Hudson JH Boys Basketball

By Justin Michael 
Photo credit: Darla Michael

Hudson 7th and 8th Grade Boys in Action Against the South Hardin Tigers  The Hudson eighth-grade (A) team found itself in a dogfight with the Tigers from South  Hardin on Monday afternoon in the Hudson Middle School Competition Gym. The Tigers led  much of the first half until the 4:25 mark of the second quarter, when the Pirates tied the game  at 13-13 for the first time. One minute later, at 3:25 before halftime, the Pirates took their first  lead, 16-13.  

From that point on, the teams traded leads the rest of the way. Late in the fourth  quarter, trailing by two with 4.6 seconds left, the Pirates scored on a layup by Blake Van Hove  off an inbounds play to tie the score at 39. The Tigers were fouled with one second left and  went to the line for two shots. Both attempts missed, sending the game to overtime.  

South Hardin controlled the tip in overtime but committed an over-and-back violation.  At the 2:39 mark, Caden Dlouhy drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Hudson a 42-39  lead. The Tigers responded to pull within one, 42-41. With 42.6 seconds left, South Hardin  made one of two free throws to tie the game. Another Pirate foul with 23.7 seconds remaining  sent the Tigers back to the line, where they converted both attempts for a 44-42 lead. A final 3- point attempt by Hudson hit the back iron, and the Pirates fell in a heartbreaker, 44-42,  dropping to 2-2.  

Caden Dlouhy led Hudson with nine points and three assists. Jackson Steele and  Becket Hansen added eight points each, Jace Rhoades scored seven, Blake Van Hove six and  Greyson Griffin three. Van Hove led defensively with eight rebounds and two blocks. Rhoades  added four steals, and Steele had three.  

In eighth-grade (B) action, Gabe Beach opened the scoring, followed by a steal and  coast-to-coast layup from Myles Jensen. Hudson built an 18-0 lead before South Hardin  scored. The Pirates went on to win 24-2 and improved to 3-0.  

Gavin Lidtke led with 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting performance. Josh  Culham added two points and three assists. Jensen, Davis Germain, Dylan Rhymer and Gabe  Beach each added two points. Defensively, Germain had three rebounds and a steal, Culham  had three steals, and Lidtke grabbed two rebounds.  

The Hudson seventh-grade (A) team also got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 14-0  lead and cruising to a 64-9 win. Cael Backes led with 11 points, and Lukah Bergmeier added  10. Other scorers included Cooper Warnell (9), Mason Strayer (8), Jace Kuker (7), Christian  Michael (6), Gavin Kliegl (5), Knox Griffin (4) and Cole Curley (2). The Pirates recorded 14  assists and 33 rebounds as a team and finished with 22 steals. The team is now 4-0.  Hudson 8th Grade Boys Travel to Peet Junior High  

Hudson traveled to Cedar Falls on Thursday to face Peet Junior High. The eighth-grade  (A) team hung with a taller Tigers squad early, but Peet’s size proved too much in a 64-31 loss.  In the second game, the eighth-grade (B) team led 21-17 at halftime but fell 51-32. The  (A) team is now 2-3, while the (B) team stands at 3-1.  

Hudson 7th Grade Boys Split with Cedar Ridge Christian  

On Friday, the seventh-grade (B) team split two games with Cedar Ridge Christian. In  the first game, Hudson trailed 20-16 at halftime and fell 35-31 despite a strong fourth-quarter  push.  

Kevin Haynes led with 14 points, and Rocco Thompson added seven points and seven  assists. Brayden Weide scored six, while Brock Gunnarson and Chase Klingaman added two  each.  

In the second game, Hudson bounced back with a 15-12 win. Brayden King led with  five points, and Maddex Buskohl added four. The team is now 3-1.