Featured Project - Forever Strong

Rick Penning grew up in Arizona, loving rugby, and hating Salt Lake City's Highland. He and his lifelong buddies vowed they would go to Nationals their senior year and beat Highland Rugby. But Rick's unbridled lifestyle forces the court's hand, ordering him to a detention facility for rehabilitation in Salt Lake City. Rick's rebellion escalates when he finds that the head of the facility used to play for Highland. But when he learns that playing for them may reduce his time in the facility, and with encouragement of his Arizona buddies, he decides that infiltrating Highland's system and learning their secrets is worth any sacrifice.

Over the ensuing weeks, Highland's Coach Gelwix, his philosophies, and the true friendship of the Highland players and deep beliefs and traditions of Highland's Polynesians, begins affecting Rick. When lifelong reasons for his own father's prejudice against Highland is revealed, Rick's initial disdain turns to appreciation, and finally, to an embracing of Highland's strict code of conduct. The success of the season leads them to Atlanta and Nationals, where they eventually play against his old Arizona team, coached by his father, where he is now viewed as a traitor. His old friends turn against him in violent ways, but his new allegiance to Highland breaks him free, helps him find forgiveness, and sets him on a course to be a champion in the most important game of all...life.

Cast / Images

Sean Faris (Rick Penning) Gary Cole (Coach Larry Gelwix) Neil McDonough (Coach Richard Penning) Larry Bagby (Coach Cal) Sean Astin (Marcus Addison) Michael J Pagan (Kurt) Nathan West (Quentin) Arielle Kebbel (Emily) Max Kasch (Griggs) Penn Badgley (Lars)