For Penn State Public Broadcasting, I'm PJ O'Connell.

Well, as we all too often say, you win some, you lose some.

Which is nice when you're the winner, but it's a tough truism when you're the loser.

And even if, in sportswriter hyperbole, it's not whether you won or lost, but how you played the game, we all understand that especially in games, winning counts, and often counts a lot.

Football is a game, maybe.

But at small rural high schools, it is never just a game.

It involves too many adult careers, too many school district budgets, and influences the lives and attitudes of too many young people to ever be just a game.

But if you see games and play as metaphors for life, showing us the need to strive to excel and teaching us the need to accept defeat, then this documentary about winning and losing in a rural setting may be a winner for you.

Shift!

Hut!

There it is, there it is, there it is.

OK, Billy!

Good job!

COMMENTATOR: Buriak, 83 yards, another strike, and again, to Mike Haky.

2-point conversion no good.

Halftime score, 20 to 7.

Right now, as far as a winning season is concerned, it's very, very hard to tell because of our schedule.

Our schedule is very demanding.

11 Oh, come on, Eddie!

You got to catch the ball!

Lack of concentration!

You got the ball in your hand!

We can't guarantee wins.

That's one thing we can't do.

But we can guarantee exciting football.

We can guarantee kids playing with their heart and things of that nature.

[clamoring, cheering] [truimphant music] Hut!

Legs!

Legs!

Legs!

[whistle blows] That's better.

Hut!

NARRATOR: It begins in August.

On 600 practice fields across Pennsylvania, on 23,000 fields across the United States, a million-plus teenage athletes begin the bruising, exhausting, exhilarating ritual that is high school football.

Ahead lies victory and defeat, for some will win and an equal number will lose.

For a few, it's just a game.

For most, it can never be quite that simple.

But in the beginning, in August, there's only the heat, the coaches' shouts, and the tantalizing uncertainties of a new season.

That's better, that's better!

There you go.

There he is again.

Get it there!

Touchdown!

Good job.

Football!

BOB BURIAK: Physical hard work is what it is.

And summer football camp is maybe the hardest thing that those young people will do in their life.

Hut!

Drive him!

Drive him!

Drive him!

Drive him!

That's it.

OK. Not bad.

OK, not bad.

BOB BURIAK: And there are times when you're on the football field and you think about, jeez, what am I doing here?

It's 90 degrees out.

I'm sweating.

And this is all supposedly for fun.

NARRATOR: Bob Buriak, head football coach at DuBois Area High School.

Shift!

Hut!

[pads thumping] There it is.

There it is.

There it is.

OK, Billy.

Good job!

We used to play power football because we had some awful big linemen here.

And we were able to play football that way.

Go, go!

Oh, yeah!

Good ball!

Way to sink, baby!

Way to go, Johnny.

That's the way.

BOB BURIAK: But this year, we're sort of limited on the number of big linemen we have.

So we've changed our plan of attack offensively.

And we're going to a wide-open offense.

We're throwing the ball.

And also, we're running the option a great deal.

It'll be there.

You can't go thinking about it.

It's got to come natural there.

Just relax and concentrate, right?

NARRATOR: Buriak is paid $3,150-- on top of his $18,000 teaching salary-- to coach football, to supervise a winter weight training program, and to run a summer conditioning program.

His record in five years at DuBois is 30 wins and 23 defeats, but he's had two consecutive losing seasons.

He's going to lose out, and he's going to come in.

But that's no problem because we got, what?

Three on one.

As far as the coach is concerned, as far as his leadership qualities are concerned, the coach, the basic thing he has to do is he has to prepare the people as far as putting down what he wants to do offensively and defensively, and he has to try to minimize the mistakes.

The other way, how would things go that way?

Well, if the play is going that way, Jimmy, you'll go that way.

If he's coming this way, there's no problem there.

We don't worry.

He comes out on you this way, we can play this way, all right?

But I think that we have to realize that we have an 11-game schedule.

And those kids know what their schedule is.

And those kids better be damn well ready to play that schedule, or any time in that 11 weeks, they can get their jock knocked off.

dog.

[speaking indistinctly] He got hit by a stray dog.

[laughter] [onfield chatter] BOB BURIAK: I've been very, very fortunate in all the years that I've been coaching.

And I've had nothing severe or serious as far as head injuries or neck injuries.

Let me see your eyes again.

Look right to me.

BOB BURIAK: But we definitely have football injuries throughout high school.

And as long as we have football, we're going to have injuries.

There's 11 people out here, right?

11!

You got to read the defense.

No fault.

Jeez!

Huddle up.

Realistically, I try to tell the kids that we're playing football for the enjoyment of playing football.

We're not paying anybody to play football in high school, you know?

And our salaries, as far as coaches, are very nominal.

We do not make a great deal of money as far as coaching, as far as when you take the hours and if you divide the hours into the cellar that we get as a coaching staff.

Realistically, the money isn't there.

And we do it because we enjoy it.

And when the fun goes out of it, for me, that's when it's going to be time for me to retire.

NARRATOR: Preseason's over.

The conditioning drills have been cut back.

The final scrimmage has been analyzed.

The team picture's been taken.

Friday night at 8:00, the 11-week struggle to be winners, not losers, begins.

