New Harrisburg football coach Parker Howard describes the 2026 Bulldogs in two words: young and inexperienced.

The first-year head coach steps into a program that went 5-6 a year ago with a district championship appearance, on the shoulders of a talented senior class laden with size and athleticism. But injuries and inconsistency cost Harrisburg a winning record after previously finishing below .500 only once since 2019.

Howard replaces Brennan Claas, who led the Bulldogs to a 15-18 mark over three seasons in his first stint as a head coach. Howard is quite familiar with mid-Missouri football, having played receiver and tight end for Westran, which won three district titles over his four years as a Hornet. Westran finished runner-up in the state his senior season under coach Curtis Jasper in 2014.

Howard later served as an assistant coach in Joplin under his former high school coach for the last eight seasons, working his way up to offensive coordinator the last two seasons when the Eagles went 7-4 and 5-6, respectively, in Class 6.

Returning to Class 1 Mid-Missouri football isn’t as much of an adjustment as it would seem, with only 11 years separating Howard from his playing days at Westran. “I knew what I was getting into,” he said.

But a significant challenge is coaching a team with no seniors. The Bulldogs boast a roster with 11 juniors and four sophomores, but not a player with three years of high school experience.

“We don't have a ton of experience right now in varsity football. We have two returners on offense, two returners on defense,” Howard said.

Those four returning positions are represented by three juniors: lineman Zane Wade on both sides of the ball, quarterback Kadyn Weldon, and defensive back Hunter Winscott.

Weldon will suit up again at quarterback after starting part of the season a year ago as a sophomore. He was named the starting passer last season but was sidelined with an injury to his throwing hand for most of the season.

“He’s a dual threat,” Howard said about his starting quarterback. “He runs the ball pretty well, and he’s developing in the passing game.”

While it’s too early for Howard to know his offensive strategy as far as passing versus running, Howard did explain that he brings a pro-spread inside/outside zone system.

“It depends on the week and what we feel we can take advantage of,” Howard said about the offense. “It depends on what the defense gives us. I like to formation people to where we have an advantage somewhere, and then we can exploit it.”

The offense will center around Weldon at quarterback, Winscott at running back, junior Austin Smith at center, junior Will Cole at wide receiver, sophomore Brady Class at tight end, with sophomores Brody Combs and Rylan Smiley seeing time at wide receiver, and Wade, junior Braden Maddox, sophomore Isaac Stone, and freshman Beau Wardrip on the line.

Defensively, the Bulldogs will run a 4-3, similar to what they have run in the past. Blake Logan returns as the team’s defensive coordinator. “It’s not going to change a whole lot from what we’ve done in the past,” Howard said. “He’s doing a good job with them flying around to the football.”

Bulldogs fans had their first look at the team Friday night during the annual jamboree held at Central Methodist University in Fayette. The Bulldogs scored against two of their three opponents during the four-team scrimmage.

“We started off really well. But we have to finish better. Our guys kept fighting. We had a lot of young guys step up when their number was called. I'm really proud of them,” Howard said. “We did a lot of good things that we need to keep building on and then fix the bad things.”

Howard said Weldon did a good job with his legs and distributing the ball in Friday’s jamboree. “He's still got some growing to do throwing through his progressions. But he's getting there. And he's getting better every week.”

He was also complimentary of Winscott at running back, who scored on a run early in Friday’s jamboree against CS8 rival Fayette.

“He did some really good things. He saw some holes really well, especially early on,” Howard said. “He made some great cuts and had a great touchdown against Fayette. The entire offensive line fought tonight. The offensive and defensive lines both worked really hard. They were getting tested and battled.”

The Bulldogs open the season Friday night at home against South Shelby, and Howard said after the jamboree that his team was fired up for the season. Harrisburg won this matchup 24-16 on the road a year ago. The Bulldogs stay home for Week 2 against Clark County, another game they won last season on the road.

After opening his first season as a head coach with two home games, Howard will take the Bulldogs to his alma mater in Huntsville to face Westran in Week 3. The two teams haven’t played one another since Harrisburg won a 14-10 decision in the postseason district tournament in 2024. Westran won the last regular-season game 41-36 in Harrisburg’s final year as a member of the Lewis & Clark Conference in 2023.

The night will be full of excitement for Coach Howard as he returns to the field where he helped the Hornets win three district titles. Only this time, he’ll be coaching against his former team. “It’ll be exciting,” he said.

Despite the internal drama of returning to his high school field, Coach Howard said he’s emphasizing taking every game and every practice one day at a time. “Obviously we're so young, and we have got a lot to build on.”

Harrisburg is also one of the smallest teams in the formidable Central State 8. Howard said that while the CS8 is very competitive, his team is ready for the challenge. “We’re building a new tradition, and we’re the ones who want to hang banners.”

The young conference boasts teams such as Tipton, the Class 1 state champion from a year ago, and Class 2 South Callaway, along with competitive teams from Russellville and Linn, and longtime area rival Fayette just down the road.

After winning the first two games of the season last year, the Bulldogs went on a five-game losing skid, only to regroup in time for the postseason. Howard said being more consistent this year will come down to being good teammates and good leaders. “We’re focusing on the person, not just football right now. I think that goes a long way and really creates a family aspect. So, we’re all working and playing together as a family and caring about one another.”

That mindset started in the summer, with strong participation throughout the offseason. But the team still only has a roster of 22 players. So, building the program will not just be about wins and losses but encouraging more students to play football in the years to come. So far, Coach Howard said his players have bought in and are working hard. The team motto is “win every day.” The young Bulldogs showed their gumption at Friday’s jamboree and are poised to debut at home Friday night against South Shelby. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.