Huntingdon expecting line to help set the tone for offense

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon football team's fourth day of preseason practice wasn't as crisp as head coach Mike Turk expects.

After what Turk called three pretty good days of practice, the Hawks struggled on Wednesday.

"It was sloppy today. It was sloppy on both sides of the ball," Turk said. "We didn't have a lot of energy and we just seemed to go through the motions without any spirit. It was a tough day, one of those you go through every now and then in training camp.

"But we challenged them and we'll see how they respond. But we certainly have to get that corrected. We don't have any time to waste and we have to get going."

As the Hawks move forward, one position Turk is counting on to set the tone is the offensive line.

"If we're going to maintain the offensive balance we've had the past few years, especially with our up-tempo style, those guys really have to communicate and be on the same page," Turk said. "The up-tempo style does put a lot of pressure on them to communicate and having guys who are familiar with each other, they have a better chance to be on the same page. The cohesiveness of that group is a positive."

The Hawks return three starters on the offensive line with seniors Chael Pridgen and Brandon Rockett and junior Quadarius Belser. Pridgen has been a third-team All-Region selection the past two seasons and a first-team All-Conference pick each season. Rockett and Belser both started in every game last season.

"Chael has earned All-Region and All-Conference recognition as a guard (2014) and a tackle (2013)," Turk said. "He's a versatile player and we count on him for a lot as a player and a leader who will set the tone. Chael, Rockett and Q. have all been good players for us.

"The best part is, we have some young guys, who have not started for us, but they have played quite a bit and we feel like we can count on them. We also have some guys in the incoming group that I feel pretty good about. If we continue to progress and develop, we should have a pretty good group."

Turk said junior tackle Jesse Williams and junior guard Jordan Shelby are both performing well in the preseason. Although neither was a starter last season, Williams appeared in 10 games and Shelby played in seven games. Turk said sophomore Adam Swindal and freshman Austin Donegan are also pushing for playing time.

Huntingdon will practice in full gear for the first time on Thursday. Practice is set for 9 a.m. and is open to the public.