.) Hahnville (6-1), next – Friday at Dutchtown, 7 p.m.: We’ll see just how good Hahnville really is this week. Last week’s win came at home. This week’s game is on the road at one of the better Class 5A teams in the state.

4.) Vandebilt Catholic (7-0), next – Friday vs. Shaw, 7 p.m.: The Terriers had to use a last-second field goal to beat Helen Cox 45-42 a week ago. Chalk that up to matchups. Cox is more athletic than Shaw, but there are few better coached teams out there than Shaw.

5.) Rummel (6-1), Friday vs. St. Pius X at Nicholls State, 7 p.m.: Rummel gave up 21 points in a season-opening loss to Shaw. Since then, the defense has allowed 31 total points. And in that same period, the team is averaging 34.3 points per game. St. Pius X is 6-0 in Texas.

Knocking on the door: Holy Cross (6-1), Curtis (5-1), Lutcher (6-1), Mandeville (5-2), St. Paul's (5-2), St. James (5-2), South Plaquemines (5-2).

Questions? Comments? Disagree with my assessment? Want to call me a loon? Email me at bhandwerger@wwltv.com .