Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
Thanks for joining us
as the undefeated Abilene Eagles
take on the Mansfield Tigers
in the first round of the playoffs.
No one saw that coming.
I hope the Eagles fans enjoyed this season.
With most of the Eagles' powerhouse players graduating
the 2009 season isn't looking too good.
I'm sorry, y'all.
I shoulda done more.
Nah, man, don't talk like that.
Just got outworked.
Hey yo.
My parents are here. I gotta go.
Goodnight, bro.
Hi, guys.
That was a tough loss.
But you remember how it feels in your gut
and you use it.
This team will be yours next season.
Yes, sir.
It's OK that it hurts.
I want it to hurt.
Alright.
Let's shake it off.
It's no mystery.
When people come together, incredible things follow.
Proverbs tell us iron sharpens iron
and one man sharpens another.
Man rises above his own self
when in league with like-minded, like-spirited people.
Such tremendous power and unity
to achieve a communal end through love and respect.
It has the potential to shake the world.
Here in Abilene...
we got faith
we got family
and we got football.
The holy trinity.
A lot of great practices this week.
Y'all know what to do, you just gotta do it.
Don't get emotional tonight.
Go home, do your mental reps, stay hydrated
get a good night's rest.
Alright.
Any questions?
- No, sir. - Y'all feel good?
Yes, coach.
Alright. Chad, they're all yours.
Thanks, guys.
Alright, quiet down.
Yo, focus!
I asked you at the beginning of the year
you know, what does it mean to be your brother's keeper?
And, uh, I think you guys have been doing a good job
of keeping that alive.
And I'm proud of you.
Now, we're here for one reason, we're here
so you guys can talk about the stuff
that you guys can't talk about at home.
Now, I know that outside of football
you guys have, you know
some of you guys have tough lives.
And that's what we're here to talk about.
So if anyone wants to start sharing, go for it.
Who wants to go first?
I think I've said it before, but...
I just wanna say how much it means to me
to be a part of this team.
Seriously, coming here day after day...
practices, games, everything.
Chad, you've always created a safe space for us
to come and share, and...
feel like we're part of something
bigger than ourselves, so thank you for that.
Ayo, could you do me a favour, dude?
Yeah.
Alright, cool. I gotta run and go do something.
Alright, man, you good? Yeah?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm cool.
Hello, you've reached Ronnell Sims.
Please leave a message.
I'm trying to find my dad.
About, like, six, six four, bigger guy with a bald head.
Might try one of them foremen guarding the building.
This is Ronnell.
Please leave a message.
Listen, is Ronnell Sims around?
I'm his son.
He around?
No, he ain't.
- Where'd you get that? - What?
Nah, that's my dad's watch, man.
- No it ain't, I saw it. - Yeah it is, man!
Come on, where is he, man?
Where's he at, huh?
Where's he at, man?
He's out back.
Pops. Pops!
No, no, no, no, no.
Hey, come on.
Come on, wake up, wake up. Come on, wake up.
Why you keep doing this, man?
Why you keep doing this?
I'ma get you some help, I gotchu.
OK, OK.
Alright. Thank you, son.
You gotta stop this, man.
911, what is your emergency?
You'll see the Eagles continue
to try to throw a lot
because Ronnell has a great arm besides his running ability.
It's just a maturation process.
And here's Ronnell Sims' first varsity snap
as a quarterback.
He drops back, looks, throws across the middle.
Little drag pattern.
Catch at the 45.
Ronnell will take the snap.
He's gonna carry himself up the middle, 25, 30.
Ronnell gets out to about the 34 yard line.
Here's the snap throw.
Parker McCay!
Looks, throws across the middle.
Herschel with the catch, 25, 20, 10
goes into the endzone
for another Abilene Eagles touchdown.
I've heard all this before, Dad.
Ye...
Alright, whatever you... whatever you say.
No, the pep rally's tomorrow, the game's on Saturday.
OK, alright, whatever you say.
I gotta go. I'm running plays with the guys.
How'd it go?
Man, I don't know...
I don't know what to think anymore.
I know I love my pops, but...
I don't even wanna talk about it, man.
Let's go over these plays.
Come on man, what did he say?
What he always says.
He going to the rally?
I don't know. That's what he said.
Gonna be a mess of people.
Hey, Hersch.
You gonna block on Saturday?
You know I don't block, bro.
I'm not tryin' to get sacked because you over here
just trying to run for 100 yards
- and not block... - More than 35.
Or more. So, just sayin'.
I mean you're gonna get your touchdowns.
You could run a hundred yards
but I need you to block, man.
Need 120 every game.
Alright, let's do it.
Hey, real talk, though.
How'd it go?
I don't...
I don't wanna talk about it, man.
Yo, hey.
- Yo, what... what are you doing? - Yo.
My mum got you some new jeans.
Yo...
- They nice, right? - Hey!
Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up.
What?
Thank you, man.
- They're nice, right? - Yeah.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
Hey, y'all hooking me up.
I'ma go try these on right now.
I'm just gonna move in too!
Nah, man, you wish you got
- what I got, man. - Don't gimme no socks!
I'll be right back. I'ma try these on real quick.
Hey!
- Carriola's always shopping, man. - Bro!
Y'know who else likes shopping?
- Yo. - Me.
The 49th meeting between these two schools.
But it's gametime now.
I think Abilene High is gonna come out here
really kind of frothing at the mouth.
They're gonna be ready to go.
Ronnell wants to pass.
Looks long, throws long, has a man wide open.
Hits him at the 26.
Ronnell rolls left
turns it upfield to the 30.
And he's down to about the 26 yard line.
Ronnell tucks it under outta that wildcat formation.
15 to the 10.
Abilene High's just got so many weapons
that when you go with him
Ronnell's got a lot of room to run.
21 yards for Ronnell Sims.
Ronnell Sims, six carries, 69 yards
here in the first half.
Cougars do not have an answer
for Ronnell Sims on the ground.
Sims tucks it under, wants to run.
Has the first down, the 25 spins out
and there he goes.
Ronnell Sims just spins off the tackle
and has a touchdown from 31 yards out.
Boy, Ronnell Sims had a game for the ages in this rivalry.
Oh, he really did.
