Lakewood St. Edward scored 24 unanswered points to open the game and beat Hudson 38-14 in a Division I, Region 1 semifinal on Friday, November 13, at First Federal Lakewood Stadium, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Eagles advanced to the Division I, Region 1 title game on Friday, November 20, against Mentor, which defeated Canton McKinley 16-13 in the other regional semifinal, the Beacon Journal reported. Hudson finished its season 9-4.
Hudson’s mistakes, many of them on special teams, decided the night early. Misty conditions in Lakewood led to three errant punt snaps — one of which led to a block — and a muffed kickoff fumble, giving St. Edward short fields all night, according to the Beacon Journal. The Eagles cashed in with two short touchdown runs by Ronnie Neal and a 33-yard field goal by Dallas Nixon in the first half.
The blocked punt set St. Edward up at the Hudson 1, and quarterback Langston Lucas plunged in to make it 24-0 late in the second quarter, the Beacon Journal reported. Neal finished with 19 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns, and Lucas added 42 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Hudson scored with six seconds left in the half on an 8-yard scramble by quarterback Hayden Lipinski, who led the Explorers with 73 rushing yards before leaving early in the third quarter with a foot injury, according to the Beacon Journal. Lucas’s second 1-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter ended comeback hopes, and St. Edward put the game away with a 98-yard fourth-quarter drive capped by Neal’s 5-yard score.
Hudson backup quarterback Ben Hegedish found Reno Ferri for a 33-yard touchdown with 2:37 left — Ferri’s 27th touchdown of the season — according to the Beacon Journal. “I thought we fought,” Hudson coach Jeff Gough told the Beacon Journal. “We made a couple mistakes here and there. When you make mistakes, it’s tough to succeed against a team and program like this.”
What happens next: St. Edward meets Mentor on Friday, November 20, for the Region 1 championship and a berth in the state semifinals.
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