Prairie View Panthers’ Historic Season
How does a team that once lost 80 consecutive games become a team that lost only one game during an entire season? The answer lies within Coach Henry Frazier III because that is exactly what the team did when he came on board with the Prairie View A&M University Panther football team. Six years ago Frazier ascended up the hill at Prairie View, TX thinking that if he could turn that team around he would be a pretty good football coach. He did just that, and now Coach Frazier, yes, you are a pretty good football coach not only in your eyes but also in the eyes of thousands of Prairie View football team supporters. Coach Frazier, in addition to being astute in self-analysis, is also humble. “I imagine I am a good coach,” laughed Frazier. “But I am only as good as my assistant coaches and players. So I have got some good assistant coaches and players and they make me look good.”
Among the players who made Coach Frazier look good this season were defensive end Quinton Spears and K. J. Black as quarterback at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship game in Birmingham, Alabama. The two were named defensive and offensive MVPs of the historic game. After defeating Alabama A&M 30-24, the panthers won their first SWAC Championship title since 1964. They finished with a 7-0 season in the SWAC to win their first western division title. “It feels great. It has been a long season and an even longer time since we won a championship,” said Coach Fraizer. Believe it or not the panthers didn’t do anything special to prepare for the biggest game of the football program that the team has been involve in for years. It was “business as usual” according to Coach Frazier. Business as usual started this past August when Coach Frazier laid the foundation during training camp. “That was able to sustain us for the next four months and all the way through the championship season,” said Frazier. “We have been consistent since we (coaching staff) have been here (Prairie View A&M University). We have been going through things the same way.” Drills, plays, and workouts might have been the same, but this year’s team heart might have been a little different. Last year, the panthers finished the season 9-1. Not a bad season, but that was just it. It was a 9-1 season with nothing to show for their efforts. The panthers were more than hungry for a championship. “This year we went 9-1 but we won the right games and we won the championship.”
Everyone loves a champion so it is likely that Prairie View will be attracting many new recruits and fundraising dollars. “It will definitely open a lot of doors especially to those good, elite high schools and those good student athletes. It will open those doors so we can go do some home visits,” said Frazier about looking forward to the next season. The alumna of Prairie View are also excited about the big win. “They (alumna) will probably become more involved and start donating a little more. It is good for everyone when the team wins a championship.” Coach Frazier said that he had a smile on his face in Birmingham because of the presence of the alumna. “From the time we walked out of that tunnel the crowd let us know that Prairie View was definitely in Alabama. It was cold and rainy but the Prairie View fans, family members, and alums endured the dismal weather. They were loud and supportive. We definitely appreciated that!”
Prairie View is known for producing productive people and having Coach Frazier on staff and his winning team on the field will continue this trend. This year’s stellar team is composed of athletes who are scholars. The football program has a 70% graduation rate making it second in the state of Texas. The first place spot belongs to Rice University. Now that is something about which the Prairie View Panthers can really brag!
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