Chapter One
The Story
Once a championship high-school player himself, Herb Cohen's playing career was cut short by an unexpected setback. What followed was a difficult transition into coaching, fueled by a deep belief in basketball as a way to guide young men toward discipline, confidence, and purpose.
In 1968, in the small town of Wood-Ridge, where basketball had largely faded from relevance, Herb took over a struggling 0-34 program — the worst record in the state. Through relentless work, conviction, and care for his players, he rebuilt the culture from the ground up alongside assistant coach Ken Schoener.
Ten years later, that once-forgotten team became New Jersey State Champions, capping a 28-1 season and finishing among the best teams in the nation. It remains the only state title in any sport in school history — nearly 50 years later.
The documentary tracks the long climb. The losing years. The first signs of belief. The gym filling up again. The arrival of the group that becomes the 1979 team. A painful late-season loss that forces them to reset. And finally the run that ends in a championship.
What Herb left behind still lives on in his players, in the community, and in the generations they went on to shape.