COMMENTATOR: At the county seat tonight, the Golden Tigers pushed across the first-- NARRATOR: Opening the season on the road, the DuBois Beavers-- in white-- meet Hollidaysburg.

COMMENTATOR: He breaks loose, scampers 33 yards.

Then a play later, it's Neff into the end zone for the touchdown.

7 to 0, Hollidaysburg.

He rushed for 101 yards in the first half.

After a key fumble by Hollidaysburg, DuBois quarterback Bob Buriak showed his passing abilities.

First and 10 on their own 41, 59 yards and a strike to Mike Haky.

The extra point, although, was blocked.

That's the key.

Second half, holiday-- BOB BURIAK: Offensively, we had such a good first half.

We had Hollidaysburg on the run at 22 to 7.

I think we got sort of a false sense of security at halftime when we thought that the game was going to be easy.

COMMENTATOR: --picking up a big 12 yards.

Then, Shane Neff, the big guy, pushed his third touchdown of the night across from the 3-yard line.

That tied it at 20-20.

Mike Hite tagged the extra point.

The final, the Golden Tigers of Hollidaysburg 21, DuBois 20.

You do not let what, people come where?

Inside you.

Last week, you both went where?

Outside.

And what happened to the kick?

It got blocked.

All right.

It got blocked and we lost the football game.

Yeah.

You guys get in here toe to toe with them, toe to toe.

All right, ready?

Let's go, first one up.

We got 10.

[onfield chatter] Get yourself locked in there.

Hit him a shot!

Right here.

Come right up the chute.

Hit him a shot!

Way to hustle!

Come on!

[onfield chatter] [shouting, yelling] Well, come on!

[shouting, yelling] [pads thumping] Get your hands up!

All right!

[onfield chatter] BOB BURIAK: I think the basic thing that kids learn about football is the sacrifice that they have to go through to-- in order to participate in a football game.

[play call] [clamoring] BOB BURIAK: And I think that it teaches them a lesson as far as going out into life later on.

I think that when the times get tough and the going gets tough, I think they have that little bit of what's ever inside you to pick it up and suck it up and keep moving on.

[play call] [clamoring] Oh, come on, Eddie!

You gotta catch the ball!

What the hell are you doing to that football?

That cost the damn football game the other night!

And now you aren't catching it!

[speaking indistinctly] Did I tell you guys-- Lack of concentration!

You got the ball in your hand!

Too many O's!

Too many O's!

BOB BURIAK: If the kid comes out and he tries his hardest, even though the score may end up 21-20, if the kid's having fun and he looks back on his high school years and said, I played football and I've enjoyed myself, maybe that's the answer.

I don't know.

I think that's probably more important as far as the value of it all than really the actual winning and the losing of it all.

Well, let's huddle up and make it look sharp.

I mean, come on here.

Why do I like to play football, I guess?

Well, it's hard to really tell.

INTERVIEWER: You plan on going to professional football?

No, I'd like to get a scholarship for football in college somewhere.

I like to hit people, too.

That's fun, especially when you hit them, and you put them out of the game, and they wake up on the sideline with train whistles blowing in your ear.

TEAMMATE: [speaking indistinctly] [chuckles softly] I don't know.

It's exciting.

And I like my name in the paper.

[chuckles softly] The reason I play football is I-- I started in elementary with midgets.

Because I-- football is the only thing I'm active in.

I just wanted something to do.

And now it's just like a bad habit.

I can't-- I can't quit now.

It's worth it.

It's fun.

It's something to do besides going out partying.

[laughter] DAN SHEPHERD: Come on, Sol!

TEAMMATE: Come on, Sol!

Yeah, dude.

Tell them [muted].

JIM SOLADA: All right, I like to beat the [muted] out of them.

[laughter] It's, uh-- it's fun.

I don't know.

DAN SHEPHERD: It's fun!

I played for quite a while.

I don't know.

I hope to play in college sometime.

I don't know.

I probably ain't big enough.

To make-- put somebody to pain.

TEAMMATE: That's right.

To break their bones.

It's the only fun.

TEAMMATE: [chuckles] I think you got me in on focus.

Hi, Mom.

[laughter] BOB BURIAK: Realistically, we always have said the first four ball games are the most important as far as establishing what you're going to do throughout the year.

Now, we feel that if we can get three out of the four of those games, we'll usually end up with a very good year.

Now, if we go .500, then we can still end up with a pretty good year, say, maybe six or seven wins.

But if we lose three of the four, or even possibly lose four, then you start to wonder and the kids start to wonder, what happened?

Why are we losing and things of this nature?

Then the mental attitude, you start having a problem with that.

NARRATOR: The first home game, Lock Haven, in white.

[audience clamors] Lock Haven draws first blood-- an 18-yard pass play following a DuBois fumble.

Lock Haven 7, DuBois 0.

But the Beavers bounce right back.

On fourth down, Edd Hand on a flanker reverse goes 16 yards, and DuBois is driving.

Then Pat Heath for 2 yards-- touchdown.

The Beavers trail by a point.

[cheering] [clamoring] A 2-point conversion pushes DuBois into the lead, 8 to 7.

But they were ahead last week, too.

Have all these people.

We gave 'em one.

Now we're in a damn dogfight again.

Every week!

