Woodlawn Page #3

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Nathan.

You know what I believe?

That you are faster than them,

so you show me.

Yes, sir.

Tandy!

This is a contact sport, okay?

When someone wants to hit you,

it feels good to hit 'em

first, okay? Try it.

Atta boy, Tony!

Gonna be 1st down right now!

Tandy, put my boy in.

You're killing us!

Break!

That's my baby!

All right, let's punch it in.

Nathan, out.

Nice one, 22!

Hey, Tony.

How'd that feel?

Good.

Really good.

Come here, baby!

Momma is so proud of you.

Great game, son.

Great game.

Who is this?

This is Johnnie.

Hi.

Oh, she sure is pretty, Tony.

Oh, it's not like that.

What church you go to?

Momma!

No girl better even think about marrying

my Tony without being church-going.

I don't go to church.

Well, you gonna go to church with us.

And I see I'm a have to fatten you up,

'cause I don't know how you think you gonna

have my grandbabies with hips like that.

Uh, let's just let them be.

Yeah, well a closed mouth

don't get fed, Junior.

I want my boy to play college ball.

All right, he has that opportunity,

and I don't think it's right

that it's being taken away

by somebody who don't even belong.

I coach the team that I am given, Bull.

I coach to win.

That is my commitment

to myself, this school,

and every parent in it, including you.

Hey. Hey!

You gonna get that colored boy hurt.

Therefore, since we are surrounded

by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight.

We have to run this race

called life with patience.

Are you willing to run the race

and put down the shame?

Amen!

Turn to your neighbor

and say, "Put it down."

Put it down!

How many of y'all have a race

you know you got to run?

You think 'cause you

got that many races to run.

We need those that will accomplish

all God has laid before us.

We need a man, a woman, or someone...

Finally.

Amen, Pastor!

Because they're looking at you.

Because they're looking to the church.

Because they're looking to a better day.

Because they're looking to a new day.

Why? Because

it's time to rise up!

Rise up!

Somebody's gotta rise up this morning!

Rise up.

You buy all that stuff?

Yeah, I do.

Been taught it all my life.

I finally feel like I own it,

like it's mine.

What about you?

I'm Christian same as the next person,

but I believe rising up

means fighting back,

only way things are gonna change.

Tony, we in a system that

prevents any type of aspiration,

any type of growth.

Johnnie...

And then when one of us can't take it

anymore, we're made an example of.

We take the blame.

Hey, Johnnie!

Nuh-uh, but the blame

belongs in the system,

the system that's been keeping

us down time after time.

Johnnie Francis!

Go out with me.

What?

Friday night.

Okay, fine.

I'll pick you up?

Nuh-uh

I'll meet you there.

I'll pick you up.

I'll meet you there.

Rising up still means fighting back.

All right, let's bow our heads.

Dear God, thank you for this day.

Thank you for this chance

to play football

and fellowship together.

And we hope that we

honor you and your glory.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Let's go, man.

Come on.

First team O, first team D, let's go.

Well, he's paying attention.

He's paying attention now,

and that's the whole thing.

Excuse me.

Amen.

So, you're all in, huh?

Yep.

You are?

Yeah.

All right, then.

You know, we're meeting with the players

tonight over at Crestwood.

You should come.

If it was my neighborhood, maybe.

But Crestwood, come on,

you know it's only gonna be

white players there, Jerry.

I mean, what's that gonna achieve?

Shorty White, 2 o'clock.

Whoo!

I give you 30 seconds.

I'll give him less than that.

We're coming after you, Tandy.

Ooh, 8 more weeks 'til judgment day.

Glorious rivalry day.

Banks' Jets coming at you

from the clouds.

I'm bringing my white knight, son.

I know you know who he is,

Mr. Jeff Rutledge.

He's only the best

quarterback in the state, folks.

Birmingham News printed that.

I didn't say it.

Simple kind of man

Oh, be something you

love and understand

Baby, be a simple kind of man

Won't you do this for me, son...

Hey, Coach.

Good to see you.

Ain't never seen a house this big.

No, me neither.

You coming in?

You go ahead.

I'm just gonna have a quick smoke.

You really should.

It's pretty cool.

Well, Shorty White

beat 'em two seasons ago.

Golly, how many'd they dress, a hundred?

They got three times our budget

and a new stadium.

I don't see how that's fair.

We need to redefine winning.

Like a field goal, right?

I mean, no one's scored on 'em

this whole season,

and a field goal, bam, that's winning.

Jerry, is this real?

How does a whole team convert?

How is it that the only

place in the whole city

that blacks and whites get

along is my football team?

Why are you so cynical?

Because I believe in what I can see.

With all due respect, Coach,

you might start looking around.

Hey, we're gonna win this thing.

- Oh, here we go.

- Really?

We're gonna win this game,

and I've got something

I wanna say to the team.

Whoo!

Woodlawn!

Whoo!

Welcome back, everybody.

This is WXJC Birmingham,

and we're following

the number-one team in the state,

the Huffman Vikings,

on their so-far uncontested road

to another championship.

Now, tonight, they square off

against the Woodlawn Colonels,

and this should be a routine,

regular season ball game,

as they're favored by 6 touchdowns.

And on paper, folks, there's

no way at all that Woodlawn

has a chance against

this powerful ball club.

Okay boys, listen up.

The preacher wants to say a few words.

Thank you, Coach.

Make it good.

Yeah.

Read the highlighted, right there.

"This day..."

"This day the Lord

will deliver you into my hand

and I will strike you down."

So that all on earth know

that there is a God in Israel.

And David reached into his pocket,

and he pulled out a stone.

And he slung it, and it struck

the Philistine in the head.

And he fell.

You know what's gonna happen?

You're gonna win this game

tonight, you hear me?

Yes, sir!

You're gonna win this game!

You wanna know how I know

that you're gonna win this game?

Because it's not about you.

Nobody out there knows

what's happened with this team.

But when you win,

on this day, they will.

When you do what everyone

said is impossible, they will.

When you strike down

this giant, they will!

And when they find out how you did it,

then all the earth will know

that there is a God in Israel

on this day.

On this day!

On this day!

On this day!

On this day!

Hey, you're starting

at tailback tonight.

One, two, three, Woodlawn!

Nathan, come on.

We gotta go.

Yes, sir.

Let's just see what happens, okay?

Your momma's gonna kill me.

Turn, boys!

Receives deep at the 10-yard line.

Outstanding blocking as they

break open the double wedge,

just bowling over the much

smaller Woodlawn colonels.

Good job.

Good job.

Stack grip, cover two.

Get out of here, come on.

Stay in your lane!

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