Huntingdon receiver Cody Pearcy named to D3football.com Team of the Week

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Cody Pearcy took less than a minute to make his first big play against LaGrange on Saturday.

The 69-yard touchdown reception, 56 seconds into the game, was a hint of things to come. By the end of the third quarter, Pearcy had turned in one of his best performances as a Huntingdon Hawk. The senior receiver finished with six receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns to set or tie four school records in a 45-10 victory.

Pearcy's performance helped him earn a spot on this week's D3football.com Team of the Week. He is the fourth Huntingdon player to be recognized on the Team of the Week this season, joining quarterback Neal Posey, defensive back Justin Brown and running back Trevor Manuel.

"Recognition like this is really nice for our program," Pearcy said. "Each time one of us receives recognition, we feel like it's helping to put Huntingdon on the map. With Neal, Justin and Trevor each having made the Team of the Week this season, that shows we've got a lot of guys doing good things. It's not just one player or one side of the ball that has been successful."

Huntingdon football coach Mike Turk said Pearcy helped change the momentum against LaGrange. Four of the Phenix City native's receptions went for more than 50 yards.

"Our ability to get the ball to him down the field was a big difference in the game," Turk said. "His ability to get behind the defense and make those long plays happen was huge."

In the process of helping Huntingdon beat LaGrange, Pearcy set the school record for receiving yards in a game, receiving yards in a career and receiving touchdowns in a career. For his career, Pearcy has 143 receptions for 2,595 yards and 25 touchdowns. He needs three more receptions to set the career mark for receptions.

"Those are huge accomplishments for me and they mean a lot," Pearcy said. "I know the hard work I've put in since I was a freshman and I know there were a lot of guys before me that put in hard work and helped lay the groundwork for this program. It's a little overwhelming to think about, but it shows that hard work pays off. "

Turk said Pearcy's commitment to his teammates and the program has made him a valued leader. 

"You want your older players to set a good example for the younger guys," Turk said. "Not just with their performance on the field, but with their work ethic and attitude. Cody is one of those guys. He learned from the players ahead of him, and now as a senior and a captain, he is setting that example for the guys coming up."