All language subtitles for Undefeated.English-WWW.MY-SUBS.CO

[Man] Let's see here.

Starting right guard, shot.
No longer in school.

Starting linebacker, shot,
no longer in school.

Two players fighting
right in front of the coach

when he's trying
to make things work out.

Starting center, arrested for shooting
somebody in the face with a BB gun.

Most coaches, that would be pretty much
a career's worth of crap to deal with.

I think that sums up
the last two weeks for me.

And you know what?

I know damn good and well
what I sign up for every year.

And I keep coming back
because I love this program

and I feel very responsible to make sure

that you guys have a football season
that you can be proud of.

And I will kill myself
to make that happen.

This is our season.
I don't care what happens.

[Man] Back in the day
when the Firestone plant

was up and working,

the North Memphis area
used to be a booming place.

There was industry and there
were people in homes.

Since the plant closed,
that neighborhood just went to heck.

I mean, the people moved out,
the jobs were gone.

As a result, the football program
fell off the map.

[Woman] When I came,
the winning scores were very, um...

I don't remember winning.

For almost ten to 14 years,

we never won a football game.

We'd play ten games
and we ended up 0-10.

[Man] Oh, you know when you
see Manassas on the schedule,

"Oh, we gonna beat them.
We don't even gotta practice hard."

Bookie, come say hello to me!

Are you actually here
to work out today?

- [Player] I am!
- I am so proud of you.

What's up? A freshman.

15 years old.

[Williams] If it hadn't been
for Coach Courtney,

I don't know where
we would be right now.

[Smith] He's what got
the kids so excited

about the opportunities
and the possibilities.

He's the one that's got them
headed in that direction.

[Courtney] The foundation
has got to be a solid platform

that you can stand on
and speak to these kids and say,

"This is the way you build yourself.

If you build yourself this way
and handle yourself this way

and have character,
you get to play football."

And winning will take care of itself

because young men of character
and discipline and commitment

end up winning in life.
And they end up winning in football.

Well, when you flip it,

and the foundation
of what you're doing is football,

and then you hope
all that other stuff follows...

Well, then you think
football builds character.

Which it does not.
Football reveals character.

[Courtney] All right,
shut up and listen up.

Where's Big Kenneth?

Has anybody seen Big Kenneth?

[Courtney] Huh?
All right, listen up.

Everybody imagine
the state of Tennessee on a map.

OK?

Way over in the corner,
you got Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Toward the middle you got Nashville.
And you come on down here.

Everybody outside of Memphis,

do you know what they say
the biggest city in Mississippi is?

Memphis.

The rest of the state
doesn't even claim us

when it comes to football.

We're viewed by people

outside of the West Tennessee area
who've played us...

Undisciplined, not very well coached,

running around acting a fool
before the game,

about everything other than football,

and about ourselves
rather than about the team.

You have a responsibility
this year, guys,

just like the teams
that came before you.

You have a responsibility
to play hard.

You have a responsibility to take care
of yourself in the classroom.

And you have a responsibility
to show Memphis

what Manassas Football is about.

[Courtney] As you all know,
we got work to do today.

Lots of learning.
Everybody's head right.

[Whistle blows]

[Courtney] When I got there, there was
17 kids for a varsity football program.

First team, offensive line right here.

Joaquin and Robert on defense.
Let's go. Let's move!

There are good athletes
in the neighborhood,

but they weren't
gonna play for Manassas.

And do you blame them?

Not only was Manassas
one of the worst programs in the city,

it was arguably one of
the worst programs in the entire state.

Let's go, hustle up.
Tre, you're a safety.

Sills, tight end.
Receiver, down there. Hit it!

Hot Pocket, do you know
the freakin' routes?

Go, go, go!

Our first year there,
we won four games.

And people were opening
their eyes, saying,

you know, "Manassas isn't
the worst team in the city any more.

I mean, they're beating a few people."

[Courtney] There it is,

- that's what we want.
- [Blows whistle]

The next year,
there's this group of 8th graders...

That's O.C. And Julius
and T.O. And JP and all these guys,

that all showed up
to the weight room one day,

and said, "We see y'all getting better.
We hear what you got going on."

And I said, "Guys, all of you,
as a group, come to Manassas.

Just stay here
and let's build this thing."

Hike!

[Courtney] They were talking it up
in the neighborhood.

"We're going to Manassas.
We're going to make Manassas good."

And in their first year, they're 1-9.

And got hammered.

There you go. Good.

Instead of laying down,
they continued to try

and they continued to believe
and they continued to work.

You better win that ball, Will!

And now this is their senior year.

And my biggest concern
is that it doesn't end up

as great as it should be for them.

And I don't mean they have to win
the state championship to be successful.

The one thing that Manassas
has never done is win a playoff game.

- [Whistle blows]
- Everybody to Coach Coleman. Let's go!

[Courtney] Let's go!
Let's go! Let's go!

Guys, you're playing
a football game Friday.

We got work to do.
We just gotta keep getting better.

[Smith] I like their chances
this year, I do.

And it starts with that offensive line
and with Mr. Brown.

[Courtney] Come on, O.C. Come on,
let's go! Come on, O. C!

[Man] We get just hordes of film
coming to our office,

and to be totally honest

most of the film we get gets thrown
in a pile, never to be seen again.

So this link came across my desk,

and the first play,
you knew O.C. Was special.

[Announcer] From Manassas High School,
number 77, O.C. Brown!

- [Cheering and yelling]
- [Whistle blows]

[Man] That's what
I'm talking about, O.C.!

[Courtney] O.C. Was one of those kids
from Humes Junior High, in that class.

Hike!

[Courtney] Mike noticed in O.C.,
he said, "Bill, this kid is...

...for his speed and size,
he's just a big athlete.

He's really good."

[Ray] We were thinking this kid can
play some college football somewhere.

But no one had
ever heard of him. Nobody.

And so I pieced together
this grainy YouTube clip...

[Courtney] It had thousands of hits
in the first 48 hours,

and that's where it went nuts.

[♪ Dan Auerbach:
"Heartbroken In Disrepair"]

[Man] Just to see him
sometimes turn the corner

and nobody'd be there
and he's running with the back,

you think, "Oh, my gosh, this is scary.

That's a big dude running that fast."

Got some mail.

Auburn, Arkansas,
North Carolina State,

Louisville, Mississippi State,
Southern Miss.

Nah, these ones I got
in one day, I think.

[Courtney] O.C. Is a perfect
picture of North Memphis.

Raised by his grandmother
in a very small house.

Mother's deceased,
father's kind of in and out.

If he can have a good senior year
and get a Division 1 scholarship,

you know, the sky's the limit.

I don't want to say football
is everything to me, but...

[O.C. Continues]

[Courtney] This is a very good
friend of mine.

And when you find out who he is and what
he's about and where he comes from,

you'll find out anybody can do anything.

So, just to speak to you
for a few minutes

is my buddy Aaron Hayden.

- Thanks, Coach.
- [Applauding]

I always ask two questions when I speak,

and I'm going to raise my hand
and answer the questions myself.

Raise your hand, anybody in here

that has a parent
that graduated from college,

in this room, raise your hand.

You'll notice I put my hand down.

Anybody raise your hand if you have
two parents that graduated from college.

Mom and dad graduated from college.

Is there anybody in this room
who has two parents?

I got another question.

Raise your hand
if you've had a close relative,

brother, uncle, cousin, anybody,
that has served time in jail.

I have my hand up as well, and that's...

...that's the thing,
that when I talk to kids,

from where we come from,

is that you got to think
outside your circumstances.

I didn't have a dad in the home.

Loved my mama to death, but she had
a new man, you know, every month.

Some dude was sleeping on the couch.
And I walked by him as I went to school.

And I could have went to school
or I could have stayed at home.

It really wasn't like anybody
forced me to do anything.

But it's not where you start.

It's what... what is it?
It's where you finish.

Thanks for having me.
And I appreciate being here, man.

[Applauding]

[Courtney] Release, Julius!

Stop!

Stop, back, back, back, back, back.

Get on the ball.
This is so easy, y'all.

You block. When you hear the thud,
you get in your lanes.

And you got to hustle into your lanes.

But you don't go anywhere
until you hear the thud.

Do you hear me?

[Man] When you look around this program,
not a lot of equipment.

They pretty much have
to do with what they have.

They have a nice school here
at Manassas, a brand-new school,

but unfortunately they got that built

and didn't get the rest of the school
built, which is the athletic part of it.

[Courtney] All right, let's go.

- O.C., you have to block first.
- [O.C.] There was nobody over there!

Damn it.

The city schools really are...
They play on a different level

in terms of support
and in terms of funding.

[Courtney] When you address that thing
is the minute it hits his right hand.

That's the landscape
that we have in athletics today.

It's kind of like America.
There are the haves and the have-nots.

[Courtney] Get it in there.

Oh, my God, Kevin.

The City of Memphis school system
is always just way underfunded.

There's just no money,

and if you don't have a booster club,

the only other way
to pay for the program

is to play what they call "pay games."

We would bus out
to places like Ripley,

Haywood, Milan, Westview...

We're talking big, powerful
3 and 4A football teams.

They'd beat our ass.
They give us a check

and send us back on the way.

And those five or six games would
raise 15 to 20 thousand dollars,

and that's what would
fund the football program.

