Recently, I had an opportunity to talk with Harding Head Football Coach Ronnie Huckeba about Harding Football and the upcoming season. Below is a transcript of our conversation. [Editorial note: Parts of this interview were edited to preserve the flow of the conversation.]

Armo: Coach Huckeba, thanks for taking time out of your schedule to speak with me today.

Coach Huckeba
Armo
Coach Huckeba
Armo
Coach Huckeba
Armo: As you said, you are bringing a lot of guys back from the third best rushing offense in Division Two last year. Including some of the big ones you already mentioned with Quarterback Keenan Kellett, Romo Westbrook at Fullback, and Running Backs Ahmad Scott and Jason Oller. I was wondering if you could you talk a little bit more about what all that experience with those offensive starters really means for you going into this season?

Coach Huckeba
Armo: During the offseason you hired Matt Underwood as a co-offensive coordinator. What set Coach Underwood apart from other candidates for the coaching position that opened up on your staff?

Coach Huckeba
Armo
Coach Huckeba
Armo: Now switching over to the defense. The past two years you have led the GAC in both total and scoring defense--

Coach Huckeba: [chuckling] I think the last three years if you look at it.*

Armo: [chuckling] You very well may be right, I was only able to go back and find the past two years.*

Coach Huckeba
Armo: Last year you had a fairly young defense, and you return several players with significant experience, and while that defense was young it played very much like a veteran defense.

Coach Huckeba: They got better each week, Armo. We came into the season we had to replace ten defensive starters. We had one returning starter coming back last year. For those guys to perform the way they did is a tribute to our defensive coaches led by coach Paul Simmons, who does a fantastic job with those guys, and also to our kids with the way they responded week-in and week-out and at the end of the year were really playing well on defense.

Armo
Coach Huckeba
Armo: You kick off the season on September 6th at home against Southwestern Oklahoma.

Coach Huckebathth.

Armo: Again, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me about Harding football. Best of luck to you with the upcoming season.

Coach Huckeba: Thank you, Armo. I really enjoyed it.

*I was able to go back and find the 2011 stats and Coach Huckeba was correct, Harding has been the best Total Defense the past three years in the GAC.

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