Hudson coach Ron Wright allowed his football team to bask in the glow of a 38-6 victory Saturday over host GlenOak for a few days.
Then it was back to work to prepare for another Division I playoff game, this Saturday’s battle with Toledo Whitmer (11-0) at Sandusky.
“I thought that the kids did a great job in the win over GlenOak,” Wright said. “Our staff had them right on with what we saw on film. The staff had a great game plan offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. We used it to a T. We did a great job of getting them out of their game.”
Hudson (9-2) finds itself just four wins away from a state title under Wright, who is 53 and is in his second year as the Explorers’ coach. He has 31 years of coaching experience, with 22 of it coming at the college level.
The Explorers are led by senior running back-linebacker Ben Gedeon, senior defensive end Adam Coberly and senior wide receiver-cornerback Tim Kennedy.
“We got the ball where we wanted it against GlenOak,” said Wright, a former defensive lineman at Huron High School and Findlay University.
“[Sophomore quarterback] Mitchell Guadagni threw the ball well. He went for 12-of-19 for 324 yards. [Senior receiver] Leighton Antonio had five receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns and Ben Gedeon ran 18 times for 104 yards.”
Junior free safety John Zuccaro, senior left tackle Jason Idoine and junior kicker Pierce Royster are also key to Hudson’s attack.
“Guadagni is a guy that has really come out of nowhere,” Wright said. “[Junior Ben] Hart was our starting quarterback, but he suffered a broken wrist [on his throwing hand] against Kenston in Week 1. We have gone with Mitchell from that game on and Ben has come back. He couldn’t throw the ball with a broken wrist, so he plays linebacker for us. He came back in Week 7. He had a cast on and now he plays with a sleeve. The wrist is healed. We were lucky that it wasn’t that bad of a break.”
It was Guadagni’s first varsity action. Ironically, Hart took over the quarterback position last season following an injury to then senior David Nelson, who returned to play the position later in the season.
Wright said the Explorers’ offensive line features four seniors Idoine, Alex Muschock, Jack Milgrim and Donny Scheatzle and junior Ben Adams.
Coberly and Muschock are also part of a defensive line that includes seniors Danny Tiley, Zach Vehar, Donny Scheatzle and Colin Hogan.
Wright said seniors Zack Brandy, Jason Hatfield, Colin Hogan, Ross McLelland, Wesley Harris and Alex Agra are also key contributors with juniors Ben Adams, Michael Innamorato, Zack Cole and Jared Ruffing.
Sophomores Colton Whited, Matt Rightnour and Dylan Carlson have also shown tremendous promise for the Explorers, who went 4-1 to win the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division for the third year in a row.
Brooks nabs honor
Triway senior volleyball standout Tessa Brooks was chosen as one of 12 national finalists for the 2012 Wendy’s High School Heisman Award, which honors exceptional students who bring excellence in academics, athletics and community service.
Brooks is one of the 45,000 students who applied for this year’s award. She is one of the 12 national finalists who will travel to New York City where two national winners — one male, one female — will be chosen. Each will receive a crystal Wendy’s High School Heisman trophy, $10,000 donation to their respective high schools and recognition during the collegiate Heisman ceremony in New York City on Dec. 8, airing on ESPN.
Ellet young and strong
The Ellet football team appears to be the early favorite for next season based on its 8-3 overall record this season and 6-0 mark in the City Series.
Ellet coach Joe Yost said the Orangemen lose only six seniors — Andrew Myers, Dominique Slack, Cory Campano, Anthony Sferra, Corey Hoskinson and Drake Joseph — from the team that lost to Kent Roosevelt on Friday in a Division II state playoff game.
The Orangemen return a majority of their team, including juniors Matt Geer, Hussain Hamdan and Dakota King and sophomore Jacob Ivery and Maurice Mackey.
“We had young boys become men rather quickly,” Yost said. “We never approach it that way. We try not to build for next year, but obviously it happens just because of a program. It was our goal to win now. We told the kids: ‘Hey, you make the playoffs, you have to take advantage of it because so many things come into play. There is no guarantee that says we will be in the playoffs next year. We hope so, but you never know. When you get the opportunity you have to take advantage of it.”
Quick hits
North Canton Hoover’s doubles unit of senior Lauren Daugherty and Alivia Arnold were named to the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Girls All-Ohio second-team in Division I. . . . University of Michigan football recruits Gareon Conley (Massillon), Dymonte Thomas (Marlington) and Ben Gedeon (Hudson) were each named on the ESPN 300 national list for the class of 2013. Conley is ranked No. 62, Thomas No. 97 and Gedeon No. 282.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
