In a lily-white northeastern city of Pittsfield, sixteen-year-old Jimmy Robinson (quarterback), and Billy Mack (fullback) are national high school all-American football players. They have been teammates since Pop Warner football. Billy is black and Jimmy is white. A racial tragedy occurs in this lily-white city. The tragedy is not done by a racist or a bigot that will destroy Billy and Jimmy's deep brotherly relationship but from an unexpected source-a tragedy so horrific that no parent would ever think it could happen to their child.