FOXBOROUGH — It was the “best feeling” of Garrett Giorgio’s life.
With less than 30 seconds remaining in the MIAA Division 6 championship, Giorgio ranged to his right, undercut the receiver, and, leaping into the air, intercepted an incoming pass. His effort — what turned out to be his final true play in a Hudson uniform — clinched a hard-earned 21-14 victory over No. 3 Fairhaven for the top-seeded Hawks, marking 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 being out there with his football “family” hurt more than his knee.
All the pain? Worth it.
“This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever experienced in my entire life,” Giorgio said. “The work we put in during the offseason — we woke up at 5:30 a.m. every single morning. We knew coming into this year that we were going to be great, and we set high expectations for ourselves. We never settled. Everyone did what they had to do. It’s truly the greatest feeling I’ve ever experienced to seal off the game like that. I could’ve never dreamed of it.”
“This is unbelievable … Just to have this opportunity — I’m just grateful,” said second-year Head Coach Zac Attaway. “I feel blessed right now to play at Gillette Stadium, under the lights. I took that first minute to just take it in, got a little emotional. Then, when that whistle blew, it was time to flip the switch and play physical football.”
In last year’s semifinal — the last time these two teams crossed paths — Fairhaven pulled ahead 27-0 before Hudson mounted an impressive comeback bid that fell just short. And while the Hawks’ offense sought to get “in rhythm” early this championship, Fairhaven initially controlled the game. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils racked up 116 yards of offense, allowing only 15 yards on defense. Fairhaven’s run-focused, triple-option offense chewed clock, culminating in a seven-minute drive that resulted in a 4-yard Cameron Burke touchdown.
Even worse for Hudson, star quarterback Jake Attaway — who hit 10,000 career total yards during the playoffs — went down with an injury midway through the second quarter. Sophomore Logan Dome, who saw limited action all year, checked in for Attaway.
Naturally, Dome threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wideout Savion Newton-Clark on the next play. In an acrobatic effort, Newton-Clark hauled in the ball, which was perfectly placed over the Fairhaven defender, to give the Hawks a 7-6 lead.
“Logan gets his reps during practice — I was confident. I just needed him to put a ball up where our receiver, Savion Newton-Clark, could catch the football. He put it up in the air, let him make a play, and then good things happened. I think that really changed the energy and the momentum of the game,” said Zac Attaway.
But like Giorgio, Jake Attaway was not about to miss his last hurrah with the Hawks. With a visible limp, he returned to his quarterback role, where he completed six of 15 passes for 93 yards. He’d also run for 66 yards on 15 attempts, including a 47-yard touchdown run that put the Hawks ahead 14-6 just before halftime.
Hudson was outgained and outrushed during this contest. But they weren’t outmuscled.
“They were real physical, but we were even more physical. When I got here, players like Toby [Edie] stepped up — Logan Dome came in, made that pass. There’s nothing more you could ask for; the team picked up the slack, and we finished it off,” said Jake Attaway.
“The toughness is off the charts. This isn’t a team, this is a family. The heart we have — I can’t even explain it. Every single one of us are brothers. These are my brothers for the rest of my life,” Giorgio told the Community Advocate.
Though the Hawks are known for their high-flying offense, the team’s defense stood strong down the stretch, stopping the Blue Devils on four key fourth-down conversions. Tyrese Meuse grabbed an end-of-half interception to stop a promising Fairhaven drive.
With hundreds of fans in the Gillette Stadium bleachers, including some players from the school’s 1991 Super Bowl-winning squad, Hudson’s “Red Sea” had Fairhaven seeing red. The community of about 19,000 residents has rallied around this football team, routinely packing Morgan Bowl to watch the Hawks’ perfect 13-0 season.
For 21 seniors — including Jake Attaway, Giorgio, and Newton-Clark — the Super Bowl marked the last time they’d don Hudson’s red-and-white uniforms on the gridiron. The Hawks left the tunnel at Gillette Stadium knowing they’d made the town, the school, and one another extremely proud.
🏆 SUPER BOWL W 🏆
Hudson tops 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 amazing. Four years, three years we fell short, and to come back my senior year and go 13-0 — nothing compares,” said Jake Attaway. “I’ve always said it — we’ve been together since second or third grade. We’ve built relationships throughout the years, been in the gym in the off-season. It all pays off.”
“We’ve built something special here, and it paid off tonight,” said Zac Attaway.
Hudson’s Garrett Giorgio was injured for 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 close-knit team a 21-14 win over Fairhaven at Gillette.@HHSHawksFB @HHSHawksAD @GarrettGiorg11… pic.twitter.com/oj0j46rINt
— Evan Walsh (@evanjrwalsh) December 5, 2024
