MADISON, Fla. (WTXL) — There's an old saying, if it's not broke don't fix it. That's exactly what applies to the Madison County football program. The Cowboys have won or four of the last five Class 1A state championships and new head coach Price Harris is looking to keep the trophies coming back to Boot Hill.
He understands the winning mentality because he lived it.
"We expect to compete for a state championship each and every year."
Coach graduated from Madison County in 1993.
"Any kid that grew up in Madison County wanted to be a Cowboy," he said of growing up in Madison County. "The maroon and the silver runs deep in our blood. To be able to coach on the home sideline is a dream come true and it's exciting."
When the opportunity to become the head coach and his Alma mater came up he couldn't say no.
"When the job came open, it was a surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise," he said. "I was ecstatic about it. Right off the bat, I knew I had an opportunity to go back home. Of course it was a no brainer."
The locker room may look a little different then when he wore the Cowboy uniform, but the goal is still the same.
"It doesn't matter who the head guy is here, the train is going to keep rolling," he said. "All these accolades that are up on these signs over here, they're going to continue to strive to put their year up there as well."
Adding to the legacy, and for coach Harris, he's ready to put his own stamp on Cowboy football.
"I gotta do what I do," he laughed. "We're going to throw the football a little bit, which will be different than what Madison folks have seen in the past. At the end of the day, we still want to win football games. We'll do what it takes."
Doing what it takes to win, and add to that rich Cowboy tradition.
"We've talked about what is their legacy going to be this year. What happened in the past is gone. We're striving for the future."
A future with the excitement of the past.
"All the old traditions that are coming back that I haven't thought about in a long time. It's going to be really surreal running out onto the field for the first time."
A feeling three decades in the making. Coach Harris said he's working on building trust with his team now. He said coming into a program that knows what it takes to win does make his job a little easier, as they're pushing each other to succeed.
