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Hudson, River Ridge Show New Wrinkles in Offense

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By BART O’CONNELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 10, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Sometimes, an offensive coordinator's best friend isn't secrecy, but familiarity.

Hudson and River Ridge aren't strangers to one another. The Cobras won last year's game 14-0. It was a contest that played out like many others for these offenses - Hudson called a lot of safe, short pass plays, and River Ridge ran their tailback off tackle and their fullback between the tackles.

On the very same Jim Valentine Athletic Complex field on Friday night, the Cobras won a 43-28 shootout in a game that featured a combined 890 yards of offense (Hudson 507, River Ridge 383), as both squads showed several different tendencies that surprised the other.

"Our offensive coordinator (Rob Mahler), he doesn't quit firing," Hudson coach Mark Nash said. "We were opening up the run lanes tonight and I think now, with our offensive line making the blocks, we've got a lot of positives offensively."

The Cobras (3-2, 1-0 Class 4A-District 6) which have struggled to run the ball in the past couple years, got 152 yards on 11 carries from senior Dylan Luke. His three touchdown runs of 29, 36 and 52 yards, came on option handoffs from quarterback Zack Wynn, and completely fooled the defense each time. Luke accelerated up the middle for each score and did not appear to be touched by any defenders on all of them.

"Dylan did a great job," said Wynn, reluctant to take credit for the reads, "and the team did the rest."

Considering Luke did not have a rush for longer than 20 yards in all of 2008, it's clear that opposing defenses are focusing most of their concern on Wynn and receiver James Tello, who again had big nights. Wynn threw for 299 yards and ran for another 49, while Tello had seven catches for 206 yards, highlighted by an 85-yard connection from Wynn in the fourth quarter.

And perhaps the most surprising stat not found in the box score was the absence of one of Hudson's staple plays on offense – the shovel pass. It's a play every Cobras opponent must prepare for, but Hudson didn't use it one time on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Royal Knights (2-4, 0-2) actually held an edge in passing yards near halftime as Kenny Toce was at one point 4 of 4 for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Toce found Tyler Allberry for 41 yards and Zack Ford for a 52-yard touchdown on two well-designed pass plays that got receivers behind the defense.

Toce finished with 150 yards, three passing touchdowns (two to Trevor Hooker) and one rushing score. River Ridge did their customary running for 233 yards on 49 carries - 177 yards from Stavros Arianas - and recovered a rare onside kick attempt in the third quarter that kept Hudson's offense off the field and resulted in back-to-back touchdowns that pulled the Knights within 7.

"We lost a lot of momentum there," Wynn said. "They pounded the run, they're physical and they kept us off the field."

Ultimately it was Hudson's ability to break big plays that proved to be the difference. And that will have to continue if Hudson wants to contend for the playoffs.

River Ridge now needs help to make the playoffs. They need to win their final two district games, against Ridgewood and Wiregrass Ranch, and hope two other teams also finish with two losses to get into a tiebreaker.

Correspondent Bart O'Connell can be reached at tampasport@gmail.com.

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