HAWKS MAKE HISTORY: Hudson ends “special” run with Super Bowl win

FOXBOROUGH – It was the “best feeling” of Garrett Giorgio’s life.

With less than 30 seconds left in the MIAA Division 6 championship, Giorgio swung to his right, undercut the receiver and leapt into the air to intercept an inbound pass. His effort – what turned out to be his last real game in a Hudson jersey – gave the top-seeded Hawks a hard-fought 21-14 victory over No. 3 Fairhaven, who earned their first Super Bowl victory since 1991.

It wasn’t an easy day for Giorgio — he was nursing an MCL sprain he suffered in the semifinals that caused him to miss the team’s Thanksgiving Day game — but not with his football “family” there Being outside hurt more than his knee. And the pain was worth it.

“This is the greatest feeling I have ever experienced in my life,” said Giorgio. “The work we put in in the offseason – we woke up at 5:30 every morning. We knew going into this year that we would be great and we set high expectations for ourselves. We never settled. Everyone did what they had to do. Completing the game like this is truly the greatest feeling I’ve ever experienced. I could never have dreamed of it.”

“This is incredible…To have this opportunity – I’m just grateful,” second-year head coach Zac Attaway said. “I feel blessed right now to be able to play under the lights at Gillette Stadium. It took me the first minute to just take it in and I got a little emotional. When the whistle blew, it was time to flip the switch and play physical football.”

In last year’s semifinals – the last time these two teams crossed paths – Fairhaven prevailed 27-0 before Hudson mounted an impressive comeback that narrowly fell short. And while the Hawks offense tried to get “into the rhythm” early, Fairhaven initially controlled the game. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils gained 116 yards on offense and allowed just 15 yards on defense. Fairhaven’s run-focused, three-option offense blew up the clock, culminating in a seven-minute drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown by Cameron Burke.

Even worse for Hudson, star quarterback Jake Attaway — who totaled 10,000 career yards in the playoffs — suffered an injury midway through the second quarter. Sophomore Logan Dome, who saw little action all year, signed up for Attaway.

Of course, Dome threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wideout Savion Newton-Clark on the next play. In an acrobatic play, Newton-Clark got the ball perfectly over the Fairhaven defender, giving the Hawks their first lead (7-6) before halftime.

“Logan is getting his reps during training – I was confident. I just needed him to put a ball where our receiver, Savion Newton-Clark, could catch the football. He put it in the air, let him play, and then good things happened. I think that really changed the energy and momentum of the game,” Zac Attaway said.

But like Giorgio, Jake Attaway wouldn’t miss his last hurrah with the Hawks. With a visible limp, he returned to his quarterback role, completing six of 15 passes for 93 yards. He also ran for 66 yards on 15 attempts, including a 47-yard touchdown run that gave the Hawks a 14-6 lead just before halftime.

Hudson was overtaken and overtaken during this competition. But they were not overwhelmed.

“They were really physical, but we were even more physical. When I got here, players like Toby (Edie) stepped up – Logan Dome came in and made the pass. You couldn’t ask for more; “The team closed the gap and we did it,” Jake Attaway said.

“The toughness is unmatched. This is not a team, this is a family. The heart we have – I can’t even explain it. Every single one of us is a brother. “For the rest of my life, my brothers will remain,” Giorgio told the Community Advocate.

Although the Hawks are known for their high-octane offense, the team’s defense remained strong down the stretch, stopping the Blue Devils on four crucial fourth-down conversions. Tyrese Meuse grabbed an interception at the end of the half to stop a promising Fairhaven drive.

With hundreds of fans in the stands at Gillette Stadium, including some players from the school’s 1991 Super Bowl-winning team, Hudson’s “Red Sea” had Fairhaven seeing red. The community of approximately 19,000 has rallied behind this football team and regularly packs the Morgan Bowl en route to a perfect 13-0 season.

For 21 seniors – including Jake Attaway, Giorgio and Newton-Clark – the Super Bowl was the last time they would wear Hudson’s red-and-white uniforms on the gridiron. The Hawks left the tunnel at Gillette Stadium knowing they had made the city, the school and each other extremely proud.

🏆 SUPER BOWL W 🏆

Hudson defeated Fairhaven 21-14 to win the Division 6 Super Bowl. Here’s star QB Jake Attaway after the HUGE win. 😁@HHSHawksFB @HHSHawksAD @CommunityAdNews @jake_attaway pic.twitter.com/Ebx4pkRor4

— Evan Walsh (@evanjrwalsh) December 5, 2024

“It felt great. We didn’t do it for four years, three years, and to come back 13-0 my senior year, it’s nothing like that,” Jake Attaway said. “I’ve always said it – we’ve been together since second or third grade. We’ve built relationships over the years and hit the gym in the off-season. It’s all worth it.”

“We created something special here and it paid off tonight,” Zac Attaway said.

Hudson’s Garrett Giorgio was injured in the Thanksgiving Day game – but missing the Super Bowl wasn’t an option.

Giorgio sealed the game for the Hawks with an INT, giving his tight-knit team a 21-14 win over Fairhaven in Gillette.@HHSHawksFB @HHSHawksAD @GarrettGiorg11… pic.twitter.com/oj0j46rINt

— Evan Walsh (@evanjrwalsh) December 5, 2024