DAPHNE, Alabama - Sports are frequently looked upon as generators of brotherhood, but on the basketball courts at Bayside Academy and Fairhope High this year brotherhood comes with the territory.

Pirate seniors Nate Andrews and Rushing Watson both have younger brothers Earnest Andrews, a junior, and Davis Watson, a freshman at Fairhope on the team. At Bayside, Dakota Brodie and Nelson Newman are the senior big brothers to sophomore Channing Brodie and freshman Spencer Newman.

The two schools did not square off this season but that suits Traci Watson just fine because while her sons play for Fairhope, her husband Ralph—dad to Rushing and Davis—is the head coach at Bayside. The Brodie’s dad, Curtis, is the Admirals JV coach and varsity assistant.

“I don’t remember having two sets of brothers on a varsity team who all played as much or started as much together these guys all do,” Ralph Watson said. “You often get two or three on the same team, sometimes twins. But what’s a special thing for this group (of eight) is how close they all are, growing up together and playing city league and summer ball together and just being friends and hanging out together. That doesn’t happen all that often and continue through high school. Most of all, I’m glad Rushing and Davis got to play together on the same team this year and glad I got to see them together as much as I have. Nate and Earnest are closer in age and have been both playing together a long time, too. Channing is a sophomore, but he and Spencer played a lot last year on varsity at Bayside with Dakota and Nelson and I think they’re real good examples of how growing up and playing together helps the team also. In basketball, sometimes you see a play that look like players are reading each others minds. These guys have played together for so much that I think sometimes they really do, but it’s really just knowing each other the way brothers do.”

Fairhope coach Robby Robertson also said having four brothers who regularly start or play as many minutes as the Watsons and Andrews is rare but helpful in this case.

“Well, I can’t speak for all the brothers I’ve known who have played together, but I can say having Rushing and Nate help lead this team along with all the great seniors I have this year has been a blessing. I think all the guys look up to Nate and Rushing and they always come through because they lead by example. And I think that’s what a big brother should do and be not only for the team, but for the school and the community. I think all the guys have picked up on the fact that having character and integrity are qualities you live by all the time and work at all the time, too, not just when you feel like it.

“Just looking at how hard Earnest and Davis work to be like their brothers is inspiring.”