A story that needed to be told

Rating: 9/10 (26 December 2006)

This is a story about overcoming tragedy and disaster. It is more than a simple football or other sport film where the underdog somehow wins a game in spite of whatever made them the underdog. This is about people, a team, a university and a small community that went through an event that was absolutely devastating. My folks are from Huntington and my grandparents lived across the street from Faifield Stadium and I remember the team that died as I watched them in go through their spring drills in 1970. I remember the anguish of my mother when the news broke and her grief at the loss of friends who died in the crash. I worked in Huntington in the mid 1990s and I have seen what has happened since. I have seen the people of the area rally around a team, the Thundering Herd. That team is the heart of Huntington, which has lost much since then, heavy industry has moved out, and many people have moved away, but the story of the crash and the recovery from it is something inspiring. I cried through a lot of the movie and think it is a story that everyone needs to see, because everyone someday will have to deal with disappointment, disaster and loss. This film shows how to recover and move ahead while honoring those who died or lost those who were dear to them. Moving on doesn't mean forgetting. This film honors those who died, those who survived and inspires people to get back on the field.