Carter High Page #3

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Hey, CC!

Too bad, too bold!

Hey...!

What's going on?

They say he failed

his algebra class.

Well, did he?

He said he passed.

Then who said he flunked, then?

The UIL.

What you doin', dawg?

Come here, come check

this out, man. Come here.

- Get up, dawg.

- Man, listen to this right here.

Everybody's talking about it.

If you haven't heard the news

story, the breaking news:

the Carter Cowboys,

they've been disqualified

from the play-offs

for apparently using

an ineligible player.

Now, we're gonna keep you

up to speed and up to date

on the latest information

on the Carter...

I can see it

I can see it

Clear as the summer's day

Damn, I can feel it

I can feel it

It's standing

right next to me

The pain

and the time is right

To let it wash over me

Uh, the spirit of a champion

I gotta let

this ship run free.

That's your report card?

Let me see that.

No, no, no, Coach, look...

he did pass.

He got a 72 in Algebra.

Gary, you change the grade

on that paper?

Nah, Coach.

That's the grade I got.

Did someone else change

the grade on that paper?

Coach, that's my grade.

Nobody changed nothing.

Why the hell are they saying

you failed, then?

Supposedly,

the UIL received

an anonymous letter saying

he was ineligible.

That's bullshit.

He passed, goddamn it.

Hello.

Yeah, this is he.

Yeah.

I see.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Who was your algebra teacher?

Mr. Bates at first.

Then I transferred

to Dr. Abby's class.

Freddie, you need

to eat something.

They gonna try their best

to make sure we don't play.

Can they really do that

if he's passed the class?

They're conducting

an investigation,

whatever that means.

Baby, you always taught

that defense does what?

Hmm?

Defense.

Defense does what?

Wins championships.

Coa...

Coach,

I don't think I heard that

loud enough.

Defense does what?

Wins championships!

Exactly!

And as long as they're

investigating, it ain't over.

That fat lady ain't sang yet.

Now, you go on out there

and you defend your boys

and you win us state.

You hear me?

- You guys just hear?

- No comment.

It was nearly an hour

after the ruling

by the commissioner in Austin

that the official word reached

Carter High School.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Would you mind, uh,

giving a statement

on the mood here at Carter High?

It's crazy how even in 1988

racism still exists.

So you think

this has something to do

with the school

being predominantly black?

I bet you if this school

was mostly white,

none of this stuff

would even be happening.

Well, if he didn't pass

the class...

How you know he failed?

So far, those are the reports

that we've been receiving.

Well, as far as I know,

he passed.

And those are the reports

we've been receiving.

Well, there you have it.

Carter has, in fact,

been forced to forfeit

their final three games

due to an ineligible player.

That puts Carter out

of the play-offs

and South Grand Prairie in.

They done it to us, and

it's the worst way to go out.

Always been told if they

can't beat you on the field,

they want to beat you

in the classes, so...

They can't do...

They wrong about it.

I mean,

how can they do it the day

before the game?

That's what I don't understand.

So what am I supposed

to tell my boys?

You say he passed.

Here's a report card shows

he passed.

But the UIL say he failed.

Well, after the UIL got

its mysterious phone call...

- I thought it was a letter. -In

the beginning, it was a letter.

Then it was a phone call.

Whatever. Whatever it-it was,

after that,

Bates' records came through.

Didn't he transfer out

of Bates' class?

Yeah. But then his records

transferred with him.

So, um...

so Abby has a 72.

The UIL has a 68.

And what does Bates have to say

about all this?

- I said no comment!

- But, Mr. Bates...

- But is it true you alerted

the UIL... -No, I have...

- I said I have no c...

- But, Mr. Bates, don't you worry

about your safety? What about

repercussions from the students

- at Carter High? -I am

absolutely not worried about

my safety. These are

wonderful students, and I'm...

Let go of my door!

Mr. Russeau has informed me

that this matter

is being taken up in the court.

However,

the DISD

refuses

to foot the entire bill.

And there's a meeting tonight

in the auditorium

to discuss

the options.

According to the, uh,

UIL,

we're not allowed to practice

until they get this thing

figured out.

So, Coach, what we 'posed to do

if we can't practice?

You stay focused!

You, of all people,

you're a senior!

You stay focused!

And, look here,

don't let this obstacle

make y'all lose sight

of the real goal,

which starts

after you leave here!

Champions!

Champions.

Champions this, champions that!

Oh, they throw that word around

nowadays like...

like it ain't no big thing

anymore, like it...

like-like it ain't special!

Well, goddamn it,

I'm tellin' you, it is special!

It is a big thing!

A champion walks onto

this field, and you can feel it!

You can see it!

A true champion

is a champion in the heart.

And that's something.

That's something that nobody

can ever

take away from you.

That's something...

that only you

can give away.

Okay, okay, okay. Listen.

I understand

everyone's frustration.

But at this point,

we're simply waiting

for the district

to give us the go-ahead.

Look, all I know

is that these young boys

should not be punished

for some grown man mistakes.

And as parents, we should

make sure that doesn't happen.

Well, you know what, no matter

wherever the blame lies,

there is not a child

at Carter High School

that is responsible

for what happened.

Nevertheless, it's the children

at Carter who are being punished

by DISD's failure to do

what we pay them taxes to do.

Okay, whoa, whoa.

Un-Unfortunately,

DISD is dropping the ball.

But we're here tonight because

we need to take legal action.

And the sooner we get a

restraining order motion filed,

we can start

with the proceedings.

Oh, so, what,

you need some money? Hmm.

I mean, so what is our guarantee

that this legal stuff

- is gonna work anyway?

- Right.

The only guarantee I can give

you is that my staff and I

will fight as hard

in the courtroom as those boys

fight out on the field.

That's the only guarantee

that I can give.

Whatever.

This is my community, too.

And believe you me,

it's not about the money.

It's about those boys,

those young men right there,

knowing that their hard work

wasn't in vain.

And them knowing

that they have a village

that will come to their aid

no matter what.

That's what this is about.

So all those in favor

of seeking

a temporary restraining order

that would possibly allow

Carter to remain

in the play-offs,

stand up.

And for the record,

UIL stands for?

University Interscholastic

League.

And what exactly do you do

for the UIL, Mr. Winston?

I investigate complaints related

to the No Pass No Play law

in DISD.

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