circle of adversaries

They’ve been friends for years. Now they suspect each other of attempted murder.

In a small southern town in 1984, another basketball season is brewing, just like the ones before. Only this time, there’s a new family in town, and Quentin Thomas becomes the first Black player on the eighth-grade team. He’s also the best player. The boys welcome him, but some parents have doubts. They don’t want Quentin to steal attention from their sons in the competitive world of North Carolina basketball. Tensions grow, parents bicker, and some try to fire the coach.. Throughout town, neighbors gossip about the effect the new player has on the team.

One night, as Quentin rides his bicycle home from practice, a car hits him from behind and speeds away, leaving him broken in the road. Was it an accident or a deliberate attempt to take him off the team? If it’s deliberate, who did it?

Nearly everyone in town has an opinion, and most of the parents suspect each other. Tensions rise to the boiling point.