Hudson Bluehawks: As politicians fight, a team unites

This is fighting season for political junkies, but neither politics nor its customary fighting dampened the spirits of a community united in support of a group of young men on a quest to make history. Hudson, New York, is my old stomping grounds. It's where I lived, taught and coached for many years. It's the home of the Hudson boys varsity basketball team, which took me with them on their recent journey, holding my heart in the palms of their hands all these miles away.

I left Hudson at the end of 2013. I never would have guessed that in 2016, I would again get to watch the boys compete, most of whom I taught, or that I would cheer them on as vociferously as I did when I was there. But this year's team, coached by Shawn Briscoe, whom I also taught when he was in seventh grade, captured the attention of not just a school, but a district, a community, a region and beyond; support for these guys extended as far as Southeast Missouri, where I sat captivated during playoff games, awaiting locals' Facebook updates and later, high-school principal Antonio Abitabile's Periscopes of state tournament games that hundreds tuned in to watch.

Meanwhile, the nation gawked at presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle arguing over who was less "establishment" than his opponents, who had flip-flopped more and who possessed hands big enough -- thus was ballsy enough -- to lead a nation in need of reform. While Americans fought -- some foolishly ending 20-year relationships over a candidate who will last, at most, eight years -- a team of young men united multitudes of students, educators, parents, law enforcement and businesses. Cheering them on as they played for a sectionals and then state championship were people of various races, ages -- and yes, political persuasions.

So many fans wanted to attend the playoff games, most of which were hours away, that local transportation companies donated their services to provide spectator buses. Restaurants offered their premises so the community could gather and watch games via Periscope; district teachers and students decorated classrooms with team tributes; businesses displayed digital signs congratulating the team on the history made and wishing them well on the history to come; first responders welcomed them home from their sectionals championship with a parade of firetrucks; and county sheriffs posed with signs heralding their success. Superintendent Maria Suttmeier even closed all schools early last Friday so buses would be available to transport spectators to the state semifinal game.

At that game, which I watched on Periscope, blue and gold engulfed the stands. All everyone cared about was showing this team how loved they are, how proud they make their community and how much confidence they inspire. It was a week of political debates and town halls, but no one at the game cared who was a Democrat or Republican, who was voting for Bernie or Hillary or who believed Donald Trump was a closet liberal. High school sports trumped the ultimate blood sport -- politics.

Unfortunately, after an undefeated regular season, a conference championship, a sectionals championship, and a trip to the state semifinals -- after making history -- the team fell a little short of the perfect ending to an already-storybook season. But oh, the journey! I taught English for more than 17 years in the Hudson City School District, lived there for more than 10 years and made some history there myself -- having coached talented back-to-back conference championship girls varsity basketball teams, had an undefeated final regular season and taken a trip to the sectionals semifinals. I have, therefore, seen and heard much in Hudson. Never, however, have I seen the community solidarity I just witnessed long-distance. I have seen packed gyms and heard squeals of delight after victories too numerous to count. But I have never seen the community show love and support of this magnitude or heard cheering as loud as at Friday's game. The spirit these young men evoked made an entire city -- and beyond -- hopeful. It superseded the silly season political pundits are perpetuating. It made us proud. I, for one, am most proud to bleed blue and gold.

These young men sparked a fire, and my sincere hope for the community that will always have a "home" in my heart is that it will never let that fire die. I believe it foreshadows good things for Hudson, and I'm still cheering them on. Let the politicians fight for their own agendas; it's what politicians do. Let the rest of us learn from a group of young men who came together, putting aside their personal agendas to fight for the team, and who brought us along for the ride -- and what a ride it was.

Congratulations, Hudson Bluehawks!

Adrienne Ross is an editor, writer, public speaker, online radio show host, former teacher and coach, Southeast Missourian editorial board member, and owner of Adrienne Ross Communications. Reach her at aross@semissourian.com.