Based on H.G. Bissinger's book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers.

Coach Gary Gaines: Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman - you're perfect!
Coach Gary Gaines: [half time speech] Perfection is being able to look your friends in the eye and know you did everything you could not to let them down.
Ivory Christian: What's wrong with y'all? Y'all are playin' like some little girls! Y'all act like you never played football before! These guys are nothin'! They bleed just like we do, and sweat just like we do. They went through two-a-days. We went through two-a-days in 110 degree heat. I want you to hit everything that move! If the ref gets in your way, you hit him! They're cheatin' us too! They're against us too. This is our team. This is us! Let's go right now! Let's get it off now and let's go!
Coach Gary Gaines: [half-time speech] I want you to take a moment, and I want you to look each other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever because forever is about to happen here in just a few minutes. I want you to close your eyes, and I want you to think about Boobie Miles, who is your brother. And he would die to be out there in that field with you tonight. And I want you to put that in your hearts. Boys my heart is full. My heart is full.
Mike Winchell: You ever feel cursed, Coach? Like, no matter what, inside your heart you feel that you're gonna lose. Like something's hanging over you, following you like a witch or a demon that just... I feel like that all the time. Even when things are going good. When we're winnin', it's there. And when we're losin', it's there.
Coach Gary Gaines: It took me a long time to realize that, uh, there ain't much difference between winnin' and losin', except for how the outside world treats you. But inside you, it's about all the same. It really is. Fact of the matter is, I believe that, uh, our only curses are the ones that are self-imposed. You know what I'm sayin'? We, all of us, dig our own holes.
Coach Gary Gaines: Being perfect is when you can look someone in the eye and know you did not let them down.
Boobie Miles: What am I gonna do if I can't play football? I'm not good at nothin'!
Radio Listener: There's too much learning going on at that school.
Coach Gary Gaines: Everything all right?
John Aubrey: Everything's going to be just fine. Everything's all right as long as we win state.
Coach Gary Gaines: Or what?
Brian Chavez: I'm gonna miss the heat.
Don Billingsley: I'm gonna miss the lights.
Brian Chavez: Yeah, me too. Stay low boys, keep those feet moving.
Don Billingsley: Hey Chavez! Be perfect.
Brian Chavez: You be perfect.
Don Billingsley: See you Mike.
Coach Gary Gaines: So how is it out there?
Ivory Christian: They're fast, they're big, they're dirty... plus they're fast.
Coach Gary Gaines: You said that already.
Charles Billingsley: You just-you ain't gettin' it. You don't understand. This is the only thing you're ever gonna have. Forever, it carries you forever. It's an ugly fact of life. Donnie, hell. It's the only fact of life. You got one year, one stinkin' year to make yourself some memories, son. That's all. It's gone after that. And I'll be damned if you're not gonna miss it.
Boobie Miles: Y'all wanna win? Put Boobie in.
Coach Gary Gaines: [while Billingsly goes crazy after Chavez makes a big hit] I like enthusiasm, but my goodness!
Brian: After this it's just babies and memories.
Coach Gary Gaines: Hey, hey son! Come here. Where are you going?
Chris Comer: You don't want me to go in Coach?
Coach Gary Gaines: You're not wearing a helmet?
[Comer realizes he has no helmet on]
Coach Gary Gaines: My goodness gracious!
State Trooper: You boys gonna go undefeated?
Brian Chavez: Yes sir.
State Trooper: You boys gonna win state?
Brian Chavez: Yes sir.
State Trooper: Good.
Reporter: Your dad played at Permian. What's it like to be the son of a local legend?
Don Billingsley: Next question.
Coach Gary Gaines: I've seen you fight. I've seen you not quit. Can you give me a great effort and just a little bit more. Can you be perfect?
Boobie Miles: Go on, go on and be perfect
Coach Gary Gaines: [to quarterback Mike Winchell] You're playing like the village idiot! You want people to think of you as the village idiot?
Boobie Miles: Boobie's gonna knock 'em out with black Nikes on his feet!
Ivory Christian: I'll knock your ass out in flip flops.
Boobie Miles: Yo, Billingsley, you don't have to ever worry about hanging on to the football, you know why?
Don Billingsley: Why?
Boobie Miles: Because you ain't never gonna get the ball. Your job is to be blocking for Boobie and I don't care if your dad is sitting over there crying.
Don Billingsley: [Attacks Boobie] You just never shut up, do you?
Coach Gary Gaines: Stop reading the news clippings. You're small and you're going to be smaller every week. There ain't going to be no growth spurt between now and the first game. You're going to use your minds! You're going to play with your heart! And that is what you're going to use to win the State Championship.
Mike Winchell: He designed his offense around one player. We're dead.
Brian Chavez: We're not dead. You just need to start throwing the ball.
Don Billingsley: We're dead.
Sharon Gaines: How about Alaska? We could move to Alaska. I bet they're not as serious about their football in Alaska.
Mike Winchell: Hey Boobie, you didn't lift.
Boobie Miles: C'mon man. This is god given. The only thing I gotta do is show up.
Mike Winchell: [Deleted Scene] Did you think is was going to be this big?
Brian Chavez: Yeah.
Mike Winchell: Bullsh*t man.
Brian Chavez: I do.
Mike Winchell: You act like that. You think it's just a game. Something to check off on your list. Know what I think?
Brian Chavez: What's that?
Mike Winchell: I think you're scared just like the rest of us. But I think you're smart enough to see that one day when you look back from whatever big job or big house, or whatever it is that you got, that when you look back at this time, I dare you to beat it. I dare you.
Brian Chavez: It's just a game.
Don Billingsley: It doesn't feel like just a game to me.
