For the third installment of the "Underdogs" series, SI.com travels to Austin, Texas, where John H. Reagan High is amid a daunting rebuilding effort. A Texas powerhouse during the 1960s and '70s -- Reagan won state championships in 1967, 1968 and 1970 -- the Raiders have recently fallen on hard times. Over the past eight seasons, they’ve gone 9-70. In 2011, they went 0-10. In 2012, however, the Raiders are attempting to spark a turnaround. Keith Carey, the former defensive coordinator at crosstown McCallum High, took over as head coach in January, and he's worked tirelessly to restore the program to glory. He's trying to use football as a means of changing players' lives -- with lessons that extend to all facets of life. Reagan lost its first game this season, but its journey is just beginning. Here's an inside look at the Raiders' quest for redemption.

In most of the United States, parents can usually attend their son's local high school football games. On the military base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, that luxury can be snatched away without warning. Fort Campbell High is the school of students living on a military base. Day to day, the Falcon players face dealing with deployment, injury, and even the loss of family members. As a result, several players must fill in the void often left by the demands of military life. The boys live a regimented lifestyle and must be resilient to cope with the unpredictability of military life.

For the fifth installment of the "Underdogs" series, SI.com travels to Ishpeming High in Michigan, where a school and its kicker are giving hope to a community. Eric Dompierre, a 19-year-old student with Down syndrome, was previously ruled ineligible for high school athletics. The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) had regulations in place that barred any person who turned 19 before Sept. 1 from competing, and Dompierre, whose birthday falls over the summer and whose disabilities caused him to be held back twice early in his school career, landed on the wrong side of that deadline. He would be forced to watch from the stands instead of joining his teammates and friends on the sidelines. An underdog his whole life, Dompierre was dealt another setback. But he and his father, Dean, didn’t give up. They took to their case to state lawmakers with hopes of creating age-limit exemptions for students with disabilities. In August, their persistence paid off. After more than two and a half years of petitioning the school and MHSAA, the Dompierres received the news: Eric’s request for a waiver to keep playing football for Ishpeming had been granted. Following last weekend’s victory against Westwood, Mich., Ishpeming is 4-0. Here is the team -- and Eric’s -- story.