just another year at strawberry mansion. >> this special edition of "nightline", two years of strawberry." two years strawberry hill. >> switch blades and fistfights a daily concern at strawberry mansion high school on the brink of closure with the clock ticking. as teachers and students struggle to save the school, abc news was there with extraordinary access over two school years. tonight, thanks to our viewers, we are back with the outcome that astonished us all. abc's diane sawyer takes you inside for ou latest edition of "hidden america." >> morning begins at strawberry mansion high school with a prayer. >> we must see the children be in your name, amen. >> amen. >> security guards take their post to watch for razor blades and tin foil. knives and back packs. vaseline on faces used to prevent scratches in a fight. a school of 464 kids. a lot of them want to learn. a lot of them on a hair trigger. >> this is a dangerous school. a lot of fights for nothing. so you got to be safe. >> for five years running, mansion as the students call it, was considered one of the most dangerous schoo

but tonight, meet the strawberry mansion knights. >> we lobbied.till a school. we're still running. and we still have a lot to offer. >> the knights already underdogs with their quarterback suspended. owens steps in to save the day. the game, a blow-out. >> our quarterback, i stepped up today. >> 40-0. >> yeah! >> this cheer is called "work it." work it, work it, eh. >> and someone is cheering them on. though from the sidelines. remember malaysia? she is not on the cheer leading team because she got into a fight after school. >> there are rules to this, in philadelphia. you don't survive with your fist in the neighborhood. the only way you are going to survive it is to get out of there and think. >> but she is back on track in the 10th grade and doing well in her studies. what about lazack? he is a bit taller now. 5'2" and a bit more confident thanks to his new hobby. >> well, most of the people in there have years of experience. and i had to learn really quick. >> but that is not going to deter you? >> not really. i like it. >> and a surprise. zac

there is still a reality at strawberry mansion. there are still sites like this one posted on youtube. and the girl being hit by the way, who luckily escaped injury, is the same young woman who stepped in when i was there to try to protect me. >> we don't want nobody to hit diane. >> reporter: over all the number of serious incidents at strawberry mansion has plummeted so much that for the first time in six years this school is no longer considered one of the most dangerous in the country. and if there is one thing that symbolizes what has happened at this school, it is this. for 62 years the school could only dream of its own football team. tonight not only do they have one, meet the strawberry mansion knights who ended their very first season last month undefeated. >> undefeated! first season ever. >> in this community, in this school, we get no victory. we don't win anything. i might not be able to get them into harvard but i can give them hope. don't underestimate the power of hope because when children have hope, they can succ

strawberry mansion high school. and most of all, everyday i told them, if nobody told you they loved you today, you remember, i do. >> bravo to principal wayman. and our thanks to diane sawyer. >>> to find out how can you help strawberry mansion, go to our website at zero across the entirety. quite co ♪ i love it! ♪ thank you grandma for the dolls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ i'm ninja kicking through the halls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ mom's posting pictures on your wall. ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday. ♪ i picked it out in a snap ♪ what made it genius ♪ was my camouflage wrap ♪ that's my kind of holiday is in effect for most parts of the bay area with possible from look from ours tonight. mount s to ro camera. >> it is so cold out there people are packing on the layers or just packing it in to get away from the freezing weather. good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm carolyn johnson. meteorologist sandhya patel is tracking the cold right now and has a look at live doppler 7hd. sandhya? >> yeah, it is teeth-chattering cold. let's look a