SAMMY ON RADIO: Good morning, West Texas.
Slammin' Sammy Meade coming at you with Panther football radio.
470 AM on your dial.
It's Monday morning and we all know what that means,
only four days till Friday night,
the night that our Dillon Panthers
bring the hammer down on the Westerby Mustangs.
Who wants to talk Panther football? I'm all ears.
SUSAN: Hey, Sammy, this is Susan, from South Bay.
This new coach... Coach Taylor, right?
Eric Taylor, that's right.
Well, he's got himself a lot of pressure right now.
He does.
And there's lots of expectations on him.
And what the heck is going on there?
You've got a news crew following him around
every step of the pre-season.
Who does he think he is? Mack Brown?
He's no Mack Brown, I'll tell you right now.
Well, no, Susan, I don't think anybody is,
but let me tell you something,
he has stepped into the number one team in Texas.
That's right.
And he does have a news crew following him.
I agree with you, that's a lot of added pressure.
But it's letting him know how important this football is to us here in Texas.
I want to add...
Okay, Grandma, I made you two tuna fish sandwiches
and I put your medicine in the green Gatorade, okay?
Green Gatorade. But I only want one sandwich.
Well, then, just eat one.
Well, but you made two and I just want one.
No, no, no. I'll eat the other one
when I get home from practice, okay?
You'll be hungry after that good old practice.
Yeah.
You,
I adore.
LANDRY: I think I'm going to get me one of those signs
that say, "Landry Clarke, utterly useless.
"All-state jerk team."
Yeah. I'd probably be on that team, too.
SAMMY ON RADIO: Jason Street has a 72% pass completion rate.
Not only is that number one in the state of Texas,
that is number one nationally. This boy...
Are you even going to play at all?
Nope. Seriously,
this is some kind of big misdirected "Daddy, love me" thing, ain't it?
I can't keep driving you to this practice and humiliation.
It's not good for either of us.
You're an insomniac. You're up anyway. I'm doing you a favor.
You should be thanking me.
You know, that was mean, man. That wasn't nice.
BILLY: You got to get up, little bro.
Probably 49 players right now, up and at them.
Right now, this minute.
Forty-nine players on the move.
You're an ass.
Tim, they'll kick you off the team.
Yup.
You're a brother, don't forget, not a mother.
You ain't that good.
Twice the player you ever was, man.
This is life. This isn't Maxim magazine.
What's that supposed to mean?
Waste of time.
PAM: And no going out with Jason Street this evening.
We're having a family dinner tonight.
That means the entire family, dinner together.
Rally rehearsal tonight.
LITTLE BUDDY: She's going to be rehearsing
how far she can get her tongue into Jason Street's mouth.
Nip it.
I love you, Dad. Oh, I love you, too, babe.
How are you doing, Coach? Tommy Hayskins.
Tommy? Welcome. NBC Sports.
How does it feel to be head coach after, what, how many years?
Six years, it is.
Got yourself a heck of a quarterback.
He's a good boy. Very proud of him.
Now you two have been at this together for some time, right?
Yes, sir. He was my coach all through Pee Wee.
And Coach Taylor's been QB coaching me since freshman and JV year,
so it's been a while.
So, Coach, is it a coincidence you finally get the head coaching job
the final season of Jason's high school career?
It is. It's a very fortunate coincidence.
You got to feel blessed
to spend your first year with a young man
who's got the talent and the moral strength
this young man right here has.
Hut!
NOTRE DAME SCOUT: We'd like to get you all on the field next Saturday
up in South Bend.
There are really no words to describe the experience.
Sounds terrific.
We're ready to get this thing done.
I think we are, too.
How good is he?
Mrs. Street, I've been scouting quarterbacks for Notre Dame for 27 years.
Your son may be the best I have ever seen.
We expect a lot of him, and he produces.
And we're very proud of him.
We go in undefeated, shattering records,
taking these high expectations to unimaginable new heights.
State champions.
What's after high school, Brian?
Me and Mack Brown are going to get our win on in Pasadena.
Get my National Championship on, my Heisman on.
It's known that a couple years ago,
your father passed away,
and he's not going to be able to see you play...
Look, I don't talk about that, all right?
You want to ask me football questions,
I'll answer your football questions.
Okay.
Let's shift gears a minute.
There's been talk of racism around this squad.
Have you experienced anything like that?
I don't let that faze me.
I just keep my blinders on and keep moving. I got things to do.
That's not racism, man. I just don't like him.
He could be from Saudi Arabia or Sweden or Czech.
That dude could be Santa Claus and I still wouldn't like him.
