While many Harding sports persevered through the fall to have a full season in the spring, the football team was forced to lay low this past year with COVID-19 complications. Now, they look ahead to their season this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fall 2021 semester will mark two years since the Bisons played an opposing team. Senior wide receiver James Townsdin said it has been a challenge to remain motivated with the lack of competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have been a Harding Bison since the fall of 2017,\u201d Townsdin said. \u201cThis past year of football has been a challenge. Working every day for a goal that was, in the fall, seemingly so far away has been a challenge of discipline and desire. Coming into practice and workouts with intentionality has really been the biggest challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With many athletes receiving an extra year of eligibility, Townsdin and many other seniors were making challenging decisions about whether their love for football outweighed their desire to move onto life after college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to see the fruits of our labor,\u201d senior defensive lineman Dalton Allen said. \u201cCoach Simmons has been telling us since this past fall, \u2018Have a vision.\u2019 We have worked for each other and have built a strong foundation and will continue to build one. We have worked so hard and want to see our hard work come to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Head football coach Paul Simmons expressed his excitement for the next season, including the amount of players staying on the team and using their extended eligibility to complete their master\u2019s degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe fall was a crazy time,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cOur guys were watching teams play, so it was difficult in that regard. We stayed busy. We basically treated the fall like a normal spring semester. We were in the weight room conditioning, and we actually had 15 practices in the fall like we do in the spring. It has not been easy, but in lots of ways, there\u2019s been lots of positives . . . We haven\u2019t recruited less, we\u2019ve worked really hard at it, but we did have fewer spots to sign. Normally, we would bring in 35 freshmen \u2014 this year we signed 18.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simmons said the team will be ready to start their season this fall and that he expects the team to have a successful season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have an awesome group returning, and I fully expect us to have a great season,\u201d Simmons said. \u201c[From] being with the guys, to the bus rides, time in the weight room, early morning meetings, the hotel stays \u2014 it\u2019s being together . . . that\u2019s the magic of college football, the team, the bond, to love each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Harding football team is scheduled to have its first game of the 2021 season on Sept. 4 against East Central University. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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