Almost a year ago to this day, West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, erupted in an ammonium nitrate explosion that ultimately claimed the lives of 15 people. The town's rebuilding effort began at the 50-yard line of the West High School football field - literally and figuratively. It's that recovery that inspired "Rise Up, West", a 60-minute documentary produced by Dallas-based TV station WFAA.
In the moments following the explosion, the Trojans' field served as a triage staging area for the wounded. By fall, it was the Trojans' football season that pulled the town back together and returned a sense of normalcy to the people of West. The Trojans went 1-9 on the season, but they were unequivocally the most successful 1-9 team in America.
The film centers on head coach David Woodard, who urged his team to move forward one play, one series and one day at a time, and then did the same in his personal life as he went home to a rental property shared with his in-laws.
The film debuts Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT and, unfortunately, the film is only available to those in the Dallas area at this time. We'll update this page if the station makes the entire film available online.