Don't back into him, David!

David, you stay there!

Don't back into him!

Don't back up, Dave!

NARRATOR: Sometimes you can't help backing up.

In eight plays, Lock Haven goes 76 yards and takes the lead 13 to 8.

COMMENTATOR: Second and 7, as the Beavers try to stop the hard-charging Bobcats.

NARRATOR: In the final quarter, a DuBois drive ends with another fumble.

And Bob Buriak's defenders struggle for one more chance at the ball, but those are white jerseys in the end zone.

[cheering] Lock Haven game, we was in the fourth quarter with six minutes to go.

We had a good drive.

We drove the ball down inside the 10-yard line and ended up fumbling on the 1-yard line.

Very fine line between winning and losing.

Yeah.

Yeah!

Now we travel to Broadway.

Yeah.

Take it on the road.

That's right.

We're taking it one at a time.

You think Georgia Tech shut down Alabama's options?

Yeah, yeah.

The Bear lost.

The Bear lost.

His search for number 300 and whatever it is just-- NARRATOR: Sunday night, following the Lock Haven game, the coaching staff meets to review the game films.

You all right?

Yeah.

BOB BURIAK: That first kickoff at the 30-yard line did better than a 30-yard.

Coaches have to prepare continuously throughout the season.

I know that we probably will work, along with teaching and coaching, anywhere from 80 to 100 hours a week.

And it's very demanding.

And you sleep very little during the season.

And as the year goes on and as the season goes on, you start filling it.

And as the years go on, as a coach, you notice it more.

And it gets a little harder at times.

When I was 25 years old, it was a lot easier than now that I'm 38 years old.

So we gave them 7 points to start the game.

Come on there, Spider!

Hit the lights NARRATOR: On Monday night, after practice and a quick supper, the team meets to review the Lock Haven films.

Bad.

What is the end and wingback doing, defensive secondary?

[murmurs] What are they doing?

[murmurs] All right, we got everybody dropping except the key person in the defensive secondary, and that's our outside man.

And then when you see it-- NARRATOR: Coach Buriak has now seen that first Lock Haven touchdown at least 20 times.

BOB BURIAK: Then we give 6 points.

On Monday night of the week prior to the Indiana game, we sat down as a group of football players and a coach and talked about how important it was.

And the kids realized how important it was, and they went out and played very, very well, but not well enough to win.

MAN: DuBois, a young ball club.

They've got the makings of a good ball club in a year or two, especially when these young sophomores are seniors.

NARRATOR: After three games, the DuBois Beavers are winless, an uncomfortable record in a community that takes football and winning seriously.

[onfield chatter] Personally, how I feel about being 0 and 3, I'm really a victim of the personnel that I have as far as playing football.

We can only coach and we can only teach them what we want them to do.

And they have to perform.

And everything has to come from within.

We can only motivate so much.

Everything else has to come from within the people that are playing.

Coaching football in DuBois has been very excellent as far as I've been here my sixth year.

And we've had some great years.

A couple of years back, we won the Western Conference and the CENPAC championship.

And we had a great, great couple of years, but the last couple of years we've been struggling.

Shift!

Hut!

[PADS THUMPING, PLAYERS GRUNTING] There, Terry!

Right there!

[heavy breathing] All right, right blue right.

Tailback screen left-- 12 years old, I started to play football.

I went through the high school program.

I went through the college program, played at two different colleges, played a year in the old Continental Football League.

Right after that, I went into high school coaching as an assistant one year, and then I've been a head coach ever since.

I think it was 23 years old when I started my first head coaching job.

Shift!

As far as coaching now for 17 years, it's been great.

If things go well, I'll probably be back next year.

It's just the things that you have to look at, you know?

And one of these days, I'll retire.

But right now it's not in the immediate future, unless the community and the school board decide that they think they need a change, they need somebody to maybe motivate the program a little better.

I don't know, you know?

I don't know their feelings.

And I feel that I'm doing the best job that I'm capable of doing.

[clamoring, cheering] [lively marching band music] [clamoring, cheering] ANNOUNCER: Welcome to our second pep rally of the year.

[students cheering] We need your cooperation.

So tonight, when our guys play Altoona, we can count on winning.

[students cheering] STUDENTS: (CHANTING) Let's get fired up!

[banging] Let's get fired up!

BOB BURIAK: There's no doubt the wins will come for us.

Just how many they're going to be, we just don't know as of yet.

We feel that if we can break .500 with the first four games, we're going to have a good year.

But right now, we're 0 and 3.

And right now, our backs are against the wall.

And we need this win against Altoona.

STUDENTS: (CHANTING) Let's get fired up!

[banging] Let's get fired up!

[energetic marching band music] BOB BURIAK: And this week, we have talked about it again.

We have said now we're really-- our backs are against the wall.

And we really do need a win right now to change that mental attitude.

And once we change that mental attitude with a win, I honestly believe this football team is going to take right off and go.

Oh, baby!

[speaking indistinctly] [clamoring] Take it off, baby!

Take it off!

[music playing] NARRATOR: The Altoona Mountain Lions with a 2 and 1 record in visitors white.

BOB BURIAK: Go, go!

Touchdown!

Touchdown!

[cheering] All right!

Patrick!

Patrick!

Load!

Pro blue right!

