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No excuses for Wynn, Hudson after loss

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST

Hudson led 6-3 late in the first half, before falling to Tarpon Springs, 38-6.

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By BART O’CONNELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 31, 2009

HUDSON - There was a point during the disastrous third quarter of Hudson's 38-6 loss to Tarpon Springs when Zack Wynn appeared to be trying to explain to Coach Mark Nash why he was struggling.

And Nash didn't want to hear it.

The "it" was an excuse, any excuse, and that turned into the lesson learned for Hudson's players. In a game that started with so much promise for the Cobras, it was uncharacteristic that it ended with such a thud, a flurry of big touchdown plays by the Spongers that ultimately secured them the Class 4A-District 6 title.

Coming off three consecutive games where he totaled 300 or more yards from scrimmage, Wynn had 141 on Friday, including a season-low 117 yards passing. Wynn had missed practice during the week with an illness, but again, Nash didn't want to hear it.

"I'm not going to let Zack make excuses, and I'm not going to make excuses for him," Nash said. "I wasn't going to let him complain about it.

"This is football. You strap it up and go."

Hudson led 6-3 late in the first half, was completely shutting down the vaunted Tarpon Springs running game and Wynn had hooked up with James Tello for a 56-yard touchdown that gave them the lead.

But after a three-and-out that left a little over a minute to go before the break, Darius Daniels broke a 52-yard touchdown run, which gave the Spongers the lead for good.

The play, as momentum-changing as it was, paled in comparison to the end of Hudson's drive to begin the second half. It spanned 67 yards on 12 plays, eating up half of the third quarter clock, before a third down where Wynn didn't see a wide open Tello in the end zone, was hit as he threw and his lofted pass was easily intercepted by one of Pinellas County's top linebackers, Kostas Valvas.

"I was getting hit. I didn't see anything," Wynn said of the play.

"Their defensive line was too tough for us," added Nash. "We just weren't good enough up front. … We didn't have enough time (to throw), and our timing was just wrong."

The Spongers took full advantage of every Hudson mistake, totaling 349 yards rushing and eight plays of 30 yards or more.

And as deflating as the loss was, culminating in a 10-minute closed-door postgame speech by Nash, which was a change from Hudson's usual on-field postgame, next week's game against Wiregrass is even more important.

The winner is in the playoffs, and the loser is out.

"It won't be hard to get focused for them," Nash said. "I've got a team full of (ticked) off players, who are looking to get back on the field."

"(This loss) has got to be out (of our heads) by (Saturday) morning," Wynn said.

And so do any and all excuses.

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