Underdogs: Joplin High School

For the second installment of the "Underdogs" series, SI.com visits Joplin High, a school -- and a team -- that serves as a symbol of hope for a community still recovering from devastation. On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, Mo., killing 161 people and injuring approximately 1,000 others. It was the deadliest American tornado since 1947, a natural disaster that's effects continue to reverberate today.

Amid the tragedy, however, the Joplin High football team rose. With heavy hearts and without a practice facility, the Eagles bound together to compete in the 2011 season. They showed extraordinary resilience and purpose -- emerging as a source of inspiration for a town in dire need of something to believe in.

The Eagles went 3-8 in 2011, and are off to 1-0 start in 2012. (To see the video on Joplin, click on the related link at the bottom right of this page)