All American: Homecoming

_

The Georgia Athletic Conference finals,

your Cinderella season continues.

How does it feel?

Honestly, amazing, like a long time coming.

Everyone says you're the reason this team is here.

What do you say to that?

I think that

this team is the reason why this team is here.

We all have the same drive to win.

But you're the MLB prospect who chose to play here.

All eyes are on you.

- Do you feel any pressure? - Yeah, of course,

but not because I'm an MLB prospect.

Like, we win together.

You recently lost your father.

You said in an interview that he taught you about handling pressure.

Any specific lesson come to mind?

Um...

to accept that the pressure will always be there,

embrace it when it comes,

and to be strong enough to weather it alone.

KEK!

Huh! Ooh, y'all have come a long way.

Well, that's one way to say you're proud.

Hey, don't get too cocky.

Still one more day left until the pinning ceremony.

Hey, I can't even wait.

I'm gonna be strolling at every party till my feet fall off.

Hey, you and me both.

Yeah. How about y'all stroll y'all asses

around here and clean up?

Hey, man, enjoy your little power trip

because once we cross and we're equals,

you ain't gonna be talking to us like that.

Oh? Spoiler alert... Hmm.

as your prophyte, trash talking never ends.

Aw, man! That's cool.

- OK, so no mini golf. - No.

- Paintball. - When someone gets hit with a ball of paint?

- No, absolutely not. -

Keisha text.

She said, "Tell our girl indecision isn't a good look."

Well, why don't you tell Keisha

to stop acting out this Dr. Pace revenge fantasy

in New York and get her butt back here?

If she was gonna find a former student to snitch on Dr. Pace,

wouldn't she have found them by now?

I think that ship has sailed, much like my patience.

Can we choose an activity?

How about hanging with us?

- So you told them, too? - Yeah.

I'm tired of you obsessing over

what dumbasses are saying on the Internet.

We all know that that cop stop

was straight-up racial profiling,

and you got to ignore the trolls.

Yeah. Well, that's kind of hard

when the trolls are the only ones talking.

We've been ghosted by the police

and the Georgia Athletic Conference.

I thought Dr. Patterson's statement would get some movement.

Well, it's not enough.

It's been, what, a week,

and everyone's just acting like this bus stop didn't even happen,

and we're still not in the conference.

I mean, my mom does have like, tons of press contacts.

Maybe she can help.

Yeah. That'd be great.

Oh, wow. Um... -

Thea's going pro.

- What? - So you didn't know about this?

Uh, she said she was uncertain about her future

and considering it, but nothing was a sealed deal.

Well,

that explains why she wasn't on the bus.

You know what? I really appreciate you guys

for trying to cheer me up, but I'm tired.

Have a great game tomorrow.

Um, thank you for coming.

Well, I know she still owes you a conversation.

Some things are bigger than our personal feelings, right?

You know what you need?

I can't wait to hear this.

A movie night.

Put on your favorite PJs;

grab that pink, woolly blanket that you love;

and I'll supply popcorn and a chill vibe.

- That sounds perfect. - Mm-hmm.

Oh, Damon's mom texted me.

- That was fast. - You don't know Ms. Keena Sims.

She wants to talk tonight.

Coach, got your text. What's going on?

Yeah. Last year during homecoming,

you and I started this journey.

Psh. Yeah, and it led us here...

conference championship, man.

We set out to rebuild this team,

and with the help of every young man on this roster, we did,

and I just want to say thank you

for giving me a chance to be your head coach

because anybody could've coached you, son,

but you chose me.

You took a chance on me.

And you've been taking chances on me ever since.

It goes both ways, Coach.

I've got something for you.

Hoo hoo hoo!

This is my glove I used

right here for the first championship conference game.

I'd like to lend it to you for today.

Ha ha ha!

Yo, did y'all win?

Oh, yeah. We won. "Coach."

Ha ha ha!

Man!

Oh, yeah. It's a perfect fit.

Yeah. You ain't getting this back.

- Thanks, Coach. - Come here, man.

Auntie, I know how we can fight back.

And good morning to you, too.

Damon's mom told me about a school in North Carolina

that held a rally to protest police brutality.

It resulted in 3 officers not only being investigated

but fired.

You want to hold a rally here at Bringston?

College students using community events

and social media to pressure local governments,

it has been working.

Then let's make some noise.

I stand behind you 100%.

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You're welcome.

The enrollment numbers you wanted.

Oh, thank you.

Is there something else?

Bringston is a place of higher learning,

not a protest site.

Learning can happen outside the classroom, too.

Teaching our kids to demand accountability

from our public servants is a good lesson.

You're gonna get everyone all riled up, and for what?

Have a nice day, Miss Robinette. Heh.

- OK. As always... - Oh, I know...

Be blessed.

All right. We got 3 hours until game time,

so warm up, but don't push it.

I need y'all to stay loose,

stay close, and stay focused.

All right. Let's go, Bringston.

- - Let's go!

Let's get it, B.U.

- Let's go, baby. - Yes, sir.

Hey, J.R.

- What the hell happened to you? - After you bounced last night,

a group of older alums said we were gonna have some fun.

Oh, hold up. I didn't co-sign anybody taking y'all anywhere.

Yeah. Well, they blindfolded us,

threw us in their trunks, and dumped us in the woods.

It took me all night to get back to campus.

Oh, man, I'm sorry.

But after this game, then I promise I'mma handle it.

Lou is missing.

What you mean, "Lou is missing"?

He didn't come back.

J.R., he's not in his dorm,

and he's not answering his phone.

I'm getting worried, man.

Look, man. I got 3 hours till the first pitch. Let's go.

Where you last seen him?

- Yo, Cam, what you doing here? - Hey, yo, D.,

something went down at KEK.

I need to get back to Bringston.

What could be more important than this championship game, J.?

Look, I'm sorry.

- I'll be back. -

Nate, how did you pull this together so fast?

When Nathaniel calls, people come. You know this.

Oh, Mrs. Sims update.

- CSSN is on board. - Ohh...

That makes 3 national TV outlets,

and she arranged for me to promote the rally today at the game.

- Between the two of you... - We run this bitch. I know.

- Ha ha! - So you're going to the game.

Who you cheering for, Damon or Lando?

They are both on the same team.

- You think it's that simple? Girl... - Whatever.

Nathaniel Hardin, I'm Ryan Craig,

reporter for "Bringston Gazette."

Oh. Did you not get my e-mail

about rescheduling our interview?

I don't reschedule interviews.

I'm sure you can make an exception.

Candidates sit down with the paper

a week before the election.

- It's tradition. OK.

- Um, if you need to do the interview... - No, ma'am.

I'm exactly where I need to be

because if my friends need my support, I show up for them.