NARRATOR: Mike Haky's runback of the interception was only to the 9-yard line.

But two plays later, Pat Heath goes for 8 yards and a touchdown.

The extra point is good.

DuBois ahead 7-0.

BOB BURIAK: Extra point!

I tell you, the biggest thing is as far as pressure, there isn't any pressure when you're winning.

There isn't any.

Ride.

pro blue left.

Quarterback sneak.

When you're losing, what you do is you go back to the drawing board and say to yourself, can I do something to help us, you know?

You spend more time coaching when you're losing than you do when you're winning.

Load.

Pro blue right 30.

Load pro blue.

46 pass OK, baby.

NARRATOR: On the Beavers' second possession, they roll up 35 yards in six plays.

Then, the ninth fumble of the young season.

[clamoring] REFEREE: That needs to be the ball carrier.

The fumble is recovered by-- 46 pass!

REFEREE: --for Altoona.

46 pass!

[clamoring] [whistle blows] Yeah, he lost it.

[clamoring, shouting] Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

Just don't worry about it.

Don't worry about it.

Quit worrying about it.

It's over.

It's over!

The ball!

Regular zebra!

[faint chanting] [clamoring] We came to play, baby!

Let's go!

NARRATOR: Second quarter, DuBois at midfield.

[clamoring] A 29-yard pass to Edd Hann down at the 31-yard line.

BOB BURIAK: All right Eddie!

All right, boy!

All right.

CROWD: (CHANTING) Offense!

Offense!

Offense!

Offense!

NARRATOR: The next play-- All right, get it in there!

Yeah!

Yes, sir!

Kick team!

Kick team!

NARRATOR: --a touchdown pass.

Extra point good.

DuBois with a 14-point lead and rolling.

Come to play today.

Yes, sir.

OK, we got them totally confused right now.

That kid's playing you single.

Single.

OK. You got him now, you got that?

Don't forget, he's dragging this guy.

Let's go, Dave.

Let's go.

Hey, guys!

All right.

We don't want to lose the intensity!

We're coming after them!

I'm getting shy of that screen-- BOB BURIAK: The only way you win now-- I'm going to tell you something-- the only way you win is when you have good people.

Just keep on coming, all right?

It's bugging the hell out-- All right, all right.

All right, we got to come, baby.

We came to play, baby.

You remember that?

We came to play.

No letting up nowhere.

No letting up.

All right, what do we got?

Ride.

Pro blue left.

X out.

[clamoring] All right, all right, all right!

We come to play, baby!

You can play any offense.

You can play any defense that you want to play.

You'll win.

I don't care if it's a 9-2 defense, or a 2-9 defense, or whatever you want to say.

If you have good people, you'll win.

And that's what it comes down to.

[chanting] NARRATOR: Late in the first half, a DuBois drive stalls short of the goal line, and Coach Buriak is denied an insurance score he very much wanted.

In the second half, Altoona's late returning to the field.

Apparently, the coach had plenty to say to his players.

[clamoring] And it has an effect.

First, a 26-yard pass play deep into DuBois territory.

[clamoring] MAN: Get him, Chris!

[clamoring] NARRATOR: Then a 16-yard run into the end zone.

The DuBois fans and the coach have the same thought-- is the roof coming in again?

I told you, we came to play and we're not playing!

We got to play, baby!

When you have to play and play before people, and people who are very critical, you have to be ready.

There is pressure.

[whistle blows] They go for two-- they go for two, play regular D. You got 8 yards to go, all right?

Nothing stupid.

[whistle blows] There is pressure.

There's no doubt that there is a great deal of pressure on you.

And it's-- there are a lot of things that would probably upset people.

But I tell you, when the people are behind me yelping and screaming, throw the ball, run the ball, call another play, put another kid in, that doesn't bother me at all.

I think people think they get on your back by doing that and sort of make you do things, but you just totally ignore that.

You can't let that get on your back, you know?

The biggest pressures on you as far as a football coach is is making sure that you can get up in the morning when you look yourself in the mirror and saying to yourself, am I doing things right?

Am I playing the right people?

Am I doing things right?

Am I calling the right plays and things?

Would I change my mind or anything like that?

Fine.

I can look myself in the mirror every day, and that's who I have to answer to, is the man in the glass.

And the man in the glass says, fine, you're doing a good job, I mean, that's fine with me.

[clamoring] [cheering] NARRATOR: DuBois is doing things right.

At the end of an 85-yard drive, Pat Heath gets the touchdown.

[cheering] DuBois 22, Altoona 6.

Let's go, defense!

Let's go, D!

NARRATOR: But Altoona snaps back again.

An intercepted pass sets up a touchdown, and the Mountain Lions pull to within eight points with just eight minutes left.

I tell you, now is when you got to gut it up.

You got that?

You got to gut it up right now.

Now is when you got to play, baby!

You got to stop them right now!

You got to watch it right.

You watch it, and you watch it.

[clamoring] NARRATOR: Buriak's entreaties seem to work.

DuBois recovers an onside kick attempt and presses for an insurance score.

[clamoring] Pat Heath from the 7.

[cheering] DuBois by 16.

[cheering] [clamoring] Then, icing on the cake-- a DuBois interception and a 30-yard runback by Mike Haky.

