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Rudy Hypolite’s documentary “Push: Madison vs. Madison,” which follows the Madison Park boys’ basketball team throughout the 2007 season, begins with Cardinals head coach Dennis Wilson crossing off opponents listed on a chalkboard. With his back to the camera, Wilson runs a line through the names of each team the Cardinals beat, with the ease that Madison Park won games during that magical season. The Cardinals had a perfect regular season and captured the coveted City League title in ’07.

However, Hypolite’s film – akin to Madison Park’s season that year – is about promises made and promises unfulfilled. And the final shot before credits roll is that of Wilson erasing Madison Park’s name from the board, following images of the Cardinals’ season-ending loss in the state tournament.

“Push” made its hometown debut in a Saturday night showing at the Somerville Theater as part of the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Although basketball is at its heart, the documentary is more an account of the struggles presented at inner-city schools and its students.

Madison Park, a vocational and technical school, hosts students from all of Boston’s neighborhoods. That creates a breeding ground for hostility. To become a team — better yet, the team that Wilson believes they could be — each of the Cardinals need to put aside the chaos that seems to befall them at every step.

They must put aside allegiances to their turf. Madison Park’s stars Malik Smith and “Radio” Raheem Singleton were raised at rival housing projects, so there’s an uneasy tension between the competing recruits. The tension isn’t fully revealed until the season’s most critical game. As Madison Park comes unglued in their playoff loss to Braintree, Singleton turns a deaf ear to Wilson’s advice, feeling he was spurned by Smith who wouldn’t give up the ball in key situations.

They also must put their personal histories behind them. There is the story of Jakeen Cobb, who lost his mother at age 12 and relied on his eldest sister to lead the family. At another early point in “Push,” one of Madison Park’s players reports to Wilson in the middle of practice explaining his absence because his mother’s boyfriend sent her to the hospital with a punch to the face.

Through it all, the grounding force that keeps the team (and the film) together is its charismatic leader, Coach Wilson. His swagger emanates through the screen. Wilson is introduced into the film as the camera follows the former history teacher (now retired) through Madison Park’s corridors. It is in this sequence that Wilson is seen in the roles he played day-to-day at “MP.” He is a friend, a councilor, a disciplinarian and a hoops tactician whenever need be. And he’s always quick with a one-liner.

In a lighter moment, we also get a glimpse of Wilson in his younger years as a member of a Harlem Globetrotters-style show basketball team with an Afro that rivaled Dr. J’s.

While Wilson is the flamboyant face of MP basketball, school police officer and assistant basketball coach Frank White is its imposing muscle. He’s seen strolling the gym, lending his advice during drills dressed in his full uniform. It is revealed later in “Push” that White is also Smith’s father. The audience is left somewhat in the dark about the nature of White and Smith’s relationship. White tells the story of breaking the news to Smith while he was in the sixth grade. Later, during the closing credits, we’re told that father and son are now on speaking terms, but it remains a subplot largely unexplored.

But what’s clear is that “Push” has a lot to say and it’s not just about basketball.

After the Cardinals’ on-court meltdown in the state tournament game against Braintree, the camera follows Wilson into the locker room as he addresses his team one last time.

“This is just a minor setback in life,” Wilson tells the dejected team.

In a relaxed but assertive tone, he questions how his team is going to confront their latest setback.

Basketball season was over, but life would move on. That’s when the test of will is truly determined.

Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall went into the studio for a special edition of the ESPN Boston High Schools podcast this week welcoming in Madison Park basketball head coach Dennis Wilson along with filmaker Rudy Hypolite to talk about their recent collaboration on "Push: Madison vs. Madison", a documentary chronicling Madison Park's 2007 basketball season.

The film will be showing at the Independent Film Festival of Boston later this month.

For a sneak preview of the film, click here.

Earlier this month, across the country in San Jose at the 13th Annual Cinequest Film Fesitval, the Boston-based documentary "Push: Madison versus Madison" premiered. The result was an encouraging response for the film's star, Madison Park head boys basketball coach Dennis Wilson, as well as director Rudy Hypolite.

