FERRIDAY &8212; Kendric Harris has been working, studying and practicing for this season nearly his entire life.

Since the time he first started playing football, Harris was always the quarterback, and now the 17-year-old Ferriday High School student is playing on his biggest stage to date, as he lines up under center as quarterback for the Trojans every Friday night.

&8220;I just always knew that was the position for me,&8221; Harris said. &8220;I grew up watching my brothers play and they played a lot of different positions, but there was always just one position for me.&8221;

While Harris always knew he would be a quarterback, apparently it was obvious to coaches as well.

&8220;Kendric came in as a true quarterback. I knew last year he would be our quarterback this season,&8221; coach James McFarland said. &8220;I remember when he came up through our junior high program playing the position. He&8217;s the first true quarterback we&8217;ve had come up in quite a few years.&8221;

Harris has a difficult time explaining why he always wanted to play quarterback, but his best guess is that it has something to do with being a leader. While some people are thrust into a leadership position, or chiseled into a leader by circumstances that arise in their life, others like Harris are just natural born leaders.

&8220;In the huddle Kendric (Harris) is the leader due to the fact that he comes ready to play every day &045; he comes doing 100 percent &045; that quality makes him a leader,&8221; McFarland said. &8220;When he says &8216;let&8217;s go,&8217; the other guys all follow. It&8217;s hard, but when you find a player like that it&8217;s special.&8221;

If his play isn&8217;t demonstrative enough of this fact, all one has to do is look at the number one, he chose to wear coming into this season.

&8220;I wore 14 last year, but it was like this is a new day, a new beginning,&8221; Harris said. &8220;I chose the number not to be flashy &8212; that&8217;s not me &8212; but to me when people see the number one, they expect that person to be a leader and that&8217;s something I want people to think of when they think of me.&8221;

While most shudder away from added responsibility, it&8217;s something Harris relishes.

&8220;We put a lot of responsibility on the quarterback, maybe more than needs to be,&8221; coach McFarland said. &8220;From watching practice and film he&8217;s handled it all very well.&8221;

Part of why Harris has handled it so well, is the fact that he has put in his time studying the position for so long.

&8220;Whenever I watch a game, I&8217;m always watching the quarterback,&8221; Harris said. &8220;Last year I watched Terrance (Johnson) play quarterback. I learned a lot from that. I tried to see the things he did well and learned from that, I also tried to let his mistakes be my mistakes and learned from them too.&8221;

Harris&8217; time studying under Johnson has paid huge dividends, although only a junior Harris looks like he&8217;s been playing the position years.

&8220;Last year we were short of coaches. A lot of his preparation took place on his own,&8221; McFarland said. &8220;He picked up QBing from Terrance (Johnson) by watching and listening.&8221;

This year with Harris has the Trojans out to a 5-0 start and poised to win a district championship. As far how far Harris can take the team, it&8217;s anyone&8217;s guess, but the team has looked very impressive thus far.

After finishing high school Harris said he plans on attending college and playing quarterback, for whatever school is willing to offer scholarship.

If it sounds like Harris is ready, it&8217;s because he is &045; it&8217;s something he&8217;s been preparing for all along.