The people of Walthorne love their basketball, and one of the things they love the most is the special rivalry between the North Middle Cougars and the South Middle Panthers. As the season begins, two star players are feeling the heat. North Middle’s Austin Chambers, whose well-off parents provide him with everything he needs for success, worries that he’s not good enough to live up to his father’s legacy and expectations. Carter Haswell, the captain of the South Middle team, is incredibly talented but his family struggles financially and is counting on him to outshine all of the competition and get a scholarship that can turn things around. While both boys do everything they can to make sure their team wins, a school newspaper reporter, Alfie Jenks, discovers that there are behind-the-scenes scandals that are just as much a part of the season as what is happening on the court. From pressure being applied to an injured teammate to play and the temptation to cheat on tests to stay eligible to play, has winning become more important than doing the right thing? This realistic look at youth sports and the pressures to win no matter the cost.