On December 1, the Varsity football team lost to Bartram Trail, 34 to 29.

Another season comes to an end for the team. Another season of thrilling last-second victories. Another season of heartbreaking defeats. Another season for 92 varsity players, and 31 coaches. And while their season did not end the way that many have hoped, it was still another season to remember for this team.

When you start to think about the people who have changed the football team over the years, a few names come to mind. The first being Coach Robert Weiner, who since 2003, has brought four state championships and six finals appearances to a school that had only been to the state finals once in their history before his arrival. Numerous of assistant coaches and coordinators, like Coach Bo Puckett, have helped Weiner along the way. Kimi Hellenberg, Robert Nelson, Lauren Figueredo and other administrators have also helped this program transform into a statewide powerhouse.

But one man has quietly operated behind the scenes at and is equally as important to the foundation and success of the team as the rest of these names. And we don’t know his story; we’ve barely even seen him. We only know Harold Walker through his voice. Because for the past 11 seasons, he’s been the voice of the team.

Since 2006, Walker has been the PA Announcer at home games at Dad’s Stadium. Before that, in 2004, he worked as a spotter. However, Walker was hooked even before then when, in 2002, Walker’s eldest son played football for the team. He was as passionate as the other parents in the stands that had been there since the ‘90s. But he knew something wasn’t right with this team.

“I had a son who played ball here in 2002,” Walker said. “The team finished at 1-9, just a season removed of a 2-8 finish. In our last game of that season, we played Durant. There were 75 people in the stands, 25 dressed players, and 3 coaches on the sidelines. I knew the history of the program and this school, and I knew this wasn’t right.”

So, he got to work. Walker gathered a group of parents to talk to the current Principal at that time, Eric Bergholm, and the Athletic Director, Lauren Figueredo, and told them that it was time for a change. They had their doubts.

“They asked me why I felt a change was necessary. I showed them a photo I was given, a photo from the 1940’s and 1950’s at Plant High School, photos of people sitting on the fences because the stadium was filled to capacity. They told me that was a long time ago and that things have changed since then. I told them, ‘Well, we’ll have to see.’”

The head coach resigned shortly thereafter, and thus began a search for a new one. Bergholm and Figueredo couldn’t get their first choice, the head coach of Jesuit High School at the time, Dominick Ciao, so they had to settle for their second choice, the head coach for the Crystal River baseball team.

Robert Weiner took over for right after the Spring Training in 2003. They went 3-7 the first year under his leadership, then 9-3 the second year, then 15-0 the third year, and the rest is history. A history that has included four state championships.

“In our third year, we had the Fire Marshal close the entrances to the stadium because there were too many people,” Walker said. “Don’t tell me that that was a different time. I know the passion of South Tampa. You put a good product out there, and people will show up. It’s been an amazing run.”

Walker’s impact on the school isn’t lost to Coach Weiner.

“We weren’t very good our first season,” Weiner said. “We didn’t have the players that we needed at that time, but we knew we were building towards something bigger. And Harold has to do with that. He helped me get the interview. People look at this team now and say ‘there is a coach here at Plant and this program that has always been successful. But it all comes back to Harold.’”

However, when you try to talk about the team’s success to Walker or Weiner, they don’t want to hear about it.

“The goal then, and the goal even now isn’t so much about wins, the wins have been gravy, but it’s really been about changing young men’s lives from the time they’re in the ninth grade to the time that they graduate, and Coach Weiner has done that in an amazing way.”

These statements are reflected when you talk to Weiner as well.

“I think for the most part, the most important thing is that we have a group of kids who are humble in the school, and that they are respectful to their administrators and to their peers. We

always think that football is good enough, but we like to take care of character and education as well,” said Weiner.

These aspects of the football team is what defines them both on and off the field. The most important players to this team over the years have not been the Division 1 athletes. They were not the big-name, flashy players. The kids that have been of the most importance to this program have been those that were able to find some identity through the game of football. It takes away any fear of diversity, concerns about self-image and instills self-discipline. The reality of working towards a goal. And the kids that have been able to find this may not have played every snap.

“What Weiner has built, is that if you can’t be a good person, a good citizen, a good friend, brother and son, there just isn’t really a place for you here”, said Walker.

And while it is easy to get hung up on the household names of the past, guys like Robert Marve, Aaron Murray and James Wilder, Walker likes to remember different players.

“There’s been a lot of unsung guys. There’s James O’Connell, raised by a single mom, graduated and went to Vanderbilt University, student-body president, and now working for Jeff Vinnick as an organizer in the community”, said Walker. “There’s Kevin McCarthy, who broke the county record for most sacks in a single season, and won a scholarship to the University of Florida during a heartbreaking year that saw his father pass away. We’ve had class presidents and valedictorians on our football team. We’re very proud of that. We’ll get some splash players every now and then, but our football players are Plant kids. Everyday kids. They start playing football in the ninth grade and by the time they get to be a senior, the process has been finalized. We’ve had guys come through that have made incredible and life-changing plays that haven’t been superstars.”

These everyday kids won’t go on to play Division 1 college football. But they can say that they’ve played in high school, and made life-changing plays that won’t be forgotten.

Even though we don’t see him on the sidelines every Friday night, Walker has been just as involved in this team on a week-to-week basis as any other coach has during their time here.

“Harold is a trusted friend, who’s been around football for a very long time, so I love to hear from him and see what he thinks”, said Weiner.

Next August, Plant will open its doors to thousands of students ready to begin a new year. And so will its football team, who will be ready to begin another season of play. Just like every year, many will say that a win in Orlando next December will mean a successful season.

But for Walker, every season is successful as soon as it begins. Everything else is pure gravy.