Logline: A basketball star risks his chances at a college scholarship when he competes in a boxing tournament just hours before the big game.

Synopsis: Jack Scratch is the star player for his high school basketball team, on the fast track to a college scholarship and perhaps a career in the NBA.

Jack's journey takes a detour after single mother Janet is saved from a mugger by two boxers: Karl "Sweet Sugar" Brown, a former heavyweight contender who now trains fighters, and Paveli "Punch" Pangora, a Slovenian slugger seeking US citizenship.

After Janet befriends the two boxers, Jack checks out the gritty yet legendary "Sweet’s Sweat Box Gym” for himself. Jack spars with "Bruiser" Bobby Studd, the resident gym bully, and shockingly gets up off the canvas after Studd knocks him down. Despite Bobby's bruising, Jack finds the individual nature of boxing a refreshing challenge after years of carrying his basketball teammates.

Sweet and Punch compete for the role of trainer to Jack as well as a romantic partner to Janet. However, Janet, as well as Jack's basketball coach, "Quick" Rick Steele, see boxing as a harmful distraction from Jack's pursuit of a college basketball scholarship. Mom and Coach are furious because Jack's bruised hands from boxing are affecting his basketball shooting abilities.

Jack, trained by Punch, enters a local boxing tournament and wins his semifinal bout to compete the following week against Bobby, trained by Sweet. However, the boxing tournament finals are scheduled mere hours before the Northeast Classic, an important basketball game that has a direct influence on Jack’s scholarship chances. As Coach Steele warns his star player, "It's your choice, Jack. Make your path, but stick with it. I know you're young, and the world seems like your oyster, but you already got people following your lead, and they need to know which way to head.”

Fight or Play Basketball is a found family story with a backdrop of sports.

Marybeth Paul

Glas