Running Rattler 

Reagan Football Captain Leads by Example

By Amy Morgan

 

School is back in session, which heralds the return of high school sports for eager Texas fans.  

 

Watching senior Cole Pryor streak down the field for a Rattler score has become a familiar sight at Ronald Reagan High School football games. As the starting running back on the football squad, and a varsity player since ninth grade, Cole racked up 34 Reagan touchdowns before his senior year even started. The feat is not too surprising as he’s fast as lightening. Cole takes just 10.7 seconds to run 100 meters, a feat he accomplishes as part of Reagan’s varsity track team. 

 

Last year the football district champs finished 11-1, falling only to nemesis Austin Westlake in the second round of playoff finals, a record Cole’s hoping to improve upon this season. 

 

“We want to build off our successes and take our program to another level,” he said. Cole counts memories on the field as some of his favorite at Reagan. “The games are super fun. Everyone’s energetic, and there’s a great atmosphere,” he said. “The band’s playing, and the players are hyped up. We’re trying to contain our excitement and direct it on the field.” 

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Cole remembers how the older players took him under their wings when he was younger, a practice he plans to emulate now he’s a team captain. “I saw how they carried themselves and learned,” he said. Two-a-day practices started in August, and he’s been “leading by example and being someone the younger guys can look to for guidance.” 

 

In the same vein, Cole’s spent the past summers coaching Lopez Middle School’s eighth grade 7-on-7 flag football team. “It’s really fun to see them get it down!” he said. “We had a winning season, and it was cool seeing the team grow as we went along.” 

 

Cole’s played football with some of his teammates since they were in middle school at Lopez, a school to which he’s now returned, along with Wilderness Oak Elementary, as a mentor with RHS’s PALs program. Part of the privilege of being a PAL is the ability to leave campus and connect with younger students – serving as a role model and friend. Not surprisingly, Cole also enjoyed helping with the Special Olympics track meet making sure his PALees were able to compete and have fun. 

 

Cole remembers being shy himself, as he started Reagan in person just as pandemic restrictions were lifting. He credits his science teacher, Ms. Espino, with bringing him out of his shell. “She brought donuts and talked with me about shoes,” he said. “She noticed I was wearing a pair of black and blue Jordan Ones and started a conversation.” Cole admits he’s a bit of a kicks collector, rotating a handful of special pairs to match his outfits. 

 

Cole’s younger sister, Reese, joined him at Reagan this fall. His parents will juggle watching the two of them compete on the track, court and field. The close-knit family attends God Chasers church together and enjoys rooting for his father’s favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoons. Cole’s pursuing several offers from D1 colleges that will allow him to play football and complete a business degree he hopes to a parley into a career in management or sports marketing. “Motivated by constant growth,” Cole wants to be “the best at what I do.” RHS certainly benefits from his talent and attitude.