Hudson Boys Middle School Basketball Busy to Start February

By Justin Michael  
Photo credit: Darla Michael

The Hudson boys middle school basketball teams opened February with a full slate of  games, beginning with a trip north on Groundhog Day to take on the Denver Cyclones. Both  seventh- and eighth-grade teams were in action in a competitive night of basketball, as players  and coaches worked through a physical game from start to finish.  

In the eighth-grade A game, the Pirates mounted a second-half comeback, but Denver  did enough to hold on for a 52-37 victory. Hudson was led by Blake Van Hove with 14 points,  followed by Jace Rhoades with 12 and Jackson Steele with 8. Caden Dlouhy added 3 points  for the Pirates. Despite the loss, Hudson showed resilience late and continued to compete until  the final buzzer.  

The eighth-grade B team played extra quarters and earned a hard-fought 28-25 win.  Gavin Lidtke led the Pirates with 14 points, while Myles Jensen, Davis Germain and Josh  Culham each added 4. Logan Reger rounded out the scoring with 2 points. At the halfway  point of the season, the eighth-grade A team stands at 2-4, while the B team improved to 5-1.  

The seventh-grade A team also faced Denver in a tightly contested matchup. Hudson  stayed within striking distance throughout the game, trailing 21-19 at halftime and 28-27 after  three quarters before suffering its first loss of the season, 41-35. Jace Kuker led the Pirates  with 11 points, while Cael Backes added 8 and Mason Strayer scored 7. Defensively, Strayer  pulled down 9 rebounds, while Kuker added 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block.  

The seventh-grade B team secured a split for Hudson with a strong 48-20 win. Rocco  Thompson led the Pirates with 16 points, while Chase Klingaman added 10. Cole Curley  contributed 6 points and a team-high 5 assists. Defensively, Curley also recorded 7 steals,  while Braden Weide and Brock Gunnarson provided solid rebounding. Both seventh-grade  teams now held 4-1 records following the Denver games.  

Hudson returned home on Feb. 3 to host Holmes Junior High in the Hudson Middle  School competition gym. The seventh-grade A team rebounded from the Denver loss with an  impressive 59-26 win. The Pirates jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, holding the  Tigers to just 4 points in the first quarter. Lukah Bergmeier led Hudson with 16 points, while  Cael Backes added 10 and Knox Griffin scored 9.  

The seventh-grade B team followed with an exciting back-and-forth game. After trailing  early, Hudson used a strong second half and clutch free throws to pull out a 34-31 win. The  Pirates held on in the final seconds to complete the sweep and improve both seventh-grade  teams to 5-1 on the season.  

The Pirates then traveled south to Gladbrook-Reinbeck and came away with two more  wins. In the first game, the eighth-grade team got off to a fast and dominating start, jumping  out to a 26-0 lead. Hudson cruised to a 53-29 victory, led by Caden Dlouhy with 15 points.  Jace Rhoades added 12, while Blake Van Hove and Jackson Steele chipped in. Defensively,  the Pirates combined for 16 steals and 30 rebounds.  

In the final game, the seventh-grade A team continued its strong play. Hudson extended  its lead throughout the game, holding the Rebels scoreless in the third quarter and earning a  47-19 win. Knox Griffin led the Pirates with 11 points, while Lukah Bergmeier, Cael Backes and  Christian Michael also contributed offensively. Defensively, the Pirates recorded 12 steals and  28 rebounds to complete the sweep.  

Following the busy stretch, the eighth-grade A team stands at 3-4, while the seventh grade A team improved to 6-1. Hudson will host Wapsie Valley and North Tama and travel to  AGWSR in Wellsburg this week.