We gotta go toe to toe. We gotta match up.
You tell 'em!
Tell 'em what?
- Ronnell! - Hey!
Argh! What's up?
- Hey. - What's up?
How can you be here and on the TV?
Cos I'm so fast, man, I'm so fast.
Oooh!
I got something for you.
Thought you might like these.
Might be a little big on you
but you'll grow into 'em.
- Yeah? - Sizzle.
Yeah, sizzle, that's right.
What's up, hey!
There he is, there he is!
Ah, who's the champion, right?
How you doin?
Y'all give Ronnell some breathing room, go play.
Let me take the little man.
Mmm, mmm.
Shoulda said you needed new shoes.
It's cool, Ma, it's...
Have a seat, let me look at you.
Hm.
You look a little taller.
Maybe a little bit.
You doing OK over there at the Carriolas?
Yeah.
They're real nice.
How about you?
How's work?
Work.
A lot of work.
What's going on with practice, football?
It's a lot, but it's going good.
You, um...
think you'll be able to make it to the game?
I'ma try.
I mean, I might have to work, so...
I'ma do my best, though.
You know I will.
I'll be on TV, so...
you could check it out on there if you can't make it.
Mr Hot Shot.
We miss you around here.
We really do.
Glad I could come back from time to time and help out.
Yeah.
I wish you would just still be here.
Does anyone else wanna share?
Ahem. I wanna thank, you know, everybody
for being there for me
with the situation with my mother.
Uh, you know, this...
this stuff gets hard, and, uh...
I couldn't do it without y'all
so, I love y'all, man.
- Love you too, man. - Right, bro.
So that's your card you playing?
Yes.
There you go.
Come here, come here.
- Oh, see there? - Mm-hmm.
Come on, come on, I win. Mm-hmm.
- You always cheating. - I'm not cheating, I'm winning.
- That's bull- - Ah!
You watch your mouth. I did not teach you
to talk like that.
And you in my house.
Yeah, I'm just saying, you always cheating.
I'm always winning.
You should get used to it.
Oh, OK, well.
We gotta come up with something else
for us to do.
Because you cheat all the time.
Hmph. Come here.
Herschel, get the door.
Baby, Herschel, get the door!
Herschel!
Get the door!
Herschel. Your mama home?
Yeah, she over here.
Ma'am.
Niecy.
You violated your parole again.
I got a warrant for your arrest.
On your feet, please, let's go.
And what did you do now?
I didn't do it.
Sorry, son.
Good luck at the game.
It's gonna be alright, baby.
Here's the kick. Herschel Sims receives it
at the three.
Starts his return.
From the 20, the 30
he's at midfield!
The 40, the 30, the 20
the 10, the five
into the endzone for a 97 yard touchdown run!
Straight ahead, there goes Sims.
And he's gonna score a touchdown.
Once he got through the line, he was gone.
Herschel Sims is so amazing, Chuck.
He waited for the blocking to set up that time
and then boom! Picked his hole
and the Eagles are on the scoreboard again.
In the shotgun, pair of receivers to his right
that's the wide side of the field.
Ronnell takes the snap.
Throwing long, downfield.
Herschel with the catch at the 40
the 30, the 20, the 10
that is another Abilene Eagle touchdown!
Hi, I'm Blake Norvell, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Herschel.
Herschel, I'm very sorry to hear about your mother.
Thank you.
Here, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.
Herschel, I bet you're close to your mum, aren't you?
Yeah.
I'm close to my mum too.
My jury consultant, Margaret Norvell
happens to be my mother.
Hello, Herschel.
Hey.
I've reviewed this file
and I have a lot of confidence that I can win this case.
And I think that even though this situation's very tragic
ultimately it's gonna have a happy ending
for you and your mum.
OK.
Got a warrant for your arrest.
I bet you're close to your mum.
I didn't do anything.
I didn't do it.
She don't care.
She just can't stay at home.
It's gonna be alright, baby.
With Ronnell Sims, Herschel
he's gonna give the ball to Herschel.
Herschel behind right guard.
Over the 20, the 25
he's gonna break the tackle, keep going
over the 30 to the 32 yard line
and the Eagles get another first down!
And somehow Herschel, with that great strength
pulled out of that tackle
and turned what would have been a loss of two
into a five yard gain to the 50.
A three-yard run for Herschel Sims
and the Eagles go seven plays and 58 yards
for a touchdown, and they made it look easy.
And Ronnell and Herschel in the back field.
Here's the give, Herschel up the middle.
40, 35, 30, 25, 20.
He's dragged down after he crosses the 15 yard stripe.
What we are seeing, Chuck
I think, is the speed of this young team.
Darius Joseph, Herschel Sims, Jarvis Hutter
Ronnell Sims.
Whoa. A lot of speed on this Abilene High team.
Hey, Grandma.
Hey, baby.
- What the f... - He just wants to talk
to you about Ronnell.
Hey, Grandma, I know how this goes.
I ain't your middle man.
Hey, be a father and talk to him yourself.
- You know where he lives. - Boy.
- You better show some respect. - You just my deadbeat uncle.
How'd you even get outta hospital?
I'm clean.
Yeah, you look real clean.
Herschel Sims, you stop that.
If I say I'm clean...
I'm clean.
Me and Ronnell, we ain't like you.
And do you know how hard that is to do around here?
Have him call me.
Please.
Let him try, baby.
He had his chance.
So, you saw him?
Yeah, man.
Was he pretty bad?
He's all banged up.
How's your Ma?
Grandma's forcing me to see her.
That's a buzzkill.
Yo. Yo, Boo, you good?
I, uh. I...
I've been through some bad things this year.
My grandfather, uh, passing, uh...
...that was hard.
My grandfather was a good man.
A good example of the kind of man
I wanna try and be.
And he worked hard every single day
to give my mum a better life than his.
But every day, it gets harder...
and harder...
on all of us!
My mum works 14 hours a day
for me and Zay to have a better life than hers.
But it's never enough.
I'm telling you, bro
this is where the money's at, OK?
First come the money, then comes the power.
Then comes the power, then comes the bitches.
Zay, you're gonna get caught one of these days, man.
Bro, you...
Hey, Ma?