The problem is, by the time
you got to your district games,

your 19 kids were beat up,

and pretty much accepted
that they were horrible

and couldn't win any games.

Well, Jim and I started Manrise

for the sole purpose of raising money
to give to Manassas like a booster club.

It's a program now.
It's not having to go up the road

to play these huge schools
that are going to destroy us

and an opportunity to tell kids
in the hallway, "Come play football."

[Courtney] Dickens?

- You weren't in practice yesterday?
- Yes, sir.

- You weren't there Monday, were you?
- No.

- You going to be there today?
- Yes, sir.

Get your grades right.
You need to be on the football field!

What a shame. What a shame.

Why'd you fly the coop on me?

Rarely do coaches come back
and go through all the stress,

the headache, and the tired
and everything else

for all the kids on the team.

It's typically one or two
that matter so much to you

that you're willing to put up with it.

Though, I'm not supposed
to be showing my project,

but I'm going to show you.

This is the one I spent four hours
in the early morning doing.

I'll show you my other project.

This is the egg in a bottle.

[Money] I'm the smallest lineman.

Like, I was the smallest linemen
on the offensive line last year.

When I first noticed, I'm like,
"I'm the littlest thing on the line."

Everybody else is all big and wide,
and I was just small.

But I feel like a giant.

But when you standing next to them,
I'm like a little pee-wee.

Coach, put me in, put me in there!

[Courtney] He's completely undersized
to play right tackle.

He has no business being a right tackle.

He's always out-manned physically.

And he always wins.

And that's not
because he's some physical specimen.

It's because he's so mentally tough.

[Player] I think of him as preacher
boy. Like, he's so serious.

He's so young, but like, Money got,
like, everything mapped out.

I'm pretty sure he can tell you

everything that's gonna
go on in his life...

and he gonna go by it.

This... I be lookin'
at this all the time.

This tells me, like,
the top colleges to go to.

Uh..."Getting accepted."

You got to have
a high school GPA of a 3.7.

I have a 3.8.

I'm living with my grandmother,
and, you know, we stay in North Memphis.

All my family has been in Memphis.

They've never been
outside of North Memphis.

Even if I don't make it
out of Tennessee,

I'm gonna get out of Memphis.

[Girl on PA system]
Good morning, Manassas.

Would you please stand
for the Pledge of Allegiance

and the Manassas High School Pledge?

[Courtney] Let's go! Come on. Come on.

[Groaning]

Very nice.
Good pitch, Will!

We got it right the third time.
That's impressive.

Huddle up!

[Player] Huddle up!

[Courtney] Trying real hard
to get this team prepared.

Now, I had to come off the hook
three times yesterday,

I had to cuss way too much.

I have to go home and pray
for forgiveness

for the way I talked
to these young guys.

And I don't want to be
driven there again.

Please do not make me act a fool
out here to get you all motivated.

Your first football game
is in two days.

All this bullshit we've been doing
is all about tomorrow.

Call it again and let's get off the ball
and be excited about being here.

- Thirteen... on one, ready?
- Break!

Thirteen... on one, ready?

[Courtney] Let's go, offense.

Come on!

[Coach] Hustle up!

[Courtney] A lot to be nervous about.
It's the first game out.

Starting off with a loss,
I worry about the team's psyche.

I want them to rise
above the inner city knock.

The knock on inner city
football teams,

if you score on 'em first
or get up on 'em 14-nothin' early,

they'll lay down.

You know,
they don't have the discipline

to keep themselves together
and come back.

That's the knock, I mean,

whether you like it or not,
that's the knock.

That's what people say.

[Announcer] The sun is setting
in the western sky right now.

The field lights are coming up here.

And we're just excited about seeing

another great night
of high school football action.

Manassas has a rich history of sports
and athletics in the Memphis area.

They've had some great basketball teams.

Football... it's been some lean years.

[Courtney] I want you to hear me.

Ever since I've been at Manassas,
it's been building every year.

One year to the next, to the better,
to the better, to the better.

The group I'm standing with right now

is the best team
I've ever coached at Manassas.

Not only are you going to prove tonight
that you are disciplined,

not only are you going to prove tonight
that you are well-coached,

you're going to prove tonight
you're the better program.

And leave no doubters
about who we are and what we are.

[Boys] Yes, sir.

[Announcer] Here to kick it away will be
the Manassas Tigers out of Memphis, T-N.

Going to be gathered in at the 15,
to the 20, to the 30.

He's still on his feet, dashes his way
to the middle of the field.

Forty! Forty-five!
Thirty! Twenty-five!

Inside the ten!
Down to the five!

Into the end zone! Touchdown!

[Courtney] Coach Raymond!
We had ten men on the field!

[Announcer] They have the back
ten yards, going to run the offense.

Pitches it and has running room.
Inside the ten!

He's going to go in!
And it's 14-nothing, just like that!

Manassas struggling here defensively.

They got to get something going
here to get that confidence,

especially
on the offensive side of the ball.

[Courtney] Listen to me!
We can come back, man!

It's two touchdowns and a whole quarter.

- Let's go kick their butts! Let's go!
- [Ray] Make it happen!

[Announcer] Second down at eight.
The ball at the 36.

Back. Looking. Throwing.

They got a man open
and it's caught!

Inside the ten! Down to the five!
And into the end zone! Touchdown!

[Announcer] That is a
devastating play for Manassas.

Redmond into shotgun, fourth and 11...

...throws... Man open
and he dropped it!

Redmond... hands it off this time.

Running back, nothing,
and we get him down.

Receiver seems wary.
Redmond the quarterback under center.

Play fake, running for his life.

Caught on the backside,
fumbling the ball, it's loose.

Yes, that really hurts there.

[Whistle blows]

Clock running and Manassas
about to fall to 0-1.

[Courtney] The character of a man is not
measured in how he handles his wins,

but what he does with his failures.
And tonight, we failed.

And everybody says, "When you get
these inner city kids down,

they'll lay over
and you'll beat them by 40." Not us!

Everybody'll say, "They're 0-1.
They're going to fold up camp.

They'll be 2-8 by the end
of this thing." No! Not us!

You walk with your chins up.

I am proud to be a Manassas Tiger
on this field tonight,

because my guys didn't lay down.
They got heart.

Now let's put our mind
with our heart and our bodies

and let's finish this thing this year!

[All praying] "...hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread..."

[Courtney]
I never knew Manassas existed.

And then I started a business in 2001

and bought an old dilapidated,
crappy piece of property

on North 7th Street
in North Memphis.

What are they doing over there, Cliffy?

- Pardon?
- What are they doing over there?

- The wall in front of the chain.
- I've got some welding to do.

Remember I brought that up
yesterday in the meeting?

- Take care of that right now?
- Right.

- I need that basswood in the kiln.
- OK.

All right, Cliff.

[Woman] He sold cars for several years,

and he knew it was
a steppingstone to something else.

He was a great salesman, you know?

He could talk anybody into anything.

It's 7:45, Scrappy.

Well, why are you asking me
what time it is?

I'm your boss, dumb-ass.

You're supposed
to not ask me what time it is.

If somebody walked in
this afternoon and said,

"I'll give you whatever
for the business,"

and he's got enough money
to cover his expenses and kids

for the rest of his life
and he gets to go coach,

that's a no-brainer.
You know, he's gone.

You know, I mean,
that's what he wants to do.

He wants to coach.

[Car horn beeping]

Dantre, get them out. Let's go.

Hey, how are you?
Pleasure to meet you.

So, how you doin'?

Look at you.
You're starting to grow up a little bit.

- What happened to my little Chavis?
- [Chuckling]

Now you're big Chavis.

Good to see you.

You gonna hang around practice
or are you leaving?

Can he stay for a little while?

Yeah. Yeah, what time y'all
normally be finished?

- 5:30.
- OK.

- [Courtney] Can he stay?
- [Woman] Yeah, right here...

[Courtney] Chavis played for us
as a freshman.

Confidentially,
if you want to talk to him

and he wants to talk to you about it,
you can find out.

But he missed his last year.
And he's back as a junior.

Chavis has serious anger issues.

And it's one of those things
that I don't think he can help it.

[Alarm goes off]

Back up! Back up!

Chavis is loud.
Chavis is big, and he aggressive.

[O.C.] One minute he could be laughing

and the next...
ten seconds he mad or something.

He went to jail and had a rough life.

And, you know, it's hard for him to get
to know people or trust anybody.

[Woman] I think it's really hard for
Chavis not to have his father around.

And he has never been around.

I think that's where a lot
of Chavis' anger come from.

[Man] How come?

He's real fast.

That's my favorite animal, actually
'cause it's like...

Turtles is like a human being to me

'cause it's like they gotta
be hard on the outside,

but they really soft on the inside.

Just look at...
at the texture of them.

See? This is like a human.

On the outside, everybody want
to be hard and show their strength.

But on the inside,
it's like they just all flimsy

and, you know, just skin and bones.

[Courtney] Money, I need that VCR!

What time are we supposed to be in here?

[All] 2:20.

[Courtney] At 2:23,
I walk in and everybody's late.

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

It's exactly what I'm talking about.

This is how we lose games,

'cause y'all can't follow
simple directions.

All right, so here's what we got.
Go ahead, I got it from here, Money.

