Seasons of Glory

Released 2026

Seasons of Glory: The Story of River Rouge

In the 1950s, legendary high school basketball coach Lofton Greene led the recently racially integrated River Rouge High School Panthers to a record number of state championships in a league of otherwise segregated schools. Now, almost 70 years later, LaMonta Stone, a former Panther himself, has returned to the struggling industrial town of River Rouge, Michigan, to help the Panthers chase the school’s 15th State Championship. In this coming of age story, Stone and four of his student-athletes, including Seniors Brent Darby Jr. and Ahmoni Weston, and junior Legend Geeter strive on their quest to fulfill generations worth of work on and off the court by preparing for their next chapter of life.

‘Rouge’ Documents a Detroit High School Basketball Team’s Dynasty

With the NBA finals underway nationwide, the competitiveness between teams vying for the title of Champion feels heightened, now more than ever. Capturing this grit and determination on a smaller, albeit just as intense, scale is Detroit-based director Hamoody Jaafar in his documentary Rouge. Set against the backdrop of Michigan’s River Rouge High School, just south of Detroit, Jaafar captures the rich dynasty of the local basketball team and the indelible mark they’ve left on their economically challenged, small-town community.

The film is set in the present day but the legacy of the team dates back to the 1950s when beloved basketball coach Lofton Greene led his team, the Panthers, to a record number of state championships. River Rouge High School had been racially integrated but given the time period, the Panthers found themselves playing in a league of otherwise segregated schools. This didn’t stop the team from forming unbreakable bonds and lasting friendships, as a handful of former players are present in the documentary and offer interviews about their time on and off the court.

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The Team

Hamoody Jaafar | Director

Hamoody Jaafar is a Detroit-based commercial and narrative film director driven by a desire to challenge stereotypes within our culture and tell underrepresented stories. With realism, minority experiences, and mental health at the forefront of his passions, Jaafar credits his upbringing in working-class suburbs just outside of Detroit for exposing him to a spectrum of socioeconomic, racial, and religious experiences that further nurtured his commitment to dynamic storytelling.

Razi Jafri | Producer

Razi Jafri is a Detroit-based documentary filmmaker and Senior Editor of Visual Features at NPR. His work explores democracy, identity, faith, and political power through intimate, character-driven storytelling. He directed Hamtramck, USA and produced the Independent Lens documentary Three Chaplains, and produced Seasons of Glory: The Story of River Rouge Basketball. His films have screened at major festivals including SXSW, Hot Docs, . Jafri is currently completing his feature documentary Uncommitted and developing projects through his production company, People First Productions.

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