Winning Wasn't Enough

How young men made football history in Valentine, Nebraska In 1945, World War II came to an end, soldiers returned home, and rationing was lifted. Across America, people talked of victory and looked to the future with hope. In a small ranching community in Nebraska, a group of young men chased a victory all their own. There was nothing remarkable about the Valentine High School football team—they had scant resources and many of the individual players were small. Still, they were talented and they’d been playing together long enough to hone their instincts. They were on track to have a winning season, but in the final moments of a game against longtime rivals in Martin, South Dakota, the Badgers decided winning was not enough. These ordinary young men set out to do something extraordinary. They decided to play the perfect season—a season in which no team would score one point against them. It was ambitious. It was bold. Some said it was foolish. Many doubted it could be done. But the players never doubted themselves. Winning Wasn’t Enough follows the extraordinary journey of a group of young men over the course of one unforgettable football season. It’s a story of the enduring power of friendship and the irresistible quest for glory.