My name's Tim Riggins and I play fullback.
It's known that you're one of the more aggressive players.
What do you find appealing about that?
I just like to hurt people, just put them down.
This is a very good football team
and we all know each other extremely well,
so that's how we play.
Saracen, go take a look in that trash can for a yellow play sheet.
I think I accidentally threw it out.
That's the ball right there we want...
HAYSKINS: 'Fm, I don't mean to be inappropriate,
but I do smell alcohol on your breath.
Have you been drinking? No.
(CAMERAS CLICKING)
Not at all?
No. Okay.
(MEN GRUNTING)
COACH: Hey, you want to play football today?
What the hell is going on with you right now?
TAYLOR: Are we not clear
that in five days a group of men are going to be coming down here
to try and destroy you?
Does that... Is that not clear?
Thirty-two.
(GRUNTING)
TAYLOR: Get up, Riggins.
These same men are going to be coming down here
and they're going to use everything they have to hurt you.
Eighty-four!
I'm tired of seeing that out here on this field!
TAYLOR: Eighty-two.
Get up. Riggins!
Get up!
Do you feel a little extra responsibility?
There is a little bit of extra responsibility.
Of course, that comes with the territory. It's to be expected.
You want to do that, you take it somewhere else!
How good is this team?
We're a very good team.
Man, this team's the best team.
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
They got me.
Get up, Riggins.
They're going to attempt to do this
in front of your mothers, in front of your fathers,
in front of your brothers, in front of your sisters.
Eight!
Come on, son, get up!
SMASH: You're making us look weak.
I hate that guy.
One person fumbles the ball, we all fumble the ball.
Hate him.
One person shows up half drunk, we all show up half drunk.
Twenty!
This is business. I keep it football.
We ain't got time for your games, Rig.
Leave all the other stuff at home.
We got a game to win.
Get up, son! Get up!
This is where pretty much everybody eats.
I come here and get the Aztec burger every day
leading up to a game.
Oh, yeah? Is that an endorsement?
Endorsement, sir?
That could be your first professional endorsement, the Aztec burger.
No, he doesn't have any endorsements.
No endorsements. No way.
I got some endorsements.
HAYSKINS: What you got?
Nike, Adidas.
Nike and Adidas? Isn't that a conflict of interest?
Not the way the Smash does it, baby.
I got so much skills, there's room for everybody.
Reebok, too.
I'm gonna do Big Macs and Whoppers. Coke and Pepsi.
Look, I'm going to bring the whole world together, baby.
Then, I'm going to bust up Paris Hilton's marriage.
HAYSKINS: IS that right?
The Smash is going to be running hotel chains.
LANDRY: So, you going to go for it?
MATT: No, it's the coach's daughter.
I know it's the coach's daughter,
but is that some kind of rule?
I mean, we can't talk to the coach's daughter?
I wasn't aware of that rule.
Come on, let's go.
Yes? I'm in your English class.
Okay. So is he.
Yeah.
We were just wondering if you want to, maybe, have some lunch.
You know, talk some Moby Dick.
You're on the football team, right?
Actually, no. I don't play.
He's technically barely on the team. He never plays.
I hold extra points sometimes.
LANDRY: He held two last year.
(STUTTERING) Not well.
But he's kind of the backup extra point person.
I'm the backup quarterback. Street plays. I don't play much.
But you're still on the team. Mmm-hmm.
And I don't eat with football players.
You know, I'm not a football player.
And I don't eat with you either.
No problem.
HAYSKINS: How do you see him handling all these enormous expectations?
You know, Sports Illustrated has this
as the number one high school football team in Texas.
Oh, I know. That's what I've been saying.
Oh, really?
You know, he just handles it really well.
How interesting.
On the field, he's so competitive, but after,
when we're alone, he's not like that.
That is so interesting. Really.
I'd be hard pressed to remember anything in my entire life
that's ever been so damn interesting.
Whore.
Smash? What's up? Hey.
Can I eat a bite of your burger?
Hey, baby, you can get a bite anytime you want to.
(EXCLAIMS)
Hey.
Hey, babe.
How are they looking?
They're fast and they run a lot of counters.
So, I heard an ugly rumor.
Really? It had to do with you and me
and a certain car dealership opening tomorrow night.
Oh!
Shoot.
Did you forget to tell me?
I think that I did forget to tell you.
Alaska. I know.
I'm just saying. I know.
A much more relaxed lifestyle.
It's under advisement.
I'm starting to look at this whole damn town
like a big, old, out of tune guitar.
You know what I mean?
And it's smashed up like some demonic crossword puzzle.
You know, 42 across, 11 letters...
