Soap star shoots movie -- and hoops -- in Orange City
Filmmakers aim for 2009 release
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Coach Loren DeJong, right, of MOC-FV High School is being portrayed by Matthew Ashford, left, in "Winning Favor," a movie about Northwest Iowa basketball. Ashford, a native of Davenport, Iowa, starred for years as Jack Devereaux on "Days of Our Lives." He said he could return to "Days" sometime as his character is now in England. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Leave it to the folks in hoops-crazy Orange City to practice shooting basketballs on the night a basketball movie is being shot.
Huh?
"I'm here to open up the new air-conditioned gym," said Gary Richardson, superintendent of the MOC-FV School District. "We've got some girls who want to get some shooting in tonight."
The "old" gym -- the one without A.C. -- was reserved this night by Jamey Durham, the Northwestern College professor shooting his new project, a movie called "Winning Favor." The feature film, due to be released in the fall of 2009, follows the 2005 boys' teams from MOC-FV and Unity Christian. Both squads brought home state titles to this Sioux County community of 5,582.
The film stars Matthew Ashford as Coach Loren DeJong, leader of the MOC-FV Dutch. Ashford is best known as Jack Devereaux from "Days of Our Lives," NBC's long-running afternoon soap opera.
Ashford is having the time of his life this week in Orange City.
"This is great," he said while polishing off a Mountain Dew at Jaycee Park near the high school campus. "I was born and raised in Iowa and this is what a I remember. My idyllic youth was spent here (in Iowa)."
One of eight children, Ashford played basketball on the driveway in Davenport until his parents moved the family to Virginia when he was 13.
This movie, he said, celebrates shared responsibilities and teamwork often found in small towns like Orange City. That two squads from the same city reached the pinnacle the same season speaks to the dedication these young men and their families had for the game and one another.
Ashford, who shot into big-time show business with his "Days" debut in 1987, said the movie is a "timeless story" -- one that involves community, the power of friendship and illustrations of how teens can sometimes teach adults.
There were plenty of teens around Tuesday as filming game scenes began in the gym. Durham and producers Anita Bomgaars and Donna Durham invited former players from MOC-FV, Sioux Center, Boyden-Hull and Unity to don their uniforms for a night of shooting -- as in film shooting. Players from MOC-FV and Bishop Heelan were asked to recreate scenes from a substate final last night (Wednesday) at the Bultman Center on the campus of Northwestern College.
Tyler Meekma, 22, was a senior for the state champion Dutch in 2005. He left his construction job Tuesday to devour a burger courtesy of the Sioux County Cattlemen's Association before reporting to the gym for his possible Hollywood debut.
"We're supposed to be extras out on the court showing the actors what to do," he said.
Meekma is hopeful he'll make an appearance in the movie. His only other on-camera credit, you see, involves an interview he did on KTIV Channel 4 during the Northwestern football campaign last year.
"I did an interview during the season and it was terrible," said Meekma, laughing at himself. "I looked like a tool!"
He looked like nobody's tool dashing up and down the court Tuesday against players from Boyden-Hull. It was evident which players were the real deal and which ones came from Hollywood.
Didn't matter to nearly 200 fans from Boyden-Hull and MOC-FV who turned out to lend their voices, faces and school shirts to the background. Like good fans from the Siouxland Conference, they shouted enthusiastically at all the right times and even complained about the officiating a few times. The "game" also marked the film debuts for referees Jim Kleis and Terril DeHaan, both of Orange City.
"They told us the teams would go up and down the floor a few times and they wanted us to call whatever happened," said DeHaan, who simply followed orders.
"At the end, I think they're going to have some scripted plays," Kleis added.
As the session with MOC-FV and Boyden-Hull began, an engineer checked his sound levels against a roaring crowd. A camera operator skated backwards while players pounded basketballs and glanced toward their actor-turned-coach.
"Alfred Hitchcock called filmmaking organized chaos," Jamey Durham said while surveying his hot surroundings. "This is it, man!"
Several current high school boys and girls peeked through the doorway to watch the 2005 state champs hustle through the din for another film shoot. Those future stars quickly returned to the quiet of the new -- and much cooler -- gymnasium. Their noise? No crowd, just the sound of bouncing balls, swishing nets and an air conditioner humming along.
