Little things have Hudson boys lacrosse team thinking big heading into state tournament
When the first lace went in the first cleat this season, the Hudson boys lacrosse team knew what it had to do.
The first time a glove hit the back of a hand or helmet sat atop someone’s head, the focus was already there.
The Explorers knew if they wanted to reach the state semifinal, attention to every detail had to be on point.
Because of that laser focus, second-seeded Hudson will play in its first Final Four since 2016 on Wednesday after dispatching top-seeded St. Ignatius 19-12 in a Division I, Region 2 final on Friday.
“We practice as hard as we can so when we come out here it’s nothing new to us,” Explorers attack Jack Jenkins said. “We do what we do and come out and top.”
Never-quit attitude pushes Hudson
They do what they do by staying locked in for 2,880 seconds in each game.
There was no let up. There was no quit all season for Hudson (15-6) and its reward is a state semifinal against Dublin Jerome at a neutral site in the final week of the season.
“The whole season we weren’t giving up in the fourth quarter,” Explorers attack Alec Dickens said after beating St. Ignatius. “This season we ran as much as possible. Many of us had lock screens of the score from last year. This is one of the biggest moments of our season.”
That lock screen of an 8-6 loss to the Wildcats was as much motivation as it was a tough reminder of just how much St. Ignatius has been the proverbial thorn in Hudson’s side.
For five of the last six seasons, the Wildcats ended a deep playoff run by the Explorers and for five seasons Hudson vowed revenge.
When it finally happened, the Explorers celebrated into the night.
“I don’t think words can measure how proud I am of this group right now,” Hudson coach Brandon Schwind said. “Last year’s regional final was motivation all offseason. Hats off to St. Ignatius, that’s a very talented team. With two great teams playing each other, we knew it would be the small details that mattered. I’m just super proud of my boys for maintaining focus for four quarters and finishing the game.”
Looking ahead, never behind
As the Explorers look toward their first state semifinal since 2016, that concentration on the little things screamed in the face of onlookers in their win over St. Ignatius.
Things like Frank Mulvaney scoring seven seconds before halftime, Hudson winning the faceoff, and Jenkins putting a shot in at the buzzer stood out.
In the blink of an eye, a game that was tied four times in the first half turned into a two-goal Hudson advantage at the break.
The detail continued with keeper J.J. Wright keeping the Wildcats scoreless for 13:32 to allow the Explorers to jump out to a four-goal advantage.
“For Jack Jenkins to put that last one in right before halftime, that’s just a huge momentum builder,” Schwind said. “But again, give credit to the entire team. To come out in the third quarter – we were in the same situation against them at the beginning of the season. We were up at halftime, they came pounding back at us and we wound up losing the game. I’m extremely proud of how we played in the third and fourth quarters.”
The win was a microcosm of the will Schwind preaches and the determination he expects.
You don’t average over 15.5 goals per game by simply showing up on game day.
It takes guts.
It takes hard work.
It takes a willingness to drive past the point of exhaustion.
“Lacrosse is such a game of runs,” Dickens said. “You have to stay focused. Even if you let up a goal, you have to look at the next thing.”
Up next, a date with destiny
The next thing is a Jerome team that beat Hudson 17-15 on April 22.
If you’ve been paying attention to the Explorers, you know that game doesn’t mean a thing.
“This feels great,” Jenkins said. “Last year, was terrible, especially to see the seniors go. This year, we have a couple more practices, a couple more games. It’s just great to be out here one more time.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson tops St. Ignatius to reach boys lacrosse state tournament
