Harrisburg reignites town’s passion for football
HARRISBURG, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Harrisburg Bulldogs started the football season in historic fashion. The group went undefeated through the first six games of the year, all while bringing a Friday night culture back to their town.
Beginning in 2014, the Bulldogs went three-straight seasons with just one win each year.
“When I first came everything was, well yeah but you guys never win," head coach Steve Hopkins said.
Hopkins took the helm of the program in 2019 and that's when the culture began to change.
"I don’t know how many kids thought we would even win one game, you know, I mean honestly. Well, we won one game and then we won a couple three more, we got actually a five-game winning streak that year," he said.
In Hopkins' first season, Harrisburg went 6-5, overall, however, the growth never stopped. In 2020, the Bulldogs finished 8-5 and even made it to their first district championship game.
“We’re men now, we were boys back then. So, we got a lot more men on the field. My freshman year we had like three people that even had drivers license on the team and so now, it’s totally different now," senior quarterback Tanner Lanes said.
Step-by-step Hopkins said the team has grown from average to good, but now it's time for the next jump, as Harrisburg is on the hunt for a district championship. Despite that goal, the team continues to have a 1-0 mentality.
"We have to focus on this game, today's practice, the next rep, okay. Correct what we did wrong, but we can't look at the big picture until the season's over," Hopkins said. "When the season is over we will really celebrate some things, but we did that the first year. The first year we had about eight or nine firsts and that was fun."
The team's success has resulted in a town-wide change, as well.
"We've changed the culture, I think, in our town and community," Hopkins said. "They [kids] now are excited about football."
Harrisburg is now 6-1 on the season, after losing its first game to Fayette on Friday night. The Bulldogs will host Scotland County on Friday, Oct. 15.
