Pirates Rebound; Bounce Cougars 12-10

By Kevin Yoder

The Pirate football team was back on the gridiron last Friday night for a second consecutive road game. Night two of three in their cat-themed pre-district schedule saw them travel to Cascade, attempting to avenge last season’s loss to the undefeated Cougars.

The game began under dark skies and ominous conditions, but Hudson took control early. The offense converted first down after first down, asserting their dominance at the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Tade Roberts led a mixed attack of short passing and solid running, but each early drive to the Cougar red zone ended with missed opportunities and no points.

The Pirate defense was forced to rise to the occasion, and throughout the night that unit held Cascade’s high-powered offense in check. Led by seniors Carter Ites, Grady Moseley, Alston Loeb and Rylan Dunbar up front, the defense kept returning the ball to the Pirate offense.

The only thing the Pirates didn’t control became the weather, and lightning in the area forced a lengthy first half delay. Once the teams resumed play, Cascade got the first break of the night. A Pirate field goal attempt was blocked and a fortuitous bounce had a Cougar defender racing the opposite way. Kicker Jackson Nesteby chased him down and saved a touchdown, but the turn of events put Cascade in great field position. A successful field goal of their own put the Cougars up 3-0 as both teams headed to the halftime locker room.

The Pirates resumed their dominant run game as the second half began, and it wasn’t long before they found pay dirt. Senior Owen Bell lined up in the backfield, and after taking an inside handoff, darted to the edge and outraced everyone to the pylon for the score. A missed PAT gave the Pirates a 6-3 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Cascade ripped off their only big run of the night, a 62-yarder that regained the lead 10-6.

The Pirates went back to work, and behind a 29 carry, 138-yard performance from Roberts, he slammed one across the goal line from two yards out with under a minute remaining. Another unsuccessful PAT kept the score at 12-10.

One final defensive stand awaited and two Cougar completions put them in field goal range. That distance was extended however by a huge Moseley sack, forcing Cascade’s kicker slightly out of his comfort zone. That kick fell short as time expired and Hudson held on for the 12-10 victory.

While Roberts paced the offense, Ites and Moseley’s combined 8 tackles for loss set the tone for the defense. Senior McCoy Yoder contributed an additional four and a half tackles from his linebacker position. Offensively, seniors Payton Bishop, Austin Kliegl and Gavin Gunnarson, along with sophomore Carter Weide joined Bell with key receptions that moved the chains.

Head coach Justin Brekke was pleased with the resiliency of his team, and how the win reflected a true team effort.

“Extremely proud of how the boys stuck with it Friday night,” Brekke began. “It wasn’t pretty, but we played with a lot of grit. We had crucial moments in the game when we had to play with the next man in, and those individuals really stepped up. Everyone that touched the field Friday night played a huge part in the victory.”

Hudson returns to action this Friday night at home at the Pirate Ship with their Senior Night against the top-ranked South Hardin Tigers. The Booster Club tailgate begins at 5:30 with kickoff slated for 7 pm.