We need to watch the news tonight.
You suck as a watchdog, bro.
That's not my job.
You coulda helped, you're doing that stupid homework.
You think you're Scarface.
And here it is.
It's gonna be end over end.
It will be fielded at the 22 yard line
as a return over the 30 to the 34 yard line.
Gets down to the 35, running hard.
Boo Barrientes in on that last stop.
But let's give credit for that sack to Boo Barrientes.
As they were blitzing on the linebacker
they knew Burleson had to pass on third and nine.
And Warren is dropped for a loss.
And it'll be picked up by an Abilene Eagle!
At the 50, the 40
the 30, the 20, the 10
picking it up and taking it in is Boo Barrientes.
And that's another Abilene Eagle touchdown.
We heard something about you.
And what's that?
That you're getting jumped in.
Who'd you hear it from?
Doesn't matter, man.
Is it true?
No.
Look, you know you can talk to us, right?
You know we here for you.
Yeah, I know.
So can I go now?
We good?
Yeah, we good.
Yeah.
What you gonna do, man?
I think that's on Chad.
And I try and look ahead...
and I...
sometimes I feel hopeless.
What up, baby bro?
Hey.
What you got there?
Some brisket.
Yeah?
- For me? - No.
- It's for me. - Did me dirty, bro.
Did me dirty.
Yo, so, um...
I've been catching on my game with Richie and Carlos lately...
you know?
And, uh, I was talking to them about you.
You know, getting you jumped in.
Now look, you're older than I was
when I got in with them.
This rumour's spreading, OK?
You're gonna get me into hot water with the coach.
Hey, what do you think is gonna happen
at the end of this season?
Huh?
This town is gonna forget about you
like every other football player that came before you.
And you're gonna get a job
that gives you seven dollars an hour.
You're not gonna be able to pay rent.
You're struggling to get by week to week.
So then you get a second job like mum.
Working 14 hours a day
to make what a banker makes in one hour.
Is that fair?
Look...
when you come work for this...
you make ten times what that banker makes.
Just a few hours a day.
You don't take no shit from nobody.
Doesn't that make sense?
Like...
there's more I can do to help my mum.
But I know where it leads
and I don't like... I don't like where it leads, man.
You don't want this!
That's right, homeboy.
I don't wanna go there.
Come on, dawg, you don't want this, huh?
Hit him! That's right, homeboy.
Get him!
Did I say stop?
Yeah, fool, did he say stop?
That's enough.
Welcome to the family, homes.
You're one of us.
Hey, big man Boo.
Richie.
- What's up, Boo Boo? - Mum wants you home.
Oh, OK.
No.
Your mum wants you, Zay.
Let's go, Zay. Come on.
Nah, bro. I'ma stay.
Grandpa would be real proud of you.
- What'd you say? - You heard me.
I said Grandpa would be real proud of you, man.
Grandpa ain't here no more.
Hey, hey.
Here's for your Grandpa, homie, right there.
Yeah, Grandpa would be real proud of you.
Boo, the big football star.
You're my bitch, homes!
You best check yourself, Boo.
You know what, Richie?
What?
You and your little thugs
you ain't nothing but lowlifes, man.
- What you say? - You heard me.
- Richie. - Come on, Zay.
Let's go home.
Best check yourself, Boo.
- Let him go. - Zay, Zay.
Let him go.
Let him go!
What's up?
What you guys doing to the little homie?
Oh, it's about to go down, now.
Richie, blast this fool.
This ain't your business.
When you picking on little kids, homie
I make it my business.
That's the move you wanna make?
Blast this fool.
You ain't nothing but a little bitch, homie.
You ain't gonna do shit, trust me.
Come here, dawg.
Let's go, come on.
- We straight? - Yeah.
We'll see you soon, Boo Boo.
I'm supposed to be scared cos you got a gun?
Huh?
Do somethin'.
You gonna shoot me right here with all these witnesses, huh?
Do somethin'. Put it right here and shoot, man.
So I don't know, man.
I don't know!
- We got you, man. - We got you, bro.
It's cool. Breathe, breathe.
Thanks for sharing, Boo.
It means a lot.
It's hard, takes a lot to stand up
and talk about something like that.
I mean, you guys know my life.
You guys heard my stories.
It ain't easy.
You're not alone, OK?
You got heart, Boo.
Thank you for coming.
Thanks for coming.
- I'll see you in my office. - Yeah, I got you, man.
Alright, thanks.
Thank you for coming.
Look...
I went to that pizza place, you know?
And, uh...
And I just cared for a slice of pizza, man
I just wanted to eat.
I'm standing in line, and...
I see homeboy
the one I told you about.
The guy who shot me.
Man, I was filled with so much rage.
I wanted to kill that dude, man.
I mean, I was looking for anything to bash his head, man
just watch him bleed, you know what I'm saying?
But, it's kind of funny, man
cos every time my blood gets boiling
you know, it starts pumping or whatever
my legs hurt, you know what I'm sayin'?
I still feel the bullets in my leg, man.
And it, like... and it hurts.
I mean look, man, the bottom line is, man
I just called you
and I always think about what you say, you know
it like, spins in my head every day. Like, I hear you.
Long story short, man, I didn't do anything.
I walked away, I left.
Nothin' happened.
I mean, I'm trying to stop, man, I just...
you know, pray for me or somethin', I don't know.
It's been one of those days.
Days? It's been one of those years.
I wanna talk to you about something.
I wanna hang out with Albert tomorrow.
Sure.
No, like, the whole family.
The three of us.
Chad, we talked about this.
Look, can you just trust me on this?
There's something about him.
Does your phone never stop?
Can we finish one conversation ever?
Look, this is my job, Ash.
- It's my job. - I know it's your job.
Excited for the barbecue?
Hey, Ashley, how you doin'?
We'll be inside.
OK. See you, then.
Does she not like me, or what's going on?
Nah, she just...
Takes a little time for her to warm up.
Fair enough.
How you doing man, you good?
Ever since our talk the other day...
I've been thinking about you.
It's rough, you know.
I mean we all got our problems, right? But...
it's kind of funny you're here.
I actually wanna tell you something.
- I threw in the towel, I'm done. - What?
