Huntingdon High School celebrated its football team and cheerleaders after a stressful season due to Covid at the Carroll County Civic Center on Thursday night. The Mustangs, however, overcame a lot of obstacles and only lost one game to the virus and finished the season with a 9-3 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs after winning the Region 6-1A crown and had two players named to all-state teams.
Grant Bartholomew, a senior running back, was named as the Huntingdon QB Club MVP for the 2020 season. Bartholomew also played safety on defense and earned all-state honors as a member of the TNFCA All-State team and was named to the Region 6-1A team. Johnny Pearson, QB Club President, described Bartholomew as a player who you could plug in anywhere and exemplified what it meant to be a Mustang.
The banquet started with Julia Boyd presented certificates to the cheerleaders for the 2020 season. They were as follows; Seniors, Ellia Lewis and Rylee Holladay. The rest of the squad; Madison Noonan, Jenna Magee, Lydia O’Bryant, Makayla Douglas, Madison Mann, Kayla Price, Adyson Shands, Abby Lewis, Brooklyn Hudson, Tatum Nolen, Sadie Shands, Jazalyn McCord, LG Parish, and Ava Williams.
Head Coach Eric Swenson thanked all who helped make the program successful and recognized the ball boys; Hayes Eubanks, Johns Nolen, and Colt Wood. Managers; Anna Ruth White, Sydney Vinson, and Evan Reliford.
He then announced the All-Region 6-1A Mustangs that were named to the team. Earning Honorable Mention was; Christian Myles and Aden Hutcherson. Named to the All-Region team were; Darius Gordon, Grant Bartholomew, Colton Bush, Blake Bradley, and Luke Furr.
Defensive Co-Ordinator Robbie Miller presented the defensive awards; Lineman award was Darius Gordon. Linebacker award; Cade Wood. Wood also was named to the TSWA All-State team. Defensive Back; Blake Bradley.
Offensive Co-Ordinator Nathan Wallace then presented the offensive awards. Lineman; Colton Bush. Offensive Back; Grant Bartholomew.
The Most Improved Player award went to sophomore Landon Gordon.
Iron Man Award; Blake Bradley who was the top lifter in the weight room throughout the season.
Paul Ward Sr. Hustle Award; Blake Reeves received this award that is named after former legendary coach Paul Ward and is given to the player that best represents what Huntingdon football is about.
Captain and Co-Captains as voted on by the team were; Grant Bartholomew as Captain, and Christian Myles and Ethan Reliford were named Co-Captains for the 2020 season.
Coach Swenson remarked that this football team excelled his expectations and were a team in every sense of the word and played together and were a fun group to coach and challenged the next group of Mustangs who will be moving up to 2-A next year to get in the weight room and get bigger and faster and be prepared to meet the challenge of stiff competition.
