Huntingdon opens preseason practice

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  – The Huntingdon football team opened preseason practice in shorts and helmets on Thursday morning.

With a little more than three weeks until the season opener, the Hawks are looking to build each day in preparation for the 2019 season.

Experienced players return on offense and defense but Huntingdon is also looking to replace key positions and develop depth on both sides of the ball during the preseason.

The Hawks open the season at home against Guilford College on Sept. 7 at 1 p.m.

Head Coach Mike Turk on beginning preseason practice: "Today was OK. It wasn't great, but it was a starting point. It was obvious today we have a lot of new guys who don't know how we operate and are trying to learn their way around a little. It was a little chaotic at times, but the first couple of days are really about learning and teaching and hopefully we have established a baseline and can build from there."

Turk on the building process of the preseason: "We've just started and we have a long way to go, but what we are hunting is a steady, high level of intensity in what we do. Right now, we are having to fight through the heat and battle through all the things every other football team is battling right now.

"(During the first two days in shorts), we are trying to make sure we get as many guys ready as we possibly can for Saturday, when we get the opportunity to put on shoulder pads and compete a little. The more guys we have who are capable of being able to do that at full speed, the better off we will be in the long run. That's really what the first few days in general are about."

Next Practice: The Hawks return to the field at 9 a.m. on Friday for practice in shorts and helmets. Practices are open to the public.