Home-Field Advantage Now Denied for Hudson Football Team

The Hudson High School Boy's Football Team was supposed to play their next game in the playoffs at home.  The Raiders are 8-0 in the regular season and won their first playoff game, and according to Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association rules the Raiders are seeded above their next opponent and should host the game.

Friday night, after Hudson's win, their next opponent, the Bayport Pirates called the WIAA to request that the game be moved to a field that would require less drive time for the team. Bayport is just outside of Green Bay and roughly a four and a half hour drive to Hudson. WIAA Deputy Director Wade Labeki says the WIAA sided with Bayport and moved the game from Hudson to Chippewa Falls.

Hudson High School's Athletic Director says Steph DeVos, the team was looking forward to a home game, "It's extremely disappointing. This is something you work for, hard, all year long."

Dan Korum has two sons on the Hudson team, he says playing at home is something the team earned, and has special significance, "We haven't had a year like this since 1966."

WIAA Deputy Director Wade Labeki says it's a matter of safety. He says the distance and the game's start time were the most important issue, "I don't think we want high school kids on the road for four and a half hours, sitting outside watching a football game for two hours and then getting on the road at 9:30, 10 o'clock for a 4 hour trip."

The game will now be played in Chippewa Falls, Friday night at 7 p.m.

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