Could that be? Yes, it is.
It's Satan's horns.
And is that a word?
Because I'm seeing it growing out of Street's morn
whenever she gets within 20 feet of a Notre Dame recruiter.
Stop.
Thirty-three down, eight letters. State of bliss.
Starts with S. Dude, you're just being random.
LANDRY: Try "serenity,"
a quality that's in dire shortness of supply out here.
You know what? It doesn't even matter.
I'm thinking about starting a Christian speed-metal band.
You in?
Matthew? You need to get a new friend.
Okay. Fine.
LYLA: Mr. Street, is it true
that you can throw a 400-yard touchdown pass
to three different receivers at the same time?
This is true.
Then you must kiss me.
Is it true that you have super-human powers
and can demolish buildings and hurl fireballs?
This is true.
Then you must kiss me.
Is it true, Mr. Street...
That I love Lyla Garrity?
Yes, is that true, Mr. Street?
That you love Lyla Garrity?
More than anything in the world.
More than football?
More than almost anything in the world.
Ah!
TAMI: All right, listen to this, y'all.
"Large, bright family home nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac.
"Three large bedrooms, a pool
"and his and her closets."
(CHEERING ON TV)
His and her closets.
Relent.
I'm just saying.
I know. I know what you're saying.
Darling, his and her closets.
Moby Dick is actually the perfect metaphor for this town.
The cold black sea representing the season
and all its uncertainties.
Dad? What?
The magical white whale is the Holy Grail,
State Championship. Mmm.
The boat, I mean, the whalers are the team, right?
The players and the coaches.
Smash Williams is Queequeg,
the hulking, African, Zulu, harpoon-hurling whale-killer.
Who does that make me? Coach Ahab?
Absolutely.
Coach, captain, hunter, hunted.
Mmm-hmm.
Driven near the point of insanity. His and her closets.
Driven to capture what may be uncapture-able.
TAYLOR: I'm not so sure you're mine.
I'm going to have to order up a DNA test on you.
Did you hear me?
If we can see over this front line
and not bite at those counters,
we may just capture that fish.
His and her closets, baby.
(WHOOPING)
SAMMY ON RADIO: Leonard, welcome. What's on your mind?
I'm getting tired of listening to people up here
worrying about the coach.
These people got nothing better to do but worry about that?
We got boys who can play football.
TAYLOR: Well, how's Westerby looking?
You get down there, coach?
Yeah, I just got back.
Yeah? What do you know?
I know they run some of the fastest son of a bitch counters
I've seen in a long time.
Now, the front line's big,
not particularly heavy, but tall.
That's going to make it hard to follow that ball.
You're going to need to add some height on your defense.
Maybe play Dillard and Oliver on those defensive ends.
That way, it'll give you some height
and you can see down on them counts.
Yeah, I like that.
The hell with what you like.
You have got to win this football game.
Now, Coach, I'm dead serious.
You got no excuses and that's a lonely place to be starting.
With expectations like this,
the only place you can go is down.
That's the problem with being this good.
Yeah, I know.
Now you got to drill them on counters.
I will. Thanks, Coach.
How's the family?
Everybody's feeling fine. Well, enjoy,
'cause it ain't gonna last.
Coach, it ain't that serious. It's only football.
It's only football?
It's only football. It's only football.
All right, now.
BUDDY: We have a few introductions
that we need to make at this time,
starting with our mayor, Lucy Rodell.
Thank you. Thank you.
And welcome, everybody,
to the opening of this beautiful automobile dealership
owned and operated by Buddy Garrity.
Congratulations, Buddy.
Of course we want to extend a special welcome
to Coach Taylor and his coaching staff.
Gentlemen, can you join me up here?
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
Come on up. We want you up here on the stage with us.
Well, this is your team, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm gonna make this quick.
A lot of you know
my wife does most of the talking around the house.
(PEOPLE LAUGHING)
Going to get in a lot of trouble for that, too.
Thank you, Mayor.
I want to second what Buddy said.
I want to thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight.
And I just want to say what a privilege it is
for each and every one of us standing up here
to be part of the mighty Dillon football tradition.
(ALL CHEERING)
We all, and I speak for
each and every coach, player and trainer up here,
we all feel honored.
And we feel fully prepared to represent this beloved community
this Friday night and every Friday night
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
Until we bring home that State Championship.
Let's see where that love is if he loses a game.
I know.
(RAPPING) Panthers going to play extreme.
(ALL CHEERING)
Westerby going to cry and scream
(ALL CHEERING)
Panthers going to get diabolical
Hold on, hold on, hold up
Like Tom Cruise gets Scientological
Panthers going to whoop that ass!
