Hudsonville Football Preview

Hudsonville is typically one of the best programs in the area. Last year, however, they had a down year. They only won 5 games and went 2-2 at home. Their production took a hit on offense last year as they adjusted but they still had a good offense. Sometimes it just takes a few years to work out the kinks. They’re heading into year 3 of a new regime and they’re hoping that this is the year everything meshes and they hit their stride again. <strong>Coaching Staff</strong> Hudsonville is led by Coach Brent Sandee. Sandee was promoted back in 2018 to lead the program after being an assistant coach for a number of years for the Eagles. He’s also a teacher at Hudsonville and has been for quite a few years. He knows the school like the back of his hand and because he’s a teacher he keeps a close relationship with his players. Sandee used to be the Defensive Coordinator before he took over and has added his own tweaks to the defense now that he’s the head guy in town. <strong>Key Players in 2021</strong> Hudsonville’s season relies on the arm of [player_tooltip player_id="93705" first="Todd" last="Raredon"]. Raredon knows this and has spent his summer working. The Senior has the experience leading the Eagles as he’s a veteran of the program. He led them to just under 27 PPG last year. Raredon is most comfortable inside the pocket. He can scramble and run around but he prefers to stay in the pocket. He throws a nice ball and it has nice touch but it really looks like he has an awkward release sometimes. The instant he feels pressure he starts to scramble and it will get him in trouble sometimes. With a summer of work and camps hopefully, he’s taken the next step in his development and is ready to lead the Eagles. Ben Louis will be the leader for the Eagles on defense. The senior LB is a great athlete and has a nice frame. He’s 6’3" and 220 lbs. He’s an animal in the weight room where he deadlifts just under 500 lbs. Louis likes to hit and play fast. He’s spent his summer in camps and working on his technique. He’s really worked on 7 on 7’s and tried to get better dropping back in coverage. He’s going to have a big role this year and he’s going to be asked to do a lot. Louis helped lead the defense last year where they only gave up 16 PPG. The last time that defense was on the field they gave up 42 points to Rockford. That isn't sitting well with Louis and company. They would like to get back to that feeling they had last year when they shut out Grand Haven. <strong>2021 Schedule</strong> The Eagles start their season on August 26th at home against Saline. They are actually at home for the first 3 weeks of the season. During that span, they also face St. Mary Prep and West Ottawa before they hit the road for a few weeks. They then return home for 1 week before hitting the road for 2 more weeks. They finish the regular season at home against Caledonia at 7 PM on October 22nd. We’ve very recently covered Caledonia so be sure to check out their preview to have a good understanding of that matchup in late October!