H.R. No. 117
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Residents of Fort Worth and the surrounding area may
  indeed take great pride in the new motion picture 12 Mighty Orphans,
  which was filmed in their community and tells the story of a
  legendary local football team; and
         WHEREAS, Based on a book by Dallas sportswriter Jim Dent, 12
  Mighty Orphans is about the Mighty Mites, the hardscrabble high
  school football team of the Masonic Widows and Orphans Home in Fort
  Worth during the Great Depression era; the team was coached by World
  War I veteran Rusty Russell, who walked away from a better-paying
  job to work at the orphanage in 1927; with few resources, the Mighty
  Mites had to practice with two socks stuffed together instead of a
  football, and they traveled to games in the back of Coach Russell's
  smoke-belching Dodge pickup truck; and
         WHEREAS, In spite of its hardships, the team won its first
  game against Mineral Wells 34 to 14, and it went on to a remarkable
  8-2 first season; in 1932, the Mighty Mites made it to the state
  championship, and they reached the state semifinals in 1934, 1938,
  and 1940; two players, Hardy Brown and Dewitt Coulter, later played
  professional football, and one of the players from the first
  season, Abner McCall, went on to become president of Baylor
  University and a Texas Supreme Court justice; and
         WHEREAS, Released by Sony Pictures Classics, this
  inspirational story has been brought to the screen by director and
  West Texas native Ty Roberts, with a screenplay by Lane Garrison,
  Kevin Meyer, and Mr. Roberts; it stars Dallas native Luke Wilson as
  Coach Russell, and it features performances by such veteran actors
  as Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Wayne Knight, and Treat Williams;
  the film was shot in and around Fort Worth in the fall of 2019, and
  it provided employment to hundreds of local residents, utilized
  area businesses, and featured such iconic locations as Farrington
  Field and the Masonic Temple, as well as Yellow Jacket Stadium in
  Cleburne and the Texas Pythian Home in Weatherford; and
         WHEREAS, Joining an elite group of motion pictures to be shot
  in Fort Worth, 12 Mighty Orphans places the national spotlight on
  the city as a filming and tourist destination, while providing an
  entertaining showcase for the remarkable story of the Mighty Mites;
  now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
  Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the release of
  12 Mighty Orphans and extend to all those associated with the film
  sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for the cast and crew of 12 Mighty Orphans as an expression
  of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
 
  Geren
 
  ______________________________
  Speaker of the House     
 
         I certify that H.R. No. 117 was adopted by the House on
  September 2, 2021, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House