Being recognized for hard work is a satisfying experience, such is the case for the head coach of Strawberry Crest High School’s football program.
Phillip Prior, a Hillsborough County native, felt honored when he was voted by community members to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ High School Head Coach of the Week. The Strawberry Crest Chargers earned him the nomination after securing two consecutive shutouts against the Middleton Tigers and the Brandon Eagles: wins two and three of their season. Prior’s response to their success was humility.
“It’s an honor, but I told our kids it’s not about me,” he said. “It’s about our program and what our kids have done.”
Winning the Buccaneers’ High School Head Coach of the Week comes with a grant from the team’s foundation to improve the coach’s school football program. The Chargers celebrated his win after voting closed Thursday night by extending their win streak with a one-point victory over district rival Alonso, pushing to a 4-0 record.
“We were the ones that were 3-0, and again those kids contributed to that recognition and that honor, so I want to make sure [the money] goes to benefit this year’s football team,” Coach Prior said. “I haven’t really had a chance to think about what that would be, but that would be the goal.”
The team’s journey to success hasn’t been easy for the Chargers. During Strawberry Crest’s 15-year history, they struggled to put together a winning record nearly every season with exceptions of 2013 and 2022, according to MaxPreps. This year is also one of the strongest starts to their season. Strawberry Crest only had two prior 4-0 records going into week five, in 2010 and 2022.
Prior took over the program as head coach in 2019 and he had one goal: to be competitive. He said building strong work ethic and teaching life lessons to athletes, like practice habits and “doing things the right way,” were key to developing a competitive team. Coach Prior strived for his student-athletes to become good members of the community that embraced him and their program.
“The Plant City community, eastern Hillsborough County, it’s a neat place,” Prior said. “And I think when you show this community that ‘hey, we’re in the business of creating young men that are going to go back in this community and are going to open businesses, lead in churches and give back to this community,’ and ‘hey, this is a high school football program and they’re committed to building that.’ Man, I think people are going to support that, and I think that’s what’s happened.”
This connection to the community presented an opportunity to reach out to those in the area through fundraising events, like an annual clay shoot. The unusual idea came from Coach Prior’s recognition that more conventional events like a golf tournament wouldn’t be as engaging to the community, so they made a play. The inaugural clay shoot kicked off their season and the tradition with about 45 attendees, and over the last four years attendance has grown to over 100.
“…And we’re excited to keep growing that,” said Prior.
Prior’s impact on those around him is evident in the way the Plant City community accepted him. He spoke about how special it is when previous athletes come back to see him or reach out to him after they leave the program. He cherishes those moments.
“I got a couple of text messages after our win on Friday night from some guys that were in the program my first year,” he said. “Those are special.”
Prior understands the impact a good coach can have on an athlete. His father was a football coach and he played wide receiver for Wharton High School under Coach David Mitchell. Prior was an assistant coach under Mitchell for a year as he began his career. Mitchell also joined him on the sideline in the Chargers’ recent game against the Alonso Ravens. Yet, Prior’s connection to the game runs deeper than his family history or those who affected him personally.
“It’s just love of the game,” he said. “I love the comradery with the coaches, love watching kids develop. I think that’s one of the biggest things; that the joys I get watching a kid come in as a freshman, he can’t bend over without tripping over himself, and then watching that kid be able to contribute to a varsity football game on a Friday night [their] senior year is a fun thing. And just being a part of watching those kids grow up into young men and having just a little bit of an impact, that they can go out and be better men in our community.”