First thing we're gonna do:
Do not watch your play books.

Watch the film.

- All right, here's the deal...
- [chattering, arguing]

Stop! Stop! What is y'all's problem?

[Chavis] Better stop playing me, bro.

What is y'all's problem?
You go over there, Money.

- Better stop playin'.
- Go over there, Money.

[Mutters]

- Stop playin', boy!
- What?

You shut up. I just told him to shut up.
You go sit down. Sit.

- Money! Sit.
- Be quiet, Money.

Go sit down over there.

Go... Don't touch one another.

Shut up. Did you hear me?

Money! Money!

Y'all killing me.

You're sucking it right out of me.

I got four children at home and a wife.

My kid's...
My own son's first football game

is in an hour and a half,
and I'm here with you.

My business isn't making any money,
and I'm still spending my money on you.

Y'all ain't givin' nothing back.
You're just taking.

You ain't giving me shit.

You're just taking.

Now, you...
You're going to apologize.

[Chavis]

You know what's going to happen?

Of course he's going to say something
'cause he's pissed.

[Courtney] No, you're not.

Listen to me. No, you're not.
You know why?

Because I just asked you to.
You think I want to deal with this?

I'm trying to get y'all prepared.

He is not gay.

OK, then keep your thoughts to yourself.
He ain't gay.

[Courtney] Chavis...

...you, for the betterment
of somebody other than yourself,

need to do what I'm asking you to do.

It's not part
of the job description.

Of course, I don't know really
what the job description is, frankly.

You want to tell me you're sorry
for not coming when I called you?

- Sorry, Coach.
- I know you are.

It pissed me off, too.

I appreciate you
getting away from him

and not screaming
when I told you not to.

You backed off and did what you did,
and you left because you were hot.

You're not going
to turn back on the team.

You're gonna come back
with me right now.

Listen to me. Listen to me.

Look at me. You're gonna
come back with me right now,

and you are not going
to get in a fight with him...

Hey, listen to me.

And he is not going
to get in a fight with you.

And you're going to put
the team before yourself.

- And you're going to be a man.
- Yes, sir.

And you're going to put it behind you.

And he's going to be a man,
and he's going to put it behind you.

And our team is not going
to be torn apart by stupidity

- because we're not going to let it.
- Yes, sir.

- Will you do that for me?
- Yes, sir.

What were you,
arguing over the arm rest?

I don't know. He up there playin'.
He shouldn't have moved me.

Just don't sit next to him.

I thought we was friends or something.

OK, listen, can you say that to him?

- Why not?
- I don't know, I...

Say, "Chavis, yeah, I'm mad,

but it hurt me because I thought
we were friends.

I thought we were just friends."

Get your shit. Let's go.

[Sighs]

[Courtney] Hut!

[Rhythmic claps]

[Courtney] Hut! Hut!
All the way through.

- Hut! Hut!
- [Clap]

- Hut! Hut!
- [Clap]

Don't send him back
until I say something.

- Hut! Hut!
- [Clap]

[Coach] All the way through.

[Courtney] Trezevant is full
of a bunch of jackasses!

A bunch of rogues!
A bunch of talkers!

Trezevant, it's our first district game.

We've got guys who have not
gotten along in the past,

ever since they were young,

and there's an enormous
amount of hype about the game.

If you lose Friday night, you're going
to hear about it for a year.

And I'm tellin' ya,
Friday night is won today!

Let's have a good practice.
Let's get on with the haul!

[Boy shouting]

[Courtney] Don't underplay
what this game's about.

I want you guys just to base block.

It's about
the up-and-coming Manassas program,

fighting the established program
that's willing to do anything

- to keep you down.
- Now! Let's go, on the hop.

We got Trezevant's ass to kick!

This games about what
we've been building to do right

and what they've been
doing wrong for years.

Y'all gotta wanna get better!
You gotta want to!

Friday night you have
an unbelievable opportunity to say...

"Yep. We are... We are
the class of North Memphis!"

There it is!

Golly! Golly!

That is sick!

Trezevant is trying
to punk them guys out,

and they wouldn't even let 'em
get none of them

because they had their heads
on right because they're tight.

That's what we're going to be!

[Yelling, chanting]

[Man] I had to have a meeting with my
boss, the director of security.

The reason they
called me into a meeting...

...is about the rumors that is
going around about Trezevant

sending messages to you guys

that if they don't win the game,
they gonna win the fight.

- What school do we go to?
- [All] Manassas.

- What school do we go to?
- [All] Manassas!

[Swansey] How do we act in public?

We act like we have
home training, correct?

[Boys] Yes, sir.

[Swansey] When you guys take that field,

I don't care what's said,

I don't care if somebody
puts their hands on you.

I have enough people there to handle
whatever situation that comes on.

I got your back, man.
Nobody's going to do anything to you.

You're all big boys.
I know you can handle yourselves,

but let me do my job, please.
And win this game tonight.

[Announcer] First and ten,
the ball at the 23-yard line.

The quarterback
has his back to the I,

hands it off to the running back,
turns the corner,

coming out of that pack,
he has running room. He's gonna go in.

That is going to be a 23-yard scamper,
and just like that, it's 6-nothing.

Pull up!
Let's go! Pull 'em up!

[Announcer] Second down and eight.

Here's the play-fake in motion
near the near side of the quarterback.

Dashing inside, outside!
To the ten! Down to the five!

He stretches into the end zone!
Touchdown!

- [Cheering]
- Come on, man!

[Announcer] The Manassas Tigers need
to do everything that they can do

to get some points on the board
before we end this half.

All we gotta do is get a score!

[Announcer] First and ten.
Here's Redmond under center this time.

Here's the handoff.

He spins, and boy,
he's popped hard as he hits the 45.

Here's Redmond
on the quarterback keeper,

trying to get loose
and will be sacked in the backfield.

The only thing that occurred there
was about a five-yard loss.

Boy, those guys have taken
some beatings here, haven't they?

[Whistle blows]

[Courtney] That's bullshit!
He tried to break his damn neck.

Then they get up clapping about it.

[Announcer] The game's not over yet,
but it looks pretty dire for Manassas.

About to fall to 0-2 unless they
can stage a miraculous comeback.

[Courtney] Get in tight!

[Marching band playing]

[Courtney] All right, listen up!

We've done all the things
that we told you you had to not do.

And you're down 20-nothin'.

That's it.

Now, here's the deal.

This is
an unbelievably good opportunity.

You come back from that...

...now you're talking about something.

You lay down on that,

well... then you forgot
what we're about.

I do not want to see
anybody dropping their head.

I want to see us get a stop
and score and see what happens.

- Can we do that?
- [All] Yes, sir!

Hey, you got to believe
in yourselves, fellas.

You can come back,
but you gotta go to work.

We're coming back!

[All chanting, yelling]

- Let's go!
- Let's go, man!

[Announcer] Manassas trying
to do it again, five-man front.

Drops, looks... throws.

Got a man open and it's caught!
Inside the five! Touchdown!

[Player] Defense!

[All chanting] Defense! Defense!

[Announcer] First and ten.

Here's the handoff.
Fumbling the ball.

It's loose and Manassas has come up
with it at the 25-yard line.

[Courtney] You got them mashed.
They're laying down!

You got to keep mashing!

[Announcer] Redmond,
backs in the I again.

Redmond drops straight back, looks,
throws! It is caught! Touchdown!

[Cheering]

20-14, Manassas
in the midst of a comeback.

[Courtney] We just won
the third quarter!

If we win the fourth quarter,
we win the freakin' game!

Let's go get 'em, guys!

[Announcer] We thought Manassas
was going to get blown out of here.

And right now,
they've got all the momentum,

down by six and with the ball.

Manassas trying to take the lead.

They have the back ten yards.

Redmond. Here's the handoff.

Powers his way into the end zone.
Touchdown Manassas!

Credit the Tigers.
They really played a great second half.

[Courtney]
Let the clock run, baby, run!

Run, baby, run.

[Announcer] I would be shocked
if Redmond doesn't do anything

other than down the ball here
and get this over with.

[Courtney] Take the snap,
take a knee, game over.

If they swing at you,
run to me like I'm your daddy.

I will take care of it. Let's go.

Holy moly.

Everybody! Helmets strapped!

Do not take them off
until you get to the bus!

Get your damn helmet on,
helmet strapped!

[Announcer] They come with everyone
right at the line of scrimmage.

[Courtney] Toe-to-toe!

[Announcer] Redmond's just going to
fall on one knee, I would think.

Takes the snap,
that's exactly what he does.

- [Horn blares]
- [Cheering]

[Announcer] Manassas wins the ball game!

Coach! Coach! Coach!

No. The cops don't... Uh-uh!

The cops don't
want us to shake hands.

- [Officer 1] Let's go! Go to the bus!
- [Officer 2] Go to the bus!

Hey, good job, Manassas!
Yeah! Yeah!

Yeah! Yeah!

[Man] Let's go! Report cards!
I don't get a report card, no play!

You got O.C.'s?

[Player]

O. C!

Who's your teacher in journalism?

I got three different teachers.
This is the third teacher...

Well, how are you going to have a 60?

I don't know, Coach.
We had Miss Wells at first.

Then we had a old lady,
but now we got a young teacher.

That's what I'm saying.