For Hypolite -- whose film chronicles the stretch run of the Cardinals' historic 2006-07 season, and the hardscrabble lives of the players off the court -- it was an overall "great showing", complete with standing ovations and the post-showing question and answer sessions often extending beyond the designated 15 minutes, moving into the hallways.

"There were a couple of comments comparing it to 'Hoop Dreams', which is flattering," said Hypolite, referring to the acclaimed 1994 documentary.

Meanwhile the boisterous, philosophizing protagonist Wilson got to expound on his star power -- "I signed my first autographs, two guys and a young lady asked," he said. "And I met some real heavyweights, too."

But Hypolite also returned to New England with some ideas, and will be back on the cutting room floor the next few weeks making some tweaks as they get prepared for their next showing: the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

The festival runs from April 27 to May 4, and once again "Push" is getting a prime-time slot: Saturday, April 30, 7:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre ("They gave us a hellified time and a hellified day," Wilson laughed). Wilson will be doing everything he can to "pack the house" for the event, while Hypolite will be touching up the rough edges at the Arlington-based Killswitch Productions, with the help of editor Chris O'Coin.

Without giving too much away, Wilson offered up some of those tweaks to ESPNBoston.com late last week. Namely, they would be shooting some quick footage at the school, to get a sense of the school's size, as well as some city skyline shots from Memorial Drive.

Wilson and Hypolite also appeared this afternoon on WCVB-TV's "Cityline", where they discussed the film with host Karen Holmes Ward.

For Hypolite, a Roxbury native and long-time friend of Wilson, the story of Wilson's 2007 team hits close to home. Hypolite moved to Boston from Trinidad & Tobago as a teenager, and grew up in the Academy Homes tenant community where one of the film's stars, current UMaine guard Raheem "Radio" Singleton, lived during the season.

And of course, there are few more fascinating subjects than the flowing personality of Wilson.

"He's the mayor of Boston," says Hypolite, who graduated Boston English High in 1979 and graduated with a degree in television and film production from Boston University in 1983. "He's so energetic, it's great whenever you're around him. You feel that enthusiasm. There isn't a place you go with him where someone comes up to him, 'Hey, Coach Wilson', and somehow he remembers most of them, whether he had an influence on them in the classroom (Wilson teaches history) or in basketball.

"When they were ranked No. 1 (in the state, in 2007), hearing the stories about the team over all these years, and just knowing his personality, I thought, 'Wow, OK, this would be a great person to form a documentary around'. Everything he says, it's as if it was scripted, it's so perfect."

Push Madison V Madison Trailer from Rudy Hypolite on Vimeo.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published on Thursday, March 3, before Madison Park head coach Dennis Wilson exhausted all of his efforts to try and switch his plane ticket to Saturday evening. Assistant coaches Frank White, Greg Simpson and Anthony Searcy will coach the Cardinals in their Saturday night Division 1 South quarterfinal at No. 1 seed Mansfield.

ROXBURY, Mass. -- So now what?

Madison Park head coach Dennis Wilson could only guffaw -- in a manner so unique to his smooth, philosophizing personality -- when posed the question by an ESPNBoston reporter following the Cardinals' 60-45 win over visiting Franklin in this Division 1 South first round matchup.

"Stay tuned, baby," he grinned.

The what, for the unfamiliar, being what he's going to do now that his squad is living another day, as the Cards move on to a Saturday evening quarterfinal at No. 1 seed Mansfield.

The problem? Wilson has already booked plane tickets to leave for San Jose, Calif. Friday night, to catch the Sunday night world premiere of the new documentary, "Push: Madison versus Madison", centered around his 2007 squad's run through the Division 1 state tournament. "Push" was one of 100 films to make the cut for this year's Cinequest Film Festival, will be first shown at 6:30 on Sunday evening, and is one of the few films that will be shown three times over the 13-day event.

Wilson will find out tonight if he'll be able to switch his flight to Saturday night, to accommodate his West Coast plans. But if not, he says he's "in a creek without a paddle", but has full faith in assistants Frank White, Anthony Searcy and Greg Simpson (affably nicknamed "Smooth") to come up with a great gameplan for a Hornets squad that has not lost a game since December.

