For three years, this team of scrappy, talented athletes have brought glory to Edna Karr and Algiers, winning three straight consecutive state championships in Louisiana’s ultra-competitive Class 4A division. Short on hope and big dreams, its mostly poor and marginalized residents find joy on Friday nights in fall, when the Cougars of Edna Karr High School take the field. On the west bank of the Mississippi, across from the tourist-heavy French Quarter, lies the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.A heartbreaking and inspiring true story- Friday Night Lights meets Ghettoside-of a New Orleans high school football team and their head coach’s mission to protect his players’ lives. Covid-19 Update: More Transmissible Delta Variant Now 20% Of New Cases Kids Most At Risk Kent Babb is represented by Kristina Moore at Anonymous Content for film and television, and Chad Luibl at Janklow & Nesbit Associates for literary rights.įox Fall Premiere Dates: 'Masked Singer', '9-1-1', Animation Domination, Three New Series & Moreīroadway Returns: A Complete, Updated Roster Of Opening Dates, Venues And How To Buy Tickets Smokehouse president Kerry Foster acquired rights to Across the River on behalf of the company. It’s an American story, and it’s one that has changed my entire perspective.” This isn’t a football story or a New Orleans story. “That’s what I’ve tried to do with this book: be honest and show you this world, just as it is. Everybody deserves and receives honesty, even if it’s uncomfortable,” says Babb. “At Edna Karr high school there’s a saying that really stuck with me, and it’s: ‘Give ‘em the real.’ What that means is Brice Brown and his coaching staff never lie or sugarcoat the truth when addressing their players.

It offers a detailed portrait of a coach, his players, and the West Bank, a community where it’s difficult-but not impossible-to rise above the chaos, discover purpose, and find a way out. The book is an investigation into the serious realities faced by young athletes in struggling neighborhoods, including gentrification, eviction, mental health issues, the drug trade, and gun violence. An epidemic of gun violence plagues New Orleans and its surrounding communities and has claimed many innocent lives, including that of his former star quarterback, Tollette “Tonka” George, who was shot in 2016 near a local gas station.

Although Coach Brown is preparing for a fourth title, he is really focused on something else: keeping his players alive.

Across the river kent babb