How do you get a 90 in pre-calculus
and a 70 in keyboard?

You got good grades
in all your normal classes,

and you got crap ones
in these stupid classes.

[Woman] We had told Coach Bill

that we was going to stop
O.C. From playing football

because his grades wasn't up
like they was supposed to be.

[Courtney] Mike and I started talking
about O.C.'s academic struggles.

And we said, you know,
if this keeps going on,

he's going to lose
an opportunity to play college football

and get out and go
do something with his life.

[Ethel] So, the coach done
come in and they talked to us

and they say, "Well, we got a solution
if you'll let us work with him."

[Ray] We ran through
a lot of different options

and talked about getting tutors,

and then we thought "Well, we can't
get a tutor to go over there."

[Courtney] Mike said, uh, "Well, he can
just live with me for three days

or four days a week at my house.
And the tutors can come to my house."

The whole idea was I would take him home
from school, leave him at Mike's,

get him tutored, take him to school.
That's how it went.

What we said was he'd pay for the tutor,
if we'd pay for the groceries.

And I promise you, [chuckles]
We got the short end on that deal.

- Your favorite show?
- Yeah.

- Are you serious?
- [O.C.] Yeah.

[O.C.]

See, there's three going
into the 22 right here.

The school has not prepared him
for college or even close.

They advanced him a grade
because he was big.

You know how to do long division?

All right. We'll go over it.

[Tutor] You're going to
look at the first number

and three goes
into six twice, right?

So, you're gonna write two
right here, and then...

[Money] A lot of people look up to O.C.,
like I be tellin' him all the time,

I wonder
where we're gonna be after football.

[Boys chattering]

You're trying to burp in my ear.

[Money] I picture O.C., you know,

playing football
in college and going pro.

And I picture me being,
like, ex-football player/manager,

lawyer of a football player.

I see myself as that guy
wearing a suit every day.

Y'all know y'all can't go
that way, right?

[Williams] Montrail
is a very sensitive person,

especially in dealing
with the death of his father.

[Money] I was 13 when my dad died.

I didn't know what to do without my dad
because my dad was my protector.

When he died, it was like
I knew I was on my own.

And that's when I just really
started being on my own.

You know, being a man
and working through my problems.

He told me before he died...
he said, "Take care of your grandmother

and get an education.

As high as you can go
with an education."

That's why I'm going there.
I was gonna say

if I wasn't gonna get
no Tennessee money,

I wouldn't go to school.

[Woman] He talked to me
about it earlier this week.

He was concerned
about going to college.

And that's horrible because he is...
He's very intelligent.

He might be able to receive

a little money for computers
and things like that...

[Kirby] I hope he goes to college.

I don't know
how he's going to do if he doesn't.

Dad, you know what Maggie said
in the car on the way home from the zoo?

No telling.

She told us that when she
listened to two different songs at once,

it made her bones hurt.

[Giggling]

- Maggie...
- [Maggie] You're making me nervous!

- Shut up.
- Did you say shut up to me?

I love you.

[Girl] She said something else funny,
I can't remember.

[Lisa] He strives to be
a good daddy to his kids.

And I believe that stems from him
not having a father growing up.

He was four years old
when his dad left.

So, you know, he doesn't
remember a lot about his dad... at all.

My ninth-grade year,
it was 0-0 going...

...like, two minutes left in the game.

I took a handoff, and we scored.

We won 8-nothin'
at the very end of the game.

You know, it's ninth-grade football.
Wasn't that big of a deal.

But, you know, you score
the winning touchdown,

that's a pretty cool thing.

And I remember looking up and seeing...

...there were
four or five of my teammates,

and every one of them
were walking with their dads,

and their dads were carrying their...

They put their helmets
through their shoulder pads

and were carrying their gear for them.

And they're talking about the game
and everything else,

and I was walking
off the field by myself.

I remember thinking,
"Why ain't my dad here with me?

What do those kids have that I don't?
Why do those kids have what I want?"

Which is a father in my life

and somebody to share
these kind of experiences with.

You start feeling
like you're not very valuable

because you must not be.

If your own father doesn't want

to spend time with you
or do anything for you,

you must be valueless.
You must not really have much worth.

So... fast forward to Manassas.

I know some of those kids feel that way.
And I will never be their father.

But I can sure as heck tell them
it's nothing you've done.

You didn't ask to be born into this,
but you were.

There's nothing fair about it.

But it also doesn't mean
there's anything wrong with you.

There's something
inherently wrong with that guy.

- [Boys chattering]
- [P.A. Chattering]

[Chavis] You know,
if he say anything...

[Courtney] Will you just tell me
what happened?

Chavis! Chavis!

I am driving my truck over there.

Would you please
don't walk away from me?

You're about to hurt my feelings.

Thank you.

I didn't ask you what's wrong with you.
My truck's here. I gotta go this way.

- I'm trying to ask you what happened?
- Nothing.

Well, then what is it? What is it?

- No, don't. You wanna ride with me?
- No, coach.

- You wanna ride with me?
- No, sir.

- No.
- Is that it, Chavis?

[Courtney] Hey, Chavis. Listen to me.

Do you really wanna bring
the team down, right now?

Oh man, you know better than that.

I need you to think
about what you're saying

and just chill for me, please.

Look at... Look at me.

- Yes, sir.
- All right?

[Sighs]

At what point...
At what point do you quit trying?

[Courtney] Chavis, please come here.

Come here. Chavis.

- Chavis.
- [Clattering]

- Chavis!
- [Crashing]

Everybody, in there.
Everybody in that square.

That's that.

That's over. That's through.

[Announcer] And we're just about ready
for football action,

Bolivar and Manassas...

Picks it up on the 30-yard line.

Runs around the corner,
he's got some running room.

Nobody's gonna be able
to get an angle on him

and going all the way
for a touchdown is the...

[Courtney] One thing and one person
will not bring this program down.

And we give and we bend,
and we give and we bend,

trying to bring folks right.

When folks don't get right,
that's that. That's all.

[Announcer] He gets across the 15!
Across the ten!

Touchdown Manassas!

[Courtney] It will not be spoken of,
and it will not be talked about.

The coaches will handle that.
You will handle yourselves.

We have a football game to win.

We have a season
to go kick everybody's butt.

[Announcer] Clock is just going to run
as we enter the mercy rules.

Manassas with an easy win.

[Courtney] Now, y'all ready
to go play some football?

[All] Yes, sir!

[Courtney] Everybody knows why we're in
here, and there's no need to tippy-toe.

Quit dressin' and listen in.
Yesterday was not a good day.

Chavis failed us.

What you got to say?
I heard you mumbling twice.

- Well, now you need to speak up.
- [Chavis] I ain't got nothin' to say.

- Chavis, you've got nothin' to say?
- [Mumbles]

- Speak up.
- [Chavis] I ain't got nothing to say.

Do you think what you did was wrong?

Well, I guess it's time to man up.

Does this team mean anything to you?

- [Player] You're lyin'!
- Where would you be?

[Courtney] It was our judgment
that a long suspension

was better than a termination.

And the reason was,
is 'cause we didn't want to lose him.

We felt like
if he didn't have football,

that he would really
fall off the edge.

That he might transfer,
and if he transferred,

that would not be
a good thing for him at all.

I don't know when enough is enough.

I mean... you care
about these kids a bunch, right?

So, consider... maybe not
your own family,

but some people
that are very close to you.

And let's say they're abusing drugs
and continue to get off drugs,

get on drugs,
get off drugs, get off drugs.

You know, at what point do you take
someone you love and care about

and you want to make better, at what
point do you turn your back on them

and say "I'm through screwing with you.
Goodbye. Lose my number"?

I mean, I don't know.

[Man] And I'll tell you one last thing.

If you don't remember the past,
history will repeat itself.

And that passion you have right now
is going to become overwhelmed

by anger, hate...
and then you gonna snap.

But if you will allow it,
football will save your life.

Allow yourself to be coached.
Allow yourself to be criticized.

Allow yourself to learn
how to be a leader.

And then learn how to lead.

It's in you, but you got
to allow for that to happen.

When it's all said and done,

how do you want Chavis
to be remembered?

[Boy] See you, O.C.!

You did a good job.

[O.C.] Oh, I don't know
about gettin' him off.

[Ethel] Some people try to say,

"Well, you know, here's gotta be
something in it for them."

And I said, "Well, no,
I don't believe that.

They were doing that to help O.C.,

because they wanted him
to keep up with his football career."

[Woman]

Yes, ma'am. You worry about them.
And that's good.

[Ray] Can you give her
that sheet that y'all showed me?

I'll bring that. I'll bring
the graduation rate stuff to you.

[Smith] Any time you're dealing
with a story that involves both races,

it can always be a lighting rod
here in this town.

[Ray] Mrs. Hayes was about to make him
quit football, or was it you?

- No, it was me.
- It was you. That's right.

- Yeah, it was Rachel.
- [Ray] That's kinda when we decided...

[Ethel] Mm-hmm. Gotta do somethin'.
That's when y'all came to the house

and sat down and talked to us about it.

That story,
when you have this black kid

going out and living
with this white family,

when you read some of the comments

of what people said afterwards
when they read it, it was like,

"They wouldn't be
doing that for this black kid

if he didn't have any athletic ability.
They only see dollar signs."

