Part 2: Friday Night Lights

In 1988, a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, was so
good that it became the inspiration for a book, movie and,
eventually, the television series “Friday Night Lights.” And in
the decades since, as West Texas has weathered the unsettling
undulations of the oil industry, football has remained
steady. 

So after the pandemic hit, the town did what it could to make
sure the season wasn’t disrupted. And at Odessa High School,
where the football team struggles to compete against local
rivals, the members of their award winning marching band were
relieved they could keep playing. 


In Part 2 of Odessa, we follow what happened when the season
opened — and how the school weighed the decision to start against
the possible risks to students’ physical and mental health.


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