BERLINGERI
Sixth period starts and in walks Gino and Vincent Berlingeri, getting ready to practice. As they lace up their shoes, they take the court and begin their routines. With G. Berlingeri and V. Berlingeri both playing basketball for their whole high school careers, it is a sight to see them both playing for the varsity Bearcat Basketball team.
As kids, both G. Berlingeri and V. Berlineri practiced baseball together and didn’t have much interest in basketball until their freshman year. In his freshman year of high school, G. Berlingeri started for his team and showed his talent through his shooting and passing. He was second in three point percentage and second in steals per game on the freshman team. He carried these skills over each year he played and now, he is the starting shooting guard for the varsity team. With his senior season being complete, G. Berlingeri has helped his team with his talents on and off the court.
V. Berlingeri however had a different story than his brother. He was a starter on his freshman team and was one of the team’s top scorers. Causing a scene his freshman year, V. Berlingeri was called up his sophomore year to play varsity. V. Berlingeri contributed to his team through his fast drives to the hoop and his intense ball handling. With players like Tre Clark and Kingston Lacy struggling with injuries, he was put in to create energy the team was missing. With this only being his second year, V. Berlingeri has ample time to become the star of the future.
From growing up together to now playing on the court, G. Berlingeri and V. Berlingeri are a lethal duo. “As brothers I feel like we are always on the same page on the court and have this chemistry not a lot of people have,” G. Berlingeri said. Through assisting one another on the court and practicing at home, these brothers have improved their basketball skills together.
“It’s cool to be playing with my brother for his final season. I love it, and so does my family,” said V. Berlingeri. As the 25-26 season came to an end, it was truly a rare and amazing sight to see brothers on the same court.
MEDEIROS
As the clock strikes 5:30 p.m., senior Caden Medeiros hops in his car to head to soccer practice. But he’s not alone. Coming with him is his brother, sophomore Jackson Medeiros.
C. Medeiros began playing soccer at the age of 4, playing his 14th year alongside J. Medeiros, who began playing at the age of 6 and is in his 10th year of playing.
Their love for soccer came from watching the English Premier League at a young age. C. Medeiros has felt most inspired by Raheem Sterling, implementing Sterling’s style of play into his own, and J. Medeiros has considered Paul Pogba his favorite player ever since he began watching the game.
Through their club careers in high school, C. Medeiros played for numerous teams, including Legacy United’s 2007 team and Central Coast Condors’ 2005 team, both of which merged with Central Coast Surf. The last team he played for was Central Coast Dynasty’s 2007 team. Meanwhile, J. Medeiros had played for Dynasty’s 2009 team all throughout high school.
In free time outside of club and high school practices, the pair would train dribbling, shooting, and technical drills together until 2024.
During the 2023-24 season, C. Medeiros broke his ankle during a practice for the varsity team as a sophomore. The injury sidelined him for the entire season. As C. Medeiros navigated this injury, he faced frustration and lost motivation.
To J. Medeiros, playing alongside his older brother has helped him have a teammate that he’s close to and that he knows will support him. Additionally, the Medeiros’ parents believe that the two playing alongside each other is a dream come true.
“We’ve watched them grow up playing soccer since they were little and the support they give each other, as teammates and brothers, is really special,” said Carrie Medeiros, mother of the brothers.
As of Feb. 12th, the boys varsity soccer team finished 4th in the Mountain League with a 5-5 league record and a 15-7 overall record. On Feb 14th, they competed in the first round of the CIF men’s soccer playoffs in the Division 3 bracket where they lost to Mendota.
Photos by Alex Campoverde
