One look across the landscape of high school sports this spring shows a half dozen brothers and sisters, who work together, along with their teammates, for one shared goal, to be successful on the field. And while every pair is different, at the end of the day, they all have one thing in common–family.
Port City Daily is highlighting local athletes who are competing alongside their siblings.
The Young brothers
Michael and Samuel Young are among the top golfers in the area and are key components on Laney’s soccer team.
With Samuel getting ready to begin his college career as an engineering major at N.C. State University, the Young brothers have always been taught to work together and lend a hand to one another, especially when the going gets tough.
“We have never really had any type of rivalry between each other and it’s always been more of a collaboration to see what we can do together,” said Samuel. “While we both kind of had our own friends on the soccer team, on the golf course we’ve relied more on each other to either calm down one another or work on technique.”
“It’s been fun showing my brother around the course since it’s more of an individual sport and even if I decide not to play at the club level in college, golf is something we can enjoy together for a long, long time.”
Samuel and Jackson both have an individual wins among the Mideastern Conference golfers this spring, and for Jackson, it’s been a pleasure to watch his older brother do big things on the field.
“It’s been really cool to be able to watch Sam grow as a player and person,” said Jackson. “I like to see how he composes himself and sets a good example for me and our teammates. He’s been a great role model in showing me how I need to act and lead the team when I get older.”
While it will be the first time the Youngs are separated this fall when Samuel heads to college, having the opportunity to watch his younger brother grow has been something he has cherished.
“I’m definitely proud of the way Jackson’s become his own person,” said Samuel. “I’ve taught him to be himself and don’t let others dictate how your play or act.”
“It’ll be different next year and while I will definitely be a little sad because he just won’t be around as much, he’s taught me some valuable things so I can excel when I get to be his age,” Jackson added.
The Marraccini sisters
Morgan Marraccini is senior co-captain on Ashley’s soccer team. Maddie, a first-year varsity player and freshman, hopes to follow in her older sister’s footsteps.
“I’ve really enjoyed having Maddie on the team for my senior year and really proud she made the varsity team in only her freshman year,” said Morgan. “It’s a cool experience to play together in games, pass to each other and actually make things happen because siblings have rivalries at home, but it’s cool to work together on the field.”
For Maddie, her experience this season is one she’ll remember as a first-year varsity player, who has tried to emulate her big sister for as long as she could remember.
“I think it was a little surprising to be able to make the varsity team, but it was kind of my goal having been able to watch Morgan so much,” said Maddie. “Morgan has been a great role model to me.”
Morgan shared the same sentiment in watching her younger sister improve her talents on the soccer field.
“Maddie has definitely developed her skills and it’s been fun to watch,” said Morgan. “I actually helped coach her team and what was really interesting was to see how she interacted with other players and saw how it progressed.”
While the Marraccinis haven’t thought too much about what life will be like when Morgan heads to college next year, their bond is stronger than ever and both continue to enjoy this ride as teammates on the Ashley soccer team.
The Edwards sisters
Bailey and Jenson Edwards have emerged as two of the top sibling tandems after helping guide the Laney girls basketball team this winter and Bucs’ soccer team this spring.
Bailey, a junior shooter and midfielder, is one of the most athletic student-athletes across New Hanover County, while Jenson, a freshman, has started to make a name for herself as a top defender, who served as Laney’s leading scorer on the basketball court.
There’s no question the Edwards sisters will be making an impact together on the field over the next academic year, with Bailey looking to continue her soccer career in college.