(ALL CHEERING)
Long as Street gets Smash the pass!
(ALL CHEERING)
Come on! Get it up! Get it up!
Put them rings in the air! Put them rings in the air!
Make some noise. Get up on your feet!
Hey hon. Hey!
How are you?
Oh, how you?
I'm great. How are y'all doing?
Oh, fantastic. Good.
Now, Tami, how come you never join us for book club?
Oh, well, you know with the beginning of the season...
Oh, come on, Tami. Wednesday night's our next meeting.
A little wine, a little gossip. It'll be good for you.
That would be great. It'll be fun.
TAMI: That would be fun. We would love to have you.
Oh, thank y'all. Wednesday night.
We can't wait.
All right then. We'll see you.
Aren't you the cutest thing I've ever seen.
She is. She is.
Okay, we'll see you. Bye.
Thank you so much. Bye.
Stop it.
Excuse me.
How about a little space, huh?
Coach. Coach, let me see you.
Hey, Pete, how you doing?
Well, great to see you.
Hey, Tom. How are you?
Hey, good luck tomorrow night, huh?
You know, we've been watching your offense for five years.
Shoot, it's your time now for the big money. Right? You're the boss.
You know, your name goes next to that W or L after this one.
It's not like the last five years, is it?
If he lets you call anything, throw the ball, son.
Yes, ma'am.
Air it out there. Yes, ma'am.
You know you got the skills. You know it right there.
Well, thank you.
You've got what it takes. You just let her fly.
Yes, ma'am. You're a nice boy.
Why, thank you. You've got great manners.
Yes, ma'am.
Knock it off.
You can't go into the game tomorrow night like that.
The second most important thing after defense is the kicking game.
And then they can get their offense in there.
We're hoping we're gonna throw the ball a little bit more this year.
Carpet bomb 'em. Do you understand?
Chew 'em up, spit 'em out. Yes, ma'am.
So we understand each other, right?
Yes, ma'am. Excellent. Good, good.
You like early Black Sabbath?
Black... Black Sabbath? It'll make you mean.
You know, the other thing some people think
is you've got to have a great quarterback to win a championship.
That's obviously not true.
I am so confused about what a blitz is.
It sounds a little sexual.
We've been by there a couple of times
and didn't see any cars, and the lights were off, and it concerned us some,
but you have been working. We've been working.
We've been looking at the film.
Have you ever blitzed an older woman?
You could, you know.
Hi, Jason.
Tyra.
So, where's Lyla?
She's meeting me here tonight.
Oh, that's too bad.
Why's that?
You know, it's got to get a little old, Jason.
Like drinking milk all day every day.
You ought to try a milkshake every once in a while.
What are you gonna do tonight? What do you do the night before the game?
You ever been a head coach the night before the game.
You don't even know what you're going to do, do you?
Jason, do you mind?
Smile for us.
Oh, is that your new girlfriend?
No. No, sir.
No, excuse me.
JASON: Lyla.
Lyla, come here. Come here.
Look, I'm sorry. It shouldn't have...
I don't even know how it happened.
She snuck up on me, cameras started flashing, I started smiling.
I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened.
SMASH: What's your favorite football team?
MATTERS: Well, you know. USC. Oh, yeah.
Hey, Smash. Hey.
I got to roll.
How are you doing there, angel eyes?
Bored as hell. I hate these things.
Yeah?
I mean, you got that, kind of that deer-in-the-headlights look
that I'm a little worried about
you stepping up to the plate, here.
Hillary, I did not have sexual relations with that girl.
What are you doing?
You know, just chillin' on top of the world.
Picking diamonds off the clouds, baby.
(LAUGHING)
I'd love to pick you one.
Oh, is that right? Yeah.
Funny. It's time to go home.
No, I'm having a conversation.
It's cool, man.
Do yourself a favor, Williams.
Shut your face while I talk to my girl, here.
Say that again. You guys, stop.
Come on, Rigs. You know?
No, Rigs, bring that. Say that again.
I need to ask you something.
You're all about God,
but at the same time you got that bling right there.
Guys, seriously.
You're some mouth, aren't you?
We don't want you to go out there and be soft and be scared.
Oh, we're not going to be soft and scared.
We want you to be aggressive, now.
Are you going to be able to answer the bell
and bring championships back to this town?
We want to win championships.
(CHEERLEADERS CHANTING)
(PLAYERS CHANTING)
(SHOUTING)
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
(ALL CHANTING)
COACH: Play your drill!
