BY MIKE ECKERT
HUDSON -- Fourteen weeks ago, expectations around the Hudson football team were modest.
The Tigers were coming off a 7-3 season in which they fell 28-6 in the first round of the Division 6 playoffs.
Expectations can change quickly.
Hudson has fired off a 13-0 campaign and is heading to the Division 7 state championship game at Ford Field against the reigning champion Traverse City St. Francis.
"We missed our opportunity in 2001 against Schoolcraft (in the semifinals), in 2003 (against St. Francis in the title game) and in 2004 against Detroit DePorres," Hudson coach Chris Luma said. "Those were the teams where you thought if you're going to win a state title, those would be the kids that would do it. I've been told it happens when you least expect it, maybe that's what's happened. As this season went on, we beat some bigger schools and started realizing maybe this year we could do something."
During the Tigers 9-0 regular season, they beat five playoff teams, including Division 5 qualifiers Stockbridge, Hillsdale and Onsted. In the playoffs, they shut out unbeaten Reading 40-0, survived a nail-biter with unbeaten Mendon (42-41) in the regional final and beat undefeated and returning state finalist Ubly 26-6 last weekend.
That puts Hudson -- a school which held a national record of 72 straight wins in the 1970s -- back in the state title game against St. Francis, the school which beat them in their last appearance in 2003.
"They're very much like us," Gladiators coach Greg Vaughan said. "They're well coached, they've got a seasoned coach and they like to run the ball. It will come back just like this last week to whose defense can not make mistakes and hold the other team."
St. Francis returns to the title game after beating Ravenna 34-7 last weekend.
"They have good size across the board, that's what sticks out," Luma said of the Gladiators.
Like St. Francis, Hudson likes to run the ball. The Tigers have two backs with over 1,000 yards and two more with 500-plus yards.
"Drew Milligan is small in stature, but runs very hard for his size," Luma said. "He breaks quite a few tackles for his long runs. Chris Robbins is our fullback and he runs a lot of up the middle and off tackle. He has a strong lower body which makes it difficult to bring him down."
Milligan has 1,357 yards on 155 carries for 20 touchdowns. Robbins has found the endzone 19 times and racked up 1,132 yards on 168 touches.
"I heard (former Detroit Lions receiver) Herman Moore was doing our game (for the television broadcast) and I questioned whether he'd have a good time or not," Vaughan said. "I don't know how much passing is going to take place. Even the plays they're running are very similar to what we do. It is very much like looking in the mirror."
The Gladiators counter with all-state honorable mention fullback Joe Kerridge, but also have running options in Ben Swan, Matt Zakrzewski, John Zakrzewski and quarterback Riley Bullough.
"When you get into the smaller schools like ourselves, the Crystal Falls, the Beal Citys, the Mendons, the Hudsons, you really do have that old-time history," Vaughan said. "Maybe we're not as flashy because we do like to run it, but there is a lot of history and tradition. It's fun to get some very good schools together, like us and Hudson, and just get after it."
Defensively, St. Francis is led by Zakrzewski at saftey and Max Bullough at linebacker. Both were named Division 7-8 first-team All-Staters this week.
Hudson features a pair of All-State linemen in first-teamer Chris Aguirre and honorable mention John Liby. Luma was an honorable mention coach.
Having racked up wins already against quality opponents has given the Tigers some confidence. But, they realize a tough test still awaits on Saturday.
"It definitely helped the confidence of the kids to see the size and speed this year, and to be able to beat them," Luma said. "Traverse City is the best team on our schedule. But I've been saying we don't need to beat them 10 times, we just need to beat them once."
