SOLON, Ohio – Senior defensive back Braeden Springer picked off Hudson quarterback Nathan Judy three times as Solon upset Hudson, 31-10, at home to finish off regular season play on Friday night.
“Springer is unbelievable,” Solon head coach Brian Wisniewski said. “He just finds ways to make plays for us, whether it’s on offense, defense, special teams. He’s such a warrior, I’m so proud of him and I’m so proud of the defense.
“He’s certainly one of our leaders, and he showed it tonight.”
Solon’s defense was punishing throughout the game, holding Hudson, which scored 35 points last week against North Royalton, to just 10 points, while forcing three interceptions and multiple turnovers-on-downs.
“When you play them, you have to be ready for a four-quarter physical battle,” Wisniewski said. “They’re so well-coached and so good up front. You’ve got to stop the run if you want to beat them.”
“Coach puts us in a great spot,” Springer said. “Works the entire weekend, putting in a game plan for the week. I just put all my trust in him.”
Hudson (5-5), ranked No. 21 in this week’s cleveland.com top 25, looked like the better team in the first half. The Explorers outgained the Comets in the first half, especially on the ground with sophomore back Reno Ferri. Ferri was Hudson’s lone bright spot on offense, garnering 128 combined yards of offense.
However, after going into the half tied 7-7, the Comets’ offense picked up speed while their defense locked up. In the fourth quarter, up 17-10, all the pressure was on Solon sophomore quarterback Jack Sanders, and he stepped up with poise and confidence, leading a scoring drive to put the Comets up a comfortable two touchdowns.
“Jack’s grown up a lot this year,” Wisniewski said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth and maturity throughout the year … I’m proud of him. He kept us composed and he did a really good job there down the stretch.”
Sanders finished the game with 125 yards and a touchdown through the air, while adding 32 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Junior back A.J. Jefferson also carried the Comets’ offense, piling up 100 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The game got off to a slow start, as both offenses opened with a three-and-out. However, Hudson was able to find their groove quickly on their next drive, as they put together an efficient 13-play, 81-yard scoring drive capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run by Judy.
Solon was able to get a couple of chunk plays on their following drive, but on a third-and-8 Sanders was sacked by senior Jackson Babitsky and junior Joseph Cavalcanti for a critical 10-yard loss, ending the drive.
Hudson then marched down the field, looking to go up two scores, when Springer was able to swing the momentum with his first interception on an overthrown ball by Judy, giving the Comets the ball at their own 35.
On their ensuing drive, Sanders led a balanced offensive attack, connecting twice with junior wideout Christian Nelson, once for a 20-yard strike, and again for a 10-yard touchdown with 2:09 left in the half. Both catches came on crucial third downs, keeping the Comets’ drive alive.
The Explorers got the ball back hoping to get one more score on the board before halftime. Again, they marched down the field with supreme efficiency, executing a near-perfect two-minute drill. However, once again Springer came in clutch, jumping a route with superb timing and picking off Judy for the second time in the first half.
Springer’s interception stifled the Explorer’s momentum once again, and after his return to Hudson’s 42-yard line, he received chants of “MVP” from the Comets’ student section.
“I take my time getting to the ball,” Springer said. “I read it. I read the routes, and then once he looks, pulls the ball back, just go the ball and pick it off.”
Coming out of the half, Solon possessed the football first and was able to get down to the Hudson 23-yard line. However, after a false start penalty on a fourth-and-one attempt, they sent in their kicker, senior Carter Wente, for a 45-yard field goal attempt, which he knocked down to put the Comets up 10-7.
On the following drive, the Explorers rode their punishing ground game all the way to the Comets’ 31-yard line. Facing a critical fourth-and-9 in their own territory, Solon needed a big defensive stop to hold on to their three-point lead, and they got one as Judy’s pass fell incomplete to give the Comets the ball back late in the third quarter.
The following Solon drive was all Jefferson, as the Explorers simply had no answer for the big junior back. Jefferson rushed for multiple long gains, including a 37-yarder on a third-and-7 on which he trucked through multiple defenders, tossing players to the ground for a huge first down. He capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put Solon up 17-7 with 18 seconds left in the third quarter.
However, the Explorers were not willing to give up. On a drive kept alive by a 36-yard fourth-down catch-and-run by Ferri, Hudson was able to get just far enough into Solon territory for a field goal try. Senior kicker Brad Masiella was able to knock it down, putting the Explorers within a score with 8:36 to go in the game.
However, Hudson could not stop Solon’s offense when it mattered most. After a long return to their own 44-yard line by Springer, Sanders led a methodical drive, draining the clock to just over three minutes remaining before punching it on himself on a 3-yard touchdown run.
Hudson’s last-ditch effort was cut off abruptly by an interception on the first play of the drive by none other than Braeden Springer, who returned it to the Hudson 1-yard line. It was Springer’s third interception of the night. Sanders punched it in for the second time in less than twenty seconds, effectively sealing the game for the Comets.
Playoff football begins next week, and who each of these teams plays next will be announced Sunday, but Wisniewski told his team to “clear their schedules” next week.
While Solon is only 3-7, Wisniewski said he is not afraid to play anybody.
“We stared these last two games down right in the face. We were not afraid of anybody,” Wisniewski told his team postgame. “I don’t care who we play, we’re not going to be afraid.”