HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — From 2021-2024, Huntington played post-Thanksgiving football in each season, qualifying for at least the semifinal round. The Highlanders played in the title game twice, winning the championship in 2022. Last season, Huntington defeated Martinsburg in the regular season and they earned the No. 2 seed in the Class AAAA playoffs. They were upset by University in the quarterfinal round. Head coach Billy Seals and his staff are hammering home this message in preseason training camp.
“9-3 is not good enough. 9-3 is not good enough. Got to be better,” Seals said.
“It was tough last year for me, to be honest with you to be home on Thanksgiving. I love my family and all. But I am used to practicing that morning. And that group is used to practicing on that morning. We understand we have to take it day-by-day, week-by-week, put ourselves in the best position possible. And you know what? Give credit to University last year. They came here and played well. They are a really good football team. They played better than we did that night.”
Many top skill position players return for the Highlanders. Running backs Mayshaun Okonkwo and Trevon Okonhwo combined for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
“Mayshaun is more of a scatback. He’s quick, great acceleration. He is kind of hard to get a good shot on. Trevon is more of your downhill, throw it up in there, get five or six yards, loves contact. He is a bigger back.”
Wideout Donte Newsome is back after leading the Highlanders in receiving yards last fall.
“Kellen Rife and Johnny Garrett in the slot, Jaxson Seals on the outside. We feel good about our receiving corps and the number of guys that we have.”
In the early stages of training camp, multiple signal callers are vying for the starting quarterback spot.
“Marek Midkiff is a sophomore who played some last year. If we played right now, he would be our guy. We’ll also play with Trevon [Okonkwo] and Ilias King at quarterback, to be honest. We just get some different looks and things like that.”
Seals believes the team’s best position group may be in the middle of his defense.
“At linebacker, I feel like it may be the best linebacker group that we’ve had in a long time. You’ve got Ilias King, CJ Quinn and Trevon, who all played considerable snaps last year with Ilias being the defensive player of the year in the conference.”
New starters will work their way onto the offensive line, following the graduations of a trio of college signees.
“Caleb Parlier is at Morehead State. Aryn McPherson is at West Liberty and Mason Ramsey is at Marshall. Those are big shoes to fill. But I have the utmost confidence that our staff will get our guys in the best position possible.”
The Highlanders welcomed in one of the state’s most successful coaches onto their staff in the offseason. Tom Harmon won three state championships at Wayne. After stepping down following a 29-year run with the Pioneers, Harmon will oversee a number of different positions at Huntington.
“He is going around and seeing things. He’s coming to me, ‘This is what I see’. It is going to be a big help to us offensively and defensively for him to say, ‘Hey coach, this is what I am seeing right now’. Just to have exclusively a guy like that, man I would have been an idiot not to take Coach Harmon on our staff. I want to surround myself with the best guys possible. And my staff is as good as anywhere in the state.”