Step out Service When Ronnie Huckeba to ok over coaching the Harding football team in 2008, he wanted to see a different attitude from his players. He wanted his players to learn what it truly meant to be a servant. The result was a trip to Riverhead, N. Y. to Timo– thy Hill Children's Ranch. I n the early 1970's, a boy named Timothy Hill saw the painful hardships and emotional suffering that many children were facing in his community. H e told his parents he wanted to someday "bu ild a place where homeless kids could live, be loved, feel safe and have wide open spaces to ride horses." At the age of 12 h e began working to save money to buy land where his dream could become a real – ity . Not long after the dream began, Timothy Hill was killed in a tragic bicycle– truck accident at age 13. In an attempt to commemorate Timothy's life, his par– ent adopted his dream and the ranch opened in 1980 and has been a safe haven for hundreds of children during a desper ate time of abuse, neglect and crisis. The football team first took a group of 30 playe rs during spri ng break of 2008. "The first trip was one of the most powerful things that I have been involved in since I have been associated with Harding football," Huckeba said, who has been active in Harding football for more than 30 years as a coach and as a player. "It allowed us to work together outside of football helping suppo rt the kids at the ranch phYSically." The executive director of the ranch, T hud H ill, was a Harding grad ('95) and a former Bison football player. Hill and Hardi ng's wide receivers coach, Lee Edwards, were good friends and teammates during their years as students. "When Coach Huck became head coach h e decided that we would be very service oriented," Edwards said. "$0 the involvement with the ranch just seemed like a natural fit. " The players that went on th e trip helped the ranch by p rovid ing phys ical labor with things such as building greenhouses, cutting trees, hauling fu r niture, painting, shoveling horse manure and potting flowers for the greenhouse. The goal of the trip was to not only give their time but also to influence the young boys in a positive way. "Young boys look up to athletes, and when we are with the boys at the ranch we can really influence thei r lives by showing them you can be a Christian and st ill be a strong man ," said Huckeba. Many of the players formed special bonds with the boys, and some players were so impacted by the trip that they h ave returned to the ranch to do summe r long internships. "The trip helps all of us get beyond ourse lves and see that we are made for relationships and that we are made to serve," Edwards said. "A lot of the work is far from glamorous, but sel'ving isn't always glamorous." Joel Blake Row 1: J. Jones, Z. Ross, P. Richardson, E. Russ, J. Powell, J. Watson, Z. Tribble, K. Adams, R. Rayner, D. Phipps, E. Ragsdale , K. Young, L. Tribble, Row 2:T. O'Quin, C. Rogers, J. Bodiford, D. Newson, C. Woods, T. Luke, T. Davis, M. Toline, D. Bonner, J. Holt, C. Wilson, B. Rubey, S. Hudson, Row 3: M. Heath, A. Gillaspie, R. Williams, J. Wood, R. Dolan, K. Gelles, V. Daugherty, B. Maupin, J. Baker, K. Wildman, J. Blanchard, K. Henderson, J. Townsend, A. Smithey, J. Thomasson Row 4: T. Black, M. Jones, J. Wyatt, R. Stephan, J. Guinn, M. Hughes, R. Hurts, J. Price, B. Par1cer, L. Tarrant, A. Franklin, J. Stallings, C. Simmons, J. Kee, J. Skaggs Row 5; C. Ross, H. Finley, K. Kitchen, C. Montague, G. Taylor, R. Hendricks, K. Reely, A. Menkin. C. Bober, M. Vanlandingham, R. Carson, M. Canterbury. N. Juneau, C. Caton, E. Young, A. Jackson, J. Feher, D. Palmer Row 6: T. Shephard, R. Brown, A. Finley, H. Dane, J. Bolt, J. Aldridge, M. Gutierrez-Durant. J.Bryan, E. Frazier, Z. Brown, J. lkahihifo, K. Barnes, W. Fairchild, W. Walker, L. Perkins. Row 7: D. Cocke, I. Siryon, J. Garland, J. Harper, M. Beach, T. Johnson, B. Osborn, A. Harrison, T. Finley, D. Whittle, X. Woods, T. Lackey, M. Pierson, T. Hunt, S. Wi liams, J. English . Row 8: T. Powell, J. Simpson, T. Kype, C. Walkuo, C. Austion, C. Lemmons, D. Hudson, G. Bowie, A. Laine, J. Vivo, R. Roberson, M. Corey, C. Rhodes, A. Frizzel. Head Coach Ronnie Huckeba Craig Rainbolt 278 athletics Senior Zach Ross Craig Rainbolt Harding Defense Jeff Montgomery
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