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Hudson 23, Zephyrhills 17

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TBO.com

Published: November 3, 2007

ZEPHYRHILLS - There was something missing from Hudson's effort early Friday against Zephyrhills, something that followed Hudson's last playoff team around every game.

Coach Mark Nash refers to it as "Hudson tough," a willingness to do anything to succeed. At halftime, trailing by 12, the Cobras had to search for it, and what they discovered for the second half made them look a lot like that 2005 squad.

The Cobras (7-2, 4-1 Class 3A-District 8) began the comeback with a 16-play, 80-yard, eight-minute touchdown drive and scored back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Zephyrhills 23-17 at Bulldog Stadium for their second playoff berth in three years.

"When we went to the locker room, Coach Nash was pretty mad," said senior Tony Germano, who had 68 yards and a touchdown receiving. "The seniors stepped up, everybody had a speech, and everybody said play 'Hudson tough.'"

Germano was the early tone-setter. During the 16-play drive that began the third quarter, he converted a fourth-and-19 by breaking two tackles, and four plays later scored on fourth-and-short with another reception.

Then, after a Zephyrhills (5-4, 3-2) drive stalled, running back Sean Scott had back-to-back runs of 19 and 9 yards to give the Cobras their first lead. He had 161 yards on 21 carries.

Hudson followed with a successful onside kick, and three plays later, sophomore quarterback Zack Wynn, limping with a left foot injury, threw a 46-yard pass to Dylan Jordan for another touchdown. Wynn then kicked the extra point that made it 23-14.

The Bulldogs had played a near-flawless first half, opening the game with their own 13-play, 57-yard drive that ran 6:23 off the clock, capped by a 2-yard sneak by Tyler Guy. But Zephyrhills' next drive stalled thanks to two tackles for loss by Hudson senior Paul James, and a bad punt snap resulted in a safety.

Wynn's lone mistake came as time was winding down on the half, overthrowing into the arms of Lance Hayes, who returned the interception 60 yards for a touchdown.

But Zephyrhills' key miscue was right before the interception; a failed fourth-down sneak by Guy, 1 yard short of the end zone, that cost the Bulldogs points.

"There's no excuse for that," Bulldogs coach Tom Fisher said. "It should have been 21-2 at halftime."

H-Safety, ball rolls out of Zephyrhills end zone

Z-Hayes 60 interception return (Ferguson kick)

H-Germano 8 pass from Wynn (Germano pass from Wynn)

H-Scott 9 run (run failed)

H-Jordan 46 pass from Wynn (Wynn kick)

Z-FG Ferguson 31

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