The long-standing tension between the Academy and the High School often becomes heated, especially when the two schools face each other on the football field. But when Ronald Perry, the star of the Academy team, nearly kills Meyer Goldman, a boy playing for the High School, in a dangerously hard tackle, Ronny is horrified. He swears he’ll never play football again.

Back in school, Ronny is even more shocked by the attitude of his Academy friends and teammates, who tell him not to be so hard on himself—because Goldman is Jewish. Unable to ignore the remorse he feels, Ronny decides to transfer to the High School. But when his new classmates dismiss him as a snob, he realizes that he’ll have to work hard to break down this old rivalry.