[Ray] There's like 67 posts here.

"It's really a shame
that it's always the superstar athlete

everybody is after
and everyone is willing to help."

But it just so happens that I know
a little something about football.

Same with Bill.

If you see
someone that's really pretty good

and has a chance to do something,
yeah, you're gonna wanna help them.

It would be like if you were going
out there, giving them piano lessons,

and you saw that this guy
could be a concert pianist someday.

So I'm going to try
to help him get better at it.

[Chattering]

[Money] Homecoming tickets are on sale.

Tell your mama, your daddy,
your grandma, your granddad,

aunt, uncle, sister,
brother and cousins

to buy your tickets
from the school and the school only.

Let's have a safe weekend,

and everybody's planning
on being at the game.

[Courtney] All right, listen up.

- Everybody paying attention?
- [All] Yes, sir.

Everybody awake?
Thinkin'? Head's on.

Fellas? We're going
to talk a lot about football,

but I'm going to take five minutes to
tell you something I want you to hear.

I purposely,
until we got past this game,

have not discussed the playoffs
with you. But now I'm going to.

If you win your district,

we make the playoffs.

Now, you ready for the good news?

You have an unbelievable,

that I couldn't have even dreamed of,

opportunity in front of you.

Because this school
was founded in 1899

and has never won
a playoff game... ever.

And this group is going
to change all that.

[Courtney] A hundred
and ten years, folks.

Not one.

Seniors, don't let the last four years,

don't let everything we've worked for
slip through your fingers.

- Does it mean that much to you?
- [Player] Yes, sir.

[Courtney] It's what you've got to be
asking yourself right now.

Does it really mean something?

[O.C.] To win a playoff game,
just one playoff game,

I mean, it is big to me.

[Money] I just feel like, you know,
this is my last chance to do it.

Like, I don't want to have no regrets.

[Marching band plays]

[Courtney] Good job. Good job.

Dexter, that's
a pretty sweet block right there.

- [Crowd shouting, cheering]
- [Man] Field goal!

[Courtney] Let's score here. Let's go.
22 right, motion right, dart left.

Good job, D!

Money! Money!
Let's get it right here, come on!

[Announcer] First and ten, Tigers.

Redmond hands it off to Parker.

Parker scooting his way,
Parker still running,

Parker has a first down as he gets
inside of the 30 and is driven back.

And there's a Manassas player down.

[Crowd yelling]

Can't tell who that is right now.
That's not good.

The coaching staff is coming out.

[Courtney] Talk to me, Money.

Talk to me, Money.

Money, talk to me.

- [Money muttering]
- [Courtney] Just talk.

- Put your leg flat for us.
- [Money] It hurts.

Put your leg flat.

[Groaning]

[Courtney] Hurting?
Put your weight on this one.

Put your weight on your right one.

- [Man] Oh, you got it.
- [Money muttering]

[Man] Just take your time.
You'll be all right.

- [Courtney] Thanks.
- You'll be all right.

God, I hope we didn't just lose him.

[Money] Are you going
to put them up on there?

- [Woman] Mm-hmm.
- [Money] I get to see it?

- [Woman] Mm-hmm.
- [Money] OK.

- Wow. Is that my brain?
- [Woman] No, that's your leg.

- Montrail, how are you?
- All right.

- Good, good to see ya.
- You looked at the pictures already?

- Yeah, took a peek at them.
- Looks good?

Well... Let me sit down
and talk to you here.

OK.

Your anterior cruciate ligament
has been injured.

Now, what it looks like is
a high grade partial injury.

It doesn't look like
all of the fibers have been torn.

But it looks like a large number
of them have been torn.

I know you're dying
to continue to play football here.

But the bottom line is that...

...even if we don't
end up operating on you,

you're probably going to be out
of football at least for eight weeks,

and probably 12,
while we allow this to heal.

I know that's not what you wanted
to hear, but that's the case.

And I'm sorry about that.

I know you're having
a big year this year,

but it's a pretty significant injury.

- All right?
- Yes, sir.

OK, we'll get you through this.

[Man] You know, when you come
from North Memphis...

- Oh, boy.
- [Congregants] Yeah!

[Man] When you come
from North Memphis.

- [Man] Hard times...
- [all] Yes.

See, I ain't had
no good life all my life.

- You know, I had some hard times.
- [All] Amen.

Just to be standing here...

[congregants]
Praise you, Lord! All right!

[Man] We're just calling on you, Lord.

We just ask
that you just bless O.C., Lord.

We ask that you bless him, Lord Jesus,
on the football field, Lord.

Just continue to bless him, Lord Jesus.

Just give him the strength
that he needs, Lord Jesus.

Let him still keep
his focus on you, Lord.

[Man] Please clear your desk
of everything

except for a number-two pencil.

You're about to take the ACT test,

which is composed
of multiple choice tests

in English, math, reading and science.

If you've already taken the writing
portion, you will take a writing test...

[Ray] He's kinda on the borderline
of qualifying right now.

So if he kept his GPA upward...

If he makes a 16, he'll be in.

[Man] All right, here we go.

- Hi, I'm Ashley. Nice to meet you.
- Hi, I'm Montrail. How you doin'?

OK, what happened?

[Ray] We lost him.

I hope there's some way we can
get him back,

but it's probably not likely.

You usually tear this inside ligament
when you tear your ACL.

So, you're going to be doing some stuff.
Let's get on the bike.

I know what he feels like right now
as far as the injury.

'Cause you go from
being in the inner circle

to where no one cares about you.

[Courtney]

[Money]

So?

You need to be in school.
You gotta get your grades, Money.

[Courtney] Did you hear
what I just said?

You can't be not coming to school
because you're not playing football.

- Hello?
- Coach...

- Huh?
- It's... It's just school.

I understand your frustration,

but you don't quit
because you're frustrated.

You just keep goin'.

You're better than that.

I expect that shit
out of some of these idiots,

- but not you.
- Yes, sir.

[Courtney]
So, you be at school tomorrow.

- [Laughing] Yes, sir.
- Do you hear me?

All right.

I'm gone. See y'all later.

[Boys chattering]

[Chavis]

Yeah.

[Courtney] That's his commitment.
That needs to be y'all's commitment too.

- [Clapping]
- Help each other out.

[Chavis] This is the beginning for me,
for the rest of my season.

And really, for the rest
of my football career.

[Money] I really don't care.
Do not care at all

because once he put his hands on me,
I have no feelings for him.

None whatsoever.

You know, it was like they say,
three strikes and you're out.

This man probably got about 50 strikes,
and he's still in the game.

[Crowd cheering]

[Whistle blows]

[Crowd cheers]

Hey! You act like
you've never been in a game before.

You're not playing together on defense.

I need to know what the hell's going on
in the defensive huddle!

Tell me right now!

If somebody makes a mistake,
everybody hollerin' at him.

- Yes, sir.
- Shut up!

How many times do we gotta talk
about discipline and team first?

See, it doesn't mean anything to you!

Rock! You've heard it
50 times from me!

How do you measure character?

Somebody tell me
how to measure character!

Somebody tell me somebody
has listened to me!

[Chavis]

Who said it?

Not how you handle your successes,
but how you handle failure.

Character!

Six freakin' years!

And I can't get 11 so-called leaders
to have a little bit of character!

It has nothing to do with adjustments
on defense tonight, fellas.

It has to do with heart and character.

Put yourself aside, put the team first
and have a little bit of character.

Now, I'm thinkin' about putting you at
defensive tackle for... dude's a doofus.

I'm serious. What do you think?

Line up over the guard
and just go through them...

[crowd cheering]

[Chavis]

Huh?

Go do it! Go get Kenneth out. Go do it.

[Coach] Thank you, thank you.

[Ray] You want Chavis in at two
or here in the shade?

[Courtney] I told him to get wherever he
wanted to and get to the backfield.

Just give him a second.

He'll figure it out.
I'm gonna trust him.

[Cheering and yelling]

[Man] Defense! Defense! Defense!

[Cheering]

[Woman] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

[Courtney] Where's Chavis?
Where's Chavis?

I'm proud of you.

[Courtney] "In what..."
Are you listening? Good.

"In what will go down
as one of the best performances

in the history
of Manassas Tiger football,

the Tigers went out east and wrecked
the homecoming for St. Benedict.

The Tigers came into this game
with key injuries in the offensive line,

the defensive line and the backfield.

To take matters worse,
they found themselves in a 28-13 hole

with less than one minute
to go in the first half.

That's when things changed in a hurry.

Chavis Daniels,
inserted defensive tackle,

formed a very tough defensive line.

This made it easier
for the rest of the defensive unit

to run around and make plays.

The Tigers would go on
to outscore St. Benedict

27-nothin' in the third quarter,
put the game away.

After the 54-41 victory,
the Tigers now found themselves at 5-1

in the midst
of a five-game winning streak.

This might be one
of those games the Tigers look back on

as a pivotal point
to their season.

Down by just... Down by two touchdowns,
just four half and on the road.

They could have thrown in the towel,

but if we've learned anything
about this team after six weeks,

it is that they are
resilient and never give up.

The Tigers next test
will be Thursday night.

Manassas travel to Green Hill
to take on Frayser at 7:00."

What was the word I said we were going
to talk about for just a second?

