A movie for my Aunt Leah

In 2018, I was living in Ohio, and Ohio got under my skin like cold weather. I’m sure it’s a lovely place, but not for me.

Back then, I never talked about missing home because that would imply I’d made a hasty decision to go back to school and worry about my family/hurt my pride. But I spent way too much time online following Tennessee high school football scores which betrayed my real feelings.

So when the team my cousin coached, the Unicoi County Blue Devils, were playing for their first Region championship in decades, I wanted to be there helping the only way I could: making a movie. Even if I had to drive 5 hours. Drew’s mom, my Aunt Leah, even got me a sweatshirt with Blue Devils on it so I could feel even more a part of the team.

My father played for Unicoi. My grandfather played for Unicoi. We recently found out that my great-grandfather played for Unicoi (at the age of 22 somehow). My brothers, my cousins on both sides, my uncle, both grandfathers, and one 22-year-old great-grandfather played on their home field at Gentry Stadium — it’s a special place.

And for a Tennesseean in exile, getting to live this night with this team was a breath of fresh air. Only that breath of sweet Unaka Mountain air didn’t ultimately encourage me to carry on up in Ohio. It brought me home the next summer after I dropped out.

This film became a proof of concept that I used to pitch “Game Film” to 5Star Preps, who would produce the series, and I was on my way. But the reason this one will have a special place in my heart is because of how much my Aunt Leah loved it.