Teammates often say they feel like siblings, but for some athletes, they actually are.

Senior Leon Scott has never been without a brother by his side. Leon has been on baseball, basketball and swim teams throughout his life with both his older brother Irvin, a BHS alumnus, and his younger brother Nick, a sophomore. This year, Leon played on the varsity football team alongside Nick.

“We are sort of used to it, but it’s fun because especially in football, I’m a wide receiver and he’s a quarterback, so it’s essential to have good chemistry,” said Leon. “It sort of comes naturally for us.”

Leon, who has never played football without one of his brothers, says that they have definitely affected his performance and that it would be very different if they had not been on the team. Leon and Nick learned to work together, as well as to encourage each other mentally.

“We’re always around each other, and we pretty much like the same things,” said Leon. “It’s really helpful to have an older brother and a younger brother, because I get to look up to someone and learn from my older brother, and at the same time, I get to be a leader to my little brother.”

Both of their parents work, so the Scott brothers have always been dependent on each other. As a senior graduating soon, Leon realizes that Nick won’t have his older brother around to take care of him, as his older brother Irvin had done for Leon.

However, Leon believes Nick will do fine without him.

“I just want to tell him to keep playing hard,” said Leon. “He’s a really hard worker, so keep working hard and stay focused because he’s not going to have an older brother to look over his shoulder, like he normally would. Just be a good example, and he’ll do fine.”

Seniors Coco and Tracey Faber, twins, started track together in middle school when a friend’s mother suggested they give it a try. Going into the first day of practice, Coco and Tracey found themselves in a new environment in which they did not know anyone.

However, it was comforting to know that they had each other.

“It’s really nice to have someone else you can rely on,” said Tracey.

Tracey said that being siblings and being on the same team enabled them to become closer not only as family but also as teammates.

Senior Alex Meyer and his twin, Dan had a similar “younger brother” experience to Leon Scott’s. Alex, also a senior, joined the boys crew team as a freshman, but Dan didn’t join until his sophomore year.

“In the beginning, he took me under his wing and would give me tips,” said Dan. “But now we’re at the point where we can both critique each other and give each other advice.”

Alex and Dan are a dynamic duo. Now they are both on the boys varsity crew team and rowed one behind the other for most of last spring and fall. Sometimes they even row together in a double, where just the two of them are in the boat.

According to Dan, a lot of people compare them to the Winklevoss twins, who rowed for Harvard University and who supposedly had the idea of Facebook stolen from them by Mark Zuckerberg.

According to Dan, being on a team with his brother has been a positive experience, especially when it comes to getting each other to work out.

“If Alex wants to go out for a run over the weekend or something, I’m probably going to go with him,” said Dan. “I would probably stay home if it were up to me.”

Since there is sibling rivalry, Dan said that being on the same team as his brother definitely gives him extra motivation.

“There is definitely the added push to compete with each other” said Dan.

Andrea Kim and Matthew Goroff can be contacted at [email protected].