A new era has begun for the Ponte Vedra Sharks football program as Steve Price takes over as head coach.
“I love our kids, they have just been fantastic,” Price said. “It’s just been a joy to coach and come out here every single day. They like to work and get better, and they just love the sport of football.”
Having that energy and love for the game is something that is often ingrained in a person, which Price enjoyed seeing because it is definitely a building block that can be built upon moving forward.
Price brings plenty of pedigree as he spent the past five seasons as head coach at Tallahassee North Florida Christian, where he led them to a Class 2A state title in 2018.
Even with that success in his back pocket, first years can be tough as both players and coaches are getting to know each other.
However, according to Price, the transition into the program has been as smooth as it could have been to this point.
“Our administration did a great job of getting me in in January, so I was able to spend a whole semester with those guys,” Price said. “I got to know them and even coached weightlifting last year. By the time spring practice was over, I knew everybody by name and had a pretty good handle on it.”
The makeup of the team tends to be fairly young, but Price likes what he has seen from the 27 seniors on the team.
“We’ve got enough veterans that are doing a great job of leading,” Price said. “They’ve bought right in and they want to win. It’s a real testament to them and the families in this area.”
Several of those seniors rose to the occasion and were around the football making plays during the Sharks’ jamboree contest against Mandarin on Aug. 20.
Seniors, such as, Mason Flores with an interception and Corey Bloss with another near pick that he read perfectly. They are accompanied on defense by Navy commit Luke Perris who makes plays in a variety of ways from his linebacker position.
Adding to the defensive arsenal of talent is junior linebacker Trooper Price, who is new to the school, just like his dad, but is already making an impact and is someone that opposing coordinators will have to think about.
“Our defense is the backbone of our team,” Pirris said.
One thing fans of the Sharks can come to expect during the 2021 season is to see a physical style of play begin to take shape on a consistent basis and on both sides of the ball.
“We’re going to be physical,” Price said. “I’ve coached about 29 years, and I’ve been a DC (defensive coordinator) and an OC (offensive coordinator). I just want us to play hard with every single play.”
That physicality was evident with the Sharks rushing attack that featured multiple backs and tough yards gained by all of them.
However, not only does he expect his team to be out physical their opponents, but to also do it with class and always remembering to respect their opponent.
“Those are the things that we can control,” Price said. “I just want them to focus on being the best that they can be.”
The goals for a certain season vary from year to year depending on the team at hand, but there are two certain goals that remain prevalent for any Price-coached team.
Those goals are getting better every single day and playing their best football when it matters most, at the ends of the season.
“If you do those things, all that other stuff will just fall into place,” Price said. “That’s what they’ve done here. There’s a history of success that exists.”
