As the working-class town of Paradise was reduced to rubble by the Northern California Camp Fire in November 2018, the 27,000 residents fled through the flames. Paradise Found: A High School Football Team's Rise from the Ashes tells the inspiring story of how 39 scrappy teenagers--"Bobcat brothers"--and their dedicated coach revitalized the spirit of Paradise in one incredible football season.
Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke followed championship-winning coach Rick Prinz--set to retire in 2018, who instead pledged to do what he could "to help our town rebuild"--and the players, assistant coaches and residents who fought the odds with him. Their uniforms had been burned, their equipment melted, but their passion for Bobcat football was undaunted. "There's no place like Paradise; it's the secret nobody knows.... It's us. It's my friends. It's the football team," said one player, who, like most of his teammates, was left with no home. The "Paradise football culture," symbolized by the motto "CMF" ("Crazy Mountain Folk") needed its team. "Everyone is watching us. We're setting an example for the town," stressed a player whose family lost everything in the fire.
Plaschke builds suspense as he reports the accumulating victories for the self-described "smash-mouth" players who shouted "We Just Hit People" as their rallying cry. He also reveals the loyalty and sensitivity of the kids whose miraculous season ended just short of a championship. Coach Prinz hopes his players stay strong as Paradise slowly rebuilds, reminding them of their accomplishment, and that "we had each other." --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.