[cheering, clamoring] We came to play!

[excited chatter] We came to play.

We came to play.

Woo, baby!

Yeah!

[speaking indistinctly] That's one, baby!

That's one!

Now we go seven more, man!

Nice going.

We hung it on them.

I told you, it's there.

It's just a matter of time.

I knew it the first game, it was there.

Everybody gets down on them.

I was the only guy that stood there, you know that.

I told you it would come tonight.

Didn't I tell you that?

Yeah.

I told the kids on the bus on the way home from Indiana that we had it.

Kirk!

[clamoring] BOB BURIAK: Is this is what I want to keep on doing?

Oh, jeez.

PLAYERS: 5, 4, 3-- BOB BURIAK: I don't know.

PLAYERS: --2, 1.

BOB BURIAK: Eventually, I will get out of football.

[cheering] You know, it's probably closer now to reality than when it was five years ago.

Now, this is probably going to be my last stop.

And one of these days, that will be a possibility, that I will retire and go on and enjoy other things that I haven't really enjoyed throughout my life.

Like I told you before, I've been coming to a football field since I've been 12 years old.

That's 27 years.

That's a long time.

There's my wife.

[speaking indistinctly] Had to be in Johnstown pants.

[chuckles] Well, we're going to go.

We're going to go.

Hi!

I'll see you around.

BOB BURIAK: People can be very cruel and make statements.

And of course, not many people know who the coach's wife is and things like that.

And they'll make statements, and it sort of upsets her because it's hitting right at home.

And she does it very, very well.

Oh, hallelujah.

Yeah.

[chuckles] That's all.

I told you.

That's all.

All coaches end up just teaching school.

I'm close to retirement.

As far as you look at things another 15 years, you're going to retire.

And so maybe you just teach and just get it out of the way.

And that way, you take life easy and things of that nature.

But as far as coaching itself is concerned, I think that what drives most coaches out is not the kids, not the winning, not the losing, but the time element that they have to put into it all.

COMMENTATOR: First and 10 at the 15-yard line.

Down to 15 seconds in the ball game.

And the Beavers will sit on the ball and win this one.

Heath gets down to about the 10.

That's the end of the ball game.

NARRATOR: The following week, DuBois blasts winless Bradford and the winning streak goes to two games.

Trap four on two.

Come on!

NARRATOR: In a rare Saturday afternoon game, DuBois-- in white-- travels to Warren.

PLAYER: Why do I play football?

Uh, I represent my school, my community.

When we win, everybody wins.

I think the team wins, not individual players.

PA: [speaking indistinctly] [clamoring] Handoff to Heath.

[chanting, clamoring] Handoff to Heath again.

Heath.

PAT HEATH: I'd say what happens after you're done playing football is the best part of football-- the glory, the college scouts, the paper, the write-ups on you.

That's a lot.

That really makes a person feel good, when you see your name in a paper, your picture in a paper, saying how you did this and how you did that.

That's a big part of football.

NARRATOR: Pat Heath, number 33, tailback, leading rusher, a senior.

[clamoring] PA: [speaking indistinctly] MIKE HAKY: I like getting the publicity and stuff.

And that's what I'm looking for, a way to college.

I'm hoping for a scholarship.

And sports to me is the only reason I'd go to college.

I'm going to go for an education, but a scholarship-- a full scholarship is what I'm looking for.

NARRATOR: Mike Haky, number 7, offensive end, defensive cornerback, a senior.

[clamoring] PA: [speaking indistinctly] [cheering] [speaking indistinctly] [clamoring] [speaking indistinctly] He's down at the 37-yard line.

[clamoring] BOB BURIAK, JR.: Playing both ways is a chore.

It really is.

It's hard.

You got to give 110% both ways.

It's a lot of work, a lot of work.

It's fun.

It keeps you out of trouble.

You earn yourself a way to school somewhere, too.

That's the big thing.

I want to get a scholarship to a school.

That way, I won't have to pay myself to go to school, have to work and go to school at the same time.

I don't know.

I want to get a college education.

If you want to be good in life, you have to get a college education.

That's all there is to it.

NARRATOR: Bob Buriak, Jr., number eight, linebacker, quarterback, and the coach's son, a senior.

BOB BURIAK, JR.: I like defense.

I love defense.

I play linebacker on defense.

That's what the college recruiters are looking at me now for, defensive linebacker.

Colleges, if you're good, they'll notice you.

And they'll come and they'll talk to you right away.

Oh, they send you birthday cards and calendars, a lot of letters-- got a big stack of letters at home-- um, phone calls every once in a while, visits.

They'll fly you down for a weekend.

It's very nice.

They treat you good.

[chuckles softly] [cheerleaders chanting] TERRY UPLINGER: To begin the season, I was injured for the first four weeks.

And before that, I was hoping to go in small college.

But with my injury and everything, it just halted my season up quite a bit.

PA: DuBois along with Terry Uplinger.

I don't really think I'll get too far on football itself.

NARRATOR: Terry Uplinger, number 62, defensive lineman, a senior.

You ready, David?

You ready?

All right.

Come on!

We got to want it!

JIM SOLADA: We just couldn't play as a team.

People were fighting amongst each other and everything.

And it kind of-- it kind of makes me mad about it, to go out and work your heart off.

