Blessing Harris-Horne wanted one more chance to show the world what he can do.
And he wanted another chance to improve his grades so he could get into college.
He found both of those things with the Pioneers.
Last year, Harris-Horne was a senior at Samuel Fels High School, where he was the starting quarterback for the Panthers. Over the summer, he reclassified as a senior and enrolled at Frankford. There, he’s not the starting quarterback, and he’s not even seeing much time at his other favorite position, wide receiver. Instead, he’s playing cornerback for the Pioneers and he couldn’t be happier because he’s getting a chance to shine.
“Fels was great, I loved it there, but Frankford is different,” Harris-Horne said. “The biggest thing is the tradition and all the people who care about the program. I love playing for Frankford. I’ve loved it since I got here the week school started.
“I wanted a chance to play college football and I knew I had to work on a lot of things, which I’m doing now. I have a lot of support at Frankford and I’m doing better. And I’m happy here.”
Harris-Horne, who lives in Oxford Circle, has had many reasons to smile while at Frankford.
The Pioneers won just two games a season ago, but they’ve turned it around to have a great 2019 campaign.
Frankford has won five games, including a 49-6 win over Mastbaum in the first round of the playoffs. The Pioneers then dropped a heartbreaker to Martin Luther King, 21-19, in the Public League 5A semifinals. A win there would have sent the Pioneers into the championship game, but they fell just short.
The Pioneers have a chance to end the season on a good note on Thanksgiving when they meet Boys Latin at Frankford. The Warriors have bragging rights in the annual rivalry game, winning 46-20 last year, but Frankford bested Boys Latin 10-0 earlier this season.
Harris-Horne is just happy he’s able to play on Thanksgiving. Fels didn’t have a game on the holiday, and last year Harris-Horne found himself in the stands instead of on the field on Thanksgiving morning.
“I went to Lincoln-Judge last year and I really wished I was playing,” Harris-Horne said. “I watched that game, they play for a trophy. There’s tradition. I really wanted to see what it would be like to play in a game like that.
“I’m really excited about playing. I know it’s a huge game. It’s our last chance for a lot of us and for the younger guys it’s a chance to show everyone what they can do. It’s another game for us to be together. We’re a family.”
It’s also a chance to get the bad taste of a playoff loss out of their mouths.
“I think we could have won the (championship),” Harris-Horne said. “It hurt real bad to lose, but now we have a chance to win. We can go out winners. We’re working so hard for this game. It’s our championship. We beat (Boys Latin), we can end the season on a high. So this game is our championship. This game means everything.”
While Harris-Horne hopes he can leave with a victory, he also knows that no matter what happens on Thanksgiving, he’s already won.
He got an extra year of football to show everyone what he can do, and while he’s not playing his usual position, he has showed people he can be a shutdown corner and a competent punter. He’s also improved his grades and made a lot of new friends at Frankford. The last part may be the best part.
“I wasn’t here over the summer, but (Coach Bill Sytsma) and everyone on the team would come to the clubhouse and hang out and play games,” Harris-Horne said. “It’s really a family. Everybody cares for each other. We’re a close team. I’ve made a lot of friends here.”
Friends he hopes to keep in touch with next year when he moves on. He hopes to land somewhere to play college football, although if he doesn’t get an offer, he plans on going to Valley Forge Military Academy. He’s unsure about what he wants to do in the future, but he does have a strong interest in photography.
“When I have a camera, it’s like I have a third eye,” Harris-Horne said. “I think I’m able to capture good photos. I love being outdoors and love looking for good photos. There are a lot of great things to take pictures of, and I think I have a pretty good eye for it. It’s something I’m working at, and I really love it.”
Now he has an eye for a victory on Thanksgiving.
He also hopes he’s able to do some different things in his final high school game.
“I just want to go out and have fun,” Harris-Horne said. “I would love to play offense. I’m going to talk to the coaches and see if they let me get the ball. I haven’t had a touchdown all year. I want to score.
“I want to play and win. I’m excited to play on Thanksgiving with these guys. Of course I’ll be happy playing anywhere. If I play offense, that would be great, but as long as we win, I’ll be happy.”