Yeah.
Street life, gang life, over.
This right here...
this is my gang rag.
This right here man, me giving it to you...
that's the proof.
I'm done.
Wow, man.
This is huge.
I mean, for me it is.
I got something for you.
What d'you want me to do, just wait here?
Yeah, wait there.
Alright, alright.
I mean, man, this rage just filled up in me, man.
So bad.
I was trying to grab anything
and I wanted to bash his head, man, and watch him die.
Go on, man, take it.
You know that's my colour, right?
Yeah, I noticed.
That's crazy.
You got some reading to do.
Yeah.
- And you got some eatin' to do. - Yeah.
Get in there with your family, bro.
I will. I will.
- You stay safe. - Alright.
- My door's always open, OK? - Yeah.
- Just don't send me the tab. - You know I will.
Young lady, how you feelin'?
Feeling alright?
So glad to have you.
Just say if you didn't like it at all.
Alright.
She doesn't like it.
Alright, alright.
- What's your name? - Paul.
Harold.
Oh!
- Everybody alright? Yes? - Yes.
You gonna have somethin' to eat?
Come on, you gotta keep up with me now.
Y'all see this?
No matter what they say, no how, no way
they can holler up on Cedar Hill all they want.
They don't know us, ain't that right, coach?
You got that right, but for real
we can beat these boys.
That's what I'm talkin' about.
I see you, Chad Mitchell.
Family's waiting for you in the booth there.
See they don't know what we got in here.
Do they, fellas, what do we got in here?
Heart!
Easy there, big guy.
Alright, little mama.
OK.
Pretty soon you ain't gonna have no hands
to be eating barbecue
cos you gonna be holding up that trophy all day long.
Ain't that right, Herschel?
Touchdowns all day, baby.
There you go.
Alright, who's gonna bring us in?
Boo? No, Anthony, come on, take us in.
Y'all bow your heads.
Dear God, thank you for family
thank you for football
thank you for finger-lickin' good barbecue
and lastly God, thank you for your Son.
Amen.
There you go.
Wish I was gon' be there with y'all on Saturday.
Oh, you'll be there in spirit.
Those boys, they'll be chasing yards
on your brisket and hot water cornbread.
Miss Christian?
Was Harold really as fast as you said he was?
No.
Hey, now.
He was faster.
So fast they had to fly in special film
all the way from NASA just to capture his photo.
Ain't that how you tell it?
You know, darling, you one good liar.
I ain't lying.
I just get tired of correcting your stories.
Can I get an amen?
Yeah, mama say she want an amen.
Come on, who got an amen for me?
♪ Amen ♪
♪ See him at the temple ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ Talkin' with the elders ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen ♪
♪ Little lower now ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen ♪
♪ Come on, y'all ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen ♪
♪ See him at the Jordan ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ Where John was baptising ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ And saving all sinners ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen ♪
♪ Let me hear you now ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen ♪
God bless you.
Alright.
Here you go, baby.
- Mum? - Yeah, baby?
Does Dad have to work tonight?
Nope.
Good.
I wish he didn't have to work any night.
Yeah, I know.
But somebody's gotta watch out for the city.
If Dad's protecting the city, who's protecting us?
If the city is safe...
then so are we, hm?
- Good night. - Good night.
- Hi, sweetheart. - Hey.
You ready for bed?
Mm-hmm.
I love you, Dad.
I love you too.
- Are you ready? - Mm-hmm.
- Are you sure? - Yeah.
Alright, here we go. Catch this.
Ha-ha! Just kidding, I'm just playing.
Here you go.
Throw it back, throw it back.
Alright, remember what I showed you. Go, go.
Run, run, run, run, run. Get it, get it, get it.
Throw it back.
One two, one two! Alright, let's go.
She looks like she's having fun.
- Yeah. - Ha, you ready? Here.
Yeah, she does, doesn't she?
So what do you think of him?
I think he's nice.
Please don't say, "I told you so."
Then I won't.
I think he's nice.
Good, I'm glad you're warming up to him.
- Yeah. - He means well.
He really does.
I think he was struggling, and...
S'all good. Alright, let's go. Come on.
...and I'm there for him, so I appreciate it.
Get it. Go, go.
Throw it back, come on.
- You got it, that's what's up. - Hey, Lexi!
Come finish your muffin, we gotta go.
- You having fun? - Yeah.
This girl could play.
I'll tell you that right now, man.
Tackle, everything. I'd put her on a football team.
Yeah, she's got an arm.
A couple more years.
Hey, Albert, wanna come to my birthday party?
I think that sounds like a great idea.
Count me in. I'm coming to your birthday party.
Great.
You got homemade chocolate cake, right?
I'll... I'll do my best.
I'll do the magic tricks or somethin', I don't know.
Let's go feed the fish.
Gonna go feed Nemo. Kids.
OK.
See, I told you.
- Yeah. - Told you.
Well, we got last year's game
hanging over us like a funnel cloud.
And this one's a monster too.
Cedar Hill's ranked number one in Texas
and number three in the nation.
What we gonna do?
Go, go, go, go, go!
Alright, move! Move this, move this!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
Alright, alright.
Coach, what d'you have to do
to beat these horses from Cedar Hill?
Hm...
You know, it's pretty much just a matter of fundamentals.
Go, go, go!
Wrap them up on defence, block on offense.
Enjoy!
Perfect.
It's the same thing that got us here in the first place.
We've been doing that all season long.
We are not gonna run and hide.
They deserve to be here
but then again, so do our young men.
- Can't wait for the next season. - You play baseball?
I do play baseball.
...in years, like, it didn't go too well, uh...
but you've gotta have a few like that.
Is everyone ready?
Yup.
Hello?
Yeah.
What, right now?
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm coming.
Mum, why are we here? I thought we were going
to the pep rally.
We are, honey. Dad's just gotta work.
How long you think we're gonna be here?
I don't know.
OK.
Just stay in the car.
So what do you say, man?
You know him?
Yeah.
Yeah, his name's Albert.
Y'all don't seem too excited now, do ya?
Let's find our seats.
That's right, work your way back.
Y'all ready to get this party started?
Alright.
But before we do that, before we get started
we got a very special guest.