"I've trained them well," Wilson said.

The film, directed by Boston native Rudy Hypolite, chronicles the stretch run of the Cardinals' 2006-07 season, all the way through the Division 1 South Sectionals, and focuses on the relationship between Wilson and his players, including stars Malik Smith and current UMaine point guard Raheem "Radio" Singleton. Off the court, they must deal with the violence and crime surrounding their neighborhoods. On the court they must learn to co-exist in spite of their roots in rival housing projects. Bringing it all together is the head of the "MP Machine", Wilson.

Last week at the Boston City League championships, at Madison Park, Wilson confessed to me that this film is the third most important thing to happen to him in his life -- the first two (marriage and childbirth) go without saying. To him, it's about the body of work and what it stands for, not so much himself. This is a story he truly believes is for Anytown, U.S.A.

"I think we've got something, an instrument I believe if the world sees, or even across the country, that there's so many inner-city kids going through so many struggles, and overcoming them," Wilson said. "So many inner-city coaches, man, that are dealing with so much, man. Turmoil, man. Being surrogate fathers, surrogate mothers, man. Mentors. Role models. In the trenches, trying to guide these kids to the next stage in their life, a positive stage in their life.

"So that's what I believe the significance of this movie is. It's the MP thing that I believe, man, whether it's East St. Louis or Watts or Newark or New York or Detroit, that this will give hope to a lot of coaches, lot of players, man, that you can do it. You can make it. You know? Just of course, believe in God the creator, believe in each other, and have that perseverance to get it done."

Simpson, who was the starting point guard on Wilson's first squad in 1982, is glad that Wilson is "finally getting his due."

"He's been a pillar for Madison Park High School basketball since he came to Madison Park in 1982, my senior year," Simpson said. "He put a system in, and we believed in him. And finally, all his hard work is paying off. He got us to the state championship (NOTE: there were no state championships in 1982, due to Proposition 2-1/2 budget cuts) -- we just believed in him, man. But to be honest with you, the documentary is a tribute to him, because of all the hard work that he's done and all the adversity he's gotten through, because of the different types of teams he's had over the years."

As for Saturday, Simpson's ready should the dice roll his way.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge if he has to go," Simpson said. "Believe me, I think coach Frank White and I can get the job done."

Dennis Wilson is a man of many hats at Madison Park High School -- head basketball coach, teacher, mentor, disciplinarian, father figure, the list goes on.

And now, he can add Hollywood.

Wilson is the subject of a new documentary, Push: Madison versus Madison, directed by Boston native Rudy Hypolite and chronicling the Cardinals' 2006-07 season, which saw an undefeated regular season campaign end in the Division 1 South semifinals, and was led by stars like Malik Smith and current University of Maine junior Raheem Singleton.

The film was one of 100 to make the cut at next month's Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Calif., and will be shown a remarkable three times over the 13-day festival, which runs from March 1 to March 13. It is scheduled to be show on March 6, at 6:30 p.m.; March 8, at 6:30 p.m.; and March 10, at 1:30 p.m.

A brief synopsis of the film, from the film's website:

Madison Park Vocational, Roxbury, Massachusetts. A dysfunctional but talented high school hoops team tries to hold itself together. Graced with a handful of sharp shooters and savvy ball-handlers, they also struggle, both on and off the court, in a deteriorating public school system and the turbulence of life in the Boston inner city: rival gangs, a chilling murder rate, destructive families, and the struggle to stay in school and on the team. Closing in on the end of the season, the team has gone 15-0 and has a shot at a state championship and an undefeated season for the first time in history.

At the center of this kettle of hope and chaos is Coach Dennis Wilson, a unique hero for our times. A former semi-professional player, philosophizing history teacher and motor-mouthing disciplinarian, Coach Wilson chants, harasses and cajoles his charges onto the court, asking them: “Whose house is this? Whose game is this? What kinda pride you got?” But is Coach Wilson the MP solution or just getting sucked into the problem? As the team heads into the its final regular season games and tournament showdowns, MP Pride will be sorely tested.