NEW PORT RICHEY - Key district matchups this early in the season take on various meanings - depending who wins or loses, of course.
Wednesday's Class 4A, District 10 clash between Hudson and host Ridgewood, a 2-1 Rams victory, was no different.
Hudson coach Ron Ladimir downplayed the defeat.
"It means a loss for us and a win for them, nothing more than that," Ladimir said.
Ridgewood coach Ed McComiskey said the victory provided his team with a yardstick for the district race.
"We knew that the tough teams (in 4A-10) would be Wesley Chapel and Hudson," McComiskey said. "(Wednesday's) game gives us an indicator of where we fit in."
Richard Jata scored twice, less than a minute apart, enabling Ridgewood (3-0-1, 1-0-1 in 4A-10) to erase a one-goal deficit. Jata's last goal, a low kick from the right side off a through ball from Tanner Wolfe, came in the 25th minute.
Before netting his sixth goal of the season, Jata sent a 25-yard free kick though a wall of defenders and past Travis Miller.
Hudson (3-2-0, 1-1-0) took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on Jeremy Enix's penalty kick. Enix beat David McNally with a low shot inside the left post for his seventh goal.
That came shortly after Matt Edelman stole the ball in the Rams' penalty box and banked a high shot off the crossbar.
In the 56th minute, Enix nearly broke in alone on McNally, but after getting past defender Daniel Koon, the Hudson forward collapsed in pain and limped off the field with a left hamstring injury.
"(Enix) has a breakaway and pulls up lame," Ladimir said. "Everything that could have gone wrong for us did. You've got to learn from it and move on."
Dimos Kalathakis and Rob Hugh had late scoring chances for Ridgewood but shot wide.
"It could have gone either way," McComiskey said. "I hate games like this. "One mistake and you're cooked."
