What Might Have Been: A City, a School, and a Boy Rise from the Ashes

“My Durham kindergarten burnt to the ground by the fires of racism. Selfishness scorched the state title hopes of our ’83 team. My childhood charred by alcoholism. But all three rose from the ashes.”

DURHAM
A southern city undergoes a painful transformation during the early days of integration.

SOUTHERN HIGH
An all-time great team in North Carolina pursues the school’s first state football title.

ONE YOUNG MAN
An unlikely member of a star-studded team battles against all odds to fulfill his dreams.

IT’S ALWAYS TOO EARLY TO GIVE UP!


Growing up, Tony Bazen never traveled outside a four-hour radius of his hometown of Durham, North Carolina. As an adult, his life journey has taken him literally all over the world, and at last count, Tony had visited much of the United States as well as 25 countries. He currently resides in Beijing, China where he is a Principal at an international school. Although he has loved seeing many of the world’s leading cities, Durham still has his heart and will always be home.


Tony has lived a full life, including time as a teacher, coach, youth director, sportswriter, feature writer for a national magazine, songwriter, and school administrator. The one personal goal that was never fulfilled was that of a high school state football championship, and he still often remembers the night when that dream ended.