Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream is a story based on the 1988 Permian High School football team and their quest for the coveted State Championship title. The Permian Panthers are the life blood of the town. The town of Odessa, Texas takes pride in having one of the most successful football programs in the entire country. The story begins at the beginning of the 1988 season and follows the team, the players, and the town on their quest for a state championship under their untested coach, Coach Gaines. The book is about the hardships of football and the dedication to perfection that it requires of its players. High school football is huge in Texas. The Permian Panthers was no ordinary high school team. To play on this prestigious team was an honor every boy in town hoped to achieve; every father hoped for their son. This town was so obsessed with football that they did not even blink when the football team chartered planes for away games at the cost of $20,000 while the teachers could barely afford textbooks. Football was king in Texas. The players got away with a lot. And one way or another, they were always passing their classes. Racism was …show more content…
The author tells a riveting narrative of the hard work it takes to a football player at Permian High. Bissinger mixes in vivid portrayals of the players. Some who are at the center of the attention and others who have fallen from grace. Booby Miles, the star running back, has high hopes for the season. He is going to lead the Panthers to state and get accepted to a major college. But in the chapter titled “Boobie,” the reader will discover Boobie’s dreams shatter due to a major injury before the season even begins. The story of Boobie Miles serves as a cautionary tale of football obsessions gone wrong. This is but one of the many tales Bissinger writes about in the book as a way to show the passions of high school