Staff photo / Brian Yauger. Warren G. Harding's Bryan Powell (3) tries to bring down Hudson tailback Brenna Funyak (26).

HUDSON — Football is a game of inches.

Harding was just a few inches short.

The Raiders battled hard, but just a handful of plays swung the pendulum the other way, as Hudson took down Harding 24-21 in a Division II, Region 5 quarterfinal matchup on Friday.

“We played our butts off man,” Harding coach Steve Arnold said. “It was a game of inches. They just made a few more plays than us.”

Harding got the first lead of the game after blocking a Hudson field goal attempt and driving down the field.

Junior quarterback Chaz Coleman capped off the drive with a 1-yard dive into the endzone.

The teams traded touchdowns throughout the second quarter. Harding had a 15-yard run from Coleman, and the Explorers scored twice, including a 5-yard pass with 13 seconds left in the first half to tie the game.

The Raiders had a chance to edge out Hudson in the third and take the lead, but the 36-yard field goal attempt sailed just wide.

Hudson’s Brad Masiella responded with a kick of his own to gain the advantage heading into the fourth.

Harding put together a strong drive in the fourth that ate up the clock. After driving down the field and making some crucial third down conversions, the drive was capped off by a Ryan Powell 3-yard touchdown to retake the lead.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, Hudson would respond in kind with another touchdown of its own and retook the lead.

All but one of Hudson’s scores came from outside the red zone. A 24-yard pass, a 30-yard kick, and a 35-yard pass on the team’s final scoring drive.

“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Arnold said. “We had a great week of practice and we played hard and we played well. They weren’t able to stop us, but we gave up a couple big plays, and it’s frustrating, but I’m proud of these young men. They played hard, gave effort, and didn’t quit until the end. It was just a matter of a few plays in the fourth quarter.”

That 35-yard pass to Trey Sharp would go on to be the dagger, as Harding couldn’t respond on the ensuing drive.

“That was a backbreaker,” Arnold said. “That hurt us. Again, a play here or a play there on either side. That was the difference in the game. When you play a good team, you can’t have any slippage, and we had a slippage here and there and that was the difference in the game.”

The teams have some history, meeting up for the fifth time in the last eight years, including two prior postseason matchups.

“They’re a thorn in our side,” Arnold said.

Harding finishes its year 5-7. With one of the hardest schedules in Division II, the Raiders powered through and hit Week 11 where they pummeled an Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary team 35-0, the same team beat them by two scores in their first meeting of the season.

The Raiders senior class includes talent like Powell, Khamari Adams, and Antonio Smith, but is set to return Coleman under center who had flashes of brilliance on Friday.

Hudson advances to the regional semifinal to face Walsh Jesuit, which throttled Austintown Fitch 58-21.

byauger@tribtoday.com