Rating: 5 out of 5
THE TWELVE MIGHTY
ORPHANS
by Jim Dent
Review by Erin Gurry
Rusty Russell could have had a football coaching
job at any school in the state of Texas but he
found a place that truly needed him. A depression
era orphanage, The Masonic Home, was home to a
nearly nonexistent football program and to a
resilient group of boys called the Mighty Mites.
They had torn, faded uniforms, a rolled up sock
that doubled as a football and practiced the game
shoeless for most of the year. Under Coach
Russell's direction and unconventional plays this
group of boys began to shock the entire state.

They arrived at each game riding in the back of a
sputtering old blue truck with barely enough gas
money to return home. It was not the tattered
uniforms but the elevated spirit that began to
draw the crowds and the line of cars parading
behind Old Blue from across the state to their
games. They packed the stadiums. Fans were sitting
in the isles, turned away at the doors and some
even pushed their way onto the playing field. The
Mites' hard-hitting tactics and underdog story
were too much to resist. This courage was what
every coach anticipated but no one expected from a
bunch of orphans. Despite their popularity with
the public, the Home and Coach Russell were
constantly struggling with the Texas
Interscholastic League trying to remain in the 7AA
Division. But with the backing of a town and
numerous Mason supporters the Home persisted.

Jim Dent's account of this unrelenting group of
athletes is remarkable. Years of research and
interviews have shaped this historical novel into
one full of description and heart. Dent has
skillfully captured the Home's family atmosphere
and the coach's sense of commitment. When spirits
were low, unemployment incredibly high, and
America seemed a dismal place to live, the orphans
rallied an entire state to believe in the
impossible. Jim Dent has now brought this story to
us so it will not fade into the background of
history.


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