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STEVE LEEBoth quarterbacks shine, but two Hudson running backs go over 100 yards rushing to make the difference.
NEW PORT RICHEY - Hudson's Kyle Hatcher and Gulf's Alton Voss put on an aerial show for Gulf's homecoming crowd with a combined 368 passing yards.
Hatcher edged his counterpart in passing yards, 185-183 and had four scoring passes, two more than Voss.
But the real difference in Hudson's 49-13 win that dropped Class 3A, District 9 rival Gulf out of playoff contention was the formidable Cobra running game.
While Voss led the Buccaneers with 40 rushing yards, two Hudson running backs broke the 100-yard barrier. Vince Ferlita rushed for a game-high 154 yards and a touchdown, and Nate Toole gained 130 and scored twice.
"We're trying to perfect all aspects of the game," said Hudson coach Mark Nash, in his first game back after a one-game suspension. "It looks good so far."
Hudson (5-2, 2-1 in 3A-9) scored on six of its seven possessions, that stretch interrupted only by halftime.
On their first two series, the Cobras had matching seven-play, 47-yard drives.
Toole capped the first march with a 7-yard scoring run and Hatcher threw a 21-yard pass to Andrew Collins in the end zone on a fourth-and-9 play.
Hatcher added 57- and 59-yard scoring passes to Tommy Snow and a 3-yard touchdown pass to Kyle King.
Ferlita burst up the middle for a 52-yard scoring run in between Snow's touchdown receptions.
"I told you guys at the beginning of the season, "We're going to put the ball in (Hatcher's) hands and let him produce,"' Nash said. "He's a special kid."
Gulf (1-5, 0-2) scored in the waning seconds of each half to avoid being shut out.
Voss threw his first touchdown pass, 35 yards to Hector Collazo, 25 seconds before halftime.
He connected with Marcus Neeson for a 14-yard score with four seconds left in the game.