Some people don't care about anything.

Let's go, Jimmy!

Let's go!

Let's go.

All right, now let's go!

Do something!

[clamoring] JIM SOLADA: If it wouldn't have been for me getting hurt this year, yeah, I would have had a pretty good year, I guess.

How do you feel, buddy?

Huh?

I'm all right.

That's what happens.

JIM SOLADA: But you can't let it bother you.

If you let it, you worry too much about getting hurt, you just can't play right.

I'd say I've played with injuries for a long time now.

And it hurts, but you got to go out and play.

That's all there is to it.

If you like the sport, you play.

NARRATOR: Jim Solada, number 52, center, a senior.

[clamoring] For senior Mike Haky, it's another long day.

[cheering] MIKE HAKY: Well, my sophomore year, the team was 3 and 8, 4 and 7 the next year.

And this year, we lost the first three games.

And I started thinking to myself, we don't have it, you know?

I started-- you started to think about if you'd really had your ability, you know?

If I was that good of a player, why couldn't I do something about it?

NARRATOR: Pat Heath, senior.

PAT HEATH: Middle of the season starts to get-- it starts to get rough.

You don't know whether you want to play anymore or not.

There's times I think everybody wanted to pack it in and just forget all about it.

I think it's like that with-- no matter who you are, once you start losing, it's hard to just keep going.

Come on!

Come on, guys!

Get after them!

PAT HEATH: But we just didn't have the breaks.

We had bad breaks.

We had bad breaks all year long.

No matter what-- what team you're on, if you don't have the breaks, you're not going to win that much, because you've got to have a lot of breaks.

NARRATOR: Terry Uplinger, senior.

[clamoring] [cheering] PA: Ryan King.

Ryan King.

[clamoring] [speaking indistinctly] TERRY UPLINGER: We really played good in all our games.

It's just that the other teams got the breaks.

And so I don't think that we're losers.

That isn't in our minds, I don't think.

But what's happening now is you have players that are more concerned about themselves, you know?

They want to build themselves up instead of the team.

NARRATOR: Bob Buriak, senior.

[whistle blows] PA: Buriak.

[speaking indistinctly] BOB BURIAK, JR.: The Warren game was a turning point in our season, I think.

That game, we knew we had to win.

We went in and we played our heart out.

That's one thing we did this year, is played our heart out.

We never quit.

[clamoring] PA: And that pass is incomplete.

[whistles blow] MIKE HAKY: That's a killer.

That's a team right there that shouldn't even have been in the game with us.

We fumbled the ball on the 1-yard line first possession.

And I dropped a touchdown pass.

It should have been 28 to 0.

PLAYERS: (CHANTING) Defense!

Defense!

NARRATOR: But the score is 0 to 0-- Let's go, D!

NARRATOR: --until Warren intercepts a pass and forces the ball down to the DuBois 1-yard line.

[clamoring] [whistle blows] [cheering, clamoring] And the Beavers have only 12 minutes to recover from the breaks and keep their winning streak and their hopes for a winning season alive.

Terry Uplinger watches.

[clamoring] Watches a Warren first down on the 15-yard line.

[cheering] PA: [speaking indistinctly] [cheering] NARRATOR: Bob Buriak watches.

[clamoring] PLAYER: I mean, right here is the game!

NARRATOR: Watches a Warren halfback all the way into the end zone.

PLAYER: Three minutes ago, and then they score a touchdown!

I don't think you wanted this game to be yours!

That's right!

Good job.

Right there!

NARRATOR: But the breaks are with DuBois this time.

The Warren touchdown is called back by a clipping penalty.

PLAYERS: (CHANTING) Defense!

Defense!

NARRATOR: And the breaks continue in DuBois' favor.

The pass is complete, but short of a first down.

DuBois has the ball.

PAT HEATH: There's less than two minutes to go in the game.

And we're on our own 30.

And they set their defense up to stop the long pass.

So we went with the sweep.

And I got the ball.

I circled right.

Yeah, right!

Go!

Go!

Go!

[clamoring, cheering] PAT HEATH: I was untouched the whole way.

Nobody even touched me.

[clamoring, cheering] [music playing] [indistinct speech] I want to see who it was or who it wasn't!

What number?

What number?

Was nobody out there?

74 pushed from behind.

74 pushed from behind.

Offensive foul.

Stay back.

[clamoring] PAT HEATH: I think there was some influence down there on that call.

Because in the film, it shows their coach pointing back toward somebody.

And as soon as the referee looked-- before the referee even looked, he had his hand in his pocket for the flag.

Now, I personally think there's some influence there.

Well, that's one of those breaks where you shouldn't have to live with.

I can understand the fumbles, the interceptions.

Those are-- those are just breaks, bad breaks.

But you shouldn't have to live with those kind of breaks.

PA: [speaking indistinctly] 12-year-old David Street.

Hey, guys, this game ain't over.

It ain't over, you guys!

Hey, guys, this game ain't over.

We can't give up now!

Seven seconds-- we can still do it!

Come on, you guys!

Seven seconds!

Everybody says we lose enough, you get used to it.

I never got used to it.

I cried enough.

And I know Bobby Buriak, our quarterback, would just sit there and cry.

I wasn't ashamed about it.

You just can't take it.

