Helmets dangled from hands as players drifted off alone, grieving their recent loss but more importantly, the final game they had played with a brotherhood over the past seasons. Amid the emotion, on the field, one moment stood out: an embrace between a head coach and his quarterback. Not just a coach and a player, but a father and son who’d spent four years building something far deeper than a playbook.

“Football definitely spills over into our family life,” Cobyn Harbert’s mom Krystle Harbert said. “Jeff has coached Cobyn Harbert since he was little [and] the hope of coaching Cobyn Harbert at the high school level has always been something he has looked forward to.”

Frisco High football has been there for the Harberts since the start. Now in their 21st season as Raccoons, attending since his first game at just three weeks old to have played under the coaching of his dad and head football coach, Jeff Harbert, senior quarterback Cobyn Harbert values the experience.

“It’s a pretty cool dynamic,” Cobyn Harbert said. “[Being] able to wake up at 6 a.m., Monday through Thursday or Monday through Wednesday and go out there and be coached by him, and then go home and talk about things after the game [is] not [something] everybody gets to experience.”

But despite the deep family connection to the program, there was a moment when Cobyn Harbert’s path wasn’t always clear.

“[Cobyn Harbert] went to a different middle school, so he wasn’t in Frisco [and] we were thinking maybe he would go to a different high school,”Jeff Harbert said. “When
push came to show, he was like ‘You know, I think I want to come play for you.’ Then the summer before his freshman year, when he was around and working out with the guys I was coaching, I really realized how special and precious his time was.”

It hasn’t always been easy for Cobyn Harbert when it came to performing under the pressure of his dad being the head coach, something that senior Harrison Hicks recognized early on.

“At the beginning, people would always try to get under his skin, by saying ‘Daddy Ball’ and [he] shouldn’t be quarterback [with] his dad being the coach,” Hicks said. “It always was a target on his back for him having that relationship but he knew how to overcome it and used it to his advantage.”

Jeff Harbert had his own worries with coaching a son who was playing one of the most important positions on the field.

“I thought I would be super critical of him because he’s the quarterback,” Jeff Harbert said. “It’s a tough spot to play because when things go well you get the credit, but when things don’t, then you’re the first one to get [the] blame. [But] it hasn’t been as bad as I had anticipated.”

Even with those concerns, Jeff Harbert made it clear there was never any favoritism when it came to coaching his son.

“You wouldn’t even know they’re related with how he treats everybody equally,” Hicks said. “Coach Harbert is always there for everybody. No matter what you need. He’ll go up at six in the morning and pick you up for practice if you don’t have a ride.”

Even in the midst of all of the pressure, it hasn’t stopped Cobyn Harbert from earning a title as a leader. When senior Evan Mattingly first met Cobyn Harbert he immediately noticed his maturity.

“We’ve been really good friends ever since I came here,” Mattingly said. “He’s always been a good friend to go to for stuff. [Even though] he’s not older than us physically, mentally he’s definitely more mature.”

That maturity Mattingly noticed has been something rooted in something Cobyn Harbert had carried since he was young.

“As long as I can remember, [my dad’s] been a big work ethic guy, and I think he’s instilled that in me from the time I was little,” Cobyn Harbert said. “I think that a lot of people can see that on the field—that I have that fire and the willingness to go out there and work and do all the hard even when I’m tired.”

Hicks adds that Cobyn Harbert also brings friendly competition to the team.

“We both lead in our different ways—I lead the defense and he leads with the offense—[so we’ll] go against each other [and] try to make each other better,” Hicks said. “Say defense just scored, he’ll come over to me and be like ‘C’mon, let’s go! Gotta lead!’”

With Cobyn Harbert’s and Jeff Harbert leadership, Mattingly believes it makes the team stronger.

“Knowing that [Cobyn Harbert and his dad] have such a strong relationship, it makes the team feel more connected,” Mattingly said. “Most of the time, coaches are just making the plays [but] you can tell that they’re making plays together which I find to be like a cool bond between them.”

Cobyn Harbert’s leadership had been vital throughout his time on the team as it made his senior year only that much more memorable, especially to his family.

“Seeing him return to form, play[ing] with joy, and enjoying his time out there on the field, making plays and enjoying being out there,” Jeff Harbert said. “Then also me, his mom and his brother getting to be there to watch him play ball, for [his] senior year has been just a special season for all of us.”

With Cobyn Harbert’s high school career coming to an end, the playoffs were a bittersweet moment since it’s the last game he played with his father as his coach.

“The playoff game [was] a pretty surreal moment because that [was] the end,” Mattingly said. “I understand why being Cobyn Harbert’s dad and coach since he was like Pee-Wee football because my dad was the same for me. We were just talking about the last 13 years of me playing football [and] he was bawling his eyes out.”

Cobyn Harbert’s younger brother, freshman Deacon “Cruz” Harbert will be left to continue his legacy and relationship with their dad. He played in the second half of the game against Lebanon Trail on Oct. 23

“I want to be able to lead in my position and live up to my brother’s standards and make my dad proud,” Cruz Harbert said. “I want people to see me on the field making big plays and be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s Cobyn Harbert’s little brother and Coach Harbert’s son’. I just [want to] make them all proud.”

For Jeff Harbert, having both of his sons share the field was something he knew he’d never get again.

“It’s kind of cheating time,” Jeff Harbert said. “I spend so much time with other people’s kids, now my kids are part of that group [and] I’m getting to spend extra time with [them]. Having both of those guys this year has definitely been special. [I’m] really trying to soak it in and cherish these moments.”

As Cruz Harbert looks ahead, Cobyn Harbert hopes his dad realizes the impact he’s had, far beyond football.

“I want to let him know that no matter the result of the game, he’s never let me down as a father or a coach,” Cobyn Harbert said. “I hope that sticks with him.”