Thomas Fuller receives news of the Cubs' undefeated season and drives to Riverside to watch them play.

Coaches Keith Adams and Galvin Drake open the first practice of the season, anxious about player fitness after the pandemic.

The Cubs defeat the Noli Indian School Braves 68-0 in a dominant first game of the season.

The Cubs fall behind early but win a tight game against Calvary Chapel in the final seconds.

Dominic Turner, a student with a cochlear implant, transfers to CSDR and joins the football team.

Fuller's article about the Cubs goes viral, bringing national media attention, corporate sponsorship, and government funding to CSDR.

The Cubs narrowly defeat Catalina High School in the Southern California Interscholastic Federation championship semifinal.

Nearly 3,000 spectators attend the Cubs' championship game against Faith Baptist, watched by over 50 media outlets.

The Cubs fall behind 50-22 at halftime and lose the championship game, devastating the players.

The Cubs attend the Super Bowl, participate in the ceremonial coin toss, and recommit to winning the championship.

Phillip Castaneda is kicked off the team for taking younger students to a nearby cannabis dispensary.

Star player Felix Gonzales shatters his tibia during a game and is ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Cubs defeat Flintridge Prep in the semifinal to advance to the championship game.

Christian Jimenez persuades his parents and coaches to let him play in the championship despite a fractured leg.

The Cubs defeat Faith Baptist in the championship rematch, claiming the title they had chased for two seasons.

Thomas Fuller discovers the undefeated California School for the Deaf, Riverside Cubs and joins them on their journey to the championship. The team wins game after game in the first season, drawing national media attention before falling short in a crushing championship loss. Determined to avenge the defeat, the Cubs return for a second season, facing new challenges including the loss of their star player to a serious injury. Despite losing three key players, the rebuilt team fights through the playoffs and into a championship rematch against the same opponents who beat them before. In the climactic final game, the Cubs dominate from start to finish to claim the title they had worked toward for two seasons. The victory affirms the team's identity as elite athletes and proud representatives of the Deaf community.

The Cubs' two-season quest for a championship title.

Phillip Castaneda scores his first-ever football touchdown in the Cubs' dominant opening win over the Noli Braves.

Trevin Adams is sacked on the very first play of the Calvary Chapel game, leaving the Cubs struggling early.

Keith and Carol Adams learn their son Trevin is Deaf and choose to embrace the news rather than despair.

California Governor Gavin Newsom pledges $43 million to build a new sports complex and stadium at CSDR.

On the noisy Catalina ferry, a Cubs player jokingly asks the traveling reporters whether they wish they were deaf.

An emotional Catalina High School player tells the Cubs never to doubt their abilities after losing to them.

Trevin Adams suffers a leg injury in the Catalina semifinal that prevents him from walking normally for several days.

The Cubs' coaching staff studies game film over Thanksgiving break to prepare for the championship against Faith Baptist.

Faith Baptist practices every day through Thanksgiving, including a full morning session on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Kaden Adams plays through the entire championship game despite suffering a broken ankle.

After the championship loss, the crowd raises its hands to clap visibly so the devastated players can see them.

Alfredo Baltazar spends the summer training in Mexico's desert heat, struggling to communicate with his hearing family.

Andrei Voinea, a senior who grew significantly in the offseason, works to earn a starting lineman position on the team.

NFL legend Kurt Warner visits the Cubs' locker room before the Chadwick game and encourages the team to play together.

Felix Gonzales and Phillip Castaneda congratulate their teammates from the sidelines after the championship victory.

While the Cubs chase their championship dream, individual milestones and supporting characters give depth to the team's collective story. Phillip's first touchdown, Trevin's injury in Catalina, and the crowd's silent tribute after the championship loss reveal the emotional texture beneath the wins and losses. Off the field, the media wave sparked by Fuller's article brings both opportunities and complications, from a governor's funding pledge to the scrutiny of documentary cameras and visiting celebrities. During the off-season, players like Alfredo Baltazar and Andrei Voinea invest in their physical and personal development, driven by the memory of their first championship defeat. The second season brings new personalities into focus, with coaches and players adjusting to a harder schedule and the absence of their injured stars. The story closes with grace as Felix Gonzales and Phillip Castaneda celebrate their teammates' victory from the sidelines, completing the team's arc together.

The supporting moments and characters behind the Cubs' journey.

Thomas Fuller quits his prestigious job as San Francisco bureau chief for The New York Times to follow the Cubs.

The pandemic forces Deaf students into homes where no one speaks their language, leaving many completely isolated.

Research reveals that Deaf people detect movement in their peripheral vision faster and more accurately than hearing people.

Keith Adams's aunt teaches him his first two ASL signs as a young child, immediately unlocking his language development.

Neurological research confirms that sign language activates the same region of the brain as spoken speech.

Kaveh Angoorani leaves Iran at age 13 for the American School for the Deaf, where he learns ASL and football.

Kaveh Angoorani sues a discriminatory employer after arriving in California, using the settlement money to fund his college education.

Michael Paulone demands an interpreter and rises from fourth-string quarterback to MVP of the Philadelphia All-Star Football Game.

A Gallaudet University quarterback invents the football huddle to prevent opponents from reading his team's signed play calls.

NFL documentary producers reject Coach Adams's pre-game speech and replace it with one implying the Cubs are physically inferior.

After winning the semifinal, Coach Adams turns the scoreboard to the previous championship's final score to refocus his players.

The Cubs' locker room is filled with photographs of players crying after the previous year's championship defeat.

In the first quarter of the championship rematch, Trevin Adams throws a crucial 20-yard pass that puts the Cubs in the lead.

At halftime of the championship rematch, Coach Adams reflects on being rejected by college football programs because of his deafness.

As the players celebrate winning the championship, Coach Adams imagines the final credits of a film about their journey.

The story of the Cubs is built on a series of discoveries and turning points that reframe what it means to be Deaf in a hearing world. From personal moments like Keith Adams learning his first signs as a child, to historical revelations like Deaf athletes inventing the football huddle, each turning point deepens the book's argument that deafness is an asset rather than a limitation. The journeys of coaches Kaveh Angoorani and Keith Adams reveal how systemic anti-Deaf bias shaped their lives and ultimately fueled their commitment to CSDR. As the team enters the championship rematch, deliberate motivational choices — plastering the locker room with photos of last year's defeat, and displaying the old final score — channel pain into purpose. On the field, a single crucial pass in the first quarter of the final game shifts the momentum and sets the Cubs on the path to victory. The story closes with a quiet, reflective moment as Coach Adams imagines the final credits rolling on the journey of his team.