Hudson vs Stevens Point: Recap and Recruits of the Game

Week 5 had a strong slate of options for big time matchups, and my most intriguing one was a battle between a pair of undefeated central/northern WI teams. The Hudson Raiders traveled to Stevens Point to take on the Panthers of SPASH. The game featured a deep collection of OL and DL talent, electric playmakers and RB and QB, and some impressive LBs among other athletes that we will be talking about later in this article. But first, we need to dive into how the game played out. There was no shortage of adversity to battle through for both teams. The main one being the weather. Before we even could kick off the game we were forced into a lightning delay that lasted over an hour, making for a late night of HS football. With that weather came a very wet field and conditions that kept the ball from being thrown through the air very much in the first half. It came down to who could win the battle in the trenches. So who won that battle and the game? Let's recap the night!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Recap</h2>   Following the weather delay it was clear that the way to success early on would be the run game. SPASH found that out the hard way as their first drive ended on a pick by Hudson DB Alex Healy. Healy was able to set Hudson up in great position with his return. However, the Stevens Point defense was not going to give up any ground without a tough fight. They dug in a forced a field goal attempt that would sail wide of the posts. Each defense was taking the field and not letting either offense get comfortable. We came to the end of the 1st quarter still tied up at 0-0.   That score didn't last long, though. Hudson started finding their rhythm on offense to begin the 2nd. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1120618' first='Cooper' last='Adair'] started getting things going on the ground with his legs and was able to put the first points on the board when he rolled left, and took off for the corner of the endzone. He was able to win the race to the corner and give the Raiders a 7-0 lead. That lead lasted all of 2 minutes, real time, as Stevens Point returner Calvin Roth would take the ensuing kickoff all the way back for the score and once again tying the game up, 7-7. The game seemed to flip from that defensive slugfest when the quarter changed because Hudson again took the field and went right back to work on offense. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1361675' first='Payton' last='Pingel'] sparked the pass game when he found space for his QB to hit him for a big catch and run. Pingel would finish the drive himself with a short run up the middle to take the lead again, 14-7. Things looked like they would go into the half at that score, but once again DB Alex Healy was able to reel in another INT. The DB was once again able to set the offense up with a short field after his long return. Hudson's offense didn't waste the opportunity this time. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1361675' first='Payton' last='Pingel'] again stepped up, taking the pitch wide left and getting into the endzone with just :04 left in the first half to give the Raiders a comfortable 21-7 lead.   It felt even more comfortable when Hudson started the 2nd half by driving down the field and avenging their missed field goal with a successful attempt to widen the gap to 24-7. Similar to the first half when we saw the flip from defensive control to offensive explosion, things seemed to swing back to the defensive side as both units made finding yards extremely difficult. We didn't see any points added until 4 minutes left in the game when SPASH QB [player_tooltip player_id='1650969' first='Trent' last='Breitbach'] was able to find time in the backfield and then find his WR [player_tooltip player_id='1251529' first='Jonathon' last='Ananiadis'] wide open downfield. Jonny was able to show off some crafty running and get into the endzone to give SPASH new life, trailing only 14-24. Unfortunately, SPASH would not be able to recover the onside kick and Hudson's run game would be able to kill almost the rest of the clock leaving no chance for a last minute comeback.   It is clear that both of these teams have the talent to go on runs, even in the worst conditions. They have the talent in the front seven on defense for Hudson, and SPASH has good size and strength on their OL to control the trenches. You can expect both of these teams to have quite a bit of football ahead of them even though we have reached the midway point of the regular season. If these two teams can continue to stick to their strengths and play as a team then the sky is the limit. I can't wait to see what is ahead for both of these teams.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recruits of the Game</h2>    Stats: 15 Carries, 61 Yards, 2 TDs, 4 Receptions, 64 Yards   My Player of the Game was the senior RB for Hudson. Nearly 20 touches, put the ball in the endzone a couple times, set up scoring opportunities with big plays between the 20s. Hudson's offense leaned on him. The conditions kept the ball on the ground most of the game until SPASH had to try and catch up, so Hudson went as Payton and Cooper went on the ground. Payton has developed well since we first covered him as a sophomore. He maintains the speed that has set him apart from the crowd of talented RBs in this state. Now he runs with a more balanced attack, though. He will stick his foot in the ground and get up field, run through arm tackles when he really drives his legs, and has the potential to wear down a defense over time. The senior also flashed big play receiving abilities with a great downfield catch and run to set up a score. The senior had a great night helping get the win.     Stats: 6/11, 140 Yards, 23 Carries, 93 Yards, 1 Rush TD   QB1 for Hudson also did really well stepping up for the offense and leading this team. His arm flashed the talent for the next level as he was able to push the ball downfield for big plays on the few times he had to go to the air. It was Cooper's athleticism that was more of a difference maker this week though. He plays with plenty of speed to get the edge on the defense, as he did on his rushing TD. The senior also did a great job of being poised and making smart reads on option designed plays. I loved the way Cooper didn't force things either. He would buy time and give his guys chances to get open but would take off instead of trying to get the ball into tough spots. Hudson is a talented team, and having a kid like Cooper at the helm of the offense will help them go far.     Stats: 4 Tackles, 2 INTs   I was unaware of Alexander coming into the game. It didn't take long to learn his name, and then remember his name as he made big play after big play in coverage. The junior DB seemed to appear wherever the ball was in the pass game. Even more impressive was that he was great with the ball in his hands. Both INTs Alex turned into a punt returner, slicing through the opposing offense, making guys miss, setting up blocks, and really maximizing every yard he could get. The junior is a playmaker that will be worth keeping an eye on over the next year.     