WALL, S.D. — It’s safe to say that there’s a brotherhood among the Wall Eagles Football team.
When traveling in the central part of South Dakota, you’ll probably see Wall’s stadium, which runs right along Interstate 90.
But in that stadium, also running, is three sets of brothers in the Eagles’ team, including twins, Norman and James Livermont.
“It’s pretty interesting, you know, we got a lot of bonds, so I think we play well together,” Norman Livermont said.
If you’re wondering how these brothers get along on the field as opposed to at home, it’s all business when they strap up, but there’s still some brotherly love that goes around.
“We argue a lot more than it seems we get along,” James Livermont said. “It seems like once we’re in the game, then it doesn’t really matter after that and we’re just kind of focused in on the game.”
It’s a team full of family.
The team even features a trio of brothers, the Blasius brothers.
They’ve been on the gridiron, together, for years.
That trio starts with Burk Blasius, the Eagles’ starting quarterback.
“I’ve been playing with them, I don’t know, since I was I’d say I was six or seven,” Burk Blasius said.
His older brother, Blair, catches his passes from his tight end position.
“I’m always before the play telling him, pass me the ball, you know, I’m open,” Blair Blasius said.
Although Burk returns the favor by holding Blair’s kicks.
The trio is rounded out by Jace Blasius, a freshman. He’s youngest and the understudy to Burk as the backup quarterback.
“Yeah, it’s pretty fun to have some older brothers around,” Jace Blasius said. “It’s my first year of high school football, so kind of someone to look up to and tell me what to do.”
It’s something they don’t take for granted as they grow on and off the field.
“Of course, there’s cockiness, like ‘I’m better than you’, you know, but it’s fun to just be with each other because it doesn’t last for a long time, and someday when in the future we’re gonna look back on it, it’s gonna be the funnest years of our life,” Blair Blasius said.
“Brotherhood, it’s the closest thing you can have out on the football field and helping all that I can, I love to do it,” Burk Blasius said.
Some brothers enjoyed it last year.
Cedar Amiotte leads the team in scoring, after he watched his older brother, Bridger, do the same a year ago.
“When he graduated, he just kind of told me all of his little secrets to get in that extra yard and stuff like that,” Cedar Amiotte said.
Decades of success built on brothers.
“We appreciate you know, just the the tight community that we have and all the the families that you know we have in this town that come together and are great football players for us too,” said Lex Heathershaw, the Head Football Coach for Wall. “So it’s pretty fun deal to have that many guys that are brothers on our team.”
Many of those brothers are carrying on a tradition.
The Sandal brothers have four older brothers, who were Eagles before them, all lineman.
Now they grind it out together on the field before going home.
“It’s kind of fun ’cause you always can talk trash to him and you know he ain’t gonna beat you up when you get home, ’cause you got to work it out, and then I mean you still have to go eat dinner at the table with the parents, so you kind of have to work it out,” Kohl Sandal said.
As for his brother, Sawyer, it’s looking up to his brother that’s kept him in the game.
“He’s helped me a lot to be a better player,” said Sawyer Sandal. “I know that for a fact he’s taught me how to be get down in little things like to get down in my stance and how to run through the plays right. He’s always kept me going.”
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