Someone that wants to share some words with you.
World Series Champion
and former Eagle, from Abilene here
Mr John Lackey.
It's good to be back home.
I've been fortunate to win a world championship
and it started right here in these seats right here.
Actually I was wearing this number 10 jersey, right here.
How about this team we got this year?
These guys are great, aren't they?
I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow night
go out there and take another step
get your own championship.
You guys go out there tomorrow and get it done, boys.
Y'all got this.
Go Eagles.
- Thank you, Harold. - Good night, sweetheart.
- Thanks, Harold. - Good night, bro.
- Hey, Harold. - Hey, hey.
Harold, you good?
- I'm cool. - No, you're not cool.
I'm cool, Dru...
Here, take this.
Breathe, breathe.
Somebody get a doctor, get a doctor!
You don't have to go in there.
Everybody's gonna understand.
And, uh, now, I'd like to introduce
a man we all know and love, Mr. Wally Bullington.
Thank you kindly.
Thank you, good to see you.
Welcome students, parents, faculty and fans.
I give to you the 2009 Abilene Eagles!
Yeah!
I've been trying to think of who these guys remind me of.
They're fast, score a lot of points.
Not too physically big on defense
but love to hit.
Well, let me start by introducing the captains.
We have Costen Gooden.
Drew Caroll!
Bradley Barnett.
No, Bradley Evans. It's Bradley Evans.
And Kayla Gidgen.
Now, this team has got some help
along the way, from up above.
Yeah, let's say hallelujah. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah.
And they'd been getting that help
from the team chaplain, Chad Mitchell.
Chad, Chad?
Will you give a few words to the group?
Thank you.
These, uh...
these young men sure know how to play football, right?
And, uh, this is a team that wins. We've all seen it.
But, today I wanna talk to you about the things you don't see.
Whether it be the passing of loved ones
or both parents being locked up
these young men have dealt with so much adversity.
Absent parents, peer pressure, addictions...
these young men have experienced
more in their short amount of time
than most will in a lifetime.
I mean, these young men made a choice
that life doesn't dictate their destiny.
They made a choice not to be a product of their environment
but to be productive because of their environment.
Right!
They made a choice that no matter
what life throws at them
they will stand by each other, fight for one another
like a family should.
Woo!
Now, I believe that these boys are beacons of hope.
Examples for our community.
Examples for the world.
For you see, we may not change the world
but we might change that one person's world.
Now, this morning, I had to identify the body
of a murder victim.
And his name was Albert.
And Albert was my friend.
Now, after living much of his life running these streets
his life was radically changed.
He began to see what I see.
He wanted to inspire change.
For that, he was murdered by a group of cowards.
Today, I wanna challenge you
to accept responsibility like Albert.
Collaborate, and most importantly, take action.
Drugs, violence, crime, domestic troubles
we've got it all right here in Abilene
but most importantly, we have hope.
Abilene's the city that you love
and it's time for you to stand up and protect
what is dear to us.
You know, imagine, we all came together
imagine if we all accepted responsibility.
A few years back, I was that guy.
I was that guy sitting on the couch
watching the news
complaining about my world
when God blindsided me.
And he asked me what was I doing to change the world?
What was I doing to make this world better?
Imagine how much better this world would be
if we all became our brother's keeper.
I am my brother's keeper.
Bro keep!
Bro keep, bro keep, bro keep, bro keep.
Hello, you've reached Ronnell Sims.
Please leave a message.
Hey Ronnell, something came up
so I won't be able to make it to the rally.
But I will be at the game, I promise.
See you soon, son.
Hello, you've reached Ronnell Sims.
Please leave a message.
Hey Ronnell, something came up
so I won't be able to make it to the rally.
But I will be at the game, I promise.
See you soon, son.
Yo!
Let it go, man!
He's burnt you over and over, you gotta let it go!
I can't, man!
Don't matter how many times he screwed up.
I still love him.
I don't know, man, it's like...
I guess I wanna try to forgive him.
And hope he'll change.
So that... So that maybe... maybe I can move on.
Even though he'll probably never change...
and I might never let it go.
Don't you still love your mum?
Every day he tells us
we need to learn how to forgive.
That man does not care about you, you know it.
Don't you still love your mum?
Why don't you just shut up, alright?
You don't know what you're saying.
Don't you still love your mum?
Grandma's forcing me to see her.
Even though he'll probably never change
and I might never let it go.
Don't you still love your mum?
And I might never let it go.
Hey, baby.
Hey.
Big game tomorrow?
Yeah.
You digging it here?
No.
Probably better than at home.
- No. - Four meals.
Gym, probably.
Back home we nothing.
Hersch, no.
Look, it's not like that.
I'd rather be at home.
With you and Grandma.
I had to pay bills.
What bills, Ma?
Me and Grandma, we here to help.
I know. I mean, I know what y'all did.
But Hersch...
life ain't no football game, son.
It's just us.
We're the team.
I'm not looking for no bright lights. No miracles.
- I just want my mum. - Yeah, I know.
- I know, son. - It's all I want.
Wait, wait, where you going?
Hersch, come back!
Hersch, come on, come back!
I missed you at the rally.
Lots of people there.
Mum, if you wanted to go, you'd have been there.
What'd he do?
What'd you do?
A murder?
- It wasn't me, bro. - It wasn't you?
- It wasn't me, bro. - It's always you, man!
- I didn't do nothing, bro. - It's always your fault, man!
Bro, what are you doing, man, get off me!
What you mean what am I doing?
- What'd you do? - It wasn't me, man.
- It wasn't you? - No!
- Did you kill Albert? - No, bro!
Richie? Carlos?
- Tell me! - Get off me, man.
You're always messing up, man.
Bro, you hit me one more time, I swear to god.
Get off!
- You always do something. - Ma.
Don't touch her!
No!
You think gangbangin's the best you can do with your life.
But you're wrong, Zay.
I know it.
Mum knows it.
It seems you're the only one who doesn't get it.
I have a family.
And they push me forward.
What does your family do for you, huh?
Nothing!
Why?
Why do you do it, man?
Aren't you tired of it, man? Just... stop.
Stop doing it.
I didn't do anything.
I didn't do anything!
Mama!
