Sibling revelry
The Dayton Christian High School soccer program has six sets of brothers, ranging from varsity to junior varsity:
Christian Alexander, jr., varsity
Josh Alexander, fr., varsity
Paul Holliday, sr., varsity
Phillip Holliday, sr., varsity
Alex Link, jr., varsity
Noah Link, fr., JV
Alex Lupinek, soph., varsity
Andrew Lupinek, fr., JV
Kyle Schindler, soph., varsity/JV
Kevin Schindler, soph., varsity/JV
Parker Vaughan, soph., varsity
Peter Vaughan, sr., varsity
To foster togetherness within his high school boys soccer program, Dayton Christian varsity coach Andrew Belleman tells his players to think of teammates as family.
For many of the Warriors, that message really hits home.
Six sets of brothers help comprise the Warriors program. Ten of the brothers — including two sets of twins — play or see varsity time.
At 9-2-1 and ranked No. 2 in the Miami Valley Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association poll, perhaps the only thing tougher than playing the Warriors is being the announcer at their games.
“It does get messed up a lot,” said senior Paul Holliday, who plays varsity with twin brother Phil.
It’s no mistake, though, that the Dayton Christian program has announced itself as a contender in the upcoming Division III tournament. The Warriors have a signature win over Carroll (3-2) and a tie with Alter (1-1), both D-II powers. The only blemishes are losses to Springfield Catholic Central (2-0, ranked No. 1 in the D-III state poll) and Miami Valley (2-1, ranked No. 3 in area poll).
Belleman, a first-year head coach who assisted at Centerville last season, likes the chemistry the Warriors possess, which complements his attacking style where teamwork is critical for success.
“One thing we try to preach is the whole team is sort of brothers. Maybe (having so many on the team) makes it easier getting that concept across,” Belleman said. “We don’t seem to have any sibling rivalries. It’s definitely been a much more positive thing.”
As for the Holliday brothers, they’ve played soccer together growing up and want to continue that trend in college. Being twins does have its advantages, especially when it comes to offering constructive criticism.
“It’s easier that way since we are brothers,” Paul said. “It’s not like we get mad at each other. We just try to help each other out for the next game.”
Dayton Christian hopes that advice goes a long way, like a return trip to the district finals. The Warriors were runners-up last season and last won district in 2006. A state appearance, which would be their first since 1982, is the goal this year.
“I believe in making realistic goals and I think for this team it is realistic,” Belleman said. “It’s somewhere they’ve never been, so it’s hard to say that when you’ve never been there before. But if our program had a chance, it would be with this group.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991, or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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