reluctantly leaves her high school's volleyball and basketball teams to fill in for him on the farm.

is pressured into training Brian Nelson, a stubborn football player who plays for the rival Hawley High School team.

begins training to join her high school's football team, driven in part by a fight with Brian, and in part by the legacy of her two estranged older brothers, Win and Bill, who are famous in Red Bend for playing college football.

's problems stem from an inability to discuss important issues with her family and friends, as Brian eventually points out to her.

It is through their friendship that she finds she has a lot to talk about, and begins to put her life back together.