The Sibling Squad

By Liz Kendall

Manning, McCoy, Williams, Sutter, Barber- all of those names are the last names of siblings who play professional sports together or against each other. These names may be familiar to some but maybe not to others. Ballock, Richeson, Brown, Norris, Thevarajoo, & Haskett should all sound a little more familiar. Those are the names of some of the siblings that play fall sports together at Eudora High School.

Those of you with siblings might think that just having to see them at home after school and on the weekends is too much. Just think how much different it would be if you played on the same sports teams. Many athletes here at Eudora all encounter that situation during the fall sports season.

Senior Andrew and freshman Mitchell Ballock are the youngest boys of the Ballock clan. Andrew has played sports with his older brother Jordan and now younger brother Mitchell. This is the first year that Andrew and Mitchell have played high school sports together, although they have played competitive sports with each other in the past.

“Mitch and I have played together a lot in the past, but it’s even more fun playing high school varsity football with him,” said Andrew.

With Andrew being the quarterback and Mitchell being a receiver, the two have to work together flawlessly to succeed. The pair played in six games together before Andrew suffered an ankle injury. Even though the season was cut short for Andrew, the brothers will be back together again on the basketball court.

“I’m just pumped to play basketball with my lil’ bro and the rest of the team this year,” added Andrew.

The Richeson twins have been playing sports together for years, however this is their first year playing with little sister Makenzie Thorton. The twins welcomed Makenzie to the volleyball team with open arms and hoped to push her just like they push each other. Cierra and Abby don’t experience much playing time with Makenzie since she is just a freshman. They hope to see Makenzie improve substantially this season before they go off to college.

Cierra and Abby have played volleyball, basketball, soccer, and softball together. The two have a accumulated a considerable amount of experience playing with one another while attending EHS. They have made many memories, including a plethora of funny stories, and of course, have some bad memories to go along with it all.

“One of my favorite things about playing with Cierra is that I always have someone to trust and tell me what I need to do differently in any sport. There is really no better person to support me than my own sister,” confessed Abby.

The twins hope to add to the years of playing together by attending the same college on an athletic scholarship. They have worked hard to hopefully reach their goal as the end of the school year approaches.

“Honestly it’s weird not playing with Abby. When she is gone or something I feel weird. Playing with her is just really natural,” Cierra added.

Anna Brown, senior at Eudora High School and sister Mariah Brown, sophomore, run together on the Cardinals Cross Country team. The pair has competed on the same team for two seasons. The Brown sisters also play softball together in the spring.

“Mariah and I get along really well so I enjoy playing sports with her,” said Anna Brown.

Anna and Mariah use this situation to their advantage. Spending so much time together has made them closer siblings and even closer teammates. This is the last year that the sisters will play together so they are not taking a single second for granted. Playing a sport with your sister also has its cons. Name mixups are a common mistake with the Brown sisters. Mariah often responds to being called Anna and vice versa. Through all of the confusion, coaches have finally decided to refer to the sisters as “Brown” and “Lil’ Brown”.

“I think playing the same sports as Anna brings us closer. We practice together outside of schools so we spend more time together,” added Mariah.

Gunnar Norris, senior at Eudora High School, welcomed his freshman sister Halle to the cross country team this season. This is the first year that the Norris duo have run together. Gunnar has participated in the sport for five years while this is Halle’s first as a cross country runner.

“Gunnar and I are a lot closer now that we run together. Probably because he has so many helpful tips and is always building me up. Gunnar is definitely my main motivator in my races,” said sister Halle.

Gunnar and Halle have a very positive relationship when it comes to running cross country. Halle looks up to Gunnar, and he provides her with many helpful tips to better herself. This is the first and last year that the two will run together. Gunnar hopes that Halle will continue to improve even when he isn’t here to support her everyday during practice and at meets.

“I hope Halle will be able to have her own fun times and memories in this sport just like I did,” stated Gunnar

Hannah (junior) and Jasmine (freshman) are currently playing their first high school volleyball season together. The Thevarajoo sisters, who are commonly referred to as the “Thevs”, see the pros and the cons that come with playing a sport with their sibling.

“Playing together does make us closer but we also get tired of being around each other 24/7,” Hannah stated.

The Thev sisters are very competitive when it comes to volleyball. Jasmine has worked hard to obtain a spot on the varsity team with Hannah. The two sisters play with each other on a daily basis and have grown very comfortable with pushing each other to succeed.

“Hannah helps me be more competitive. We support each other and push each other to work harder.” Jasmine concluded.

Although the athletes here at EHS aren’t at the professional level like the Mannings and Barbers, they still use having a sibling on the team to their advantage. Whether or not they reach the professional level or not, all the EHS siblings have gained a lot from their experiences playing with their brother or sister.