The Pom Pom Girls

The Rosedale High pom-pom girls are courted by the school's star football players, Johnnie Chrystal and Jesse Davis, while Duane vies for Sally's attention. The attention stirs jealousy and complicates friendships among the girls and players. The social dynamics hint at future tension between the teams and their inner circles.

The players and cheerleaders engage in pranks that escalate the feud with Hardin High. Retaliations become bolder, drawing in more students and heightening tensions. The lines between friendly rivalry and hostile competition start to blur.

In a culmination of the prank war, someone commandeers an antique fire engine from the Hardin Fire Department. The engine is driven onto the football field during practice and sprays the entire team and cheer squad with the hose. Chaos erupts as spectators witness the reckless stunt.

Coach Hartman and Principal Myers assemble a large group of students to identify the perpetrators. The crowd shields the guilty, and everyone questioned admits guilt, preventing clear accountability. The episode exposes the community's tangled loyalties.

Jesse Davis and Laurie discover chemistry, drawing them closer despite Laurie's misgivings about Duane. The budding connection adds personal stakes to the rivalry and complicates loyalties. Their evolving relationship begins to blur old boundaries.

Jesse spends time with Sue Ann, pursuing a moment of romance. He soon regrets the choice as the social web tightens around him. The incident foreshadows consequences for his behavior within the group.

The rivalry turns violent during a home game as Duane and Johnnie's feud erupts in anger. The crowd's energy grows, and the risk of a brawl becomes real. The threat of violence tests everyone involved.

Jesse's erratic behavior with women prompts his coach to warn him about his choices. The discipline issue crescendos as the coach cuts him from the football team. The loss of a talented player deepens the existing tensions within the squad.

After spending a night with Laurie, Jesse briefly considers leaving town to escape the fallout. The thought underscores his struggle with responsibility and belonging within the community. Yet the pull of home and duty remains strong.

Jesse returns to school, faces the consequences of his actions, and decides to quit the football team. He accepts responsibility for his role in the upheaval and begins charting a different course. This marks a maturation moment in his arc.

Duane challenges Johnnie to a dangerous contest called Suicide Chicken, trading cars and driving toward a cliff to see who stops last. The challenge pushes both men to the edge and tests their rivalry to the limit. The stunt signals the season's explosive finale.

As Sally signals, both cars accelerate toward the cliff. Duane stops short, but Johnnie continues over the edge. Duane's car crashes and burns, while spectators fear the worst for Johnnie.

Johnnie emerges alive, having leapt from his car before it reached the cliff. His friends initially fear he is dead, but he survives, ending the dangerous gamble on a dramatic note. The season closes with a hard-won, uneasy resolution among the rival factions.