Gainesville State is a maximum-security correctional facility that offers its nearly 300 male residents between the ages of 12-19 the unique opportunity to participate in the institution's football program.

For obvious reasons, all of the Gainesville State Tornadoes games are road contests against programs willing to host a squad of young athletes with such a troubled past...

Road games with no fan support beyond the staff that travels with the team to supervise the incarcerated players, recounts Dave Thomas of the Fort Worth Telegram, is a fact of life for the squad.

Until the Tornadoes squared off against Faith Christian School for the 2008 season finale.

Faith Christian Athletic Director Kris Hogan wanted to the Tornado players to know they were more than their past misdeeds, and that they were indeed loved.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW THE STORY OF THE TORNADOES SPECIAL TRIP TO GRAPEVINE, TX.  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52AOPQvCTv4