The player that goes out there and puts his heart into the game and loses is going to be awful down about it.

[MARCHING BAND MUSIC PLAYING, CROWD CLAMORING] [onfield chatter] PAT HEATH: We were all down.

There was tears shed.

Surprisingly, we never lost hope, though.

We always-- we always had the feeling that we could win if we wanted to.

We could really beat somebody.

But those losses, they-- they work on you physically and mentally if you ask me.

SPEAKER: You're welcome to come up to me.

After the game and carry me for the next week's big game with Meadville.

Wednesday night, 8:00 at Warren Area High School.

[music playing] COMMENTATOR: No more timeouts for the Beavers.

No time left on the clock.

The ball game is over with the final score.

Williamsport 28.

NARRATOR: Week seven, DuBois loses to Williamsport, season record, 2 and 5.

COMMENTATOR: The Beavers go down to defeat, this time at the hands of State College.

A shutout-- NARRATOR: Game number eight.

Two wins, six losses.

COMMENTATOR: Saint Mary's in a fine, fine victory tonight over a good deal.

Boys ball club.

They've had some tight losses DuBois has there-- NARRATOR: With the St. Mary's game, the team's record sinks to 2 and 7.

COMMENTATOR: That hand goes in motion.

COMMENTATOR: Ends on a happy note for the Beavers.

NARRATOR: Finally, in the next-to-last game, a win for DuBois by a score of 12 to 6 over the Clearfield Bisons.

Next week, DuBois of course, will be playing Punxsutawney.

A win over the Chucks would give them the big-- We are from Punxsy.

[laughter] NARRATOR: Dress punk is the pep theme as the DuBois Beavers prepare to meet the Punxsutawney Chucks in the final game of the season.

Both teams have losing records for the second straight year.

But this is it.

This is the end.

The final game for the seniors, the final game of a dismal season, the continuation of a rivalry that goes back 60 years.

This is not only a game, this is the game.

The game where there is no favorite, no underdog.

[music playing] MIKE HAKY: So it's like you hate Punxsy.

You're brought up in DuBois hating Punxsy and your parents hate Punxsy.

And that old game will make the year if you're only 10.

They were 1 and 9, and they played like they haven't lost a game all year.

Well, we played that way too.

But I don't know how they only lost or how they only won one game because that was the most physical game we went through.

We played State College.

They were ranked in the state this year.

They didn't come close to hitting the way Punxsy did in that game.

NARRATOR: Punxsutawney in visitors way.

BOB BURIAK: As far as the rival was concerned, it was unbelievable.

It lasted for a full week.

And really, it's hard to believe that you could win 10 ball games and lose that one at the end of the year, and you've had an unsuccessful season.

PA: Buriak's pass is complete to Mike Haky.

BOB BURIAK, JR.: It's a good time.

A lot of excitement.

The crowd really stood behind us too.

It was a group, a group of people standing behind us.

It's not everybody in the community.

Everybody likes a winner, but not everybody can have a winner.

NARRATOR: Number 7, Mike Haky.

MIKE HAKY: Started off.

They were running right through us like we weren't even there.

And they got a score.

And it was 6-0 to them till right at the end of the first quarter.

We put on a long drive and we scored.

So we went into the second half and they came out just as fired up.

We thought they'd let down, but they came out smoking.

We're going.

All right.

Just be relaxed, baby, we're going to go.

All right, we got to make a good play.

Now you got that a good play.

All right, let's go.

Look the whole way there.

PLAYER: All right, let's go.

All right.

Watch any pass or anything, boys.

NARRATOR: Midway through the third quarter, Punxsutawney has pushed the ball to the DuBois 3-yard line.

DuBois can't back up much further.

[chanting] MIKE HAKY: He took a 12-to-6 lead, it was, I think.

But they fumbled, and we were all fired up.

And we went in and scored, and it was 12-12.

PLAYER: Keep walking and blocking.

Come on, you guys, get in here right now.

PLAYER: This is it, right here.

PLAYER: Get in here.

All right, we got to do it.

OK. Go.

Take it in now.

NARRATOR: Three minutes left in the game.

The score tied, a chance for the extra point.

Coach Buriak decides a run is the best bet.

COMMENTATOR: There's the snap, and it's coming to Heath.

Heath is in-- no.

I don't think.

No, sir.

He's tackled.

He bounces into the end zone.

You can see it from here.

He hit the ground a foot short of the end zone, bounced into the end zone.

And they-- DuBois does not get the extra point.

And so we have a tie ball game at 12 apiece with 3:26 left to play, and Punxsy is going to get the ball.

And so while they line up to punt-- Kick it deep.

We got two timeouts.

This time we can play tough.

MIKE HAKY: Pat Heath or halfback got stopped about an inch short of the goal line.

And I figured right there I figured, well, we'll have to hold in defense, settle for a tie.

So they moved the ball right down the field on us again, and they were on the 14-yard line with about 30 seconds to go.

And they through passed over to my side, and they burned me on it a couple of times.

Nothing long, but they were getting 1915 yards.

It was an out pass.

They were trying to stop the clock, and I stepped in front of the guy and I tipped the ball with my right hand, and it came down and into my stomach and I trapped it.

COMMENTATOR: Take it all away.

Get picked off by Haky.

