Friday Night Lights meets Unbroken .
As the Paradise players fought to rebuild their broken lives, they found strength in the support of their teammates--and as Football returned to Paradise, so, too, did the spirit of the town itself..
In this gripping, deeply-reported story of tragedy and resilience, Plaschke reveals the unique power of sports to unite, to inspire, and to heal.
Bill Plaschke, longtime columnist for the Los Angeles Times , followed the Paradise Bobcats throughout a most remarkable season.
It was the humble beginning to a memorable journey.
On the first day of spring practice, on a debris-ridden patch of grass at nearby Chico Airport, Prinz\'s team didn\'t even have a football.
Most of those who remained were homeless, sleep-deprived, lost.
His varsity squad, which had stood 76 strong the previous season, was down to 22.
Of the 104 Football players at Paradise, 95 had lost their homes.
What ensued was the challenge of a lifetime.
But after the fire forever altered his beloved town, he realized he couldn\'t walk away.
Coach Rick Prinz had planned to retire that year after guiding the Paradise High Bobcats for two decades.
Their program\'s survival seemed doubtful--it wasn\'t even clear whether Paradise High would continue to exist.
Their championship hopes were gone.
But in the wake of the fire, their season was abruptly cancelled on the eve of the playoffs.
The Paradise High Football team had long been the town\'s source of joy and inspiration.
In a single day, Paradise, a proud working-class town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, saw its population fall from 25,000 to 2,000.
The fire, which burned up to 80 acres per minute, killed 86 people, and nearly every building and home in the town was reduced to ashes.
Times columnist and ESPN Around the Horn panelist Bill Plaschke, a story of tragedy, triumph, and the remarkable power of High School Football in one small California town On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire ravaged the town of Paradise, California. --Jeff Pearlman from L.
A. --Ian O\'Connor Plaschke delivers a masterpiece. --Tony Reali One of the most profound stories you will ever read.
Friday Night Lights meets Unbroken