- A hurry.
- A hurry, a snap, quick.

All right, watch this.
Ready to do some math?

- [Players] Yes, sir.
- Good. How old are you, Joaquin?

- Eighteen.
- Eighteen.

That's 936 weeks he's been alive.

I'm gonna clap to 900.
You ready? You ready?

Count with me.

[Players counting]

How long will it take me
to clap to 900?

- Eighteen years.
- A while.

That was just 18. Watch this.

- [Player] Four?
- Four.

That's what's left
of your football season.

It ain't nothin' but a snap.
It's over in a hurry.

Ask Money.

It could be over, just like... [snaps]
That. In a hurry.

So, let's do this again, right?

If I have to clap as many times
as most of y'all have been alive,

it's gonna take me forever.

If I have to clap as long
as football is, it's this.

And you're done... unless you win.

Then what's it sound like?

If you win...

And if you win...

Let's go do what we're supposed to do,
which is beat Frayser, beat Douglass,

beat Northside, beat Kingsbury,
get in the playoffs and do our thing.

And let's surprise everybody
in Tennessee,

'cause there's other folks out east
of here that don't think we belong.

- Y'all ready to get it done?
- [All] Yes, sir.

Wiggle.

[♪ The Barons:
"Making It Better"]

[Radio DJ] Coach Courtney,
we appreciate you callin'.

You guys are gettin' on a roll.

Is it fair to say that it's
an improvement week by week?

[Courtney] Yeah, it's real fair to say.

It's discipline,
it's coaching, it's teaching.

We're just trying
to coach them up a little bit.

[Announcer] One of the premiere players,
number 77, O.C. Brown.

He's just vicious
any way you look at it.

[Whistle blows]

[Music fades out]

[Courtney] Stay, Smudge. Stay. Stay...

You're a good boy.

[Car starting]

[Courtney] Come on, big boy.
I'm outside.

- Good mornin'.
- Good mornin'.

[Courtney] Which one of them big-booty
girls is your girlfriend now?

- Onika.
- Who?

- Onika, coach.
- O, what?

- Onika.
- Onika?

Yeah.

[Courtney laughing]

- You do?
- Yeah.

- You wanna smell good for Onika?
- Yes, sir.

That's cute. That's adorable.

You put on too much, you're gonna stink
and nobody's gonna wanna be around you.

One squirt... Look at me.

You put one squirt,
maybe two in your hands.

- Yeah?
- Rub 'em together. And do like this...

And you'll smell good all day.
You'll have Onika and everybody else

just following you around
in the hallway.

There you go.

Now you're going to smell good. Yes.

Now you're runnin' hoes,
and slammin' Cadillac doors.

[Laughing]

[Indistinct chatter]

[Whistle blows]

[Player] Set, hut!

Hut!

[Lisa] He's been doing this for five,
six, seven years now, and, um...

...I love it.

I love what he's doing,

I love that the children need him.

And, you know,
honestly, he needs them too.

At the end
of the football season, yeah...

I mean, honestly?
I'm... I'm tired.

You know? And he's tired.
And I'm ready for him to be home.

You know, 'cause he has four children
here that need him as well.

[Courtney] They let us fake the dive.

[Boy] It's the end
who caught the pass, I think.

- No, he dropped it.
- Who was going...

Don't get on my nerves right now.

[Courtney] I mean,
I'm exhausted all the damn time.

It's not a hobby to me.
I mean, it's a responsibility.

- [Boy] How the... Those slots are...
- Shh.

...like wingbacks.
- Shh.

[Courtney] What I give up
is emotional capital

that I can't spend on my own family.

You know, it's 10:45
on Saturday night,

and I screamed at 'em two hours ago
to get out of the house.

It's a lot.
My family gives up a ton for this.

A ton.

[Players groaning, grunting]

[Panting] Damn!

[O.C.] They say,
"We would like to congratu...

...congratulate you
for being nominated

for consideration to play in the 2010
U.S. All-American Bowl."

"We have completed
our roster and unfortunately,

you were not selected
to play in this year."

[Ray] When all this happened, it seemed
like he might get offered by everyone,

which that hadn't happened.
I think the word's probably out.

In fact, the guy from Colorado, he goes,

"Well, we understand
there's some academic issues

and he may have a hard time doing
college work out here at Colorado,"

which is evidently
a pretty tough school.

[Courtney] Most of these kids

think they're going to play
college football...

until, of course, signing day's over

and they're standing around
with a 2.0 GPA and a 14 on the ACT

and no football scholarship
and nowhere to go.

And you watch them go
from playful, little boys

to very concerned young men
over the course of a month

'cause it all dawns on them,
"What do I do next?"

- [Money] Thank you. I'm fine.
- You got a smile on your face.

I know the first couple of times you
come in, you weren't smiling too much.

But you can have a seat in here,
wherever is comfortable,

and Dr. Wolfe will be in
in just a minute.

- OK.
- [Woman] Thank you.

[Doctor] OK, now that feels
pretty solid right there.

Um, all right, you can
go ahead and sit up.

Let me grab a stool here.
I'm very pleased with your progress,

but I'm still... I think
it's not appropriate to be playing.

- And...
- What if I just put a brace on it?

Well, I agree 100 percent...

'Cause I'm not gonna,
you know, do nothin' stupid.

- You know, I play smart now.
- Right.

How much of your season's left anyway?

It's the last game.

- The last game? That's it?
- Yeah. This Friday.

This Friday. That is it?
That's the end of the season?

Yes, sir. And I missed
every last one of 'em.

Well... I still...
I think it's too early to play.

Please, this is killing me.
You know I've been depressed?

- Sad...
- I know.

I, look...

Are you a senior, too?

Yes, this is my last year.
Close to being my last time...

I'm not going to play football
in college 'cause I'm too small anyway.

Right... I think
I just do not want you

on the football field
playing competitively. I really don't.

It's just not the right thing to do.

I'm sorry I didn't give you
the news you wanted.

- OK.
- OK. Good to see ya.

- She'll be right with ya.
- OK.

All right.

- [Door shuts]
- [Sighs]

I'm still gonna play.

Just get on my nerves.

[Mumbling] Wasting my time.

[Ashley] So, you saw him
yesterday, right?

- Yeah.
- What'd he say?

- Another two weeks.
- I think that's a good thing.

This way, you'll feel really confident
when you go back to playin'.

That's the thing.
Season's over with.

You know, it's either
you win or you don't.

- Yeah.
- You don't win, you're gone.

Well, just make sure
your team wins that game, right?

And then you can play the next one.

All right. Get dressed.
I'll meet you out here.

[Students chattering]

- Hey man, I got a jersey.
- OK.

Let me see.

Seventy-one... I got a jersey, man.
Look good on you.

[Chavis]

When did he say that?

Of all the losses, I gotta hang on
to one or two pluses.

And... I gotta keep telling myself that
to keep myself up, because it does...

It just, I mean...

...of all people to think that Money is
on the cusp of being lost is...

You know, it kills me.
But in the same respect...

If you had looked at Money
at the beginning of the season

and Chavis at the
beginning of the season,

if you had to put all your money
on who was going to blow up

and not handle it all,

would you believe Chavis
would be the one in here

still trying to get right, and Money
be the one not at school today

and not doing what he's supposed to?

Perhaps some of you are seniors.
Your goal is to graduate.

And once you graduate, you're going
to be going out into that big world.

And... we want you to know that.

In addition to that,
I am very encouraged...

- [clattering]
- [Indistinct]

...to know that in this day in time,
it is most important

that you get a good education.

[Group applauding]

On my way over to the pre-game meal,
I drove by his house.

I said, "What is wrong, Money?"
I said, "You know, you're close."

And he said... Before he screamed at me,
and he just looked at me

and he had tears rolling
out of his eyes and he said,

"You know... Can you hug me?"
And he started bawling like a child.

He feels like he's not
part of the team anymore.

You know, he looked out
on the practice field Thursday

and some freshman was wearing
54 practice jersey, and he said,

"I couldn't help it.
It just... It killed me."

[Courtney] Hey, guys.

Hey.

Tonight, you have a chance
to win a district championship.

You have a chance to secure
a position for our team in the playoffs.

It's a huge game.

Let's get it done.

Coach, you got men...
A Most Uncommon Man.

All right, guys...

The Uncommon Man of the week,
very proud of this individual.

I'll have to admit,
at the beginning of the year,

I had my doubts as to whether he'd even
be a part of this football team,

but I'm going to let
Coach Bill finish this one.

The reason we're here, y'all,

is not just to win football games,

but to reach your hearts
through something you love.

We wanna make you better.

And then, as individuals, if you get
better, then you get better as a team,

you might start seeing
that if you do something

for somebody other than yourself,
that you might be better for it.

And every once in a while,
problems come up.

Money.

Two things that mean most...
anything to him in the world

is his father and football.

His dad's dead, and he's scared
to death his football's dead.

That's tough, and we gotta
make sure we're there for him.

Uncommon Man of the game
was clearly Chavis.

- He had an onside...
- [applauding]

He had an onside kick recovery.

He had an interception
he should have scored on.

He was all over the field on defense,
and he stepped up and led.

And Chavis has done
some stupid crap this year.

That stunt he pulled
at Bolivar was off the hook.

