The similarities are striking to Hudson High School football coach Chris Luma.
When his Tigers battle unbeaten Reading for the Division 7 district title at 7 p.m. Friday, Luma believes it will be like seeing a mirror image of his own team.
“They are like us in so many ways,” Luma said. “They are a running team and use a variety of sets to confuse defenses. It really is like looking into a mirror when I watch these guys on film.”
On paper, the Hudson-Reading contest should be one for the ages as the two undefeated teams will clash for the Division 7 district championship. The contest marks the first meeting between the two teams since the 2004 district championship game that Hudson won 66-7.
No. 4-ranked Hudson (10-0) is coming off a 56-12 victory over Concord in last week’s opening-round game. The Lenawee County Athletic Association champion Tigers are looking forward to the matchup and keeping their undefeated streak alive.
“We have recently been playing our best football of the season which is exactly what you want to happen come playoff time,” Luma said. “We are healthy and have a lot of kids contributing to our success.”
A pair of those contributors are the running back duo of Drew Milligan and Chris Robbins, who combined for 170 rushing yards and four touchdowns in last Friday’s win. Combined, Milligan and Robbins have rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and scored 29 touchdowns this season.
“Milligan and Robbins have done a great job for us this year,” Luma said. “We have also had outstanding play from John Nealy, Grant Benschoter, and the rest of the team.”
No. 6-ranked Reading (10-0) is looking for revenge after the embarrassing loss in 2004. Reading won the Big Eight title this year and outscored its opponents 422-125. The Rangers are looking to build off last year’s playoff performance where they reached the state semifinals before falling to eventual state runner-up Ubly.
“It’s a goal every year to go undefeated,” Reading coach Rick Bailey said. “We like to have fun out there and winning is more fun than losing. We have been having a lot of fun this season.”
Luma has strong respect for the Rangers.
“You don’t get to 10-0 by accident,” Luma said. “Reading is very good in all aspects of the game such as strong special teams, an explosive offense, and a blitzing defense. They have three really nice running backs and a quarterback who can make plays. If we are able to pick up the blitz, cover our blocks, and be aligned correctly on defense, we have a good shot at winning this game.”
Reading thinks equally as high of Hudson.
“Hudson has a very strong defense and are very physical,” Bailey said. “We are going to have to match that intensity and keep the ball out of the hands of their running backs. When we get the ball, we have to be able to move it, get first downs, and eat up some time off the clock.”
The winner of the Hudson-Reading contest will advance to face the White Pigeon-Mendon winner next week.
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