When the Game Stands Tall

Neil Hayes takes readers behind the scenes during the greatest winning streak in sports history, exploring the dramatic tragedies and triumphs that framed De La Salle High School's football team. The author's deft portrait of enigmatic coaching legend Bob Ladouceur vividly illustrates the philosophy [...]
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Neil Hayes takes readers behind the scenes during the greatest winning streak in sports history, exploring the dramatic tragedies and triumphs that framed De La Salle High School's football team. The author's deft portrait of enigmatic coaching legend Bob Ladouceur vividly illustrates the philosophy that "Lad" teaches his teams in hopes that the discipline, commitment, and dedication to doing one's best will translate into life skills for players as they graduate into the world beyond high school. A coming-of-age saga as well as an exciting sports story, this book is the basis for a major motion picture of the same title. This latest revised edition takes readers onto the film set for an introduction to the movie-making process, and includes an afterword updating storylines of many of the memorable characters and documenting coach Bob Ladouceur's final year as head coach.
As the story opens, the 2002 team, guardians of The Streak, is shaping up to be the most vulnerable in years. How the coaches and the players pull together throughout a difficult and challenging season to ultimately triumph is the thread of the book, with alternating chapters providing historical background on the school, past teams, stand-out players, and the dedicated coaching staff.
Known and respected throughout the ranks of American football, the quiet and unassuming Ladouceur is among this country's all-time coaching greats, a man who has helped to define excellence in sports and mentorship. The book affords an inside look at the training techniques, off-season conditioning programs, scouting habits, and practice plans that produced such an outstanding team. It also introduces a cast of unforgettable characters such as Dan Shaughnessy of Salesian HS, "a fierce competitor who stormed up and down the sideline and swore more than a Catholic school coach should"; Brother Laurence, a much-loved teacher at De La Salle; Coach Eidson, a.k.a. "Cobra," and others. The weaving in of these characters illuminates the nature of the competition and says much about the spirit of De La Salle and the culture Lad has created.