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(INAUDIBLE)
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
(INAUDIBLE)
Now, you guys really want to focus on learning these plays,
because these are the exact same plays that we run
and if you learn it right here, like we all did,
you'll have a pretty solid understanding
of what's going to be expected of you once you get to varsity.
All right? CHILDREN: Yes, sir.
Mr. Street? Yes, son?
Are you going to play professional football?
I'm thinking about it. I think you should.
I think you should play for the Cowboys
and that you should be better than Roger Staubach
and better than Troy Aikman.
(LAUGHING) I'm going to think about it, but I'm going to go through school first
and we'll see what happens, son.
I think you can be better than Peyton Manning.
Oh, I appreciate that. All right.
Let?s Pray-
BOY: Mr. Street?
Do you think God loves football?
I think that everybody loves football.
Me, too.
JASON: Our Father who art in heaven...
ALL: Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
TAYLOR: It sure is nice. JACKIE: Mmm-hmm.
And you saw the room in the bathroom.
I am telling you,
room in the bathroom is what has saved more marriages
than Oprah and Dr. Phil combined.
It is so peaceful, isn't it?
It is peaceful.
So why don't you have your wife come down and take a look?
I'll tell you, I don't think I have to do that.
I think she's going to like this just fine.
Oh, I'm sure she will.
So you going to make an offer? Hmm?
I'll tell you what.
Let's see how we play Friday night
and then we'll be getting back to you.
You're going to kill 'em, Coach.
Well, I hope so.
Bring 'em hell.
MAN ON RADIO: I'm a little concerned about Coach Taylor.
He's not been a head coach before.
He's not experienced.
You know, he's going to rely on Street too much.
The thing is is that you can't just keep on throwing all the time.
I mean, this ain't the West Coast, you know?
This is Texas football.
SAMMY ON RADIO.' I understand.
He's got a running back like Smash Williams. I don't think he's planning...
Here's how I figure it's going to work.
Correct me if I miss something here, but...
I'm cool just hanging out right here, man.
You go do your, what, maybe 10 years in the NFL,
say at five mil a year.
You give me one percent of every paycheck.
When it's all said and done,
you and me are going to have ourselves a big old hunting ranch.
I'll keep it stocked with some ladies...
What?
Hello! Look, there's only one little problem, Rigs.
I don't want you living on my land.
Yeah, you do.
I'm the caretaker, Streeter, whether you like it or not.
Here's to God and football and, 10 years from now, Street,
good friends living large in Texas.
Texas forever, Street.
BOTH: Texas forever. Yeah, Texas forever.
Yo, everybody, listen up!
Let's do it.
Let's touch God this time, boys. Let's touch God.
SAMMY ON RADIO: Radio 470 AM and it is on.
It is game day, people.
And I have never felt this kind of electricity. Not in years.
This town of Dillon, Texas is on fire,
and I mean really on fire.
ANNOUNCER 1: The Panthers should win this game,
there's no question about it.
With all the buildup and hype this season
and the talent they have on this team.
It's that great offensive backfield for Dillon that has everybody's eye.
Jason Street the quarterback
and Smash Williams the tailback.
There's nobody better, probably, in the entire country.
...finally got here after a long summer of practice.
A lot of expectations on this Dillon Panthers ball club.
The Panthers are the team to beat.
SAMMY ON RADIO: Feed the dogs, spit in the fire, lock up your daughters,
turn on the radio, sit down and shut up
because it is game time, people! Whoo!
Gentlemen,
there's been a lot of talk about expectation lately,
expectation of what we should be able to do.
To win.
People are expecting.
People are expecting quite a bit.
I see us winning out there tonight.
I have no trouble seeing that.
That is not what I'm expecting.
I expect you boys to go out there
and not take this team lightly,
because I promise you,
they're going to come at you with everything they've got.
I expect you boys to execute.
ALL: Yes, sir.
I expect you boys to play football.
Yes, sir.
Clear eyes, full hearts can't lose.
Can't lose!
(ALL CHEERING)
You deserve this. Do you understand?
Yes, sir. You've earned this.
The right to win. You put that in your head.
You too, coach. Expect to win. You've earned that.
ANNOUNCER 1: We are underway.
Out to the left side, gets away from one man, breaks another tackle
and gets about a 25-yard gain out to the 40-yard line.
COACH: They can't wait on that.
It's a great way to start the season.
We've got strong left I, Y-flip, 24 counter, on one, on one.
Ready? ALL: Break!
Let's see what this young superstar's got for us.
Let's go, now!
First chance to see the 6'2", 190-pound quarterback, Street,
along with Smash Williams, Tim Riggins in the backfield.
Hand off to Williams.
