Lakeview Centennial Students Meet Characters From Friday Night Lights
Article Date: November 13, 2007
English II students at Lakeview Centennial High School took a breather from their books last month when Gary Gaines and Don Billingsley – two characters from Friday Night Lights: A Town, a team and a dream – visited the Garland ISD campus.
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The book, which is on the sophomore-level reading curriculum, follows the events of the 1988 Odessa Permian Panthers football team in its quest for a Texas high school state championship. Gaines was head coach of that Permian team while Billingsley played running back.
Author H.G. Bissinger’s 1991 national bestseller spun the tale of a West Texas football mecca that generated a big-screen version in 2004. The critically acclaimed book and movie spawned an NBC Television series in 2006. Bissinger’s 420-page hardback has sold nearly 2-milion copies and ranked No. 4 on Sports Illustrated’s list of the 100 best sport books ever.
“We have had a great time constructively discussing the themes of racism, poverty, the roles of athletes in our society and the culture of our schools,” said Amber Morgan, an English II teacher at Lakeview. “This book highlights issues that our students can relate to because they face them every day.”
Gaines and Billingsley discussed the truth of the book and their own experiences during the 1988 season in a special presentation for more than 500 students. The former gridiron duo also addressed inaccuracies present in the movie.
Still in West Texas, Gaines serves as the executive athletic director for Lubbock ISD. Billingsley, a risk management consultant in Dallas, promoted involvement in the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and the benefits of being involved in school activities.
The speakers were welcomed with a breakfast reception in the library and signed autographs for students at the assembly’s conclusion.
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