Haky is in a track race.

He's all by himself.

He's going in for the touchdown.

No flags anywhere.

Haky picks up, picks off the interception at the 5-yard line.

MIKE HAKY: I don't know.

Something was pushing me 90 yards, and it was unreal.

The fans and the players, they came out on the field.

The officials were throwing penalty flags.

It was the greatest moment of my life to this point.

It was a miracle, I'd say.

I'll never forget it.

Never.

COMMENTATOR: The touchdown will stand as it was clean.

It was almost like the situation up at Warren when Heath went all the way in what appeared to be the tiebreaker, but it was called back by flags.

No flags on this one.

Punxsy is going to be extremely disappointed on that one.

But the Beavers, that'll put the icing on what has been a somewhat disappointing season this year.

DuBois with that interception.

PLAYER: Coach, that's for you, baby.

That's for you, man.

BOB BURIAK: That saved our ass.

You know that.

You know that saved our ass.

PLAYER: --it for the fucking interference.

BOB BURIAK: Oh, you saved our ass.

PLAYER: Oh, yes.

BOB BURIAK: You saved our ass.

That's all to it, down there.

[cheers] COMMENTATOR: Maintain the stride.

Stayed a step ahead of that defender and took it all the way in for the touchdown.

And Bob Buriak now is a coach.

BOB BURIAK: That's the way to win them, huh?

COMMENTATOR: I'm very happy about the outcome of things.

BOB BURIAK: But Punxsutawney did not sit on a tie.

They tried to win the football game.

They pass the ball, and I wasn't relaxed until we intercepted it and rolled the ball down in the end zone.

MIKE HAKY: It's really something.

It's good for an athlete.

It was a tough game for them to lose, but I'll never forget it.

What the hell?

What do you say about it?

No, it's just you.

You got to give him credit.

He didn't sit on the tie.

He didn't sit on the tie.

He doesn't get beat.

I just think their running game is-- BOB BURIAK: They played good football game.

The kids come out to play.

Very emotional.

That's the best football game they played all year.

Hi, Mom.

How are you?

WOMAN: Happy now?

I'll tell you.

You don't know how happy.

BOB BURIAK: Why?

Are you scared?

I saved the-- saved the best for last.

Here you go, Bob.

It's all over.

NARRATOR: Bob Buriak resigned as head football coach at DuBois Area High School at the end of the 1981 season.

In six years at the school, he compiled a record of 34 wins and 32-- his early teens across the state, but his final years were the first time DuBois had ever had three straight losing seasons.

Buriak continues as a driver training instructor at the high school.

Quarterback, I think I did my best there.

I did my best, definitely passed for 867 yards or something like that.

It's the third best in the school's history, so I'm not too, not too shabby there.

NARRATOR: Bob Buriak, Jr.

Accepted a football scholarship at Clarion State College, 40 miles from home.

It's hard to believe it's all over with now.

I'd like to go to college and play, but I'm just not big enough, really.

NARRATOR: Jim Solada is driving a truck for a lumber yard in DuBois.

But I really don't think I'm going to miss it that much because you have to grow up sometime, and-- I really do think I'll go to college.

That's what I really want to do, so I'm not going to miss it.

NARRATOR: Mike Haky also received a football scholarship from Clarion State.

I'm really having a hard time trying to pick what I want to go to school for, if I want to go.

But I have a lot of-- my parents are really pressuring me on that, and so I probably will end up going to school.

NARRATOR: Terry Uplinger is attending the Penn State branch campus in DuBois, where there is no football program.

I want to go to Australia.

It's the only place in the world I really want to go.

I start with I love animals.

I love cute animals.

And a panda bear is the cutest animal I've ever seen in my life.

And I always wanted to see one of those in real life.

And they're not too-- there's not too many of them around here.

So someday I will go to Australia.

NARRATOR: Pat Heath is also attending the Penn State branch campus in his hometown.

And summer football practice for this year's DuBois Beavers August 16.

It was 81 degrees.

PJ O'CONNELL: In the end.

There were smiles, disappointments, and surprises.

And then it was all history.

Football had changed their lives in ways that they and we cannot fully realize.

Some of this may sound predictable or trite, but real lives were being based on some of those words.

Late adolescent boys and their leaders were developing ways to explain to themselves and to their friends and their community what was happening in those lives.

You could almost wonder whether winning and losing is about football at all.

People and lives have moved on.

Bob Buriak left DuBois two years later for high school and then small college coaching.

Now he's an athletic director at a North Central Pennsylvania high school.

His son, Bob Jr. was named most valuable player on his college football team.

Now he's married, providing entertaining grandchildren to his father and mother.

Terry Uplinger went on to a degree in civil engineering.

He's working on the West Coast.

Mike Haky played college ball, married his high school sweetheart, has three kids, and is a sporting goods representative for Western Pennsylvania.

Jim Solada works in a lumber yard in DuBois, where he coaches a midget league football team, including his two sons.

And Pat, he's got a degree in finance, and is now assistant vice president of a bank in DuBois.

No word on whether he made it to Australia, but he still has time.

They won and they lost.

And we have been privileged to watch.

It may have been a game, but never only a game.

For they learned as we have something important about themselves.

For the Pennsylvania Parade, I'm PJ O'Connell.