T.C. Williams, Ampipe, Permian among the best teams to ever play high school football on the big screen.
MaxPreps is in the business of doing high school rankings. If you want to know who is the No. 1 football team in the nation or your state, all you have to do is look right here.
Now, MaxPreps brings you the very best high school football teams to ever appear on the silver screen. The list contains teams that were based on true stories as well as purely fictional teams.
The teams on this list have hit the heights, and oh what heights they've hit. On with the show, this is it.
MaxPreps Top 10 High School Movie Football Teams
1. T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.) – "Remember the Titans"
There was potential for this to be a disastrous season for the Titans, considering the racially fueled emotions evident with the desegregation and consolidation of the two Alexandria schools that combined to form T.C. Williams. But the team has bonded thanks to a tough summer camp run by first-year head coach Herman Boone. But not only do the Titans have a great coach in Boone, they have a second great coach in assistant Bill Yoast. The loss of All-State linebacker Gerry Bertier hurts, but Petey Jones has been outstanding in leading the defense and Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass has been everything he was expected to be when he transferred to the school this summer. Williams' win in the state championship game is more than enough to place the Titans at No. 1.
Donald Faison, who played Petey Jones in 'Remember the Titans,' at the 2000 premiere of the film.
Scott Nelson/AFP/Getty Images
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2. Permian (Odessa, Texas) – "Friday Night Lights"
Although
the loss of sensational running back Boobie Miles appeared devastating
at first, coach Gary Gaines is able to rally Odessa and reach the Texas
state playoffs. A loss to Carter in the state finals is the only
setback in an otherwise outstanding season.
Derek Luke (left), who played Boobie Miles in the film version of 'Friday Night Lights,' poses with the author of the original book, Buzz Bissinger.
Getty Images
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3. Ampipe (Fictional) – "All the Right Moves"
The loss to Walnut Heights in the big game keeps Ampipe from rising to the top spot. The loss of standout linebacker Stef Djordjevic, who has apparently been kicked off the team by coach Nickerson, will be hard to replace.
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4. West Canaan (Fictional) – "Varsity Blues"
Although the Coyotes are a small school, they have big-time talent. That's obvious, considering longtime coach Bud Kilmer has racked up 22 division titles during his tenure. However, the loss of star quarterback Lance Harbor to injury means that the Coyotes need to try and get the job done with backup John Moxon leading the way.
The West Canaan Coyotes of 'Varsity Blues.'
Getty Images
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5. Ridgemont (Fictional) – "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
Ridgemont is tough, particularly on defense, where Charles Jefferson wreaks havoc at middle linebacker. The Wolves can be very formidable, especially when Jefferson plays angry.
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6. Camp Kilpatrick (Malibu, Calif.) – "Gridiron Gang"
A first-year program, Camp Kilpatrick has the makings of a strong team under coach Sean Porter. Although he is still raw, look for Willie Weathers to start showing up on recruiters' radar.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at the 2006 premiere of 'Gridiron Gang.'
Getty Images
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7. T.L. Hanna (Anderson, S.C.) – "Radio"
T.L. Hanna has a no-nonsense, but compassionate coach in Harold Jones. They also get plenty of inspiration from assistant head coach James Robert "Radio" Kennedy.
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8. Taft (Calif.) – "The Best of Times"
The Rockets' loss to Bakersfield was a tough pill to swallow for Taft fans. The team had a win within its grasp, but Reno Hightower's pass to Jack Dundee at the end of the game fell incomplete. Still, Hightower's skills cannot be denied. Who will ever forget the seven touchdowns he had against Porterville? Players and fans alike will likely be talking about the close loss to Bakersfield for years to come.
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9. Wingate Christian (Fictional representation of Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) ) – "The Blind Side"
Recruiters are beating down the door to see Wingate Christian tackle Michael Oher play. Lou Holtz, Tommy Tuberville and MaxPreps' own Tom Lemming have been out to see Oher and they have been quite impressed. Expect big things out of Oher now that his academic problems seem to be behind him.
The cast of 'The Blind Side' at the 2009 New York premiere.
Getty Images
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10. Central (Fictional) – "Wildcats"
Central has been out of the rankings for quite some time, but the presence of first-year head coach Molly McGrath has turned things around. While it is rare to see a female as a head football coach, don't be fooled. McGrath's father was a longtime head coach and she gave up her track job at Prescott to take the football job at Central. A win over Prescott in the big game, and the emergence of promising athletes Trumaine and Krushinki, have Central moving up in the rankings. Look for Trumaine and Krushinski to also star for the basketball team in the winter.