In Orange City, it's how another "Winning Favor" unfolds.
Video
For video from Tuesday night's "Winning Favor" film session, see www.siouxcityjournal.com
Huh?
"I'm here to open up the new air-conditioned gym," said Gary Richardson, superintendent of the MOC-FV School District. "We've got some girls who want to get some shooting in tonight."
The "old" gym -- the one without A.C. -- was reserved this night by Jamey Durham, the Northwestern College professor shooting his new project, a movie called "Winning Favor." The feature film, due to be released in the fall of 2009, follows the 2005 boys' teams from MOC-FV and Unity Christian. Both squads brought home state titles to this Sioux County community of 5,582.
The film stars Matthew Ashford as Coach Loren DeJong, leader of the MOC-FV Dutch. Ashford is best known as Jack Devereaux from "Days of Our Lives," NBC's long-running afternoon soap opera.
Ashford is having the time of his life this week in Orange City.
"This is great," he said while polishing off a Mountain Dew at Jaycee Park near the high school campus. "I was born and raised in Iowa and this is what a I remember. My idyllic youth was spent here (in Iowa)."
One of eight children, Ashford played basketball on the driveway in Davenport until his parents moved the family to Virginia when he was 13.
This movie, he said, celebrates shared responsibilities and teamwork often found in small towns like Orange City. That two squads from the same city reached the pinnacle the same season speaks to the dedication these young men and their families had for the game and one another.
Ashford, who shot into big-time show business with his "Days" debut in 1987, said the movie is a "timeless story" -- one that involves community, the power of friendship and illustrations of how teens can sometimes teach adults.
There were plenty of teens around Tuesday as filming game scenes began in the gym. Durham and producers Anita Bomgaars and Donna Durham invited former players from MOC-FV, Sioux Center, Boyden-Hull and Unity to don their uniforms for a night of shooting -- as in film shooting. Players from MOC-FV and Bishop Heelan were asked to recreate scenes from a substate final last night (Wednesday) at the Bultman Center on the campus of Northwestern College.
Tyler Meekma, 22, was a senior for the state champion Dutch in 2005. He left his construction job Tuesday to devour a burger courtesy of the Sioux County Cattlemen's Association before reporting to the gym for his possible Hollywood debut.
"We're supposed to be extras out on the court showing the actors what to do," he said.
Meekma is hopeful he'll make an appearance in the movie. His only other on-camera credit, you see, involves an interview he did on KTIV Channel 4 during the Northwestern football campaign last year.
"I did an interview during the season and it was terrible," said Meekma, laughing at himself. "I looked like a tool!"
He looked like nobody's tool dashing up and down the court Tuesday against players from Boyden-Hull. It was evident which players were the real deal and which ones came from Hollywood.
Didn't matter to nearly 200 fans from Boyden-Hull and MOC-FV who turned out to lend their voices, faces and school shirts to the background. Like good fans from the Siouxland Conference, they shouted enthusiastically at all the right times and even complained about the officiating a few times. The "game" also marked the film debuts for referees Jim Kleis and Terril DeHaan, both of Orange City.
"They told us the teams would go up and down the floor a few times and they wanted us to call whatever happened," said DeHaan, who simply followed orders.
"At the end, I think they're going to have some scripted plays," Kleis added.
As the session with MOC-FV and Boyden-Hull began, an engineer checked his sound levels against a roaring crowd. A camera operator skated backwards while players pounded basketballs and glanced toward their actor-turned-coach.
"Alfred Hitchcock called filmmaking organized chaos," Jamey Durham said while surveying his hot surroundings. "This is it, man!"
Several current high school boys and girls peeked through the doorway to watch the 2005 state champs hustle through the din for another film shoot. Those future stars quickly returned to the quiet of the new -- and much cooler -- gymnasium. Their noise? No crowd, just the sound of bouncing balls, swishing nets and an air conditioner humming along.
In Orange City, it's how another "Winning Favor" unfolds.
Video
For video from Tuesday night's "Winning Favor" film session, see www.siouxcityjournal.com
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