Franklin Regional’s Hudson commits to Presbyterian College soccer

By: Joe Sager
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | 11:22 AM

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Connor Hudson found a place to continue his education and play soccer next fall.

He just never thought it’d be in South Carolina.

The Franklin Regional senior committed to Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., on Sunday.

“It’s been stressful,” he said. “I just can’t wait to get started and get to work. I am really excited to get going.”

Hudson, who had interest locally from Grove City, Mercyhurst and Duquesne, committed to Presbyterian after attending a camp there Saturday. He had visited the school in late December, but got to play in front of Blue Hose head coach Jonathan Potter for the first time Saturday.

“I really want to thank my Century club soccer coach Larry Fingers. He was a huge part of me getting this opportunity,” Hudson said. “When he talked to the Presbyterian coach, he said he was looking for a center back. That’s the main position I play for my team at Century. So, we sent down some game videos and went on a visit in December. It was a great experience. I went down just for the day. It was a beautiful campus. The coach was very welcoming. They have great facilities. Overall, everything was perfect to me.

“Playing in the camp, I got a taste of how it might go in the future. I wanted to make sure I got in front of (Coach Potter) in person so he could see me live before I showed up for preseason. That was really good to get down there and play in front of him for a couple hours.”

Hudson played midfield for the Panthers, who successfully defended their WPIAL Class AAA title in the fall. The team reached the PIAA semifinals the past two years and racked up a 37-4-1 record along the way.

“It’s been a long process and a lot of hard work on his part,” said his father, Rand, who is Franklin Regional’s head coach. “The school is a great fit. He always thought he wanted to strive for a smaller D-I school so he could really focus on academics. We go to a Presbyterian church; he clicked with the coach and the campus is beautiful. It’s just far. That’s the only downside. It’s about eight and a half hours away.”

Connor Hudson is eager to see a new style of soccer at Presbyterian.

“I am really excited to experience a different region of the country and meet new people. They have a lot of international guys on their roster. I am excited to see the different styles they all play,” he said. “It will stink a bit being away from my family and not coming back when I want. But, I’ll try to see them as much as I can.”

Connor Hudson plans on studying to become a physician assistant.

“That’s the plan right now,” he said. “I know it’ll be stressful, at times, but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

He’s eager to spend all spring and summer playing for Century to enhance his game for NCAA Division-I soccer. Presbyterian finished 6-13-1 overall and 3-4-1 in the Big South Conference last fall.

“It’s definitely a program on the rise. I am really excited to be a part of it,” Connor Hudson said. “They play in a very solid conference with a lot of good teams. Plus, they get to play preseason games and tune-up games against programs like Clemson, North Carolina and Wake Forest, just because of where they’re located. I am really excited for those opportunities as well.

“All I know is it’s going to be a lot of work to get in shape and get faster. Most likely, I’ll be playing on the back line, so I want to get bigger. I am definitely going to be playing against older guys. The increased speed of the game is a huge thing I want to be ready for when I jump up to the next level.”

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional