HUNTINGDON COLLEGE

For first time, Hawks juggle Thanksgiving, football

A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

Huntingdon defensive lineman Heath McCray admits he's not a basketball fan, but he's developing some appreciation for it this week.

The Hawks, for Saturday's NCAA Division III playoff game at Mary Hardin-Baylor, will take a charter flight to Texas, one paid for by the NCAA and financed by its lucrative Division I men's basketball tournament television contract.

Huntingdon's Heath McCray (45) tackles Hendrix quarterback Seth Peters (3) in the NCAA Div. III Playoffs first round game at the Huntingdon campus in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday November 21, 2015.

“I'm not really a big fan of basketball, except for Huntingdon basketball,” McCray said before learning of the role it plays in this week's travel.

“Oh, man,” McCray said. “OK. I appreciate March Madness a lot more now.”

The Hawks (10-1) take off from Montgomery Regional Airport around noon Friday and go directly to Fort Hood military base in Texas.

Mary Hardin-Baylor is in nearby Belton. The Crusaders (10-1) and Hawks kick off at noon Saturday.

“When told me about the charter, I was really excited,” offensive lineman Chael Pridgen said. “From what I hear, we'll take a bus right out onto the tarmac and get on the plane from there.

“It makes me feel like we're an NFL team. I'm really excited for that experience.”

The Hawks are going through several first-time experiences this week -- and that goes beyond the football team.

Last weekend's first-round win over Hendrix meant that Huntingdon would juggle football and the holidays.

Campus is shut down all week for Thanksgiving, but Huntingdon staff adjusted to accommodate the needs of the football team.

Their biggest kudos go to the cafeteria staff, the Hawks say, for opening each day for lunch.

Also, since the football team has little to do outside of practice, strength and conditioning coach Charlie Goodyear has helped organize other pursuits, coach Mike Turk said.

“Knowing school is out, the guys don't have anything to do and we can't practice football all day,” Turk said. “While we're making our (practice and game) plans, it's not like we can have them around and do stuff with them.”

In that vein, Goodyear has gone above and beyond the team's normal weightlifting sessions, Turk said.

The Hawks did a cleanup project one day. On another, the players who will not go to Texas had a vigorous dodgeball tournament.

“It sounded like it was pretty spirited,” Turk said. “I just heard them in there, and they were getting after it.”

Huntingdon wide receiver Nick Haas (13) celebrates with offensive lineman Chael Pridgen during the game between Huntingdon and Methodist on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala.