Stories by Zoe Chen, Clementine Evans, Gavin Bartolome, Evelyn Diaz & Owen Hou
Sports Editor, Online Managing Editor, Staff Writers
Photos by Contributor, Kaitlyn Lee & Madeline Madrigal
Staff Photographers
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DJ & Grayson Ebner
Senior and sophomore brothers DJ and Grayson Ebner have played football together since they were kids, rising from YMCA flag leagues to varsity football at SPHS. Besides simply having fun, the athletes are constantly building off of each other to individually improve both of their games.
“We can critique each other on what we do,” D. Ebner said. “I think after a game, it’s definitely better to work on our weaknesses.”
Despite bringing majorly different roles to the team, the two still manage to remain in sync with each other. Linemen like D. Ebner hold down the line of scrimmage, while defensive ends like G. Ebner are more involved in the action, catching passes and rushing the quarterback.
“It’s hard because we’re on different sides of the ball, but I think if we’re both on offense, it’s easier to communicate … because we both know what we’re supposed to do,” D. Ebner said.
Even with the competitive and intense nature of football, the Ebners have remained close and connected both on and off the field.
“We’ll play next to each other sometimes, and it’s awesome,” G. Ebner said. “[It’s] definitely a brotherly connection that you can tell.”
Karissa & Maya Oniciuc
Even when playing duos, tennis can feel isolated on the court. However, for freshman and junior sisters Karissa and Maya Oniciuc, their matches against each other break those boundaries, driving them to improve and build off each other.
“You want to help them get better, they want to help you get better … [it’s like] you already have friends in the sport,” M. Oniciuc said.
When they were young, the two would play spirited tennis matches against their parents, who paid for tennis lessons and encouraged them to get onto the courts and learn together. Since then, both sisters have been united, joining SPHS tennis and commenting that they have never had much sibling conflict.
The support the Oniciucs draw from each other has greatly helped shape the team. Their friends on the team view the siblings’ strong bond as a model for communication, allowing the whole team to engage both warmly and productively.
“Because we’re siblings, [we] already have a connection. She introduced me to her friends; I introduced her to my friends. So now we’re more connected. It’s easier,” the Oniciucs commented together.
The deep sibling bond between the Oniciucs has helped to unite the team.
“Tennis is a sport you can play all your life,” M. Oniciuc said. “Especially because I can play with [K. Oniciuc] too, it’s something to keep us together.”
Charles & Gabriel Vogel
Being on a team can feel like being part of a family, but for baseball seniors Charles and Gabriel Vogel, they actually are twins. Both began playing baseball in preschool and described a consistently strong love for the game.
“[Playing together] has made our relationship stronger. Having a sibling play the same sport as you is like having a built-in teammate 24/7,” G. Vogel said. “I think after playing baseball, we have developed a stronger relationship than it would’ve been without being teammates.”
In the sports world, having siblings play for the same team introduces a unique dynamic. The Vogels’ personal connection positively affects not just the two, but the entire baseball team.
“Since we are brothers, our teammates see our connection and start building similar connections with other teammates,” G. Vogel said. “Everyone is really close on the baseball team, so it’s like a brotherhood, and I think it stems from our relationship, branching off with others.”
When playing on the field, the Vogels have an unique advantage.
“On the field, we have a sort of silent communication advantage. We both know what we need to do without communicating that with each other,” C. Vogel said. “Having a sibling is essentially the same thing as having a built-in motivator. No matter the situation, we are always pushing each other to be the absolute best that we can be, both on and off the field. Motivating each other and holding each other accountable for our actions and performances has boosted our role as leaders of our team.”
Their sibling connection goes beyond just teamwork. It is about the mutual encouragement that keeps both motivated, focused, and ready to tackle every challenge.
“While we both have our own individual goals, the two of us as well as the rest of the team have the same goal in mind, and that’s to win CIF,” G. Vogel said. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve made the playoffs, but we’ve come up short. We feel that this year we have both the talent and the team chemistry to make it all the way.”
Twins are known for being the same, but C. Vogel and G. Vogel feel quite the opposite. However, they still give one another the confidence and motivation that they need.
