Hudson Boys rides undefeated season to regional semifinals

by Dan Holland

For Hudson High School Boys Varsity Head Soccer Coach Steve Knapp, his tenth year of leading the program was a gem.

The team went undefeated through the regular season, going 16-0-1 overall, with a 7-0 record in conference play, earning first place in the Suburban Leage National Conference for a third straight year in a row.

“We’ve had a lot of good seasons and a lot of really good teams over the years, but this team had the ability to stay consistent throughout the season,” said Knapp, who teaches health and physical education at the high school. “Early in the season is when we face many of the tougher teams like Medina, Jackson and North Canton Hoover, and that’s usually a good barometer of where we’re going to be for the year, and we were able to win all of those games.”

“In the past, we’ve been able to win some of those games, and we would lose a few,” he continued. “But this year, we were able to win at Jackson and at Medina, and that kickstarted our season. We didn’t look back from there.”

Hudson won 6-0 in an Oct. 26 playoff game against Riverside but fell 3-2 in a regional semifinal matchup versus North Ridgeville on Oct. 30.

The winning culture and camaraderie of the team has helped contribute to its success.

“We have a good group of kids, which translates both in the classroom and on the soccer field,” said Knapp. “Traditionally, we’ve been pretty good, and the kids want to uphold that winning tradition and take it a step further every year. They have a good drive about themselves, and that comes down to having good families and good kids.”

“They’re all very close; they’ve played together for many years and have certain expectations of themselves and of each other,” he added. “It’s not just about the soccer field; it’s also about being involved in the community and doing well in the classroom, and everyone is on board with that.”

The team featured 14 seniors this year and included a number of senior standouts.

“We have Sam Robleto, who is two-time all-state and a two-time captain,” said Knapp. “He had 17 goals and 10 assists this year. Also, Parker Maniar played right wing for us primarily and had nine goals and six assists. Both do very well in the classroom as well.”

The team received the 2024 Sportsmanship Award from the Greater Akron Soccer Association, which is voted on by association referees.

“That just shows the leadership skills of the senior class, and how they put that first and are always complimentary to the officials and opponents, which shows the level of maturity that we have on the team,” said Knapp. “We had so many seniors that contributed this year. They led the team the correct way, and they’re all very humble.”

Knapp expects younger players to step up next year to continue the team’s winning ways. “There will be some big shoes to fill next year with 14 seniors graduating,” said Knapp. “But we do have a very good junior class, along with our freshmen and sophomores. We’re just looking to replace some key components and being able to do that. We’ll be young and a little inexperienced next year, but talent-wise I think we’ll be just fine.”

Photo Caption: Hudson High School’s Parker Maniar netted nine goals and six assists in his final season as an Explorer. Photo submitted.