Four Isabella High School graduates will play college football this fall, but they aren’t taking any breaks with conditioning and strength training to prepare for the next level.

Blake Lawley, Allen Edwards, Hunter Mims and Willie Stacy are hitting the weights at their now-former high school to stay in shape so they arrive on campus this fall ready to compete with their teammates.

Lawley, Edwards and Mims meet together four days a week at the IHS field house where they perform a workout specific to the requirements of Huntingdon College, where Edwrads and Mims will play this fall. Lawley will enroll at the University of South Alabama, but he’s glad he can follow a strict regimen with his former teammates to prepare himself accordingly.

“It’s pretty hard and fast paced,” Lawley said. “But I like being able to work with Allen and Hunter one last time before we go off to separate colleges.

Lawley will move to Mobile at the end of July while Edwards will head to Huntingdon next Tuesday. Mims will follow at the start of the fall semester.

Mims is eager to start practicing with his college team, but he’s glad to spend more time with his friends and teammates he’s known and competed with since their little league days.

“I’m glad I get to work out with them before Blake goes off to Mobile,” Mims said. “We push each other and help each other get better.”

He said going to Huntingdon with Edwards would be good for the two of them instead of attending a school on their own.

Mims said if the workouts are any indicator for what real practice will be, they’re in for some hard work.

“You can tell it’s at a whole other level,” Mims said. This isn’t high school anymore. It’s a new level of play.”

The trio spends roughly an hour in the weight room before they go outside to run sprints spend more time on conditioning. Mims said new IHS football coach Scott Booth has been supportive of their efforts and is pleased to allow them to continue using the school’s facilities.

Edwards will begin summer workouts at Huntingdon next Tuesday. He’s satisfied with the level of hard work he and his friends have given so far this summer and looks forward to carrying that on in college.

“We’re working out pretty hard,” he said. “We better get in shape. Everybody’s saying the workouts at Huntingdon aren’t easy. I’ve got a lot of room to improve. I need to get better. I’ll just keep working on it.”

He said Lawley and Mims push him and each other as hard as they possibly can.

Willie Stacy will attend the Apprentice School in Newport News, Va.