“Having a twin is helpful [on the field] as one of us can pick up on the other’s mistakes and not only offer advice, but we can work on fixing similar mistakes together,” C. Vogel said.
In shows and movies, twin telepathy might seem as a myth, but it exists between the Vogels, not only as twins but as teammates as well.
“Charlie and I are twins, and yet we are very different at the same time … We have been teammates for so long, we both recognize each other’s emotions, so if one of us is getting overly emotional or upset we can help each other fix it,” G. Vogel said.
Elijah & Raphael Hall
Another set of SPHS baseball twins are seniors Raphael and Elijah Hall. The pair started playing baseball when they were 4 years old on their Little League team while living in New Jersey. The two of them decided to stick with baseball and are now both on SPHS’s varsity team.
“Baseball is definitely a continuity in our life,” E. Hall said. “We both played a lot of different sports … baseball is the sport that I’ve stuck with the longest … in recent years, it’s been more about support and lifting each other up, encouraging each other.”
Being twins is also something that motivates and challenges them. Playing on the same club and school team is an enjoyable experience for them.
“We both support each other a lot; we’ve played together for a really long time,” R. Hall said. “I think [E. Hall] being there gives me someone who will always support and push me … so there’s definitely a motivational and a competitive aspect to it.”
There has always been a certain aspect of competition between the two of them, with both always trying to one-up the other. But that competition is something that has challenged them to be better athletes. The pair also plays in complementary roles, with R. Hall pitching and E. Hall catching. This duo makes them stronger on the field and also improves their game.
“Of all the catchers that I throw to … the person that I have to shake off the least is him,” R. Hall said. “He calls just about every pitch that I want, where I want it, so in that way, he’s kind of the perfect catcher for me.”
Both Halls also plan to play on the collegiate level, each having different paths of how they want to accomplish that goal. R. Hall plans to study business administration and eventually go on to play professional baseball.
“I’ve been really serious about baseball ever since I was young,” R. Hall said. “It’s always been my first choice in what I want to do, and I’m going to see how far I can go.”
E. Hall wants to continue playing baseball while in college, but also find a balance between his goal of attending a fire academy and eventually becoming a firefighter paramedic.
“I plan to play in college as well, but right now I have a … separate career,” E. Hall said. “I plan to go to college for fire … and baseball is something that I love, so I’m trying to find a balance between those two things.”
Both twins agree that having each other and being related is more beneficial than not. They have someone who supports and challenges them to become better players.
“At the end of the day, there’s definitely more pros than cons,” E. Hall said.
Chloe & Perri Koo
Twin track seniors Chloe and Perri Koo each began running competitively during their freshman year of high school. The two are now varsity stars — P. Koo is a sprinter for track, and C. Koo runs long-distance for track and cross country.
“Since we do the same sport and we compete with each other, we end up pushing each other a lot. It’s really nice to have someone to talk to, especially if we’re not feeling great or we didn’t perform well. She’s always there for me when I need it,” P. Koo said.
Despite competing in a rather individualized sport, P. Koo cited track relays as times when the team aspect gets a chance to shine through.
“Even though we do separate [track] events … I get to possibly run with her on the same relay team,” P. Koo said. “Really, it’s just representing South Pas and showing the other schools that we’re here to compete. We push each other to improve.”
Both twins see their bond as a contributor to their personal success and the team’s strong record in the past seasons. Both are interested in competing at the collegiate level, and both act as the other’s motivation.
“Running together is really fun. We each have our own different personalities, but … in terms of scoring, you’re competing for a team, and you’re all running together as a team,” C. Koo said. “I can definitely see that we both put in a lot of effort, time, and dedication, and it shows. It pays off, and it really changes the team dynamic … Ultimately, for us, we’re just pushing each other to better our team and better our times.”
P. Koo echoed a similar sentiment that they are not only competing for themselves, but also cheering for each others’ successes.
“Since we run together, we relate a lot more to each other now, and we both understand the pressure to perform well. It’s really great training for us and really everyone,” P. Koo added. “She’s my sister, but she’s also my teammate, and I think that’s a pretty cool thing to have. Not everyone gets to have that.”