He tries that right side, gets away!
ANNOUNCER 2: Oh, this kid can move.
(GRUNTING)
insufficient by "Smash" Williams.
He bounces it outside and breaks a tackle.
I want barracuda 550. Barracuda 550.
And the hand off this time
to big 'Fm Riggins, the fullback-.
He gets 10 yards before being pulled down.
And you've got to love Tim Riggins when he runs.
Strong left Atlantic, 27 stretch, on one, on one.
Ready? ALL: Break!
ANNOUNCER 1: Panthers on a roll just like we thought they'd be.
First attempt at the 35.
Street drops straight back to pass.
He has Eugene Williams open over the middle.
He's there! Touchdown! Touchdown!
The first touchdown of the season!
So, it's Westerby's turn to respond, now,
after the easy touchdown drive from Dillon.
Troy Holly brings back the kickoff for Westerby
and up the left side, the near side.
He gets away and gets a beautiful run back to the Dillon 40-yard line.
And the first down call.
A little bit of misdirection as they always do
and Campbell bounces it out and gets away!
He's going to go all the way to the end zone!
ANNOUNCER 2: Westerby scores on its first play from scrimmage.
You've got to be kidding me.
WOW!
We heard about these counters, and man, are they fast.
What a great misdirection, and it fooled the Panthers.
We're already into the second quarter.
Westerby's Chaps giving us all we can handle right now.
Big block, Tim Riggins!
Jason Street brings them out,
takes the snap, drops straight back to pass,
looks left, finds Tony Dolia.
He's there, he's got the catch.
Dives for the cone. Did he get in? Yes! Touchdown, Dillon!
Don't you fall for that!
ANNOUNCER 2: That's the sign of a great leader
and that's who Jason Street is.
ANNOUNCER 1: Westerby with a first down at ten at the 30-yard line, though.
That's it!
And Ferguson with one-on-one coverage is open over the middle.
He's got it! Yeah!
Touchdown Westerby.
I'll tell you, Westerby's showing up a lot stronger
than anyone thought they would.
Coach Taylor has got to do something
to get his defense into this game.
ASSISTANT COACH: You need to get your head out of your butt
and start playing up your home district potential!
Because you ain't doing it now! He's having to help you!
How come we got one guy coming and he's having to help you?
What are you seeing out there, Street?
I'm seeing a lot of Texas defense, Coach. Texas?
Yes, sir. Our corners are jamming.
They're staying out there in the flats.
It seems like I'm getting a lot pressure off the outsides.
Coming off the ends like crazy.
I can't. .. I can't even see them.
The safeties are staying pretty deep,
so we've got a lot of short stuff.
We've got to come up with a quick slant...
JASON: More slants and crosses, I think.
What about fading them over the top?
JASON: We can fade if I have some time,
but they gotta beat that jam off the line.
Plus, I'm getting blitzed like crazy off the weak side.
I ain't even see it coming.
ASSISTANT COACH: You are not that good!
Let's see what's going on, now. We need some more time.
ASSISTANT COACH: Coach, they are running a box down on us.
We have not been communicating.
We're going to pick it up now!
Hey, you guys going to communicate now?
ALL: Yes, sir!
We are going into a fistfight!
(MEN GRUNTING)
ANNOUNCER 1: Smash gets the call, tries to go outside.
There's nothing there and he gets thrown for a five-yard loss.
That didn't work.
ANNOUNCER 2: They're totally out of sorts here in the second half.
Fellas, this is our field. They do not push us around!
Street tries to find Corey, but he gets bumped hard.
And even the passing game's out of sync, Casey.
Nothing is working right now.
It is really a dangerous time.
Westerby blew out that offensive line that time.
Fifty-four Manning, and Street, they're fast.
Run your routes. Have faith in your routes.
You will catch the ball. It will be there every time
and we will take this down the field.
ANNOUNCER 1: Nobody expected Westerby to be giving us this kind of trouble.
ANNOUNCER 2: The Panthers are looking completely out of sync.
(ALL GRUNTING)
Oh, come on!
Westerby right now clearly with the momentum.
Ed, that was horse crud.
Watch yourself, Coach.
ANNOUNCER 1: You let a team like Westerby stick around long enough,
they think they can beat you.
And the give is to Campbell, and the counter,
give again and he gets a long way!
All the way down towards the goal line!
He is down at the one-yard line.
They just seem to have no answer for these counters.
Triple stack formation,
fakes once, fakes twice, gives to Cameron over the top, dives,
and he's in the end zone! Touchdown, Westerby!
The Westerby Chaps lead with six minutes to go.
