Hudson Handles Hanover-Horton in Season Opener

JJ Russ (3). Photo by Hannah Tacy, JTV Sports

Trey Richmond | JTV Sports

Friday August 28th

(8-28-2026): Hudson dominates Hanover-Horton in the season opener ,handing the Comets their first loss of the season.

David Messer, head coach of Hanover-Horton, coached in Hudson for nearly two decades; his reunion with his former program was a one-sided affair. 

On the very first snap of the game, Beckett Campbell ran 62 yards into the end zone on a rush up the middle to put the Tigers on the board; 6-0. The Hudson defense quickly forced a Comet three-and-out and got the ball back on their own forty-yard-line. Their second drive consisted of 7 plays, 3 of which were 10+ yard Campbell runs. The last being a 19 yard touchdown run, followed by a two-point conversion giving Hudson a 14-0 lead. 

On Hanover-Horton’s next play, Austyn Hocter fumbled and Braden Jedele recovered, giving the Tigers the ball on Hanover-Horton’s 46 yard line. The Tigers third possession ended in the endzone again with Campbell’s third touchdown of the first quarter, Tigers lead 21-0 with 3:16 left in the first. 

As the first quarter faded away, the Comets offense got their first two first downs of the game off a 19 yard run by Kolin Griffiths and a 9 yard rush from J.J. Russ. The promising Comet offensive push ended on a Griffiths fumble recovered by Dru Sell; Tigers took over with seven seconds left in the quarter. Sell was rewarded for the recovery by being on the receiving end of a 22 yard pass followed up by a 10 yard rushing touchdown to swell the Tiger lead to 28 with 10:11 left in the half. 

On the next two Comet possessions, Devin Bevier threw interceptions, the first was picked off by Bronson Butts and the second by Jedele, for his second turnover of the game. Both interceptions resulted in touchdowns for the Tigers. Wyatt Kimble capped off the first with a nine yard touchdown run and Sell finished off the second on a long ball reception from quarterback Royce Beal for a 79 yard touchdown. The Hudson Tigers went into the half with a 42-0 lead. 

Campbell had 174 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, averaging more than 12 yards a touch; all in the first half. 

The second half had a partial running clock for the duration.

The highlights of the second half for the Comets were a 33 yard rushing touchdown from freshman Owen Sloan, on his third carry of his high school career, and a Griffiths interception in the red zone. 

The Tigers extended their lead early in the fourth quarter on Rylee Williams’ 2 yard touchdown rush, then on the last play of the game with a 88 yard touchdown rush for a final score of 56-6.

Hudson starts the season 1-0 and will open LCAA league play at Onsted next week, Hanover Horton opens Cascades play at Vandercook Lake.