Oh, brother.
Happening at Hart High is a sports anomaly for the record books. Within the varsity and junior varsity football programs are 10 sets of brothers.
“Isn’t that crazy?” said Kimme Frithsmith, mother of varsity starters Ryder and Matix Frithsmith.
That’s 10 families contributing 21 boys to playing football. The school’s principal, Jason d’Autremont, has three sons in the program. Talan is on varsity while Noah and Kaden are on the JV team.
First-year coach Jake Goossen inherited this improbable occurrence but perhaps it was part of his journey because his mother, Sandi, was one of 10 children and the founder of Ten Goose Boxing.
Many of the brothers carpool together to practices, so they have great excuses if anyone is late (call it the brotherly huddle to get their stories straight). Blame it on the brother who’s driving poorly or blame it on the brother whose alarm didn’t work. There are so many potential excuses when you have a brother on your side.
Three sets of brothers are playing on varsity. The Frithsmiths are the most unlikely. Ryder is the star center fielder for the Southern Section Division 2 championship baseball team. He decided to play football as a senior year after last playing in seventh grade. He’s a receiver and Matix, a sophomore, has started at three positions. Both have grade-point averages above 4.0 and never had been teammates.
“It’s so cool,” Kimme said. “It’s the first and only time they’ve been on a team together. It’s such a family atmosphere.”
Matix lobbied Ryder to come out for football, and now Ryder drives Matix to practices.
“I’ve always wanted to play football with him,” Matix said. “He didn’t play his first three years and I finally got him out. I’ve been enjoying it and loving it while it lasts. He’s always played in the backyard with me but always focused on baseball.”
The other sets of brothers on varsity are junior receiver Vince and freshman linebacker Matthew Charles and twin linemen Bryce and Grayson Rivera.
“I’m living in the same house with a teammate,” Vince said.
Star running back Zach Rogozik, who set a school record with seven touchdowns against Canyon Country Canyon, has brother Josh playing on the JV team.
The other sets of brothers are Jared and Juan Trujillo, Kameron and Travis Werner, William and Noah Jauregui, Zach and Trent Saldivar, and Timmy and Trey Tadler.
“It’s cool to see so many sets of brothers on the field,” Matix said.
Hart has had its share of outstanding brother combinations through the years, including from the Herrington, Bonds, Moore, Irwin, Ciccone, Norton, McKeon and Iacenda families.
Goossen, a Sherman Oaks Notre Dame graduate, remembers the brother combinations for the Knights, including from the Simic, Crist, Horton, Brewster and Vella families.
When families send one sibling after another through the same program, it shows trust in the experience. Of course, there’s no guarantee everyone will get along. Goossen remembers when his uncles were on the TV show “Family Feud.”
They lost.
“They couldn’t ever live it down,” he said.
For now, it’s brother helping brother and brother rooting for brother at Hart High.
“We’re so happy,” Kimme said.
Ryder and Matix Frithsmith
Vince and Matthew Charles
Bryce and Grayson Rivera
Zach and Josh Rogozik
Talan, Noah and Kaden d’Autremont
Jared and Juan Trujillo
Kameron and Travis Werner
William and Noah Jauregui
Zach and Trent Saldivar
Timmy and Trey Tadler
Oct. 11, 2024
Sept. 15, 2024
Sept. 1, 2024
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Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column.
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