Stats: 9 Tackles, 1 Fumble Recovery   I loved getting to watch Liam in person. He has an impressive frame that is big, strong, and really well filled out. That size has allowed him to punish ball carriers when he hits them. The momentum that his 215 lbs frame generates drives the opposition backwards. Despite his size Liam plays with range and agility. The agility helped him be a force against the inside run game. The range flashed as he chased down the ball out on the perimeter. Especially when helping contain the athletic SPASH QB. Liam is upholding the tradition that Hudson has of producing dominant front seven defenders.     Stats: 5.5 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 4 TFLs   Right behind Liam we are going to see Jack Dumond carry the torch of the tradition I just mentioned above. Jack was new to my radar and now is one of my favorite LBs in the Class of 2027. The junior was all over the field. He has an explosive burst that got him into the backfield to create a ton of disruption; even more than his 2 sacks and 4 TFLs would suggest. Jack plays with violent athleticism, able to turn speed into power when taking on an OL. Jack has a high ceiling with all the physical tools he is developing. He is going to be a kid to watch closely the rest of this season.     Stats: 6.5 Tackles, 1 TFL   The leader of the extremely deep and talented DL for Hudson is senior [player_tooltip player_id='1610228' first='Chase' last='Johnson']. Chase brings a long, lean frame that is filling out well with power. Power that was shining all night long as he was able to take on blocks, hold the line of scrimmage, and then quickly disengage to make tackles himself. Chase uses his length consistently well to give him those chances to quickly get off blocks and make the stop or to quickly use a pass rush move in those obvious passing situations. The senior is an under the radar athlete to check out. Length, power, and speed are all there to be developed at the next level.     Stats: 3 Tackles   The entire front seven for Hudson has a strong claim to Player of the Game. They controlled the line of scrimmage, got into the backfield to disrupt plays at a high rate, and never let SPASH get into a rhythm. One of those key pieces was Lincoln. The long DL is now up to 6'4" 220 lbs and that added size has clearly made him a tough kid to move off the line. He was able to quickly get angles that defeated blocks quickly. While his stats aren't insane Lincoln was always around the ball for forcing it back towards pursuit. The senior is another name to dive into on this defense.     Stats: 7 Tackles, 1 TFL   Even with all the elite size on the Hudson front seven, the name we heard a ton from was senior LB Jasiah Wilson. The undersized senior was able to lock onto the ball and close on it so quickly. He flew around the front seven, avoiding blocks really well, and bringing down the ball carrier. The ILB is always around the football and that is not just true from this past week. It has been a constant all season. Jasiah reads and reacts so quickly and it gives OL such little time to get up to him or cut him off as he is shooting through gaps against the run game. It was a good showing for Wilson in Week 5.     Stats: 14/29, 169 Yards, 1 TD, 15 Carries, 36 Yards   It was an up and down night for the explosive athlete at QB for SPASH. Trent has dominated the first half of the season with his dual threat talents. While he didn't go off in Week 5 we still saw the flashes of brilliance he can create. His TD came off an outstanding scramble to buy time while finding his man open downfield. It isn't just raw speed either. Trent has the quick twitch agility to be a threat in traffic and one on one in space. I was looking forward to seeing what the arm looked like in person, and I came away happy with what I saw. Trent has that natural arm strength where he can get the ball to jump out of his hands when he needs it to get through a window instantly. I'm excited to watch him develop more as a passer over this next year. He has a very high potential ceiling. I'm excited to watch his career continue to play out.     Stats: 4 Carries, 28 Yards, 86 Yard KOR TD   Another new name to hit my radar from this game was Calvin Roth. While he couldn't find much success on offense as an RB, the junior repeatedly shined as a kick returner. That included a monster 86 yard TD return. Calvin showed off great vision and instincts, quickly finding blocks and forcing the kickoff unit to overflow one direction and then cut back against the grain to find those open alleys. Calvin is an exciting athlete when he gets the ball in space. On all 5 of his returns it felt like we could see him break loose at any moment.     Stats: 3 Receptions, 64 Yards, 1 TD   Jonny has created a very respectable career for himself at SPASH. He is a key contributor on both sides of the ball as a DB and WR. His biggest play of the night came on offense when he was able to find open field for his QB and then make an impressive run after the catch for the long TD. On defense the opposing offense seemed to never want to test him. Wherever he lined up the ball never seemed to go his way. Tipping a hat towards his abilities as a CB. The senior has that quick twitch reaction needed to play tight man coverage and the ball skills are there to contest catches. Don't sleep on the senior.     The top OL recruit in this game was the junior for SPASH. Peyton mans the LT position for the Panthers, and while he had his hands full with the talented Hudson DL/front seven there was plenty to like about what we saw. At 300 lbs Peyton has proven that he can move. Like get out in space on screens and bury DBs. We also saw that he is light on his feet in pass protection, quickly getting depth vs those talented edge rushers from Hudson. Peyton has a stout anchor and flashed the ability to bury a DL when he is asked to fire out and create a push in the trenches. I'm feeling good about what I saw from the up and coming junior OL.

Week 5 had a strong slate of options for big time matchups, and my most intriguing one was a battle between a pair of undefeated central/northern WI teams. The Hudson Raiders traveled to Stevens Point to take on the Panthers of SPASH. The game featured a deep collection of OL and DL talent, electric playmakers and RB and QB, and some impressive LBs among other athletes that we will be talking about later in this article. But first, we need to dive into how the game played out. There was no shortage of adversity to battle through for both teams. The main one being the weather. Before we even could kick off the game we were forced into a lightning delay that lasted over an hour, making for a late night of HS football. With that weather came a very wet field and conditions that kept the ball from being thrown through the air very much in the first half. It came down to who could win the battle in the trenches. So who won that battle and the game? Let's recap the night!