Rain forces Hawks to practice under the lights

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon football team was supposed to have its first afternoon practice of the preseason on Sunday.

Instead, it became the first night practice of the preseason. The Hawks took the field at the scheduled time of 3:30 p.m. before rain pushed practice back to 7 p.m.

The delay was an inconvenience, but head coach Mike Turk tried to use it as a learning experience.

"Several times during my career, we've been playing a game and had to come off of the field because of bad weather," Turk said. "Sometimes you have to wait 45 minutes, an hour, or even longer and then go back out and be ready to start back up. We used that as a drill for our team today.

"This was not what we wanted today, but we're thankful for the turf and the lights. Without those, we would have been done for the day."

With four practices completed, Turk said several positions are continuing to come into focus. On the offensive line, junior Chael Pridgen and senior left tackle Chance Williams return to lead a group that will help set the tone for the Hawks' offense this season.

Pridgen, who is making the move from right tackle to right guard, is a two-year starter and was a first-team All-Conference and third-team All-Region performer last season as a sophomore. Williams started in nine games last season.

"Chael is a guy that has started since he was a freshman. He is as salty and experienced as anyone we've had playing for us," Turk said. "Chance is a guy that has been around here for a long time and was a very solid player for us last year. He was a positive part of what we were doing all year long.

"Having guys like that, their experience level commands respect and they're both very good teachers. They want our program to be successful. They understand it's not about them, it's about the unit and they provide great leadership."

Joining the two returning starters are senior Davian Barnett at left guard, sophomore Quadarious Belser at center and junior Brandon Rockett at right tackle. All three saw playing time last season, with Barnett appearing in nine games.

"We've only had two days in shoulder pads, so it's hard to tell about some things," Turk said. "We still have a lot of work to do, but as far as where we should be right now, I'm very happy with this group."

The Hawks will dress out in full gear for the first time on Monday. Practice is set for 9 a.m. and is open to the public.