When Billy (Ricky Schroder) returns from reform school, he has to attend a different high school at the other side of town. He tries to start with a clean slate but his old rival doesn't make it easy on him and his buddy Louie (David Anthony Marshall) tries to make him go astray again. His brother Joe (Brad Pitt), quite the opposite of Billy, is a good runner and determined to win a track scholarship. He suggests Billy to join his school's track team, which pits the two brothers against each other.