TWINSBURG: Hudson is headed to a state semifinal game for the third year in a row.
Warren Harding presented tough competition Friday night at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium, but Hudson made a couple of more plays on offense, defense and special teams to earn a 24-21 win in a Division II regional final before a sellout crowd of approximately 8,000.
Senior defensive back Cole Miller batted away a pass by Harding senior quarterback Lynn Bowden to secure the victory in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. Hudson (11-2) advanced to a state semifinal at a site to be determined.
Harding finished 11-2.
“We called a timeout and coach set up a game plan on that last play,” Miller said. “I was pressing No. 2 [senior Marlin Richardson] and initially my press wasn’t clean, but he released to the outside and I saw the ball up in the air, and I tracked the ball back and knocked it down. Then I was down on the ground on my knees so excited and so happy.”
Juniors Danny Saxon and Colin Paltani and seniors Alex Beck, Will Orazen and Joe Sweet each made several big plays defensively for Hudson.
Hudson junior Colt Pallay tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to junior Greg Mailey with 1:48 to go in the fourth quarter, and senior Jonah Wieland kicked an extra point to make it 24-21.
Bowden tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to junior Jalen Hooks on a 4th-and-7 with 4:39 to go in the fourth quarter and senior Dominic Vanwinkle’s kick made it 21-17.
“We are happy to be back in a state semifinal,” Hudson coach Jeff Gough said. “Our kids played really, really hard. We preach running to the football on defense, and that is not easy because you get tired. Our kids were able to do that and that was huge.”
Bowden broke loose for a 72-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the game and Vanwinkle kicked the extra point to give Harding a 7-0 lead with 11:01 to go in the first quarter.
Hudson responded with a nice drive that ended with a 20-yard field goal by Wieland with 6:34 to go in the first quarter.
The Raiders took a 14-3 lead into halftime after Bowden tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Hooks on a 4th-and-goal play with 3:07 left.
The Explorers took the momentum in the third quarter with 14 unanswered points to take a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
Junior Kevin Callahan capped a 14-play, 71-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:59 remaining in the third quarter and Wieland made the extra-point kick. Pallay connected with Beck on a 34-yard pass to set up the Callahan score.
Senior Max Kleiman intercepted a Bowden pass on Harding’s ensuing possession, and one play later senior Jackson Parker ran 25 yards untouched for a touchdown at 4:33. Wieland’s kick made it 17-14.
“We have been in this situation before,” Parker said. “Of course, we would like to start the push earlier, but to come back and win this game feels great.”
Harding’s next possession lasted five plays and ended when Parker intercepted a pass by Bowden at 2:01 in the third quarter on the Explorers’ 35-yard line.
“We came out in the second half and we buckled down,” Pallay said. “We got on our horse and really just tried to take the game over.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.