SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Kenny Harig talked openly about the improvement in his physical fitness.
As he stood in the speed room of The Jungle, the Schuylkill Haven junior couldn't stop raving about the place he calls "his second home."
"I started running a 6.3 ( seconds in the 40-yard dash), and now I'm running a 5.3. I'm 280 pounds," said Harig, a 6-foot-2, 282-pound offensive and defensive lineman. "My strength has increased a lot. My overall mental toughness has increased, too."
Harig is just one example of how much The Jungle has helped make the Schuylkill Haven football team become bigger, faster and stronger.
The Hurricanes' improvement in those areas over the past two years is a big reason Schuylkill Haven has gone from 2-8 in 2011 to playing Old Forge in Friday's PIAA Class A state quarterfinals.
Built two years ago in the former Haven Home Furnishings store at 16-18 E. Main Street, Schuylkill Haven, The Jungle is
owned by Haven assistant coach Buddy Biever and his wife, Robin.
Featuring an expansive weight area, a speed and agility room, a wide variety of exercise and fitness classes, MMI workouts, wrestling mats and much more, The Jungle has attracted athletes and fitness-conscious individuals from all over Schuylkill County.
It's also become a sanctuary for the Haven football players, who utilize it year-round. During the season, the Hurricanes have regular workouts at The Jungle, and can hold full practices there in case of inclement weather.
"It gave them a place where they can relax," Schuylkill Haven coach Mike Farr said. "It's more than a weight room for them. It's a place where they can come and hang out.
"It's a place where they can be together and not be under other pressures. It's their hideaway. They feel really comfortable being there."
The weight room inside Schuylkill Haven High School is small, and doesn't fit the needs of the football team. Located in the gymnasium area of the school, it's also closed at certain times, such as when other sports teams are using the gym to practice or hold games.
The Bievers purchased the two-building, 9,400 square-foot property in the downtown section of Schuylkill Haven for $60,000 in January 2012. The furniture store had been out of business for several years.
Buddy Biever said the two buildings were gutted and remodeled, a mezzanine was removed and exterior work was done. He estimated the total project cost $250,000-$300,000. The couple recently purchased the property to the west of The Jungle at 14 E. Main St. - the former Messner & Hess store - with plans to expand.
"For us, this was a necessity," Farr said. "Buddy started this because he always wanted to do a business like this.
"When he came to me with his idea ⦠he was sick and tired of me saying we had no place to lift. Yes, we do have a weight room at Schuylkill Haven, but it's not very functional. It's only functional if you want to have three, four, five kids in there. And then you can only use it certain times during the day.
"Here, we go and do what we want when we want. We have space to move. With the turf, there's a lot of different things we can do here. We can have a full practice here if we want.
"For these kids, this place has been a blessing. It's given them the opportunity to take themselves to the next level. They have just bought in. That's why these kids are here six days a week."
Biever, whose son Brett starts at wingback and defensive back, hired Frackville native Derek Flail as The Jungle's general manager. A licensed and certified personal trainer, Flail has basically become the Hurricanes' personal trainer.
Flail has worked with the Hurricanes year-round since The Jungle opened. He's also worked with players from Pottsville, North Schuylkill and Marian, and current Lebanon Valley College defensive standout Frank Gaffney, among others.
A 1999 Cardinal Brennan graduate who served four years in the Army and was an amateur boxer, Flail has brought a military style of training to the Hurricanes that the players say has made a world of difference.
After Schuylkill Haven beat Williams Valley for the District 11 championship, the Hurricanes dogpiled Flail as a show of their appreciation.
"Derek is a great trainer, and he's pushed us," senior lineman Nate Kramer said. "He's got us to where we are today.
"You've got great people here, and your team lives here, too. It's been a great opportunity to have this while I'm in high school. I can't thank the people enough who support it."
Flail credits the Haven players, who were determined to become a championship-caliber team after one of the program's worst seasons in 2011. He said the physical difference in the Hurricanes' players from in the span of 18 months has been amazing.
"When I met these kids ⦠I thought we were in trouble," Flail said. "They were small, they had no confidence, and they were coming off a 2-8 season. We trained every day.
"It's absolutely amazing to watch these kids develop. To watch, not just their size, strength and footwork, but their confidence. We did some crazy things. It was almost like boot camp."
In addition to improving physically, the Hurricanes say The Jungle has helped them mentally, too.
Teenagers face a lot of adversity and challenges with school work, athletics, home life, relationships and other off-the-field issues, and The Jungle has become a place they can go to escape those troubles.
The Hurricanes have done it together, bonding to form a cohesive unit that has gelled in the latter portion of the season.
"Physically, we've grown stronger together," senior lineman Jack Hower said. "But mentally, we've grown stronger together, too.
"We've been through a lot of adversity. We've struggled through it, and we've come back together. It's made us stronger, it made us stronger people, and it will make us stronger in life."