And Coach Taylor and his boys are in deep trouble with time running out.
The Panthers cannot believe what's going on.
Eric Taylor's got to do something to figure this thing out.
Dillon trying to rally from down ten.
A flick pass to Williams. That's another first down.
COACH: Move the ball. Move the ball.
We're going to come back.
Look at me. Are you ready to play this game?
We've got strong left, 89 gun, 453 heat, on one, on one.
Ready? ALL: Break!
...on the Panther 38.
Come on now, offense! Let's go! Let's get it going!
ANNOUNCER 1: Well, they've got to get something going, down by ten.
They need two possessions and score those two possessions
to win the ballgame.
Third and five.
And Street looks like he's in command,
like we've seen him look before.
This is a critical play for the Panthers.
Three! Hut!
Street takes the snap, drops back to pass.
Has protection, throws a wobbler.
It's picked off by Chandler! Interception!
He's got a good wall in front of him down the left side.
Street the only one who might be able to get to him.
A fumble on the play! A fumble!
It's loose! COACH: Get the ball! Get the ball!
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
That's a gigantic hit on Street!
He's down on the ground. He is down.
Who is that? Street? That's Street.
Trainer! What happened?
ANNOUNCER 2: And he's not moving. ANNOUNCER 1: That was a heck of a hit
when Street met Chandler,
and he was the only one that could have stopped him from scoring
what would have been a game-ending touchdown, basically, for Westerby.
He's not getting up.
It's very quiet here in this stadium.
Doctor! Honey, he's not getting up.
Let's go. Let's go.
(STUTTERING) You know this is obviously
the worst nightmare for a coach.
And especially for a parent.
ANNOUNCER 2: Well, you know, his entire family, of course,
was in the crowd tonight.
Even some folks from his family
from out of state making the trip.
Why isn't he getting up? GIRL 1: Lyla...
GIRL 1: It's okay. GIRL 2: No, he's fine.
Can you hear me? Yes.
DOCTOR: Okay, let me check your eyes.
JOANNE: (SOBBING) Sweetie?
(SIREN WAILING)
No, no!
Jason, get up! Please!
DOCTOR: I think it's a spinal injury. I'm not sure yet, but he...
MEDIC 1: Can you squeeze my hands for me, buddy?
Squeeze it. Good, good, good.
Can you move your feet for me? JASON: Yes.
Good, good, good.
All right, so, we'll try to get him on the backboard real quick.
MEDIC 2: Let's keep him steady, guys.
Oh. It looks like they're going to have to take him off. In fact...
They've got him strapped to the headboard now
and they're lifting him up and they'll put him in the ambulance shortly.
MEDIC 2: Just move him sideways slowly. MEDIC 1: Perfect.
You're doing really good there, real good.
Thank you.
We're going up. One, two, three.
Okay, we're going up.
ANNOUNCER 1: You know, the amazing thing is
we've got the number one football player in America
carted off on a stretcher,
but this game has to go on. It has to be finished... TAYLOR: Saracen.
Saracen! And the third-string quarterback,
no one's seen this guy play, is Matt Saracen. Start throwing the ball, son.
I don't know if he's taken a snap
in practice. Good God.
ANNOUNCER 2: Well, you can see the look on his face right now.
I don't think he ever expected to play in this one.
TAYLOR: Come on, let's go.
You know, here he is in, maybe, the biggest game of his life.
Yeah, this young man's going to have to get down to some serious business
because his team needs it.
And he's going to have to communicate with this team
and get them back in the game.
Coach, I need your captains, please.
Captains!
Saracen, quarterback's the captain.
ALL: Yeah! Go, Saracen!
(FANS CHEERING)
Okay, you guys. Everybody all right?
We have just under three minutes to go.
I want you to play hard and I want you to play fair.
And I want you to go back and tell your players to keep your heads up.
Hit only what you see. Y'all understand?
I want you to take that back and tell your guys, all right?
Let's finish this thing up with style.
Best of luck, guys.
(ALL CHEERING)
You've got to be calm in this situation.
Don't turn the ball over.
Don't do something foolish.
All right we're going pro-right-90.
No, we're going pro-left-90, pro-left-90.
You know the play, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, okay, okay. We're going pro... SMASH: Come on, step it up!
We're going pro-left-90, 25 blasts, on one.
Ready? ALL: Break.
ANNOUNCER 1: Matt Saracen, the sophomore, comes out
and leads his team to the line of scrimmage...
Come on, Matthew! ...to take his first...
All right. Set! ...meaningful snap probably in his life.
And everybody's looking at young Matt Saracen,
who calls the wrong play and gets drilled!
