High school football coach, Gordon Walters, is on a quest to transform South Brunswick High School's football team from a perennial conference doormat into a perennial power. The story begins when the fiery head coach leaves Southern Durham High School after taking the Spartans, ranked No. 30 in the nation by The Sporting News, to the semi-finals of the 3A state playoffs. Walters accepts the job at South Brunswick despite the warnings of his coaching colleagues, who called the move 'career suicide.' Walters, who had enjoyed great success at Wilmington Laney and Southern Durham, took the reins of team that had not been to the playoffs in 13 years and had not won a playoff game in school history. South Brunswick also had the dubious distinction of having one of the longest losing streaks in the state. The Cougars had fallen 17 consecutive times to county rival West Brunswick when Walters arrived in Southport in 2005.
