Breaking the Chain A Story about Friendship, Life, and Football

"Everyone loves an underdog story and this one is a gem!"
Wayne Weiten - Ret. Professor, UNLV; author of Psychology: Themes and Variations

"The Rowdies will linger long after you've closed the book on the clever Last Chapter."
Lonny Cain - Ret. Managing Editor, Columnist, Shaw Media

The Rowdies never had it easy, but they had something no one could take away—a belief in themselves. Was that enough to rewrite history?

Pat, Mitch, Morgan, Johnny, and Frank grew up in Chicago’s tough East Island neighborhood in the seventies, where a high school football championship was a dream reserved for other kids, the ones from wealthier schools. At Colehour High, the only thing more common than losing was being ignored. No Chicago public school had ever won a state championship, and with a washed-up coach and a combustible roster that was more trouble than talent, no one expected that to change.

Except Pat Brogan. He believed they had something special – a spark that could ignite greatness. But chasing that dream meant surviving more than just grueling practices. It meant navigating the mess of teenage life: wild pranks, first loves, and neighborhood feuds.

Could they really break the chain and make history, or would the weight of their past pull them under?

The Rowdies were ready to find out.