Season over, not forgotten: Hudson boys lacrosse ready to build on OHSAA state semifinal loss
The Hudson boys lacrosse team walked off Ferguson Field on Wednesday with heads held high and still had enough in them to smile a bit.
The Explorers fell one match shy of their goal, losing 18-9 to reigning state champion Dublin Jerome in a Division I state semifinal.
But it took exactly that to knock Hudson (15-7) out of the postseason.
The reigning state champion Celtics (19-2).
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“The brotherhood lasts forever as well as the memories,” Explorers attack Alec Dickens said. “We’ll look back 20 years from now and think about all the great times. The games. The bus rides home. All of that stuff.”
There was so much to remember about the season if you’re a fan of Hudson lacrosse.
The Explorers scratched a seven-year itch when they beat top-seeded St. Ignatius 19-12 to win the Region 2 final.
Hudson boys lacrosse back where it belongs
In doing so, they knocked out the very team that took them out of the playoffs five of the past six seasons.
And they did it convincingly.
Few will remember that Jerome held Hudson scoreless in the semifinal for 23:18 minutes.
The name Marek Tzagournis, who scored five goals and had three assists for the Celtics will be forgotten as well.
What will be remembered is a team ready to take that next step did so in a big way.
“Especially for the seniors, this season has meant everything,” Explorers defender/long stick midfielder Griffin Liedel said. “We’ve been playing together for 12-plus years. I’ve made all my best friends through this program.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better last ride with them. We worked extremely hard last season. We accomplished a lot. No one thought we’d make it past Iggy. We started off the season with quite a few losses. We were almost .500 at one point. I’m super proud of how we battled. I just love coming out here with my best friends every time I get the chance.”
Hudson Explorers prove it's a marathon, not a sprint
As Liedel, an Ohio State signee, said, Hudson was indeed hanging around the .500 mark early at 6-4.
The Explorers turned it around after that by winning nine of their next 11 and came into the game against Jerome on a four-game winning streak.
“Going into the season it was about getting back to that regional final game and beating our crosstown-rival St. Ignatius,” Hudson coach Brandon Schwind said. “You have to give it to Coach [Andy] Asmo and the group of Jerome. They came out on fire tonight and gave it to us for four quarters.
“I’m super proud of the seniors. They really set the tone for us going forward. Those kids have been tone setters for three or four years. I’m super proud of their efforts and where they got this program. Their work is going to carry on for years to come.”
2023 lacrosse season could be even more magical
Collin Peel, Brennan Catania, Liedel and Dickens exit the program as senior starters. That said, the returning starters will have a little more in the tank.
Regional games can be intense, but there’s just something extra at the state level and that’s what the returning starters such as Michigan commit Jack Jenkins will build upon.
“We did better than last year, but couldn’t finish it out,” Jenkins said. “We’ll remember this and make it farther. You can see the scoreboard today and take into the winter and into next spring.
“We’re going to be working the whole time and hopefully meet these guys next year. I really love these seniors. It’ll be super hard to see them go, but we’ll come back and do it for them.”
Jerome will wait for the other semifinal to end to see if it faces St. Xavier (12-9) or 26-time state finalist Upper Arlington (21-2) next. The Golden Bears were up 7-4 at the break when the game was postponed.
Hudson has probably already started to prepare for 2023.
“Our culture is right,” Schwind said. “We did it the right way out here all season long. We love each other. We’re a true family. We worked hard every single day. I couldn’t have asked for anything more out of my boys.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson boys lacrosse to build on OHSAA state semifinal trip