But, yeah, he was
the Uncommon Man of the game.

But, most importantly,
he's the Uncommon Man

because he has tried to put
a whole bunch of demons aside,

to be part of something
bigger then himself.

So, Chavis, you're the Uncommon Man.

[Applauding]

I love you.

There you go.
All right, y'all...

Let's beat Kingsbury tonight.

Bow your heads.

Father God, I lift up this team to you.

I lift up tonight to you.

I'm gonna lift up
each of these kids to you.

Ease Money's pain.

Stay in Chavis' life.

[Announcer] Back in the
E.H. Crump Stadium

and we got a doozy
for you here tonight.

The Manassas Tigers taking
on the Kingsbury Falcons,

for the district title
and also for playoff seeding as well,

so this should be a heck of a ball game.

[Courtney] Help us as men, Lord,
to continue to help these kids.

Open their ears and hearts,
so they listen to us and to you.

Give us strength tonight.

Win or lose, let us play with discipline
and heart and put the team first.

Win or lose, keep us healthy.

Win or lose, keep our heads right

and let us know that you've graced us
with another week, at least.

And as long as we do
what your will is,

you'll probably grace us with another.

[Crowd cheering]

[Courtney] Teach us to believe
in a life of love, to walk in honor,

and to serve you in truth.
In your son's name we pray.

- Amen.
- [All] Amen.

[Announcer]
The Manassas Tigers have shown

a valiant second-half effort tonight
in this ball game.

Final score:
Manassas 27, Kingsbury 16.

With the game,
they win the district championship.

And more importantly, probably,

they also have home-field advantage
during the playoffs.

[All praying] "Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses

Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil..."

[all] Team first!

[Gospel music playing]

[Announcer] Now, let's go
to Coach Bill Courtney at Manassas.

Tell me about your playoff situation,
coach, as much as you can.

Who we picked up in the playoffs?

Westview.

I'm on the way
to trade tapes with the coach.

I'm just going to go bury myself
somewhere in a hole with a VCR.

- How good are you?
- Oh, we're not very good.

Coach, you just won
six straight and beat...

Yeah, but look, we had a tough
first four games. And starting 0-4...

You can "Aw, shucks" all you want,
but I'm scared to death of you guys.

[Announcer] How do you feel
going into the playoffs?

[Courtney] I think we've got
the mentality, you know.

We're going to take it
one day at a time and...

We can beat 'em, but they can beat us.
I mean, you know, it's playoffs.

[Announcer] How's the health
of your team going in?

[Courtney] Our right tackle
is out with a knee.

We may or may not
be getting him back.

[Courtney] You know, I'll see him
Sunday night at 7:00

in the auditorium
at the school for film.

And we'll be on the practice field
Monday, and we're gonna do our best

to try to represent
District 15 playoffs.

[Courtney] All right, listen up.
Everybody, listen up.

I did not spend the last
15 hours of my life

driving to Westview
and doing this

for you to sit here
and not pay attention.

It's gonna take some time, and we're
gonna take all the time that it needs.

Because at 9:00 in Martin, Tennessee,

Westview High School shows up,
and they go film from 9:00 to 12:00.

So, if they can do it, we can do it.

I can remember four and five
years ago and them saying,

"Man... Manassas in the playoffs?"

I mean, comments like,
"I never thought I'd see the day."

Now, Manassas
not only won a playoff game,

but a playoff game
from one of these schools...

You got to understand,
this school used to pay us

$3,000 to come up there
and get our asses beat.

Be their homecoming queen,
give us a check, some pizza,

and send us right back
to Memphis to where we came from.

How amazing would it be
to take one of those schools

and turn around and that be

the first team we beat
in the playoffs ever.

- Anybody seen Montrail?
- [Student] Yeah.

Where? Damn.

My bad.

Now look, there's going
to be limited contact today

- until we get the brace.
- OK, coach.

- [Player] Hey, Coach!
- [Courtney] Hey!

[Coach] Pick it up,
pick it up, pick it up!

[Indistinct talking]

Hut!

[Courtney] That's amazing.

- Is he serious?
- Dead on.

And he's a multi-multi millionaire.
He's probably worth 30, 40 million.

Will he really do that?

Hey, Mike. The minute they break,

I want first team spread
and pro huddled up.

Eleven on defense,
and I'll be there in a second.

Hey, this is Bill Courtney.
How're you doing, bud?

So that's a bona fide, tried and blue,
for-sure offer you just made.

Tears are in my eyes.
I appreciate you very much.

OK. Bye.

- How about that?
- Wow.

I thought that was pretty cool.

Houston, get in at right tackle
next time for Money.

- [Money] Dang, man. Damn.
- [Player] Come on, man.

You're goin' back in, man.
Don't worry about it.

[Courtney] Come here, Money.

You remember when you decided you didn't
want to go the physical therapy?

- Yeah.
- And I told you

that you were going to physical therapy?
You kept saying no.

You remember why I told you
you were going to physical therapy?

Because, if you do the right thing,
people will...

- See me... notice me.
...continue to help you.

And when you quit doing the right thing,
they'll go away as fast as they come.

- Do you remember that conversation?
- Yes, sir.

You remember that, right?

All right, well, now look at you.
You went on to therapy,

you put your little
selfish feelings aside,

your crying
and your bitchin' and moanin'.

Now you're on a football field.

Hopefully not playing
your last game, but at least...

...you're a part of what we're doin'.

Starting again, leading us like
you're supposed to and everything else.

It's a further testament
to doing the right thing.

You'll be shocked at what will happen
for your life if you stay right.

Coach Germany has a friend
who's been very blessed.

- He's done very well.
- OK.

- And he knows about your story.
- OK.

- And yesterday?
- Last night.

[Courtney] Last night, they were having
dinner and they were talkin' about you.

And he said, you know what?
This man doesn't know you.

Doesn't have any idea who you are,
but he knows about you.

He is going to pay

100 percent of every dime
for your college education.

Absolutely 100 percent taken care of.
Everything.

Everything.

Oh, God.

So if you can go to Austin Peay,
away from Memphis, it's taken care of.

You can go to UT Martin,
middle of Tennessee, taken care of.

Somewhere in Mississippi,
taken care of.

Somewhere in Arkansas,
Alabama, wherever.

Wherever you can get into school.

Wherever you can go,
you'll get your Pell grant money,

and stuff for your spending money.

But you just basically got
a 100 percent all-paid,

all-expenses-paid, four-year
scholarship to get your degree.

And you ain't got to worry
about a dime of where it comes from.

Nothing.

You keep doing the right thing...

...and good things will happen to you.

It's a big world out there, Money,
and it's your chance to taste it.

I'm so happy for you I could cry.

[Indistinct]

Now get yourself together
and get your ass back in the huddle.

[Woman] All right. "Everyone in this
room will be taking the ACT,

which is composed
of multiple choice tests

in English, mathematics,
reading and science.

Your answer document will
be scored by a machine.

Make all marks heavy and black..."

[radio DJ] 88.5, the voice of MCS.

There are a lot of kids around town
that are picking up

scholarships to go and play football.

Right now, we have
Carl Coleman on the phone,

talking about what's going on
at Manassas today.

[Carl] Right now, Mr. O.C. Brown

is going to sign with Southern Miss
down in Hattiesburg.

Everything worked out for him.
He's going to sign today.

[Applauding]

So now you're headed to college.
You know what you're going to study?

Well, I kind of want to study education.

Be a coach. Come back and be a coach.

Like I said, like I said...

Coaches... We got caring coaches,
and that's what I want to be.

[Cheerleaders cheering]

[Courtney] Maggie's 14, Miley's 13.

Will's 12 and Max is 11 right now.

For the last six and half years, I've
spent more time with kids in Manassas

than I have my own kids.

I want you to stand that big man up,
find the ball and jump on him.

Go in for James.

Not having a father has made me
better for the kids at Manassas,

but it's also made me kind of realize
that my time at Manassas has to be up.

Because... how ironic would it be

if I did so much for these kids
at Manassas, trying to teach them

from my life experiences
and help them as best I can,

and then my own kids experience
some of the same hurtin' that I have?

I want my kids to know that...
no matter what,

they're the most important thing
in the world to their father.

And right now, they probably are
wondering if it's them or Manassas.

And so, that can't happen.

[Players chattering]

[Courtney] Well... it's time.

There's really nothing else for me
to say, except one thing.

Don't quit.

We've won nine games,
we've played ten.

Do you understand
in five of those games,

this team in the third quarter
was losing by seven points or more?

Up to 20...

...and still won.

Be there for one another tonight.

Play for one another tonight.

One heartbeat.

Together.

And do something
that no Manassas team has ever done.

- Y'all ready?
- [All] Yes, sir.

Me, too.

[Crowd cheering]

[Announcer] Touchdown!

The score is 7-7,

and the Westview Chargers
of the football game

have just tied Memphis Manassas

with 5:48 to go
in the first quarter of play.

[Courtney] Talk to me, Will.
What's happening?

You told me watch the center.
I'm watching the center.

- [Chavis] You too close...
- Relax, relax, relax.

- I know...
- All right, forget that.

Forget watching the center.

I want all linebackers backed up to five
and flow to the ball.

Back up to five, see the ball and react.

[Announcer 1]
Out of a five-man front again.

