Far more than a sports film, The Rivals shows how football is the crucible in which lessons of class, pride and perseverance are learned and fought over – lessons that will last a lifetime. It is a moving story of ‘haves’ versus ‘have-nots’; two towns in Maine that both resent and respect each other. Rumford is a blue-collar town in the rugged Western mountains, supported by a dying paper mill that is losing jobs almost daily. Cape Elizabeth is a wealthy, coastal paradise for doctors, lawyers, and type A personalities.

Residents of these two towns only meet in one place: the High School Football field. Rumford's team has won 6 conference and 2 state championships in the last 20 years. Cape Elizabeth's team is only 3 years old, but the town has so much money and drive that they are already threatening Rumford's football dynasty. The rivalry is personified in the two coaches: Rumford's legendary Jim Aylward vs. Cape Elizabeth's fiery young Aaron Filieo.

For Filieo's ‘Cape kids’ the future is bright, the new astro-turf is always green. Filieo must inspire the privileged kids to fight for something that does not come easily. Aylward wants to give his Rumford kids something to be proud of before they enter the workday grind of life in a struggling mill town. He inspires them with his tough love of hope, focus and respect.