EASLEY — The first half of T.L. Hanna’s season is something that first-year coach Kenya Fouch would rather forget, but on Friday night in Easley, his team took a big step in what the coach is calling “a new season”. The Yellow Jackets ruined Easley’s homecoming and moved to 1-0 in region play with a 25-0 victory.

“We’ve got to look at this like we’re heading into another season,” Fouch said. “We were 0-0 coming into this game and now we’ve got a one in that win column.”

The Hanna offense had a different look to it, but the results still weren’t as positive as Fouch had hoped.

Senior Quinton Payton moved from wide receiver to the quarterback position, where he was mostly ineffective except for a couple of shining moments.

With the game scoreless late in the first quarter, Payton connected on a deep ball with Martavis Bryant that put the Jackets inside the Easley 10-yard line. Four plays later, sophomore Garrett Boulware gave Hanna a 6-0 lead with his one-yard, fourth-down touchdown run.

Later in the half, Payton hit Bryant on a slant and the junior did the rest. He raced 58 yards for a late touchdown that gave Hanna a 12-0 halftime advantage and zapped any momentum that Easley might have been building.

“It was tough for our defensive backs out there tonight,” Easley coach Jabo Burgess said. “Our freshmen out there are probably about six feet at the most and there they are trying to go up against Tree Rollins for them. He’s a great player, but I was proud of how our guys stood in there and fought.”

Fouch was also pleased with the play of his defense. It not only kept Easley out of the end zone, but also kept the Green Wave off of the field by forcing four turnovers. Three Easley fumbles came as a result of hard hits from the Hanna defense.

“We were good on defense,” Fouch said. “I think that is something we have been preaching. That’s something we really wanted our guys to focus on.”

Hanna got only its second win of the season, but Fouch was looking forward to the possibility of a nice region run and a potential playoff birth. At 1-0 in region play, the Jackets are off to a good start in the new season that the coach was so excited for.

“It’s been a little bit of a struggle for us so far this year,” Fouch said. “We’re moving forward though and we want to make the playoffs. That’s our goal this year.”