It wasn't me!
I didn't do anything!
- You OK? - Yeah.
Look, there's something I gotta show you, man.
About Albert.
You gotta listen to it, OK?
Yo, Chad.
Listen, man, there was an incident
with one of your boys, Boo.
There's some shady people
looking to take a bite out of him, but I stopped it
and maybe you should go and check in on him.
Oh, yeah, I can't wait to go to Lexi's party, man.
There better be cake going, not no damn brownies, right?
Nah, I'm just playing, bro.
Alright, I'll see you soon, G.
They tried to jump me in, Chad.
Albert came out of nowhere, and he stepped in.
It wasn't long ago that he woulda been the one
jumping you in.
And what he did for you, he woulda done for anyone.
But he'd want you to know that it's not your fault.
Thanks, man.
But look, you got to remember.
They put on jock straps same as y'all do, right?
I'll be watching y'all.
I bet we'll hear you too, though.
Oh, yeah, yeah, you're gonna hear me, son.
- You're gonna hear me. - Hey.
You get yourself too worked up
and I'm tossing that TV right out the window.
Oh, you're gonna snatch that big old TV
off the wall and throw it out the window?
Mm-hmm.
You want us to bring you any barbecue?
You know, I'd let you in on a little secret, Anthony.
I'm not much of a barbecue fan.
All lies, this one.
Now y'all go ahead on now, we gonna be watching.
We gonna be pulling for you and rooting for you
and praying for you, alright?
That's his big daddy voice.
Y'all best be going.
- Take care. - Hang in there.
- Yeah, you got it. - See you later, Miss Chris.
I hope Harold'll be alright.
I mean, we could sure use his enthusiasm tomorrow.
You got all of your exes gunning for you, though.
You crazy.
We'll be alright though, man. We got it.
- We got this, man. - Yeah. Yeah.
There he is, hey.
Boo, how are you?
What's up, baby?
What up, man?
He's still up?
No.
Miss Christian laid the smackdown.
He's good though, right?
Yeah, he's good, he good.
I mean, we better win tomorrow
otherwise we might just kill that man.
Yo.
Zay was with Richie and Carlos last night.
Albert was there, too.
Wait, did you mean Zay might have...
No, no, no, no.
He told me they're clean.
You believe him?
Yeah, Zay might be angry, but he ain't dumb.
You know what, I'll take care of him.
Y'all don't have to keep worrying about me.
Thanks for having my back.
Boy, you know we always got your back.
We got you, man.
Let's get out of here. Hospitals creep me out, man.
I don't like it.
Take it easy.
I'm fricking tired, Ash.
Yeah.
Morgue.
Police shift.
Church.
Football.
Morgue again.
Then maybe us.
This city takes people, Chad.
It chews them up and it spits them out.
And you're always there...
to scoop 'em up.
I thank God for that.
But you're not here.
You're never here.
I haven't been around.
And I'm sorry.
I'm pulled in so many different directions, I don't know.
Just don't let the city take you too, OK?
- Herschel. - Yeah.
Herschel, come on now, you are always late!
You think Coach Warren gonna play you tonight?
He has no choice, I'm the star running back.
Oh, stop it.
You running so much around this house
you gonna be too tired to play ball.
Seen my duffel bag?
- I think it's in the back. - Back, back, back, yep.
- Ah, got it. - You got it?
You need to get out of here.
- Come on, get out of here. - Book, book, book.
You got to go.
- I got it, I got it. - Come on.
Hustle, hustle.
- Always. - Come on.
- Always me. - I love you.
- And I love you. - I'm sorry. I gotta go.
- Get outta here. - Alright.
You seen mum?
No.
I ain't like them, Boo.
You think you're so much better than me.
You and your little rock star football bros.
No.
It's not better, Zay.
It's just different.
Think about it.
Over and around...
Hey, coach.
Oh, hey, Chad.
You been praying for us?
Sure have, sir.
Well, we can sure use it.
Last minute preps?
Yeah, big game today.
I just wanna make sure I'm doing all I can
to be prepared for these boys.
They have worked so hard on and off the field this year.
And I know you've been working
closely with them yourself.
Where, um, where are their heads at?
I'm not gonna lie to you.
They're struggling.
Off the field.
But, um, they're focussed.
They know it's important.
That's good.
Well, I appreciate you taking time with them
on your Thursday evenings, and...
giving 'em a safe place to air out their thoughts
so that they don't have anything
interfering with their heads on the playing field.
I know that last year, that was...
that was a real heartbreaker.
But you know what, I was getting in my truck last night
and I...
I had this really powerful realisation
when I looked in the rear-view mirror
and realised there's probably a reason why it's this big
and the windshield is this big.
Maybe that's life's way of telling us
to keep our focus in the here and now
instead of thinking about... the past.
Cos I'm convinced that if we play this game
thinking about last year's result...
it's not gonna go very well.
But if we keep our thoughts in the windshield of life...
we're gonna do just fine.
And we're gonna win this game.
Yeah, well we're lucky to have you, coach.
Well, thank you, buddy.
Feel the same way about you.
It's an honour to be a part of this family.
OK, let's get this thing done.
M... Ma, I just wanna say thank you.
You get 'em, Ronnell.
You hear me?
I love you, Ma.
I love you too, son.
I'll talk to you soon, alright?
Alright, I gotta go.
Not listening to this.
Trade me, bro.
Listen to that.
Hey, what you got on Ricky V?
Uhhhh...
Tsk. Come on, bro.
15 yarder in.
Yeah.
Why, what you got on Trips Right?
Trips Right, bruh.
Trips right, you line up on the right trip.
Enough, man.
Is he listening to...
Yeah, he jamming to country.
Alright guys, take a knee.
Last year was a tough one for us.
We were the heavy favourites and we got humbled.
And now we're on the opposite side of that coin.
We're going in as the underdogs in this one
and we all know it.
The state of Texas thinks you don't stand a chance
in this game.
But your hometown, they got your backs.
Make no mistake about it, gentlemen.
You have every bit as much a right to be here
as those other boys.
You have fought just as many teams as they have.
In life, we never achieve anything
without heart, courage, and commitment.
Yes, sir!
I want you to do somethin' for me right now.
