High-school freshman Jesse lives and breathes football. His brother, Jay, was the star high-school quarterback and will play for Dartmouth in the fall. Jesse loves running plays with Jay and knows the playbook by heart. But his dreams of a winning season are doomed by a poor quarterback and kicker. Jesse has only ever thought of himself as a wide receiver. Sure he can run and pass, but is he too small to be quarterback? And his friend Savannah kicks better than the team's kicker, but she is tall like a soccer goalie, not to mention a girl. Meanwhile, Jay struggles at Dartmouth, being moved from quarterback to safety. Can he accept his new role? Filled with descriptions of the games, practices, and plays, the quick plot and likable characters will appeal to football fans despite the thin plot. End notes highlight athletes who excelled despite gender or size. Large font, playbook diagrams, simple vocabulary, and an older protagonist make this a solid choice for struggling readers.

Jay Wagner was "the best quarterback Franklin High School ever had," but college makes him realize there are plenty of better QBs; his little brother Jesse, a high-school freshman, doesn't believe he could ever play quarterback. A brotherly "deal" challenges the boys to tackle new roles. Bowen's approachable underdog story is well suited to sports-loving reluctant readers.