Hudkins’ unforgettable TD emblematic of FHC’s state championship run
DETROIT (WOOD) — Ty Hudkins had not forgetten about last season.
In 2022, he and the Forest Hills Central Rangers football team made it to the Division 2 state championship game against Warren De La Salle. From the start of the game, nothing went right and FHC was blown out of Ford Field 52-13.
With an offseason to dwell on it, Hudkins and his teammates wanted to find a way to make it back and have another chance to earn a state title, this time in Division 3.
“We’ve been talking about this since sixth grade,” Hudkins, now a senior, said. “We wanted to get stronger all offseason, so it took a lot of work in the weight room to get to this point.”
Their work paid off. The Rangers beat Mason 27-10 at Ford Field Sunday to win the Division 3 state title.
In the third quarter, Hudkins made sure to leave his mark on the school’s first state championship. With the Rangers already leading 13-3, they were looking to make a play to keep the drive moving on their own 38 yard line. Head coach Tim Rogers elected to go with a pass play, putting the ball in his quarterback Mason McDonald’s hands.
After taking the snap, McDonald had time in the pocket and looked downfield to Hudkins. The crafty wideout made a move and began to gain separation from the defender. The second Hudkins turned to look back for the ball, McDonald put it on him and he reached out to snag it over the defenders outstretched hands.
The Mason defensive back didn’t give up on the play, trying to pull Hudkins to the ground. It looked like the play would end at about the 18-yard line.
Instead, Hudkins pushed a little harder. He pulled the defender all of those 18 yards with him, eventually stretching for the pylon and hoping he could reached the blue grass in the end zone.
Touchdown.
“He was literally and figuratively going to put us on his back,” Rogers said, who announced after the game he would be coaching his last game for FHC after 12 seasons. “He was just not going to be denied. You could see the whole sideline start to elevate with him.”
The score gave the Rangers a 17-point advantage. It was enough for them to ride out with a trophy on their bus back from Detroit.
Hudkins finished the game leading the Rangers in receptions (six), as he has many times this season, totalling 115 yards and the lone score to finish his high school career.
His quarterback McDonald, who Hudkins called the best in the state, said he knew where the ball needed to go the second that play started.
“Ty is a great receiver, he’s one of the best in the state,” McDonald said. “When I saw he was one-on-one, I threw the ball up to him. No doubt he was going to catch it.”
In the end, a senior class used last year’s disappointment on the big stage for fuel all season. Hudkins (the Purdue class of 2024 commit) made sure to leave his exclamation point on that statement.
“One of the last things I said at the end of last year was, ‘Don’t count us out for next year,’” Rogers said. “There were high expectations for this group of seniors. To their credit, they had the desire and fortitude to get it done. I can’t say enough good things about these guys.”