Take a look at the man to your immediate left.
Now swing your head around to the one on your right.
Look at him good.
I want you to see the sacrifice
that he has made for this team
that he has made for everyone.
I'm talking about the blood, the sweat
the tears, the heartache
and the disappointment
all of which are part of football.
You are fighting for your brothers
for your family
and for this town.
For every single person that believes in you.
And I love every one of you for it.
I am extremely proud of what you have already accomplished
and for what you are fixing to accomplish.
Yeah!
That's what I like to hear.
So I want you to enjoy this stage, men.
You worked hard to get here.
Every one of you are already champions.
And today's game, it's not David and Goliath.
It is, however, the genesis
of what you're gonna be tomorrow.
Yeah!
I got one question I wanna ask you.
Are you your brother's keeper?
Yes, sir!
I said... are you your brother's keeper?
Yes, sir!
Are you your brother's keeper?
Yes, sir!
Alright, good, then go out there and show it!
And here come the Abilene Eagles.
11 and 0, ranked number six in the state
and now we've come to the regional semi-finals.
Ranked number one in the state.
These Cedar Hill boys big, Drusilla.
Mm-hmm, too bad you out for the season.
Those are some big dudes, man.
Yeah, but we faster.
Ain't no tape in the world that can capture my speed, baby.
Coach Warren, how you doing, brother?
Coach Fullen. Always good to see you.
Good to see you again.
- He's a bit of a hugger. - Good to see you, my man.
I could see that.
Hey, let me tell you what's firing me up
is y'all's fans.
We came in and they were packing the parking lot.
We had Eagle fans tailgating everywhere.
Well, we got the best fans in west Texas.
These folks love their boys.
What you've done with these boys is absolutely remarkable.
And them Sims boys? Ooh, they like lightning.
Yeah, wait till you see 'em on the field.
They're like grease lightning.
- Catch you after the game? - OK.
Looking forward to playing the best.
Hey, appreciate it.
- Kick his bald-headed ass. - Kicking your pimply ass.
Amen.
A year ago, Abilene High went into the playoffs
as a favourite.
This year, they go into round three against Cedar Hill
as an underdog.
And they're ready to kick it away.
Teeing it off for the Abilene Eagles
will be Joey Renteria.
And welcome to the State Playoffs!
Renteria hits it high, end over end kick.
He's gonna be taken down at the 23 yard line!
Alright, alright, alright.
Jackson takes the snap.
He's gonna go to the left.
Barrientes misses him.
Now he's over the 30, the 35.
Has a first down as he stepped out...
Big right there! Longhorns big, let's go.
Come on, push at the edge!
Takes a snap, two step drop back
right-handed quarterback throws.
Caught at midfield and wrapped up at the point.
Ah!
You gotta cover him, son!
The Longhorns are picking up first downs, Chuck.
They're showing why they are ranked number one.
10:08, third down and ninth coming up.
Jackson once again.
Looks, throws, and it's gonna be intercepted!
Goodman across midfield to the 48 yard line
and the Eagles will end the first drive
for the Longhorns!
That's right, great play, great play.
Come on, boys. Come on, boys!
Not now, I'm trying to watch the game.
Let me try. Open up, or else.
... turnovers, and the Eagles get the first one.
Abilene High nothing, Cedar Hill nothing.
4:41, first quarter.
Second down and nine, give the ball this time.
- Come on! - This is gonna be Herschel.
- 45, 50, 40! - Aaah!
Near sideline 30, he's gonna be bumped out of bounds.
That's a big Eagle first down!
Red 80, red 80, red 80!
Eagles are threatening to score.
Yeah, go!
Just do our lines! Don't let 'em stop you, right!
Herschel takes a snap.
Real close, he's into the endzone
for an Abilene Eagle touchdown!
There y'all go.
Herschel got ya!
...waited for the block to set up
instead of diving first blood
as they take the early lead on Cedar Hill.
Well, the Eagles have the lead, Chuck
but you get a feeling we're gonna see a lot more
from Cedar Hill.
Here's the handoff.
Hayes is gonna go off right tackle.
He's gonna bust loose at the 40.
Midfield, 40.
30, 20, 10!
We're at almost a tie ballgame.
And dang, Al, you and your sixth sense.
Well, the big story is can the Eagles hold
after that 40 yard punt return?
Hey, hey, it's cool. We got this.
We're just giving 'em a chance, is all.
It's cool, we got this.
This one's a little more crisp.
He's gonna run it himself
trying to get around the right end.
He will get to
the 40 yard line, picked up a yard.
That was after the whistle, where is your flag?
One of these boys gonna get hurt real bad
before you make the right call.
Little Stevie Wonder coulda seen that!
Unsportsmanlike conduct on Abilene High.
I think that's on Steve Warren.
But he was saying, hey, well after the play
- Drew Carroll was shoved out... - That was a bogus call.
Hey, you best calm yourself or the game's going off.
And so Steve Warren gets a 15 yard penalty.
Everybody saw the late hit except the referee.
In a 7-7 game, this could prove costly
for the Eagles.
Let's go, Eagles!
Ronnell in the shotgun on this third and long.
He's gonna roll to the left, throw.
Ball caught at the 30.
To the 35, to the 37 yard line.
The Eagles get a handful of yards
on that catch by Tevin Payne
but not enough for a first down.
The Eagles seemed a little out of sync
in that possession.
Not what they needed, that's a three and out.
Three in a row?
Oh, come on, really, Ronnell?
See, we gonna have to talk.
...five yard line. Cedar Hill beginning this drive
on the Eagle half of the field.
You good, bro?
Good, man.
Hey, let it go.
Let it go.
You got this.
5:37, first half.
As Jackson takes a snap, goes to the right
throws down the far sideline.
It's gonna be caught at the seven
and into the endzone for a Longhorn touchdown.
And now we're an extra point away
from a seven-point game.
With 41 seconds left, Abilene has second down
and goal from the nine.
Ronnell back in the shotgun, has an offset wink.
Fakes the ball to Herschel, throws it out in the flat.
Tony Curtis can't make the catch.
Focus on the game, Ronnell
you know better than that!
Nine seconds left here in the first half.
