Touchback

---

Radio commentator:

Murphy's flushed to the outside

and he is gonna be slammed to the turf

at the 31 by Jackson.

Murphy getting zero protection

in the pocket

from this swarming

Cuyahoga defense,

but still keeping the Coldwater

Black Bears in this ball game.

For those of you

just joining us, this is

the Ohio River Valley

Sports Network

reporting live from the 1991

Ohio high school football

state championship game

with the Cuyahoga Raiders

taking on

the Cinderella story...

the Coldwater Black Bears.

The perennial powerhouse

Red Raiders

hail from the big city

of Cleveland, Ohio.

Their high school has more students

than the entire population

of the small town of Coldwater.

And the big story for Coldwater

has been quarterback Scott Murphy,

raised by a single mother

who works in a factory.

He was recently named

"Mr. Football"

as the outstanding player

in the state.

This is it, folks.

A Coldwater victory here

would be a fairy tale ending

for this hardworking

blue-collar community.

just one time out remaining.

Coldwater needs a touchdown

right here

to win the state championship.

Scott Murphy, "Mr. Football,"

deep to return the kick.

And he'll take it

to the 50, to the 45.

Murphy's hit, but he breaks the tackle,

stays on his feet,

- breaks another tackle...

- Come on, come on!

...inside the 35, inside the 30,

and he's knocked down

at the 26.

And he'll quickly call a time out

to talk to Coach Hand.

This has been

one of the great games

in Ohio high school

football history.

here in the fourth quarter.

Third down, 42-38.

Words exchanged

on the sidelines

as Murphy appears

to be arguing

the final play call

by Coach Hand.

That's the play.

Commentator:
They seem to have

agreed on something.

Murphy is headed back out

onto the field.

He's got one final play

to make a miracle happen

here in Coldwater.

- Crowd:
Murphy! Murphy!

- Murphy:
Black seven!

Black seven!

Hike!

Commentator:
Murphy drops back,

looks deep.

Hall's wide open

in the end zone.

He's open. He's open.

He's open!

Commentator:
He tucks it.

He's gonna run it.

(crowd cheering)

- Now inside the 20, to the 15...

- Run, run, run, run!

...to the 10, to the 5!

Touchdown, Coldwater!

They will be the state champions

of Ohio! Wow.

(Murphy screams)

(birds chirping)

(brace squeaks)

(snores, mumbles)

I'm never drinking

with you lightweights again.

Man on shoulder:

But you said that last week.

Murphy:

Yeah, well, I mean it this time.

That's it?

Ain't no tuck-in,

no kiss good night?

It's my birthday, Murph.

That's why I didn't drop you off

at the curb.

So your hometown's

bringing you down

Or you're drowning

in the small talk...

Man:

I don't need help.

My body-to-booze ratio

is enormous.

I have the liver strength

of 10 men.

I'm not drunk.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

I got a sharp pain in my stomach.

- What does that mean?

- Don't eat three dozen wings.

Now come on, man.

You know I'm paranoid.

- What side's your appendix on?

- Your right side. Now get up.

That's the side that hurts.

Oh, I got appendicitis.

No, you don't have appendicitis.

You'd lose your appetite. Now let's go.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Murphy, take a look at this.

I need you to be the beneficiary

of my life insurance policy.

- Hell no, Dwight. Hell no.

- No, come on, man.

If I croak in my sleep, I need to know

my mom's taken care of.

I got plenty of people

I gotta worry about.

My brother would put her

in a home, man.

Please?

Thanks, Murph.

Hey, we're worth a lot

dead, Murphy.

If I bite it,

you can have some.

I know the bank's

been riding you, brother.

Murphy:
Just quit talking

and go back to sleep.

You're "Mr. Football."

And in '91

you sent them packing.

Don't sweat it, Murphy.

You'll find a way to win.

You always did!

(sighs)

(door creaks)

(clatters)

(door opens)

Murphy:

What are they doing up?

They heard you drive up.

They've been waiting

for you to come inside.

(commentator speaking

on radio)

What do you do out there anyway?

Just listen to the radio?

Yeah, Mace.

Just listen to the radio.

Hey, so don't forget

the bank appointment.

Murphy:
How could I?

You told the whole town.

I didn't... I only told Sasha.

Mace, we live in "Backwater."

You tell one person... you might as well

put it up on a billboard.

- (machine beeps)

- Dispatcher:
Signal 50 Coldwater.

- (pager beeps)

- Units respond to 267 Main Street

for an unknown fire

to the rear of the building.

Signal 50 Coldwater volunteers

please respond,

- 267 Main Street, for an unknown fire.

- Honey.

You've been up all night

and it's not even your shift.

You don't have to go.

(siren wails)

- (man babbling)

- (radio chatter)

- What's going on, Gig? Is this it?

- Gig:
Aw, Jesus, Coach...

...walking down the street,

I was barbecuing.

- Wham! The whole grill is on fire.

- All right, go sit down.

Hang on a second.

You stay back with me on the pump.

Barney, Rodriguez,

you guys handle the hose.

Murphy:
If you're gonna blame me,

at least let me fight it.

No, I'm not doing that.

I just want to talk to you

about the halftime

ceremony tomorrow.

- I watch the station on game day.

- Hand:
Celina can cover us.

Murphy:
Celina is 40 minutes away.

But, hey, if you don't need me,

I got plenty of work

I can do at home.

Hand:
Like what?

Babysitting those damn beans?

You know, if you planted corn

like everybody else,

you could just sit back

and watch it grow. Charge the line.

Murphy:
So you're coaching

farmers now too?

Coldwater's corn country

for a reason.

Yeah, well, it used to be

football country too.

What are you, four and six?

- Six and four.

- Close enough.

You know, if that's meant

to hurt me, it doesn't.

These guys may not be as talented

as you guys once were, but I'll tell you

something... they play twice as hard

and I like them just as much.

Yeah, well, you should be

seven and three

if you'd have hit Taylor

on that deep post against Marion

instead of bringing in Wilson

to kick a 42-yard field goal,

and the guy can't hit

the broad side of a barn.

You know, for somebody

who's too busy

to come down

and watch football games,

you sure as hell know a lot

about what's going on in 'em.

Yeah, well, I don't listen...

got 'em playing on the damn radio

at the station.

You think I don't know where you go

on Friday nights, huh?

You think I'm blind,

can't see your headlights

up there on that bluff?

Why don't you get your ass

out of that truck

and down on the field

where it means something?

It's bad enough to listen to you

lose on the radio.

You think I want to come down

and witness it in person?

Think you can do any better?

Come on down

and coach my quarterbacks.

Sure, as soon as you come help me

work my back 40.

I'll help you plant... some corn.

Why don't you worry about your field,

and I'll worry about mine?

(buzzing)

People said you were crazy

for growing soybeans here,

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