Brian Chavez: So what's it feel like?
Don Billingsley: Feels like... feels like we're going to war.
Charles Billingsley: Can't hold on to the lamp, can't hold on to the football.
Don Billingsley: I can hold on to the football, Dad. Now get the hell out of here!
Brian Chavez: We got to lighten up. We're 17.
Don Billingsley: Do you feel 17?
Mike Winchell: I don't feel 17.
Reporter: Should we believe the hype?
Boobie Miles: What hype?
Reporter: The hype about Boobie Miles.
Boobie Miles: Now hype is something that's not for real. I'm all real.
Brian Chavez: We will win State.
Don Billingsley: Chavez, you're like a human pi"ata. You get your ass all beat more than anybody I know, and you just sit there and spit out candy.
Mike Winchell: That's because he's out of here. He's got the grades. And no matter what we win or loose he knows he's getting out. He's got one foot out the door, man.
Brian Chavez: Give me the gun.
Don Billingsley: [making fun of Chavez] You're going to be drinking martinis, eating lamb chops, getting manicures...
Brian Chavez: You're just jealous.
Don Billingsley: ...removing your freakin' shoes.
Melissa: Are you gay?
Melissa: [to Ivory Christian] Is he gay?
Mike Winchell: I'm not gay.
Melissa: Can you prove it?
Jennifer Gaines: Are we going to move again?
Sharon Gaines: No, honey.
Coach Gary Gaines: Possibly.
Don Billingsley: We're gonna get drunk, we're gonna get laid, and we're gonna win state but not tonight.
Comer's Girlfriend: [to Comer] I wanna be with a ball carrier. Give me one touchdown. Just one.
Boobie Miles: Yo, Mike. You gonna come visit my distinguished ass out in California?
Mike Winchell: This is for the state championship. I love all of ya'll, baby. I love all of ya'll.
Coach Gary Gaines: We're in the business of winning.
Don Billingsley: Hey Chavo, be perfect.
Brian Chavez: You be perfect.
Boobie Miles: I get straight A's. I'm a athlete.
Reporter: In what subject?
Boobie Miles: Hey, there's only one subject. It's football.
L.V. Miles: [to people from colleges] How ya'll doin' up there? Ya'll doin' all right? 45, Boobie, that's my nephew out there. That boy can play some football. He can play left, he can play right, don't make no difference. He can block, tackle, score the touch down, snap the ball, and kick the extra point. Hell, the boy will fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog, and paint your back porch. I'm telling ya, the boy can plain outplay football.
[pause while Boobie throws ball]
L.V. Miles: OOHH! And he can pass!
Ivory Christian: Ya'll playing like a bunch of little girls!
Ivory Christian: This is our team!
Don Billingsley: What's wrong with you?
[yelling at his father after he throws his State Championship ring out the car window]
Don Billingsley: What the hell is WRONG with you?
Brian Chavez: Billingsley! Party at Taylor's house NOW Billingsley! Gonna get wasted! Yeah! Billingsley! BILLINGSLEY!
Brian Chavez: Isn't that guy, like, 35?
Mike Winchell: My mind's not right.
Don Billingsley: If I have anything to say about it tonight you're going to get drunk and you're going to get laid.
Mike Winchell: I'm not going out drunk and foolin'.
Boobie Miles: God made black beautiful. God made Boobie beautiful. And when I knock someone out, I'm gonna knock 'em out in nikes and I'm gonna smile while I do it.
Boobie Miles: Where's your girlfriend at, Water Bug?
Chris Comer: What?
Boobie Miles: You mean to say you have no girlfriend, Water Bug?
Permian Assistant Coach: 5 minutes, boys.
Boobie Miles: You want to know why you have no girlfriend, Water Bug?
Chris Comer: Why?
Boobie Miles: You got the wrong shoes, man!
[Comer looks at him confused]
Boobie Miles: You got on white Adidas! Dude, everyone knows that the shoes to wear is Nikes!
[Boobie pronounces them as Niks]
Boobie Miles: Adida can't hold a nickel next to Nike! Ask Ivory! Ask Preacher Man!
Ivory Christian: It don't matter what shoes you wear, Boobie.
Boobie Miles: C'mon, Preacher, bullshit!
Ivory Christian: Don't matter, man.
Boobie Miles: You know God made black beautiful. God made Boobie beautiful, black and strong...
Don Billingsley: [to Chavez] His mouth is getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
Boobie Miles: ...And when Boobie knocks some punks out, Boobie is going to knock them out with black Nikes on his feet, now ain't that right?
Ivory Christian: I could knock you out in a pair of flip flops.
Boobie Miles: Yeah, well I'm going to knock them out with black Nikes on my feet. And I'm gonna smile when I do.
Boobie Miles: Mike Winchell. If you don't smile I?m gonna stick 'bout 4 jello pudding pops up your white ass!
Brian: [after taking a picture of his infant daughter being held by Mike Winchell] I tell you what - Why don't you hold onto her for a while? Babysit her for us for a couple of hours? We're gonna go get ourselves drink, ya know, back in a while. All right, see ya later.
[They start to walk off, Mike looks shocked. Brian laughs]
Brian: I'm just kidding!
[to his daughter]
Brian: Come here, sweetie.
Cheerleader: Hi Don!
Don Billingsley: Hey Karen.
Cheerleader: I made this is for you
[Hands him a rice krispie treat]
Cheerleader: . Do you like it? Do you like it?
Don Billingsley: Yeah... I think so. What is it?
Cheerleader: It's you as a rice krispie. Do you like it?
Don Billingsley: Yeah, I love it. Thanks.
Coach Gary Gaines: Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now.