Football Game Preview: Hudson Hawks vs. Clinton Gaels

For the first time this season, Hudson will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will head out on the road to take on the Clinton Gaels at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

As a matter of fact, Hudson put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They blew past South, posting a 37-0 win. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Hawks' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Massachusetts football rankings (they are ranked 46th, while the Colonels are ranked 134th).

Meanwhile, Clinton humbled Bay Path RVT with a 36-7 victory. The Gaels pushed the score to 36-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Minutemen cut but never quite recovered from.

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Taetum Cassella and Connor Cox. Cassella rushed for 81 yards and a pair of scores on only eight carries while Cox rushed for 89 yards and one TD on only seven carries. That's the most rushing yards Cox has posted since back in October of 2024.

Clinton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 212 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 150 rushing yards in 12 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Clinton's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB six times. The heavy lifting was done by Jake McNamara and Alain Abaya, who racked up five sacks between them.

The victory made it two in a row for Hudson and bumps their season record up to 3-1. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 32.5 points over those games. As for Clinton, they now have a winning record of 2-1.

Everything came up roses for Hudson against Clinton when the teams last played back in September of 2024, as the team secured a 40-13 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.