According to Toms River Schools: In 1968, Signorino challenged his players to believe in “the impossible dream,” and they responded by delivering an undefeated season, 9-0. High School South had racked up a 19-game winning streak by the time the Hitting Indians faced the Middletown Lions, ranked no. 2, in a 1969 mythical state championship.

A crowd estimated at 10,000 gathered in South’s stadium on a bitterly cold November day to watch the two teams battle. Footage unearthed from the vaults of “The Greatest Game” and other matchups in the 1960s will be shown for the first time in more than five decades, with Coach Signorino and former players anticipated members of the audience.

Sandra Levine, a veteran television producer and graduate of High School South, was inspired to create the documentary after hearing stories about the impact Coach Signorino had on players’ lives–on and off the field–during his career of more than 50 years.

“I was fascinated by the fact that so many of the players I interviewed kept their helmets, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia from their days playing football in high school because the experience meant that much to them,” Levine said. “The lessons Coach Signorino taught them about mental toughness, hard work, and responsibility stayed with them–helping them succeed when they played football in college and in the pros, and even in their work and personal lives.”

In the film, Signorino’s son, Ron Signorino, Jr., who also was head coach at Toms River South for more than a decade, talks about his father’s strengths as a coach, including his knack for analyzing game films. Matt Martin, Coach Signorino, Sr.’s, grandson, took the helm in 2022, the third-generation of the family to lead the team at South.

South Football’s Impossible Dream is a sponsored project of the New Jersey Media Arts Center, Inc., with funding provided by The Applegate Family Foundation.