He went the wrong way and he paid the price. All right.
Well, you've got to try and get a first down.
Come on, come on, Matt! You can do it!
ANNOUNCER 2: Okay, here's Saracen dropping back to pass
and he throws the ball.
(FANS SIGHING) Oh, man, this kid is sure confused.
Hit his own man right in the back of the helmet. Saracen, what are you doing?
That's not the way to instill confidence in your teammates.
Get your arm up!
Saracen, get over here.
ANNOUNCER 1: Panther time-out.
You okay?
Breathe. Slow down.
I want you to try to read the coverage.
You remember how to read the coverage?
Not so well, sir. Look at me.
What you do is you go out there
and you look before you throw the ball.
You look and see where the defense is
and you see where our guys are.
You with me? Yes, sir.
Then you throw the ball to our guys. You got that?
(STUTTERING) Yes, sir.
Do your best. Go on.
ANNOUNCER 1: Coach Taylor's got to just be thinking
about getting out of this game.
We're going full right, 25 shovel. Smash, this is you.
I got this. All right. Ready?
On one. ALL: Break!
ANNOUNCER 1: Big old third down play now for the Panthers.
Let's see if Saracen can at least get the snap this time.
ANNOUNCER 2: He's got to do something with this play.
Saracen back to pass.
A shovel pass to Williams. Up the left side.
Has some room. TAYLOR: Run!
Up the field he goes. That's a pretty good call.
That's awesome. Great job and they needed that play, Casey.
All of a sudden, some life
on the Panther sideline and in the stands, too.
Strong right eye, 28 tango. Ready?
On one. ALL: Break!
You can feel the energy picking up a little bit, now.
Maybe something?s starting to happen.
I'm going in. It's on you.
Set, ready.
Saracen at the line of scrimmage.
Hut!
Takes the snap, pitches to Smash.
MAN: Come on, Smash! He's got the room! He's going to go all the way!
Touchdown!
Just like that, the Panthers are back in the game!
MATT: We did it! We did it! We're back in this thing!
ANNOUNCER 2: Now it's all about the clock.
They've got less than a minute to go.
Coach Taylor's got to be thinking about an onside kick.
Gotta get the good hands people out there right up and get that ball!
All right, here's the kick. It is onside.
A mad scramble. Westerby misses it!
The ball's still loose!
A scramble for the ball. Who's got it?
It looks like it could be a Panther ball.
Panthers have it! Panthers have it!
Here we go! ANNOUNCER 1:All right.
All right! TIM: Yeah!
Timmy Riggins comes up with the football. Yeah!
MAN: Timmy!
Roll right 90, 475 high.
Son, we've got a chance to win this game.
ANNOUNCER 1: What a story! Young Matt Saracen... Come on!
...bringing his team back into the ballgame. Hut!
He drops back to pass... No, fakes!
He hands it off and calls the Statue of Liberty to Smash Williams.
He's got room.
He's going to have to get out of bounds. And he does!
They're gonna have to hurry. We gotta line up!
They're going to start as soon as they move those chains.
Saracen trying to get the team back onside. ...994...
Taylor screaming out plays.
It's chaos in there right now.
Twist right! Twist right! Three! Three!
Go, go!
First they have to get the play off.
Saracen calling for the shotgun.
TAYLOR: Come on! He's back.
He slips, he falls.
He gets up on his feet, being pursued by two Westerby defenders.
Go, baby!
Come on, Matthew!
He eludes a tackle.
The clock runs out. He pumps.
Go, go, go!
He steps up, he hurls that football.
Whoa, man!
Can this kid throw the ball!
He's got Dolia wide open. He's got it!
At the 20, the 10... He's going all the way!
Touchdown! Touchdown!
Panthers win! Panthers win!
And Matt Saracen somehow
brings this team back to win the football game!
How do you do?
Congratulations, Coach.
Right now it's not really about who wins or loses, Father.
We just all want to be with Street right now, God.
We know that you work in mysterious ways
and we just want to send our spirit, our presence, our love
just to heal him in whatever way, Lord,
whatever might be broke, oh, Lord,
just fix it right now, Father.
Jesus, in your name we pray. Amen.
ALL: Amen.
TAYLOR: Give all of us gathered here tonight
the strength to remember that life is so very fragile.
We are all vulnerable.
And we will all, at some point in our lives,
fall.
We will all fall.
We must carry this in our hearts,
that what we have is special,
that it can be taken from us
and that when it is taken from us we will be tested.
We will be tested to our very souls.
We will now all be tested.
It is these times, it is this pain
that allows us to look inside ourselves.