Mason met Forest Hills Central to crown a new Champion of Division Three football. It Would be the Rangers of Forest Hills Central who would come out on top by a final 27-10 in what would be the last game for Head Coach Tim Rogers. It was also the first State Title for the team.
O-Line the Difference
The first and biggest takeaway from this game is the Offensive Line. The O-line for Forest Hills Central stood tall, but the Mason line looked porous. One of the biggest examples of that was the rushing attack. Forest Hills had 100 more yards than Mason, and most of Mason’s came from Quarterback draws from Cason Carswell. The leading rusher for Mason had 60 fewer yards than the leader for Forest Hills Central. You could also see it in the pass protection as Carswell was running wild behind the line. Mason Coach Gary Houghton commented post-game about how Forest Hills Central dominated at the line.
Mason
Bright Lights too Bright
The bright lights of Ford Field might have been too bright for the first-time team in the Mason Bulldogs. While this Mason team has been together for close to three years, it took them time to get to Ford Field. They came up short two years in a row to Detroit King in the Semifinals; they built that chemistry, and it was the same for them in the Championship game. They played fast and went away from what had helped them to start. Although they will lose a good portion of this team, they will still have Quarterback Cason Carswell to lead them next year, who will take what he learned from this game into next year.
Forest Hills Central
Defense Wins Championships
The old saying is defense wins championships, which was the case for Forest Hills Central. Their defense was on point in this game. The defensive unit for Forest Hills Central came up with 57 tackles, three interceptions, including a pick-six late in the game, and two sacks. Post-game Senior Ty Hudkins said that he had called his coach a defensive wizard, and you could say that with the coverages he threw at Mason.
Ty Hudkins
Senior Ty Hudkins had been a do-it-all monster for the Rangers of Forest Hills Central. Hudkins played a role all over the field for his team to help them win their first State Title. On offense, Hudkins caught six passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. What was special about his touchdown was he carried some Mason defenders on his back into the endzone. On defense, Hudkins played lockdown defender on Mason’s top target, as well as having some hard hits, breaking up some passes, and even intercepting a pass. Hudkins acted as his squad’s returner on special teams, returning two kickoffs for 29 yards. Hudkins’ football career will continue at the next level, as he will play at Purdue University next year.