Video: High school movie locations via Google Earth See the places made famous on the big screen.
High school sports movies usually strongly identify with the town where the school is located. However, the school that is depicted in the movie is not always where the scenes were filmed.
MaxPreps' Google Earth series takes a look at where some of your favorite high school movies were supposed to take place and where they were actually filmed.
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Friday Night Lights" (movie)
Based on the book by Buzz Bissinger chronicling the story of the 1988
Permian (Odessa, Texas) football team, "Friday Night Lights" was filmed in Odessa; however, some of the football stadium scenes were filmed at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.
"Remember the Titans"
The movie is about the integration of
T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.), and the relationship between coaches Herman Boone, played by Denzel Washington, and coach Bill Yoast. However, the main football scenes are shot in Georgia at
Etowah (Woodstock, Ga.).
"Varsity Blues"
This movie takes place in the fictional town of West Canaan, Texas.
Elgin High School was used for the scenes of West Canaan while other exterior shots took place in Coupland. The film used Coyote Stadium at
Georgetown (Texas) for football scenes. The old stadium was located at a site behind the Georgetown Recreation Center and has since been torn down. The new stadium, built in 2008, is located at the high school.
"The Blind Side"
The movie is a based on the book by Michael Lewis. Future NFL lineman Michael Oher attends fictional Wingate Christian School, which represents Oher's real high school of
Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.). However, one of the schools where the movie is filmed is
Atlanta International (Atlanta).
"Gridiron Gang"
Starring Dwayne Johnson as coach Sean Porter, the movie is based on Porter's development of a football program at Kilpatrick Detention Center in north Los Angeles. Some of the scenes are filmed at the actual detention center. Camp Kilpatrick no longer fields athletic teams.
"All The Right Moves"
The Tom Cruise movie takes place in the fictional steel mill town of Ampipe. Some of the practice scenes are held at
Greater Johnstown (Johnstown, Pa.). Football stadium scenes were filmed at Point Stadium in Johnstown, which was torn down in 2005 and replaced with another stadium.
"When the Game Stands Tall"
Based on the
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) football program and the end of its 151-game win streak, the games are supposed to take place in Concord, Bellevue (Wash.) and Long Beach (Calif.). However, the movie was filmed almost entirely in Louisiana with football scenes at
East Jefferson (Metairie, La.).
"Radio"
Based on the life of James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, the movie is set at
T.L. Hanna (Anderson, S.C.). However, the movie was filmed at
Colleton County's Cougar Stadium in Walterboro, S.C.
"The Rookie"
The baseball movie is about Jim Morris, a high school baseball coach turned big league pitcher, in Big Lake (Texas) and
Reagan County High School. "The Rookie" filmed its high school baseball scenes at
Thorndale (Texas).
"Friday Night Lights" (TV series)
Unlike the film on which its is based, the TV series takes place in fictional Dillon, Texas. The football scenes are shot at Kuempel Stadium in
Pflugerville (Texas).
