When the Game Stands Tall is a 2014 American sports drama film directed by Thomas Carter. The plot concerns a record 151-game 19922003 high school football winning streak by De La Salle High School of Concord, California. It stars Jim Caviezel as coach Bob Ladouceur, Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur, Michael Chiklis as assistant coach Terry Eidson and Alexander Ludwig as running back Chris Ryan. The film is an adaptation of the 2003 book of the same name by Neil Hayes, published by North Atlantic Books. De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur retired in January 2013 after winning his last Open Division state championship in December 2012. The film was released on August 22, 2014.

Plot

Bob Ladouceur, the coach of the De La Salle Spartans, watches his team win the championship of their undefeated 2003 season. Following tradition, the seniors share their stories about what the team means to them. The juniors, including Ladouceur's son Danny, celebrate with team captain Chris Ryan who has a chance of breaking the California state record for the highest career number of touchdowns. During an argument about whether to accept a coaching offer at the college level, Ladouceur's wife Beverly tells him that he does not spend enough time with his family. In a division meeting between coaches, Ladouceur is accused of cheating through scholarships or some other means of getting all the best players in the area. Ladouceur says scholarships are against the rules and he does not offer them. He arranges to have De La Salle play against Long Beach Polytechnic High School, a team with a similar reputation.