Here comes the handoff.
They're giving it to the running back.

And there he goes,
ladies and gentlemen.

Omar Williams across the 35,
the 40, the 45.

Finally tackled by Will Thompson.

Manassas has it
on the Westview 23-yard line.

He fumbled the ball. They pick it up,
and they are getting free.

Amis has the ball
and he is going to fight

and he may drag a man
into the end zone and he does!

[Cheering]

Here comes the snap as he calls for it.
It's down, here comes the kick

- and it's blocked by Westview!
- [Whistle blows]

So, the Chargers have held on
the extra point, and it's 13-7.

Westview goes back
on its offense here.

Spencer under center.

Hands off, running around
the other way to the nearside!

Inside the ten! The five!

He's in! Westview has tied it! 13-13!

It's all locked up!

[Announcer 2] The kicking game
might be the difference.

[Announcer 1] Westview tries to point
after. Here comes the kick, it's up!

And the Chargers have taken the lead!

14-13 Westview!

[Courtney] Fellas, how many games
have we come back from this year?

- [All] A lot.
- It's 14-13!

Relax. Take a deep breath.

Remember who we are.

Remember we're a second-half team.

You've been here before.

Please remember... character.

Please remember discipline.

Please think about team first.

And let's go kick their ass.

[Announcer] They'll start with the ball
out of the end zone.

Redmond with the ball
as he goes back up under center.

Hands it off, gives it to Williams,
Williams and...

They're going to try to grab the ball.
He's got O.C. Brown pulling him forward

and pulling him forward.
Holy cow!

Brown does everything he can to drag his
man ahead of the line of scrimmage.

Here comes Omar Williams,
running with the ball.

He takes it off the left side,

inside the 30, 25, 20, 15,
ten, five, end zone.

[Cheering]

Williams scoring off of the left tackle,
that is O.C. Brown.

[Chanting] Defense! Defense!

Westview with the ball,
here comes DeMarcus.

He's got it inside
the three, the two, the one!

DeMarcus spins into the end zone,
and the Chargers score again!

And now the score, 21-21.

4:05 to go, all tied up here
in the third.

This may be the tightest
game in Tennessee.

All right, here we go.
Pro left, lead right.

Keep doin' what you're doin',
you're doin' great.

[Announcer]
Manassas will come up with the ball.

They start with Redmond,
calls his own number,

runs to the far side,
he's had some success.

He's inside the 30, 35, 40, 45, 50.

He's going to go all the way and score.

This will be a 75-yard
touchdown run by Redmond.

He goes from one end to the other.

And with 5:38 to go on the clock
they have just taken the lead.

[Cheering]

Hey! You got the lead.
What you gonna do about it?

Hold it!

[All chanting] Defense! Defense!

[Announcer] Leading the charge...
gives to the running back

and Westview's Chevy Taylor
has made it to the 43, and that is all.

Let's go! Now is the time, let's go!

[Announcer] Third and nine.
Spencer with it, gives it to DeMarcus,

He needs somebody to go to.

The big O.C. Brown single-handedly
brings DeMarcus and he had some helpers.

Manassas on the move right now.

Westview needs
to make something happen.

Huddle 'em up!

Pro right...

- Pro right, dive right.
- Dive...

- Dive right?
- Yes!

Pro right, dive right,
tell Julius to go get the linebacker.

Pro right, dive right.

They're slamming
the nose guard to the short side.

[Announcer] I-formation again.
Tot a mix-up on the line of scrimmage.

He fell on the ball, but the Chargers
say they've recovered it.

Westview pulls a Sneaky Pete

and comes up with the football
after the fumble.

- That was a big turnover by Manassas.
- Fuck them, fuck them!

[Announcer] And it's stopped
the adrenaline from flowing.

Westview goes back on its offense.
Great field position to start.

Here comes Spencer under center.
Gives it to... Taylor.

Taylor takes it inside the 15,
to the ten,

all the way down
to the seven-yard line!

And the Chargers are seven yards
away from scoring a touchdown.

3:28 to go!

Manassas defense has been unable
to stop the Chargers on this drive.

Big play for Westview.
Spencer under center.

Gives to again to DeMarcus,
he found a little hole, inside the five!

The three! The two!
He is in the end zone!

Tying up Westview!

Chavis! Block it!

Block it!

[Announcer] Here comes the snap,
Westview to take the lead on this one!

It's up and it is good!
Westview takes a one-point lead!

28-27! Three minutes to go
in the football game!

[Courtney] All right, let's go!
We've got this thing!

[Announcer] Season comes to a close
for somebody here tonight.

- [Man] Let's go!
- All right, we gotta go.

- [Ray] All right...
- Let's go win it.

Let's go win it. Let's go!

[Courtney] Let's go!

[Announcer] At the 20-yard line,
Redmond, who had the last touchdown,

takes the ball,
and he's going to run with it!

Looks, scrambles from the right,
now back to the left!

Runs out to the right!
He comes out across the 30!

The 35-yard line!
Out near the 42.

Oh, my goodness,
to get 22 yards on a first carry

and only eight seconds
left on the clock.

That's Manassas football.

Clock, the biggest factor right now.

They come out of the shotgun,
here's Redmond.

He's gonna call his own number.

He is stopped, dragged,
and now gets across the 45.

- It's not over yet.
- Did he get it?

[Announcer] 28-27, we're getting
closer to field-goal range.

- [Cheering]
- Let's go!

[Announcer] Redmond the quarterback.

Antonio has the ball,
he runs to the far side.

Westview needs to hit him.
And he goes out of bounds!

[Yelling, cheering]

Charger Jake Vincent, walking to talk
to the official, the captain.

It's a holding call.

It's a ten-yard penalty,
it's a penalty against Manassas.

- Oh, my!
- What happened? What'd he call?

- [Crowd booing]
...his face mask.

[Announcer] The ball is marched back

across the 50 to the 47-yard line
of Manassas.

It is third down and about 20.

Thirteen pass right. Hurry up.

[Man] This is it, y'all! Let's go!

[Announcer] 1:03 to go,
Westview leading 28-27,

Manassas with the ball
back on their own 47.

Third and 20.

One, two, three, four receivers.

Here's Redmond. He's going
to throw it, he pulls the trigger.

Westview's got a chance
to knock it down!

They intercept it!
They intercept it!

Coming up with the football.
The Charger...!

Kevin Evans!

1:03 to go in the ball game!

Evans down on the 23-yard line!
Time's up!

[Cheering]

[Announcer] Westview leading it by one.
Chargers have the football.

Spencer takes it. Rolls to the right.
He's gonna try to run the football.

Here he goes!

Twenty, 30, 35, fights his way
up there to the 50-yard line

and he is dragged out of bounds...

Westview looks like
they have come to Memphis,

and upset the
Memphis Manassas Tigers.

[Buzzer sounds]

[Cheering]

[Courtney] Six years.
We've gone from slaw...

...to one of the
best teams in Memphis.

Throw your chest out,
and hold your chin up.

Remember the things that carry you
are the things you've been taught.

Character, discipline.

And remember, please remember,

if you ever remember anything from me
in the last six years.

The true measure of a man's character
is how he handles this.

Anybody can be a champ.

It takes a man to stand up when this
thing hits you in the mouth,

'cause it hurts.

I am proud to be a Manassas Tiger.

And I'm proud of you.

- Y'all ready to stand up?
- [Players] Yes, sir.

[All praying]

- Guess what?
- What, coach?

- You got to end it on the field.
- Yes, sir.

- I did, seriously.
- And you gave it all you had.

- Yes, sir.
- And now you get to go have a life.

- I'm proud of ya.
- Thanks, coach.

That's correct. It is. O.C.!

Hang on.

[Sniffling]

I'm going to try and say something,
just give me a minute.

[Sniffling]

OK, these four years
don't happen without you.

It has been my honor
and my privilege.

[Sobbing]

I was the luckiest guy in the world to
have coached you the last four years.

We don't do anything, we hadn't
accomplished anything without you.

Yes, sir.

- I love you.
- I love you too, coach.

Now you go from here

- and you go make a life for yourself.
- [O.C. Weeping]

You go play ball somewhere
and you make a life for yourself.

- You hear me?
- Yes, sir.

- You do not look back.
- Yes, sir.

- I love you, buddy.
- I love you too, coach.

I'm so proud of you.

[♪ Reverend John:
"Let The Redeemed Say So"]

[Students cheering]

[Woman on PA] All football students
who are returning for next season,

we need you to report to the gym.
Thank you.

[Courtney] I think you all know,
but I'm gonna make it official,

I will not be coaching next year.

I've been here six and a half years.

I have never made a tackle.
I've never scored a touchdown.

Never made a block.

What I'm trying to say
to you is, guys...

...players win games.

Players.

All coaches do is try to get
them headed in the right direction.

I'm so proud of these kids,
and I'm so proud of this program.

I can't say "no regrets," because I
regret we didn't win the playoff game.

But, in terms of
personal relationships,

and in terms of what
I think we've done,

I'm certainly gonna say
there's no looking back.

We, and when I say "we"
I mean the kids and us,

we did a great job.
We did a great job.

And the kids lives are...

The kids and my life
are enriched from it.

And I'll take that.

We gotta go to practice.

[♪ Soul Swingers:
"Brighter Tomorrow"]