Ronnell is gonna go under centre.
Herschel is his running back.
Double tight end set, fake the handoff to Herschel.
Ronnell gets pressure.
He's gonna shuffle it off for Herschel.
Now Herschel goes to the left.
He's to the 10, to the five.
He's gonna be knocked out of bounds
at the one yard line.
Oh, that was your backyard play between cousins.
Ronnell was being sacked
saw Herschel behind him.
Yeah, come on Ronnell!
And just with two arms wrapped around him
lateralled it to him.
What a play, it's an eight yard gain
for Herschel Sims.
The Eagles have the ball down at the one yard line
with 27 seconds left in the half.
Now Herschel's in the wildcat.
He's gonna take the snap, go into the endzone
for another Abilene Eagle touchdown!
One more half, Dru
our boys are keeping up with Goliath!
I hear.
- I hear better than you. - What you say?
23 seconds left in the first half.
Here's the snap, here's the kick.
It's headed west, it is up.
And we're tied.
Abilene High 14, and Cedar Hill 14.
Al, let's keep it here and talk about
how important that drive is.
Momentum going into the locker room...
Zay.
I'll be back, mama.
The Eagle band would like to say
congratulations to Coach Warren and the Eagle football team
on a perfect 11 and 0 season.
Oh, that was one hell of a half, gentlemen.
You popped 'em right in the mouth
and they never saw it coming.
That was beautiful.
OK, we got 24 more minutes left of football.
When you get back out there
I want you to take a hard look up into the stands
because it is a sea of black and gold.
Your instructions are to go kick Cedar Hill's ass!
Yeah, woo!
So, it's first and 10 from the 25.
Takes a snap.
Over the 30 to the 31
he will pick up a handful of yards on that carry.
Jackson takes a snap, one step dropback, pass.
And it's going to be nearly picked off
by Eric Amberlin.
Cedar Hill first and 10 from the Eagles' 28
Jackson drops back.
There's pressure, now he's gonna roll out to the left
now he's gonna be hit at the 31.
The Eagles will stop him.
Here's the snap, here's the kick, left-footed kick.
And it will go through the uprights.
There's some thunder in that leg
as Demera banks home
the 47 yard field goal.
Ronnell's with the gun, he drops back.
He lobs it downfield.
Caught by Mendez!
Good for 41 yards and first down
at the Longhorns' 24!
Woo!
Go Ronnell, go Ronnell!
Ronnell in the shotgun.
He'll take the snap.
You're going nowhere, big boy, woo-hoo!
Joey Renteria.
There's the snap, the kick, end over end
and off to the right, no good.
Jackson off first down, fakes the handoff.
Little screen out in the flat.
Molina turns it to 40, the 45.
Now he's gonna break open.
He's got blockers in front of him at the 20, the 10.
And he's gonna finally be knocked out of bounds
before he gets into the endzone.
It's amazing, Percy Goodman drives him out
at the one yard line.
I don't know how he caught him.
One thing's for sure, he's got speed.
They're gonna call it first and goal
for the Longhorns.
And Jackson will get ready to take the snap.
They will give, and plunging in at the goal line
they gave the ball to Hayes
he leapt in but didn't score.
Second and goal from the one foot line.
Jackson ready to take the snap.
This time he's gonna try to carry it himself.
He's gonna be stacked up!
No gain on the play.
Third and goal, the Eagles trying to put together
an amazing goal line stand here.
And it all comes down to this.
17-14, Cedar Hill.
Third and goal.
Now they're gonna give the ball to Molina.
He's gonna try to go outside
and he's gonna be stuffed back at the four!
The fans are on their feet.
What a goal line stand.
They need one more play.
The ball at about the two yard line.
Oh, my goodness, this is big, Dru!
Oh, I know!
Jackson takes a high snap.
Gonna give it, and he'll hand it to Molina
who will be stuffed at the five
and the ball will go over on down
to the Abilene Eagles!
Praise God, they stopped 'em, they did it!
The Eagles have come up
with a remarkable goal line stand.
They take over at their own five yard line.
Herschel's in the wildcat.
He's ready to take the snap.
Second and goal, with the clock running
and no timeouts
the Eagles will have to move quick
if they're going to avoid the same fate as last year.
The field opens up at the 20
the 30, the 40, midfield!
- 30! - Run, baby, run!
10!
That is an Abilene Eagle touchdown!
And the Eagles win!
It's no mystery.
When people come together...
incredible things follow.
To achieve a communal end
through love and respect
it has the potential to shake the world.
You had your team ready and you called a great game.
I appreciate that, Herb.
I think you guys can win it all.
Hell of a game, man. Great.
Here in Abilene
we got faith
we got family
and we got football.
The holy trinity.
Bro keep, bro keep, bro keep, bro keep.
bro keep, bro keep, bro keep, bro keep.
Oh, check it out, famous, famous!
- that looks crazy, bro. - Crazy, man.
- Look at you there. - Why you maddogging everyone?
I'm not maddogging.
You always...
Hey. What's up, what's up?
- Hey, what's up, man? - Yo.
I thought you were hanging out with your family tonight.
Yeah, I was supposed to, but they had to work late.
Cool.
So I got a sick play I want you to check out.
Oh, word? Cool, man.
Let's go over it.
Alright, hey, what's up with y'all?
Nothing.
We're just yeah, just chilling.
- Alright, show him, show him. - Alright, alright.
Check it out bro, bam! Can you believe this?
Oh! Pretty cool, right?
Hey, take a picture, take a picture, take a picture.
Jeezers, don't let it get to your head.
Last thing we need
is you thinking about this paper
when you should be making blocks.
That's true.
Right? I mean, I'm just sayin'.
Not funny, not funny.
Hey, just read the article.
Making blocks?
- I should make you tackle. - Alright, tell us more.
- Read, read. - "Two Sims' got going quickly
on championship night.
Ronnell broke a 47 yard touchdown run
on just the second play of the game.
Another run by Ronnell made it 14-0 in favour of Abilene
in just the first quarter.
The coach was not surprised to face an early deficit."
- It keeps going. - And then, but I say, I say.
I say that's my job, make sure the team can deal with...
I was a little nervous when she asked that question to me.
Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull